It’s been an eventful week where the Jewish people celebrated the Feast of Purim from Feb 28 – Mar 1. The Feast commemorates the salvation of the Jews in ancient Persia when Haman plotted to annihilate all Jews consisting of young and old in a single day, as recorded in the Megillah (book of Esther). In addition to the miracle of Jewish survival, Purim denotes God’s intimate involvement in all aspects of this world.
Even though there were no overt miracles recorded in the Megillah, God was actively behind the scene — though His name was never mentioned, we gain great comfort in knowing that God is in control of His creation. To read the book of Esther as a historical account of a long-dead king and his queens is to miss a wonderful truth. In fact, there are present truths and prophetic messages to be gained for today’s Church in her preparation for becoming the Bride of Christ.
1. Esther’s Preparation
“Before a young woman’s turn came to go in to King Xerxes, she had to complete twelve months of beauty treatments prescribed for the women, six months with oil of myrrh and six with perfumes and cosmetics.” Esther 2:12
Esther was first anointed with Myrrh – a bitter herb, for six months. She was then anointed for six months with perfume. After that she was promoted to royalty. Ever noticed how the pruning sheers often come before a season of greater fruitfulness? The anointing of bitter herbs precedes the sweet, but both are necessary in order for the promotion to occur.
Consider the following quote – “The myrrh season is a time when God is cutting through the outer layers of my heart and grinding down the residue of my callousness that is keeping me from His favour. It’s a season when God by His mercy has revealed to me some issues that need correction and healing.” Aaron Fruh
Are you willing to allow the pruning shears to come before your season of greater fruitfulness?
2. Esther’s Posture
“For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?….. My maids and I will fast likewise. And so I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!” Esther 4:14-16
There is a divine principle here. Because Esther intercedes in the heavenly courthouse, God intercedes in the earthly one. Before we appeal to our earthly authorities we should always appeal to our heavenly one. Prayer and fasting helps to position us in a posture of humility, obedience and courage. In this defining moment, we found Esther willing and being obedient in laying her life on the line to obtain the king’s favour. Her obedience and the fear of the Lord marked the salvation of a nation.
10 August 1967 marks the date of the first official declaration by the government of Singapore that abortion was to be legalised in Singapore. This pronouncement was the opening salvo that led to the legalisation of abortion in Singapore in 1970 and eventually its full liberalisation in 1974. This has resulted in more than 650,000 babies being aborted legally in Singapore since 1970, and at its peak, 3 out of every 8 conceptions in Singapore ended in abortion. As this announcement was made in the natural realm, the door was opened in the spiritual realm for the curse of abortion to take root and the worship of Molech to be enshrined in the ethos of Singapore — the offering of blood sacrifices of our unborn children to the gods of economic prosperity in direct opposition to the express will of God with regard to the sanctify of life and the mandate to be fruitful and multiply.
Similarly, what is our posture and are we willing to pay the price to reverse the curse in our land?
3. Esther’s Proclamation
The King so favoured Queen Esther that he gave her a blank cheque. “You yourselves write a decree for the Jews, as you please, in the king’s name, and seal it with the king’s signet ring; for a letter which is written in the king’s name and sealed with the king’s signet ring no one can revoke.” Esther 8: 7–8
There’s a parallel in the New Covenant that King Jesus gave to His disciples: “You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” John 14:14
I believe Kingdom Invasion 2018 is a catalytic event providing opportunities for decrees and declarations to be made. God will watch over His own words to fulfil His plans and purpose. Will He find a person like Esther who will hear and respond to the voice of Mordecai; a person who can come to the point of echoing those famous words, “If I perish, I perish?” We do well to be reminded that we’ve been called to Kingdom work for such a time as this. Lord, let Thy Kingdom come and Thy will be done!
