Esther: When God Seems Absent #2

A King’s Banquet Esther 1:1-9

Military and other types of parades and celebrations have long been used to show off the splendor or might of a particular leader, country, or people.

In 2017, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un presided over a spectacular display, shown here, to celebrate the 65 year anniversary of North Korea’s founding. He is the son and grandson of former leaders of the country of North Korea.

Every empire, over time, has inevitably given in to the peculiar temptations of sin for the powerful and successful—namely, delusions of deity, delusions of omnipotence, and the soaring pride behind those delusions.

Such a state will inevitably attempt to do what only God can do, to control all things, to sum up all things in itself, uphold all things by the unyielding word of its power, to exert that power like creeping tendrils of a climbing vine—attempting to wrap up every stone in the life of its citizens.

Our nation too needs to be very careful in it’s actions against this temptation to become like God… I see it a lot like the Tower of Babel story: We can build this tower, both a physical and philosophical tower, up, up, up and we think we can become God!

And I think we should respect our country, and honor our leaders-- we should be for our country, but not to the detriment of our allegiance and faithfulness to God.

We as Anabaptists can look to our historical fathers and mothers, many whom have written much about the government:

“Authorities are called of God and ordained to [their] offices to punish the transgressors and protect the good; to judge rightly between a man and his fellows; to do justice to the widows and orphans, to the poor, despised stranger and pilgrim; to protect them against violence and tyranny; to rule cities and countries justly by a good policy and administration not contrary to God’s Word, in peace and quiet, unto the benefit and profit of the common people, to rule well.” -Menno Simons, A Supplication to the Magistracy

I want to know, I hope you want to know, how to live in this world with grace and hope and joy, to live in the midst of a radically unfaithful people and flourish anyway.

We are not citizens of this kingdom.

For those of you who are followers, believers and disciples of Jesus, we are citizens of another kingdom— the kingdom of God.

Believers in Jesus are citizens of the Kingdom of God.

1 Peter 2:11 NIV

11 Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul.

Often times we face this difficult place, kind of like these Jewish people in exile, and we choose one of two popular (but wrong) answers:

Two popular, but incorrect answers to living as an exile:

-We fall into despair.

-We choose to join in.

But despair doesn’t work. Despair isn’t fruitful. Despair won’t move us anywhere worth going, because despair is fundamentally not what God calls us to. Have you met these people? “The world is a terrible place. It’s all bad.

So maybe we give in to the opposite pull, not towards hopeless despair, but assimilation and imitation:

If you can’t beat them, join them. Become like them. Stop swimming against the current. Let go and let the new gods have their way. .

But we know that we become like what we worship, don’t we? That’s just what the Psalms taught us, Psalm 115, “Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands... Those who make them become like them.”

Psalm 115:4 NIV

4 But their idols are silver and gold, made by human hands.

Psalm 115:8 NIV

8 Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them.

Worship a deaf and silent paperweight of an idol, and become a useless paperweight yourself. Worship the gods of sex, money, and power, and become just like them—greedy, power-addicted, enslaved to your own lusts and never satisfied.

—Despair or imitation—will not work. So which way should we go? Is there pathway for us?

Here’s the good news for us,

Refuge: We are not charting new paths in this struggle. We need not be trailblazers. There are old paths to learn, rather, not new ones to forge. The book of Esther is many things: One of them being an answer to that question—

How should the people of God live in the midst of evil, seemingly all powerful empire?

This is the story of Esther and Mordecai.

This isn’t some love story, it’s really not about any of that at all. It’s about power, control and judgement.

Chapter 1:1 lets read together.

This is a real empire, with real people— Notice a couple things about this king: His character, His actions.

READ

Meet Ahasuerus, King of Persia, better known in history by his Greek name, Xerxes. Ahasuerus is the son of Darius, his father, whose actions are recorded in the return of the Israelites from captivity in Ezra and elsewhere.

What are some of the character qualities we can glean about this king from the text?

Materialistic, Narcissist, Proud, Rich, Powerful, Likes to Party

At this time, early in the 5th-century B.C., Israel was at the tail end of exile. Under Darius, some of the people had returned to rebuild Jerusalem, but many had remained behind in the Persian cities of their exile, existing as an ethnic subgroup within the Empire, attempting to preserve their culture and worship and purity in the midst of a vast and foreign kingdom.

What are we supposed to see in these first 9 verses? The author is trying to give you one overriding impression, and that is a sense of awe at the extravagance of this man and his empire. We’re supposed to be in awe of the power, the wealth, and the waste.

Three things that we need to understand about Xerxes,

-His riches, grandeur and splendor are beyond compare (Glory)

-His is totally in control of everything and everyone (Government)

-He is greater than everything else (Greatness)

The King’s Glory

-He’s thrown a party for all the provinces (127), probably over 15K people. 6 months long. People coming and going throughout that time.

-Then he invites all the city itself for another party for 7 days.

-Elaborate furniture, lavish trimmings.

-Golden couches? Royal wine, for all these people. Roads made of precious gems and metals. (could we gather up all our rings and jewelry and things— how many couches?

-The author intends for us to understand and be in awe of the kings complete and udder Glory.

The King’s Government

-As the King— He rules above everyone and everything— They basically treat him like a God. We read this about many other kingdoms like this throughout history— even today, there are ruling systems that basically consider the Godlikeness of the King or Pharaoh or whatever.

-This is a picture of the power and the influence of everything

Esther 1:8 NIV

8 By the king’s command each guest was allowed to drink with no restrictions, for the king instructed all the wine stewards to serve each man what he wished.

