Sermon Tone Analysis

Life in a World of Conspicuous Power

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This passage is for all of you who look at the world you live in - - you see the power that others seem to hold over your life … and you feel powerLESS.

So much of your life seems to be in the hands of others.

Sure, you have the ability to make choices - make them all the time: “Will I go to work today or will I not?” “Will I do my homework for school today?”

“Will I pay the bills”?

“Will I make dinner tonight?

.. Or .....

But when it comes to the big things in life: “Joy, Peace, Rest, Comfort, Love” .... somebody … OUT THERE … has the power over your life - the power always seems to be in the hands of others ...

The government decides how much I’m going to pay in taxes - how much I’m going to get charged for gas.

Decisions made by other people determine whether I’m going to be able to afford to buy a place to live - or where I can afford to live.

Employers decide whether I’m going to get a joy, or whether I can get into the classes I want for school ...

… Whether I am loved or not … that’s the choice of others, too.

And maybe you’re here this morning - you feel so powerless .... and so hopeless that your life is ever going to change.

Over and over the Bible tells us as Christians that we aren’t supposed to worry.

Paul, “Rejoice in the Lord always.

I will say it again: Rejoice”.

“Be anxious about nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving present your requests to God.

And the peace of God, that passes ....”

Was it easy for Paul to be a Christian?

Beatings, jailings ...floggings, shipwrecks, attempted murders against him … left for dead on the side of the road after being on the receiving end of rocks to the head.

It was anything BUT easy for Paul to be a Christian.

He seemed to be powerless in so many ways in his life.

The book of Esther takes place in that kind of world and the first chapter of the book introduces us to THAT world.

As the curtain opens on the first scene, in chapter 1 - the KING is the person with ALL of the power.

We’re introduced to him right at the start: v. 1 … “Now in the days of Ahasuerus, THE Ahasuerus who reigned from India to Ethiopia over 127 provinces ...” (MAP)

This is a massive empire … 127 territories, covering much of the known world - - and in this entire kingdom, one man has absolute power over the life and death of every citizen - - he is the king.

His name is Ahasuerus (Xerxes in Greek).

I said last week that this story is an epic - would be a blockbuster movie … let’s dig in.

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1 POWER ON DISPLAY

The story begins with power on CONSPICUOUS DISPLAY.

Verse 3 tells us that the king is throwing a party.

This is not like any party you or I have ever seen.

It’s a party for the ‘who’s who’ in the kingdom - officials (cabinet ministers) and their servants, army officers, nobles and governors from every single one of the 127 provinces - they are all in Susa, for this party that lasts, not an evening, not a week, not even 2 … this is a six month party - 180 days.

Every glance you take, at every corner of the city, what you see is wealth oozing from everywhere.

There are massive marble pillars, white and violet linen hanging decoratively in the gardens, couches made of gold and silver … to the pavement beneath your feet, made from precious stones … marble, mother of pearl, porphyry … you are walking on pavement made out of things that everyone else would have protected in a safe … from floor to ceiling, everything shouts opulence.

After 6 months, of out-of-towners, trampling through the city in party-mode (and you’ve seen the aftermath of one-night parties - just imagine the mess left behind after 6 months of unhindered drinking and carousing) … the king wants to reward the citizens of Susa for putting up with all of this, so he carries on with 7 more days of partying - this time for the local residents: “Verse 5 - “the king gave for all the people present in Susa the citadel, both great and small, a feast lasting for seven days in the court of the garden of the king’s palace.”

The wine was flowing as from an inexhaustible fountain.

If you think that all of this extravagance is because the king wants to make the rounds on social media and get a reputation for being THE CELEBRITY who throws the GREATEST parties … then you’re missing the real point.

Ahasuerus sees himself as a god-king.

That may sound weird, except for the fact that we see the same thing in our world, today.

In North Korea, Kim Jong Un, like his father and grandfather before him - he doesn’t see himself as a mere mortal - a human dictator to just be obeyed .... he sees himself as a god to be worshiped.

Sadly ridiculous in N. Korea where people are starving to death, because the guy can’t even feed his people.

How do you worship a god who can’t even provide your basic needs.

But in Persia … it’s believable.

