Today's Favorite Verse: Esther 2:12

Today's Favorite Verse: Esther 2:12
"Now when every maid's turn was come to go in to king Ahasuerus, after that she had been twelve months, according to the manner of the women, (for so were the days of their purifications accomplished, to wit, six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with sweet odours, and with other things for the purifying of the women;)"

The part of it taking a whole year to be purified had escaped me in past reading. What an incredibly long time to wait to come before the king. Then I saw this parallel with how long the wait is after baptism before you can take out your full endowment or be sealed in the temple. That is a time of preparation, maybe even purification, to enter the Kings of Kings' house. Baptism would be the first step in purification.

So what would the six months each of oil of myrrh and sweet odours be like? All that comes to mind is six months to take off the rough edges and smooth and soften them. The six months of sweet odours would refine and make them more pleasing before the Lord. 

Then I found this scriptures.

"But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God."
(Philippians 4:18)

A sweet odour was an acceptable sacrifice to God. What a sacrifice it to be made to wait. That was part of what prepared them to enter the house of the Lord.


Day 1003