"A FALLEN CULTURE"

>>>New series-“The Story of Esther: Desperate Times. Absent God?”

>>>Takes place in exile under Persian Empire

*From exile to evil plots against the people of Israel-it was a desperate time (build on plot each week).

*Esther is the only book that has no reference to God in any way. It seems like in a dark time for Israel, God was not there.

*The “mysterious ways” of God is quite prevalent in this story.

>>>Title of first message is “A Fallen Culture”.

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>>>Esther takes place after some exiles began returning to Israel.

>>>Babylon invaded Judah. Persia overcame Babylon.

Esther 1:1–7 “Now it happened in the days of Ahasuerus, the Ahasuerus who reigned from India to Cush over 127 provinces, in those days as King Ahasuerus sat on his royal throne which was at the citadel in Susa, in the third year of his reign he held a banquet for all his officials and attendants, the army officers of Persia and Media, the nobles and the officials of his provinces, in his presence. At that time he displayed the riches of his royal glory and the splendor of his great majesty for many days, 180 days. When these days were finished, the king held a banquet lasting seven days for all the people who were present at the citadel in Susa, from the greatest to the least, in the courtyard of the garden of the king’s palace. There were curtains of fine white and violet linen held by cords of fine purple linen on silver rings and marble columns, and couches of gold and silver on a mosaic floor of porphyry, marble, mother-of-pearl, and mineral stones. Drinks were served in golden vessels of various kinds, and the royal wine was plentiful in proportion to the king’s bounty.”

>>>The book of Esther starts off introducing King Ahasuerus (Xerxes 1-real king).

>>>King A was in his third year of reigning and throws a banquet for all his palace/military officials-180 days.

>>>(v.4) King A “displayed” the riches of royalty

*“displayed” means “make visible”/“noticeable”. King A made a point to show off his wealth.

>>>(v.5) After 180 days, King A held another 7 day feast for people in Susa (capital).

>>>Once again, the wealth of the king is emphasized. There narrator goes into great detail describing what the king had on display.

*Linen curtains/gold and silver couches/mosaic floor/golden vessels for drinks

>>>The narrator includes the amount of alcohol provided.

>>>Total days of partying: 187 days.

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Esther 1:8–9 “But the drinking was done according to the royal law; there was no compulsion, for so the king had given orders to each official of his household, that he was to do as each person pleased. Queen Vashti also held a banquet for the women in the palace which belonged to King Ahasuerus.”

>>>Now there are details about the party itself. No one was forced to drink, but those who did could drink w/o restrictions-no limits/have what was desired.

*Servants were ordered to give as much wine as the people wanted to drink.

*187 days of celebrating material wealth and unlimited drinks of alcohol (Illust. Dad/Rachel work parties-vulgar and foolish).

>>>(v.9) This verse introduces another character: Queen Vashti-banquet for women.

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Esther 1:10–11 “On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was cheerful with wine, he ordered Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Carkas, the seven eunuchs who served in the presence of King Ahasuerus, to bring Queen Vashti before the king with her royal turban in order to display her beauty to the people and the officials, for she was beautiful.”

>>>The King was “cheerful” w/wine (high spirits-drunk).

*Think about mindset after 187 days.

*This fits how history portrays King A.

>>>He ordered his eunuchs to bring Vashti to “display” (same word) her to the people-gaze at her beauty.

*She was the most beautiful “object” he had.

*Some commentators believe this to be bringing her in naked.

>>>King A was wanting to put her on display before him and his drunken friends

*other examples-Philistines and Samson/Herod and his daughter

>>>King A was all about the party and not about the responsibility-ruler of the world 6 months drunk, showing off, using lust as entertainment.

Esther 1:12 “But Queen Vashti refused to come at the king’s order delivered by the eunuchs. So the king became very angry, and his wrath burned within him.”

>>>Despite the demand of the king, Vashti refused to come at his request, making the king very angry (emotionally unstable from wine?)

>>>The wise men around the king told him that Vashti’s refusal to obey him could trickle down through the entire empire.

Esther 1:19–20 “If it pleases the king, let a royal edict be issued by him and let it be written in the laws of Persia and Media so that it cannot be repealed, that Vashti may not come into the presence of King Ahasuerus, and let the king give her royal position to another who is more worthy than she. When the king’s edict which he will make is heard throughout his kingdom, great as it is, then all women will give honor to their husbands, great and small.”

>>>They told the king to banish Vashti from the kingdom and let another woman be queen (set up for Esther).

>>>King was sitting angry-did nothing when “disrespected” by Vashti (all talk? insecure)

*Vashti refuses to obey king; wise men tells king to banish her-who’s really the ruler?

*God is “absent”/ignore-no true authority.

WHEN GOD IS “ABSENT”, NO ONE IS IN CONTROL.

>>>The king was had no control over his kingdom (or himself), and no one followed God-chaos.

>>>If God is not in control of your life/relationships/thoughts/emotions/decisions/etc., who is?

WHEN GOD IS “ABSENT”, LOOK AT WHAT CULTURE BECOMES.

>>>The culture of the Persian Empire was not one that followed God. Look how the culture is described.

*Worship/flaunting of wealth

*Drunkenness/no self-control

*Driven by lust

*No clear authority

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>>>The story of Esther opens by describing the vile culture where the people of Israel were enslaved. Things would seem bleak/hopeless.

*Where is God?

PERSIA’S FALLEN CULTURE LOOKS A LOT LIKE TODAY’S FALLEN CULTURE.

>>>If asked the question about a fallen culture, we would have said “major” bad things, but what about what was described in the passage?

>>>Our culture is all about gaining material wealth-money, fame, possessions, etc.

>>>Alcohol is the gateway to a good time. The world promotes drinking w/no limits unless one is described as “alcoholic”-drink as much as pleases.

*Not just alcohol but all society preaches doing what is right in our own eyes.

*If it is funny/feels good/makes happy it must be okay/good.

>>>Our culture thrives on lust and objectifying women.

*Boys: the world knows your desires/lusts and purposely puts things in your path for you to act on them. Value women-don’t objectify them.

*Girls: the world says act/speak/dress a certain way/do certain things to get a boy to “love” you. Girls should not treat women as objects either (Vashti said “no”).

>>>This is our government. This is our culture. How is God able to move/work when things are so vile? Desperate times. Where is God?