Below is a sermon manuscript from October 6, 2024. Watch the sermon here.
Introduction
It’s been raining in State College for the past few days, weeks, years. It seems like it’s been forever. But when I went on a field trip with our youngest this past Thursday, something happened. It was foggy that morning, but as I ascended a mountain, I broke through the fog, and guess what I saw? Something I hadn’t seen in a long time because of the rain. It was the sun. It was there all along. Though the rain and clouds had obscured the fact that it still existed, breaking through the fog was a reminder that it was there the whole time. The book of Esther is a bit like this. God is not mentioned anywhere in the book. We have a people living in a difficult time, perhaps caught up in the circumstances of the day, and it can be easy to lose sight of God. Perhaps that’s the narrator’s point. But just like with the sun, God is there the whole time. What’s amazing in this account is that the absence of the mention of God draws us in to see him working in the details of the story. Let’s look together.
Read Esther 1
Background Information
One character that is introduced here is King Ahasuerus. Some of your translations say King Xerxes. “The Persian king Ahasuerus reigned from 486 to 465 bc; he was the son of Darius I, who is mentioned in Ezra and Nehemiah (e.g., Ezra 4:5; Neh 12:22).[1]”
Susa was one of four cities that Xerxes used as a capitol. Other palaces were at Babylon, Ecbatana, and Persepolis, and these were occupied on a seasonal basis. Susa functioned as the king’s winter palace. Its walls were about 350 feet long. There were seventy-two stone columns, some eighty feet high.9[2]
Susa contained a significant Jewish community, one that was still thriving in the twelfth century a.d. It was from Susa that Nehemiah originated (Neh. 1:1), who served as cupbearer for Artaxerxes I and as governor of Judea.[3]
One of the distinctions of the book of Esther is just how much is unknown. It is the only book of the Bible where God and prayer are not mentioned. We are not sure why the people are still there. This is after the decree of Cyrus that the Jews could return. Why is there a community here? Had they grown comfortable in their surroundings? Is that a reason why God is not mentioned? There is much that is unknown and yet we see God’s hand throughout this book and it helps us know how to live as God’s people in an time and culture that is pointed away from God and his purposes. How are we to be faithful today. How do we live when God sometimes seems silent? It seems like things are getting worse, not better. Our prayers are not answered and we wonder why. We hear of natural disasters and think, how long God?
Don’t Take the Power and Wealth of This World Too Seriously
Do you notice the power of this passage? Over and over again, we are confronted with the extravagant wealth of the king. We are told of the size of his immense kingdom, the details of what he has on display, and many important people in attendance.
Pride comes before the fall
This display likely preceded his military attack on Greece. He was likely assembling everyone to show how great he was and encourage them beforehand.
One scholar even claims that the Susa banquet doubled as a “war counsel.” This is reasonable, since Herodotus claims that Xerxes declared his intention to destroy Athens. Hindsight, ironically, tells of the Persian army that was defeated by the Spartans at Thermopylae (480 BC).[4]
Do you get that? Imagine you suffered under this great and powerful ruler with all the pomp and circumstance, and then read this account. You might spit out your drink because you are laughing so hard. Remember that King who was so full of himself that he put on this incredible display of his power and wealth, recruiting a massive military campaign only to be defeated shortly afterward. You wouldn’t have thought that during the time, but afterward, in reflection, you understand the emptiness of it all.
We, too, can be overwhelmed by our circumstances and feel powerless in many different situations. But accounts like this can give us hope. Over and over again, God has humbled the proud and exalted the humble. We need to be careful of being short-sighted in seeing where true power and wealth are found.
True security doesn’t need to flaunt
We live in a time that is ripe with flaunting wealth in order to garner attention. It’s the world of Andrew Tate and other YouTube celebrities who show their homes, cars, and various possessions in an attempt to sell self-improvement philosophies. We are at the top of the food chain, and you can be too – all you have to do is follow these principles. As one Christian professor put it recently, it’s a masculine Prosperity gospel that misses what true masculinity is. True masculinity does not flaunt wealth before others but uses their resources for the good of their family and others. True masculinity does not use strength or authority to parade women for their own status before other men but serves and protects women in their life. Xerxes is not secure in himself; he is the stereotypical person who needs to call themselves an Alpha, thereby proving they are not.
This does not mean that there is no value to power or wealth. It doesn’t mean that Christians shouldn’t seek to use their own power and wealth well for the good of others. That is certainly the case. Throughout Christian history, some have sought to denounce wealth and status and live apart from the world. Scripture indeed teaches the dangers of these things, but we also should recognize that they can and are used for good. Later, we will see Esther use her position of influence for good.
