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*Who’s In Charge?*
!!!! Esther 1
Today we begin a series on the life of Esther from the book of Esther.
History Books:
Joshua~/Judges~/1&2 Sam~/ Kings & Chron
Then three history books after fall of Israel & Judah taken into Babylonian captivity
70 years later Babylon conquered by Persia and Jews permitted to go home
Some went back: Ezra, Nehemiah
Some stayed: Esther.
Esther chapter 1:
(But her name does not appear in the first chapter nor do we see her on stage until next week’s message.)
For now she remains at home doing the things a typical Jewish teenage girl would do living in Persia several hundred years before Christ.
Have you ever found it difficult to live:
Living upright in a downright irreligious world.
Living with Christian morals in a ‘dog-eat-dog’ world.
Peter’s first letter: – live such good lives that when others want to slander you, they must make up lies.
But is seems that if I maintain my integrity, I will lose the contract, I will not get the grades, I will not get the promotion.
What we do not want to lose is God: our relationship with Him.
As we look at our series there will be echoes of two specific books: an in-depth commentary by Frederic Bush,
and a devotional by Chuck Swindoll.
The story of Esther examines a new perspective on what is fair.
Sometimes it merely requires us to wait patiently on God until he steps in to prove he was working his plan out all along.
Upon reading the entire story of Esther one will discover that the name of God is not mentioned.
Yet there is a sense that God is not far away.
Instead it is God that is actually in charge of events in the kingdom of Exerxes.
Charles Swindoll says: /“God’s presence is not as intriguing as His absence./
/Who of us has not longed for a word from God, /
/searched for a glimpse of His power, /
/or yearned for the reassurance of His presence, /
/only to feel that He seems absent from the moment?
/
/Distant.
/
/Preoccupied.
/
/Maybe even unconcerned.
/
/Yet later, we realize how very present He was all along.”/
In chapter 1 of Esther, the author sets the scene with great gusto desiring for the listener (or reader) to catch his irony.
The author wants us to see what is not obvious at first:
to see the emptiness of the opulent court
and to discover God behind the scenes.
The author paints the scene of the courts of King Exerxes in such exaggerated tones that it needs to be read in a mocking voice.
As the author narrates, he sets up an irony that begs the question: “Who is really in charge here?”
Is it the king?
Or some other unseen power?
Listen to the author’s description of the wealth and power of Exerxes in Esther 1:1-8.
(translation from Frederic Bush’s commentary on Esther).
“1 ¶ This is what happened during the time of Xerxes,
(that’s his Greek name – in Hebrew his name is Ahasuerus) – the Xerxes who ruled over 127 provinces stretching from India to Cush:
(In other words, this King Exerxes had power over the entire known world – you should be impressed.)
/ /
/2 At that time King Xerxes reigned from his royal throne in the citadel of Susa, /
/3 and in the third year of his reign he gave a banquet for all his nobles and officials.
/
/The military leaders of Persia and Media, /
/the princes, and the nobles of the provinces were present.
/
/4 For a full 180 days he displayed the vast wealth of his kingdom and the splendor and glory of his majesty.
/
/ /
/5 When these days were over, the king gave a banquet, lasting seven days, in the enclosed garden of the king’s palace, for all the people from the least to the greatest, who were in the citadel of Susa.
/
/ /
/6 (/And, oh, you should have seen the room)/ /
/The garden had hangings of white and blue linen, /
/fastened with cords of white linen and purple material to silver rings on marble pillars.
/
/There were couches of gold and silver on a mosaic pavement of porphyry, marble, mother-of-pearl and other costly stones.
/
/7 Wine was served in goblets of gold, /
/each one different from the other, /
/and the royal wine was abundant, in keeping with the king’s liberality.
/
/ /
/8 By the king’s command each guest was allowed to drink in his own way, for the king instructed all the wine stewards to serve each man what he wished.”
/
The author is almost at a loss for words as he tries to describe banquet that the king has planned to display his vast wealth and power.
But in his groping for words it becomes evident that he does so with an edge of sarcasm.
His attitude about the king’s attempt to display his glory is the same as the Psalmist of our Responsive Reading this morning.
In Psalm 2 we read that “The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them.” (Psalm 2:4)
The question, “Who is really in charge here?” is one that we need to ask in all circumstances of life – and death.
It is a question whose answer we discover by faith and that gives us the ability to live godly lives in an ungodly environment.
It is a question that the worship leader, Asaph, asked week by week as he led the Israelite worship in the time of King David.
In Psalm 73 he talks about the temptation to envy the arrogant when he notices their prosperity.
He describes them as always carefree and they increase their wealth.
He laments: /“Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure; in vain have I washed my hands in innocence.”/
He found his answer to this inner conflict when he entered the sanctuary of God.
There he understood their final destiny.
There he was reminded of the ultimate purpose and good on earth – God was always with him.
He needed nothing else.
He concludes with this prayer:
/“Those who are far from you will perish; /
/you destroy all who are unfaithful to you.
/
/But as for me, it is good to be near God.
/
/I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge; /
/I will tell of all your deeds.”/
(Ps.
73:27,28)
I believe that the attitude of the worship leader, Asaph, is the key to the reading and the understanding of the book of Esther.
Read with this question, “Who’s really in charge?”
and the confidence of God’s answer by faith is the key for the living of the Christian life today.
Let’s go back to the story in Esther – enter into the picture the Queen – Vashti.
Our author paints her in contrast to the king.
She is the only one in his entire kingdom he cannot control.
She is not controlled by his display of power.
She alone shows the power to defy the king.
“9 Queen Vashti also gave a banquet for the women in the royal palace of King Xerxes.
/10 ¶ On the seventh day,/(of the king’s banquet)/ when King Xerxes was in high spirits from wine, he commanded the seven eunuchs who served him— Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar and Carcas— /
(don’t laugh, I know these names sound foreign to Jewish ears.)
/11 to bring before him Queen Vashti, wearing her royal crown, in order to display her beauty to the people and nobles, for she was lovely to look at.
/
/12 But when the attendants delivered the king’s command, Queen Vashti refused to come.
Then the king became furious and burned with anger.”/
The queen is shown in contrast to the king.
Her banquet is quiet.
She chooses to go against the king’s wishes.
She chose to be free.
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