The enemies manifested themselves five times to make Nehemiah give up the work he was willing to do so that God would bless him. They wanted Nehemiah to abandon that project and come down to them. That project that Nehemiah was willing to do was to restore the Work of God among the people so that people would be protected from the enemies that were around them, just as God's adversary is around us to take away our blessing (“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:” - 1 Peter 5:8). Thus, the opponent of God's Work for man has tried to convince him to abandon the Salvation project, leave communion with God, and go down to live the Work of the world. And unfortunately, many have gone his way and looked back. Thus, they are losing the project of Salvation (“And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” - Luke 9:62).
Whenever opposition arose, Nehemiah answered: I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down (Neh 6:3). Nehemiah proved victorious. This is the word we have when we are invited to abandon the Salvation project that God prepared for us through his son Jesus. The word of God lived in Nehemiah and lived in us. Not only were the adversaries defeated, but they recognized that the Lord had done that great Work (“And it came to pass, that when all our enemies heard thereof, and all the heathen that were about us saw these things, they were much cast down in their own eyes: for they perceived that this work was wrought of our God.” - Neh 6:16).
What does it mean to rebuild Jerusalem?
The Call of the Faithful Church to enter eternity.
We saw in verses 1 to 8 of Esther chapter 1 that King Ahasuerus, after inviting the princes to visit his kingdom for one hundred and eighty days, served a banquet of wine for seven days, inviting all the people. While the king was rejoicing with the people at this feast, his wife, Vastí, also made a banquet for the women in the king's royal household (Est 1:9). For the last day of the party, the king had reserved a special moment where the queen would enter with the royal crown on her head, and everyone could contemplate her beauty and royalty. However, the queen refused to go, so she was stripped of her status as queen; she was never allowed to enter before the king again, and her kingdom was given to the other maiden. In this example, we can say that the king is a type of Jesus. The first one hundred and eighty days refer to the period of the Old Testament when the princes were invited (Israel). The following seven days are the seven prophetic times of the church. The feast that the king prepared for everyone is the feast of salvation. At this banquet, good wine is served, royal wine, according to the king's state (Es 1:7). The Holy Spirit has operated in favor of human beings. We have also seen on other occasions that the wine banquet could last up to seven days, and the last day was called the great day of the feast (John 7:37). At a wedding party, it was on that day that the bride and groom met and consummated their marriage. On this feast of King Ahasuerus, the party was celebrated in the courtyard, and when the queen arrived, the doors were opened, and everyone present entered the royal palace. If the wine banquet symbolizes the seven prophetic times of the church, the last day of the festival is when we live, where the project of salvation designed by God in eternity will soon be consummated. The great event of that day will be the wife's arrival in eternity. The church will be raptured and receive the crown of glory, entering the eternal house of God.
Vastí typifies the unfaithful church. While the Lord is carrying out his work of salvation, she has other plans, such as another private party. She holds her party inside the royal house because religion talks about the things of God; it looks like a church. But it is a party where the main character is not the Lord but the woman. The unfaithful church has already decided that it does not want heaven. She doesn't want to be called; she doesn't want to be taken away because she is satisfied with this world. For her, the party of this world is better than the party of salvation. So, the judgment that has been decreed and will not be revoked is that she will never enter eternity, nor will she see the face of God. And the Lord chose another wife better than her, known as the faithful church. This one will receive the crown of glory in the royal robes and enter the lamb's wedding when the heavenly gates are opened. All guests at the wine party until the last moment will enter with it into eternity.
Choosing the faithful church, the faithful servant
After Vastí was rejected from the royal palace for despising the king, many maidens were taken so the new queen could be chosen from among them. After a period of preparation of twelve months, each of them presented herself before the sovereign, and the one who most loved her pleased was the Jewish Esther, who was chosen to be his wife and queen. As already seen, Vastí typifies the unfaithful church, one that despised the Lord's salvation project and created another private project for itself. Esther is, then, a member of the faithful church. Esther was a Jew, therefore, a foreigner in the land. The church is gentile and foreign in comparison to Israel. Her father, Abigail, was dead. He who created the church died on the cross for it. Her cousin Mordecai raised her as his daughter. Mordecai is a type of the Holy Spirit. He is the one who takes care of the church so that it does not become an orphan. It was under Mordecai's guidance that Esther was placed among the maidens, as the Holy Spirit can place man within the Lord's salvation project; only He can do this. Seven respectable young women from the king's house were given to Esther. Seven girls were given to care for those elected to salvation, and we know their names: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. The eunuch in charge moved her to the best place in the house because the Lord's work was the best place.
Verse 11: The Holy Spirit takes care of the church day by day.
Verse 12: Twelve months of purification, six months with myrrh oil, and six months with spices. The church prepares to present itself before the Lord: Its purification is with myrrh oil, the precious Blood of the one she withered on the cross of Calvary. The spices are the perfumes, the ointments, and the decorations to enchant the king. Everything that the Holy Spirit operates in the church's life to give it a palpable form, such as spiritual gifts, experiences, etc. We will make thee borders of gold with studs of silver. (Songs 1:11)
Verse 15: Choosing the queen: The criteria for choosing the new queen was impressive. Note that the Word does not describe any personal characteristics of any of the participants; it only says that they were virgins and beautiful. The text says that the king provided myrrh oil, spices, food, and, probably, clothes, shoes, and other decorations. Esther did not ask for anything other than what was given to her by the king through the eunuch; for this reason, she presented herself before him exactly as he expected her to be: with what he had given her to use. The text suggests that the other girls wanted to please the king, asking for things different from what the king had sent. Maybe to surprise the king. Esther's wisdom was to understand this.
-Vastí was rejected because she wanted to please herself; she had her party her way. The king wanted a wife who wanted to please him. And what's the best way to please your husband if not using the gifts he gave him? In Song, the Word says: How beautiful are thy feet with shoes, representing the gospel (Song 7: 1). The king saw it and was happy. The Lord rejoices with the faithful church because she has no other gospel, but what He has given her (Gal 1:8). In Songs 4:11, his lips are beautiful: because of the scarlet thread which I gave you (Song 4:3). She carries on her lips a constant cry for the Blood of Jesus. You looked beautiful in the dress I gave you; speaking of the garments of salvation, and its perfume has the smell of Lebanon; speaking of the excellent perfume of Christ (Gen 27:27 and 2 Cor 2:15).