It was hot and heavy, and the breeze was not soothing, as breezes should be. Rather, it was like a small flame, slowly working it's way across her body.
"It's just nerves, your Majesty." The handmaiden smiled reassuringly at her, and resumed styling her hair.
Esther just nodded. She still wasn't use to the royal address from the servants, and after awkwardly stumbling around with replies, she had decided to simply nod unless an answer was absolutely necessary.
She was wearing the finest clothes in all the kingdom, and the bright white of her gown looked resplendent with the sapphire jewelry she was adorned with from head to toe. She looked like the queen of a king.
But she didn't feel like the queen of a king. Why would he choose me?
She heard the heavy door on the other side of her chamber open. Voices spoke quietly, and another handmaiden came into the room. "It is time, your Majesty."
The handmaidens picked up the train of her gown, for it flowed two times the length of her body. Together they marched to the grand court, the throne room of the king, where the marriage ceremony would take place. The massive doors to the court were opened by soldiers decked out in their finest military uniform. Inside, there were people on either side of the court, forming an aisle. At the end stood King Ahasuerus, wearing his royal crown, his royal robes-with an astonishingly greater amount of jewels then Esther, and a gleaming sword swinging from his right hip.
I'm going to faint.
They started the procession down the aisle. King Ahasuerus was smiling at her, but it was different...he looked excited, happy. Dare she say it? In love.
She couldn't for the life of her figure out why he would love her, choose her, stand there waiting for her. She was nobody. He loved her?
He did love her, and the closer she got, the more she saw it. He loved her. Truly. Completely. Irrationally maybe, but it was real. She had been afraid to hope for this kind of love, but here it was. Undeserved, unmerited, and unequal to any she could have imagined. Suddenly the air didn't feel suffocating any more, but more like warm breath, whispering words of love to her soul.
At the end of the aisle, he reached for her hands, and squeezed them. Then letting go, he turned to the priest and took a crown from his hands.
Her crown.
He delicately placed it on her head, and whispered for only her to hear, "I am yours, and you are mine, my love."
Joy bubbled up inside of her, and tears flowed from her eyes. Smiling, she repeat his words, "I am yours, and you are mine, my love. Forever."
I based this on Esther 2:16-18. This is purely the work of my imagination, but the scene in my head was so beautiful I had to tell you guys. I left out the palm trees though. They just didn't seem to go anywhere. ;)
You may be thinking that last time seemed to wrap everything up so nicely, why would I jump back to the beginning of the book? I've had this picture and this message in my head since I started the Esther series, and I thought, "What better way to end it, then with this final thought?"
God chose you.
We should have billboards with flashing lights everywhere to help drill this into our hearts. God chose you. The good and the bad. The hurting and the messed up. The goofy and the serious. All the things that make you the weird, unique person you are. He chose you.
"For your Maker is your husband, the Lord of hosts is his name; and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer, the God of the whole earth he is called." Isaiah 54:5
"You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God. You shall no more be termed Forsaken, and you land shall no more be termed Desolate, but you shall be called My Delight Is in Her, and your land Married; for the Lord delights in you, and your land shall be married. For as a young man marries a young woman, so shall your sons marry you, and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride so shall your God rejoice over you." Isaiah 62:3-5
Romans 5:8 tells us that while we were still undeserving sinners, God showed His love for us by sending His Son to die for each and every one of us. God rejoices over you. He loves and adores you. He's taken the forsaken and desolate titles from your life, and set a crown of beauty on your head. He is our Husband, and you are His bride. He is standing at the end of that aisle waiting for you. That is the ultimate stand.
"I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine..." Song of Solomon 6:3
He chose you because He is totally in love with you.
Will you answer? Will you go to Him? Will you be His?
Rie told me about this song, "Beloved," by Tenth Avenue North. Everyone should check it out today at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=-OHo2qawjZ0
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