Sometimes, a Christian response is recognizing the folly of it all
Think about this king who had all this power and yet did some of the most ridiculous things. Think about the decree that goes out. If you think you are in charge and want people to know that, why publish a decree to everyone that your wife didn’t listen to you?
I love this insight from David Firth, he writes,
God is never mentioned, but by showing the futility of such grandiose claims of human power, it opens up the question of where power really lies. The answer to that, too, will only be revealed gradually and never explicitly. But if the greatest human power turns out to be a charade, then already there is a hint that real power lies elsewhere. Just as Christian discipleship in our journey towards the heavenly dwelling is a matter of walking by faith and not by sight, so also this text encourages the community of God’s people to continue to trust him, even where his work is not explicit.[5]
Know God Is at Work, Even When You Don’t See It
God is at work through His providence
Providence is one aspect of God being involved in and with creation. Though he is above it, he is also involved with it, bringing his purposes to completion. This counters fatalism or mere chance. Instead, though we are responsible for our choices, yet, God is still in control and uses all things for his glory. Our statement of faith says this: “Having limitless knowledge and sovereign power, God has graciously purposed from eternity to redeem a people for Himself and to make all things new for His own glory.” I love how it brings in the central element of salvation in Christ.
This theme of providence runs throughout the book of Esther, but we already see it at play here.
Dowden explains God’s hand at work,
What seemed insignificant for the Jews—a pagan party, a marital spat between two Persian royals, and a decision to replace the queen—actually had a lot of significance for God’s people. Before we are even aware there is a problem, then, God’s providence is already at work. If Haman had risen to power without Esther’s being in place, it could have been disastrous for God’s people. But the Lord oversaw Ahasuerus’s drunkenness and Vashti’s defiance without violating their wills or wants and used all of it to accomplish what he wanted.[6]
God is at work freely above all things even as there is creaturely freedom. This creaturely freedom and power is true power, though limited. The King had true authority within his position to do pretty spectacular things. Think about the scope and size even of the decree and how it was able to go everywhere. He could issue a decree that would go out throughout the kingdom. The decree was able to go out because of Persia’s robust postal system.
Walton writes,
One of the features of Persian society that earned Herodotus’s respect was its excellent road and postal system. He observed that the empire was connected by roads with postal stations every fourteen miles. Fresh horses waited at each station in order to speed communications on their way to and from the capitals. In describing the dedicated postal riders, Herodotus gave us the famous lines, “Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night, stays these valiant couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.”[7]
God is to use this later on for good. But even here, it is setting the stage for what’s to come. The things of this world are lousy substitutes for God. They do not provide true security or ultimate hope, but they can still have value in their place. Some, even here, work in places and for institutions that may provide real value and help many with the services or contributions rendered, while some within those structures place their ultimate meaning within them.
Don’t forget to zoom out
Though God may seem silent, he is at work. As Psalm 2 tells us that the Kings of this world plot and plan, the true King sits enthroned over all. This does not mean that people are removed from personal responsibility. We are responsible for our choices to God. But we can be thankful that God can use all of this for His good purposes, even if we don’t understand everything. The book of Esther is a part of a greater story of history, but it’s also a completed chapter that we can look at while in the middle of our own. It helps us realize that the same God at work in Susa all those years ago is the God we worship. It is easy to be so zoomed in on our present circumstances that we miss this idea. Think about it even in terms of 21st Century United States in an election year. We are responsible to God for how we use our responsibility and power as citizens. But be careful not to get so zoomed in that you lose the big picture. God is sovereign over all.
Recognize the Difference Between God’s Kingdom and the Kingdom of the World
This passage also highlights the contrast between God’s kingdom and the kingdom of the world. We already have seen how power and wealth are not all there is. We have seen that claiming to be absolute sovereign doesn’t mean that you are. But we can also recognize the difference between God’s kingdom and the kingdom of the world. Jesus was quick to point this out to his disciples. They were clamoring to see who would be first, who would be greatest. And Jesus said the first would be last and the last first (Matt. 20:16).
Quick external results vs. continued growth
God’s kingdom is different than the kingdom of this world. This world’s success can be projected externally, but God’s kingdom is spiritual and unseen. External indicators of success may be just that, external markers. As we see in Jesus’ parable of the seed falling on various grounds, some looked good initially, but the soil was never good. Some of that was discernible with time, but time is one thing that we don’t have the time for. We don’t want the growth of a mustard seed we want the explosion of a firework. Fireworks happen and then they leave, but the mustard seed continues to produce.
