The Mirrors of God
By Marlene Houk
Burke County
I love science experiments, especially when they have spiritual significance. Info.glass.com defines an infinity mirror as two mirrors “positioned parallel or nearly parallel to each other. This construction creates a series of increasingly smaller reflections that seemingly retreat to what appears to be infinity.” The result brightens, enlarges, and opens up a room when decorating. You can build an infinity mirror by holding a mirror that faces another mirror. (I held a hand one and aimed it at my bathroom mirror.) Look closely inside the mirror’s reflection and notice the cascading images of mirrors that stretch to infinity. Creating an infinity mirror reminds me of a spiritual principle in the book of Esther in the Bible.
Like the infinity mirror, the book of Esther in the Bible reflects God over and over. But the odd fact remains: the word, God, is not mentioned in the ten chapters. The absence of the word, God, caused many of the early canonical leadership to dismiss it as unworthy of being included in the Bible. However, its pages, like the facing mirrors, infinitely reflect the evidence of God’s presence and His powerful plan for His people. The spiritual analogies in Esther are like the mirror in the mirror, reflecting the presence of God among His people to such an extent that it is difficult to reject the book as uninspired. Esther’s story reaches far beyond the walls of her palace and her brief life and stuns us with her spiritual brilliance as she offers her wisdom.
One of those reflecting mirrors is found in the frequency of certain words in her book. For example, the word queen/s is mentioned fifty-four times in the KJV version of the Bible, and half of those times occur in Esther. Like reflecting mirrors, the word, queen/s reminds me of the King of Kings and our status as His Bride, the church. Isaiah 61:10 says, “I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.” The Lord, high in majesty, bequeaths to us the royal robes of righteousness when we accept His Son as our Savior from sin. He lovingly drapes His garment of salvation around our world-weary shoulders. We are destined for royalty the moment we say yes to His beloved Son, for He is the King of Kings. (See Revelation 19:7-8.)
There are also mirrors of caution in the book of Esther that reflect warnings from God. Surging emotions, rampant deceit, and a lack of character break the dams of intelligence and wisdom as they bring the Persian nation to the brink of collapse. The drama of ungodly people surrounding Esther helps us see our need for self-control, personal integrity, and godly attributes. (See Proverbs 25:28, Psalm 51:10, and 2 Peter 1:5-8.)
The hall of mirrors in Esther has a unique section—favor, and blessings that reflect over and over that God cherishes His people. When Esther found favor in King Ahasuerus’ heart, she illustrates that we are favored in God’s sight. Psalm 5:12 says, “For thou Lord, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield.” Indeed, he held out his golden scepter to grant her an audience with Him. As prayer ushers us into the presence of our King, the shouts of our enemies dim and fear fades into His glory. Like Esther, when the Son holds out His scepter of righteousness to us, we can know that we are favored. (See Hebrews 1:8.)
Many other mirrors of spiritual analogy line the halls of Esther’s palace with powerful messages to us today, reminding us again of God’s presence in our lives.
Reading Esther’s story through the perspective of an infinity mirror, we can see God’s care and commitment in multiple ways for Queen Esther and His people, the Jews.
Can you tilt your life at such an angle that you see reflections of God’s grace and goodness over and over in your life?
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Marlene is an author and teacher of Bible studies. She may be reached at Biblelady167@gmail.com
To receive helpful insight from the Bible, sign up for her newsletter at http://www.MarleneHouk.com, or connect with her on other social media. You can read more good Christian News from Marlene HERE.
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Blue Ridge Christian News covers Avery County, Burke County, McDowell County, Mitchell County, Yancey County, and Madison County in North Carolina, and Christian news from around the country.