Look around at the excessive wealth on display - all this, the generosity of a king who throws parties for his people.

The message being sent out by this party is: “Stick with me - and you will be taken care of”.

“Ultimate power is right here - in MY ROYAL HANDS.”

After 7 days of the second party, when the king’s inhibitions have been numbed by the wine, and after the guests had been well-lubricated by all the drinking … King Ahasuerus decides he’s got one more possession to show off … His wife.

“My wife is drop dead gorgeous.

Let me show these guests so they can enjoy her and eat their hearts out at the same time - because this beauty is mine.”

-

It’s not enough to send someone to call the queen - he sends 7 men to bring her back.

If you’re getting a little uncomfortable by this inebriated king calling for his wife to entertain his drunken party guests … then you’re reading this story rightly.

Now verse 11 tells us that the men were supposed to, “… bring Queen Vashti before the king with her royal crown ...”.

Many of the rabbis in history have said that, by this request, the king wants the queen to come wearing her royal crown … and nothing else.

I’m not sure if that is precisely true - but it’s definitely not far off - in verse 11, ‘… in order to show the people and the princes HER BEAUTY, for she WAS LOVELY TO LOOK AT.” TWICE - her beauty.

DRUNKEN MEN looking at a beautiful woman … Can hear the catcalls all the way from here.

That’s sad.

And yet, it’s so true of human history.

So often I hear people saying, ‘We can be good without God’.

And sure, there are many morally upstanding people who aren’t Christians - who reject God.

But the problem is - when you reject God, you also reject the very foundation for morality.

You reject any standard outside the human mind.

And have you noticed that it’s always the vulnerable who end up paying the price - Babies aborted in the womb … or later!

Wealthy, powerful men, trafficking young, vulnerable girls for sexual favors as they fly their well-connected buddies to private islands on private jets?! Some people say - “We would be better off without God in the picture.”

And I say, “HOW TERRIFYING to live in a world with no holy God in heaven who says, ‘Love your neighbour as yourself - because she is created in my holy image.”

Some of you here this morning have been abused by others at some point in your life.

You’ve tried to move on, but the scars never fully fade.

You need to know that GOd cares. he sees.

He knows and He will judge.

Because He is working, maybe silently - but He’s there working, behind the scenes.”

Now, back to the story.

So, the king sends his messengers to bring back his trophy wife … and meanwhile, he and the rest of the partiers wait … and wait … and wait.

2 THE KING GETS CROSSED

2 THE KING GETS CROSSED

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Hang on a second.

“Queen Vashti did WHAT?!”

She refused?! Nobody refuses the king.

And his wife?!

And in front of all of these guests?!

And just as is so often the case with a drunk - the mood does an about face - in the blink of an eye - he goes from laughter to RAGE - “… the king became enraged, and his anger burned within him.”

A mere woman cannot stand against the might of the empire.

So what’s the king going to do?

Every king worth his salt has a team of trusted advisors to help make decisions and Ahasuerus is no exception.

He calls an emergency conference of the wisest and most learned legal minds … “What do I do?”

Memucan speaks up and emphasizes how grave the situation - this isn’t just about the king, this affects the whole kingdom.

And right at this point - as we survey the scene - what do we see?

We see a king, who has a god-complex and on top of that, has had too much to drink, gathering his most trusted advisors to help him decide how to bring the whole power of the Persian empire together to deal with a single woman’s refusal to go along with the program.

And I wonder how often you feel like a Vashti.

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Now this is where we are supposed to laugh.

We are supposed to laugh because something is not quite right at the heart of power, in the palace of Susa - the center of the kingdom of Persia.

I wonder, do you see what’s going on here?

3 CRACKS IN THE ARMOUR

But that’s not the advice at all … Notice Memucan’s concern - v. 17, “For the queen’s behavior will be made known to all women, causing them to look at their husbands with contempt ...” “Queen Vashti said no to her husband.”

… Do you see how these advisors make this family problem all about them?

“This isn’t going to be good in MY home!” “I’m going to get home

Esther and Mordecai have not yet even made an appearance on stage, but events are still moving according to God’s good pleasure.

Why did Vashti throw away her position and privilege for a noble but predictably futile gesture?

Why did Ahasuerus make his foolish demand in the first place?