Sacrificial love in human relationships
Even the decree of the King for women to submit is opposed to what we see in Scripture. We might think, how? Scripture does teach that wives are to submit to their husbands in Ephesians 5. But what we don’t see is husbands trumpeting that to their wives. Instead, husbands are called to sacrifice and lay down their lives as Jesus did for his bride, the church. The call is not for men to dominate over women. But it is a call for both to submit themselves to God’s way of living, which is greater than either. It’s not “you must submit to me” But “I must submit to the Lord.” The irony of the decree from Xerxes to all the women of the Kingdom is that for many the decree would be weird to hear and utterly unnecessary. They weren’t being paraded in front of their husbands’ drunk friends. The command was needed because of the failure of Xerxes not because of his excellence. Leading well means loving well.
Understand the weight of judgments
Those stuck in the here and now – ruled by immediate passions instead of love for neighbor are quick to make decisions without thinking through all the ramifications and unintended consequences. We see this with King Ahasuerus. His men come to him, and he listens and enacts without thinking about the ramifications. The passage lets us know a little bit about what is at stake when we hear “so that it may not be repealed.” The King is using the power of the Crown in a flippant and hazardous way. This kind of judgment will come into play later in the book as well. But here we see how something is blown out of proportion because of the anger of the King.
It’s doing what seems right in his own eyes. There will be a contrast to the fasting that proceeds with another action later in the narrative. It also contrasts our Lord who, as the all-knowing one, still spends time in prayer with the Father before facing difficulty himself, modeling and displaying a way forward for us. Our decisions are prone to error. The only one who has the wisdom for irrevocable judgments is the Lord. Still, while we make temporary judgments on this earth, we should do so with care. Some are prone to endlessly delay decisions but others are prone to quick and hasty decisions when there is much at stake. We must know the difference between the two and ask God for wisdom.
Don’t Refuse the Banquet of the Lord
There is a time and place to refuse human authorities
Vashti’s refusal likely seems reasonable to us. Though the exact circumstances are unknown, we do know that her husband was motivated by his impaired state and characterized by his quick temper. He is not cast in a positive light within the narrative, and she is only described by her beauty without a direct negative comment. It appears in the narration that we can feel sympathetic toward Vashti. Jewish tradition speculated as to her refusal – such as the King wanting her to appear naked or having a deformity. That early commentary implies that her refusal was justified in some sense. The ambiguity and lack of reasons within the text may be intentional. The implication is that she must – no matter what – come when he beckons.
This action took courage. Her refusal results in her losing the reference of Queen Vashti to now just Vashti. She is barred from the King’s presence. Within the context of Esther this also means that Vashti loses the ability to influence because of her position. Those who were in the King’s presence seemed to have his ear and were able to influence his decisions – often playing on his insecurities.
But still, it is easy for us to see the justification, even if it is not explicitly given, for Vashti’s actions. Biblically, we see that we are to obey God rather than man. While there is no indication that Vashti knew Yahweh, if the implication was to do evil upon the King’s request, then refusing to do so would have been honorable either way.
It never makes sense to refuse the King of Kings
But the text’s silence beckons us to think not primarily upon the characters mentioned but the character who is not mentioned. When we do this, we begin to see the contrast between this King and the King who was to come—the one who would bring peace, the one who, according to Psalm 72, would have dominion from sea to sea and whose kingdom would never end. It was this future King who came to earth in the person of Jesus Christ.
This is very unlike the invitation that we receive from the King of the Universe. It was not in the impaired human judgment but in the infinite wisdom of God that Jesus came to save sinners. He chose to glorify himself not by trumpeting himself but by giving of himself. He does not seek to humiliate us for his own gain but was humiliated himself – having on nothing but a crown of thorns on display for all to see so that we might be clothed in his righteousness and have the crown of life. Have you responded to the invitation of this king?
[1] John D. Barry et al., Faithlife Study Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012, 2016), Es 1:1.
[2] Andrew J. Schmutzer, “Esther,” in Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther, ed. Mark L. Strauss and John H. Walton, Teach the Text Commentary Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books: A Division of Baker Publishing Group, 2018), 209.
[3] John H Walton, Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary (Old Testament): 1 & 2 Kings, 1 & 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, vol. 3 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2009), 474.
[4] Andrew J. Schmutzer, “Esther,” in Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther, ed. Mark L. Strauss and John H. Walton, Teach the Text Commentary Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books: A Division of Baker Publishing Group, 2018), 209.
[5] David G. Firth, The Message of Esther: God Present but Unseen, ed. Alec Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 2010), 37–38.
[6] Landon Dowden, Exalting Jesus in Esther, Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2019), Es 1:10–22.
[7] John H Walton, Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary (Old Testament): 1 & 2 Kings, 1 & 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, vol. 3 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2009), 480.
Boonstra Babble 