Esther versus Romans 6-8

In preparation for Purim (March 21, 2008), I thought it would be interesting to look at Esther.

Read Romans 6-8 and then read Esther in this context:

Esther is your spirit
The king is your will
Haman is your flesh
Mordecai is the holy spirit

It is an amazing read.

Name meanings:

Esther: Something hidden, or a star
Hadassa (Esther's Hebrew name): Myrtle - myrtle gives of a sweet aroma when it is crushed and beaten
Xerses: The king (this is a title, not his name)
Haman: Magnificent, or tumult
Mordecai: Little man
Mordecai's lineage (Jair, Shimei, Kish, Benjamine); my light; that hears or obeys; bent (towards) the son of the right hand

Proverbs 25:2 - ”[It is] the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings [is] to search out a matter."

The seven advisers to the king (perhaps 7 facets of "self") with their name meanings:
Casrhena: illustrious
Shethar: star
Admatha: given by the highest
Tarshish: a jewel (yellow jasper)
Meres: lofty
Marsena: worthy
Memucan: dignified

Isn't that how we want to see ourselves?

Some words have dual meanings. This is common in the English language. Can you think of an example? It is common in Hebrew too. The seven advisers names have other meanings.

Casrhena: sleeping, a lamb (lambs are known for being weak and dumb)
Shethar: putrefied; searching
Admatha: a cloud of death; a mortal vapor
Tarshish: contemplation (worry?)
Meres: defluxion; imposthume (I had too look it up... an oozing sore)
Marsena: bitterness of a bramble
Memucan: impoverished

The first list is our mask to the world. The second list (I think) is more representative of our condition before God. Isaiah writes that "all our righteous is as filthy rags." Realizing who we really are magnifies our need for redemption.

I will post more insights later.

(Name meanings are from Strong's Concordance or netbible.org)