-The king said there was no compulsion… Normally there was law that dictated even the way people drank at the kings table- “King raised the glass, you raised the glass— he told a joke, you raised your glass and laughed at the joke...” But here even the law of the king was said to have everyone do whatever they wanted to do! This guy was large and in charge. He was the MAN.

The King’s Greatness

-He is greater than everyone, more powerful than all, he is setting himself up with this display to be the most powerful, most wealthy and influential person that ever walked the earth.

-His empire stretched between the furthest reaches of the known world. From Sudan to India— from Eastern Europe through Russia.

-127 provinces

-480 million people, 3 different continents, dozens of languages, cultures and people groups. It’s an amazing kingdom.

-Largest kingdom of the ancient world.

-King Ahasuerus was honored as a god.

It’s as if he is saying— I am King Xerxes— the most powerful king of the most powerful kingdom on earth.

I’ve met some really arrogant people in my life— but this guy tops them all.

Only one thing seems to be missing from his kingdom- GOD.

-There is one main thing — one main person-- that is missing. God.

-We have all this detail, all this extravagance, but no where in this story will you see God mentioned.

This story begs us to look behind the curtain on all this— it sets itself up to lead us to see the greater reality. The author is setting up this comparison of King A, with the greater, silent God. Between the King, and God. The silent creator of the Universe whose Glory, and Government, and Greatness far surpasses King A, or any King ever for that matter. The one who is not even mentioned is the King of Kings.

Visible vs. Invisible

The invisible King is much greater than the visible King!

The Wedding Supper of the Lamb!

Revelation 19:6 ESV

6 Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns.

Revelation 19:7–8 ESV

7 Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; 8 it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure”— for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.

Revelation 19:9–10 ESV

9 And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.” 10 Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God.” For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

Glory of the greater King:

-King Ahasuerus has quite a bit — but God owns everything.

Psalm 50:10–12 NIV

10 for every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. 11 I know every bird in the mountains, and the insects in the fields are mine. 12 If I were hungry I would not tell you, for the world is mine, and all that is in it.

-King A paved some of his property with gold and gems— but Jesus is building a kingdom of heaven where the very streets are purest gold. It’s a kingdom that will house billions of souls, including ours. What kind of space will it take to house and hold billions of us in heaven?

-King A throws a 6 month party with unending wings and bread sticks and bottomless drinks to go around for 15-20K people--- Jesus builds a kingdom on the generosity of his love and grace. He makes the ultimate sacrifice for you and me. His life for yours. He sets a great table before you and me— the communion table— a place where lost sinners like you and me come and partake in the wonderful relationship with Jesus, our savior. The wine flows, not for the sake of a great party to celebrate a man, but it flows for the salvation of my soul, and for the glory of the Lamb that was slain for the sins of the world. A banquet that is only a foreshadowing of the great wedding banquet feast that is to come. A time where the bride of Christ will be united with the bridegroom for eternity. We are impressed by King A, but we fall down and tremble at the feet of a greater King. King Jesus.

The Government of the greater King:

King A works hard to control his subjects and all the details of his kingdom, trying to maintain power and influence. King Jesus is in control of ALL things at ALL times. He governs all of human history.

King A’s laws were intended to control and constrain people into submission, King Jesus’ law draws us to himself, so that we would be justified by Jesus’ death as a fulfilment of that law.

King A’s reign is dated, it’s listed in days, months, years. King Jesus’ reign cannot be measured. Its infinite. He has authority over all kings, nations, all governments, all people, all creation.

King Ahasuerus was--- King Jesus is.

The Greatness of the greater King:

-King A was pretty powerful— people on the earth bowed to him… King Jesus made the earth and everyone in it! And he was given the name that is above every name— and

Philippians 2:9–11 (ESV)

9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

-King Ahasuerus ruled from Sudan to India— King Jesus’ rule has no limits.

Psalm 2:2–4 NIV

2 The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against his anointed, saying, 3 “Let us break their chains and throw off their shackles.” 4 The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them.

Everything we read here about King A, and the great and mighty earthly kingdom of Persia— only points us to the greatness of the one true King of Kings— Jesus. He is greater than all!

Where do we go with all this?

Two things we can take away from today’s message:

Repentance

-The little “King Ahasuerus” in all of us.

Worship

We want to set ourselves up as the center. I get to define stuff. I get to control stuff. I get to decide who I am, and what I’m going to do, or where I’m going to go, etc.

-The Jewish people in our story may have fallen into one of the two camps I mentioned before— have you? They may not have travelled back to Jerusalem simply because they are in despair— It’s over— God doesn’t care, the city is in ruins, the temple is empty...

They may also have just joined the crowd too— they not only gave up faith, but they succumbed to imitation— they just went along with the crowd.

When we believe that this is all there is— we can fall prey to that same slope. The culture pecks away at us.

Maybe you are more like King A than you know— you are trying to be in control. I don’t need God. I will prove it myself.

The first step to dealing with this dilemma is repentance. God may be calling you today to repent of the ways you’ve let the little king A in you take over. That we take ourselves SO seriously, that we push him out.

What places have you tried to be the king of your life?

Take a moment here of quiet to reflect on that.

And finally— Worship.

Remember what we pointed out in the beginning— What we worship, we become! You can worship yourself. You can worship money, power, influence, possessions— you can be like a King Ahasuerus, accumulate a whole bunch of stuff… but it really doesn’t matter does it. What will you choose to worship tomorrow— and the next day?

There is no such thing as not worshipping.

“Everybody worships. The only choice we get is what to worship.” David Foster Wallace

God has been so good to us. He is all powerful, all-knowing, all-present. No man, no country, no idea can compare to our God.

Lets renew our commitment to love and worship Jesus with sincere genuine hearts every chance we get!