What a King! (Esther 1)

The book of Esther describes life in the capital city of the Persian empire. No one really knows the exact date, although it seems to be a time of peace throughout the many nations included in the empire. Obviously, there were Jews in the city and scattered elsewhere throughout those countries. They were the descendants of those who had refused to return to Israel after Cyrus allowed them to do so.

The book is well-known for one surprising detail, which is that the name of God does not appear within it. This does not mean that he is not in it. We are familiar with the saying that there is an elephant in the room, meaning that an unspoken reality is present and needs to be taken into account. As far as the book of Esther is concerned, God is the silent reality. For many, the feature of God that is emphasised in this book is what we can call his secret providence, his control behind the scenes at many different levels in society.

As we can see, this book is part of the Old Testament. Therefore the words of Paul in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 apply to it: ‘All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.’ Paul’s words indicate that a failure to pay heed to the Book of Esther will bring about an incomplete man of God, not equipped for every good work.

What is the purpose of the Book of Esther? Several answers can be given to the question. (1) The antics of Haman in trying to destroy the Jews reveal that the devil’s attempts to prevent the birth of the Messiah were continuing. (2) Could the Jews trust the Persian government even although Cyrus had given them permission to return to their homeland? (3) How does one live for God in a pagan society where it is not possible to avoid difficulties that prevent full obedience to God? (4) Can a believer be promoted to high office in a society in which his faith is marginalised? (5) What does developments in human governments say to believers about the kingdom of God? (6) Do the details in this book have any consequences for Jesus when he came into the world?

As mentioned, this book comes late in the history of Israel. It may be the final one chronologically. If we were Jews, what questions would we ask? One would be, when is the Messiah and his kingdom going to come? Is God going to fulfil his promises concerning it? Are we any closer to it or are the alternatives too powerful and are preventing it from appearing?

A kingdom without grace

When we read the first chapter of the book, there is no mention of God or his people. Instead we are told about some actions and issues that concern the Persian emperor. We are told these details in order to reflect on them. We can see that he has a very large empire, containing one hundred and twenty-seven provinces, and which extended from India to Africa.

Ahasurerus was a king who displayed his riches. It was important strategy in the empire for the emperor to exhibit his greatness by showing off his possessions that set him apart from others. Those possessions included persons and things. The climax of this unfolding of wealth involved a week-long feast in the palace gardens at which everyone could drink as much alcohol as they wished, which is another way of saying that they could be drunk for a week. On this occasion, things did not go as planned when Vashti objected to being put on show.

Ahasurerus was a king who demeaned his royal wife. He wanted to show her off to the delegates and others who were there. It is probably the case that many of them many not have seen her beauty before because the emperor’s women did not usually appear in public. When they saw her, they would see that not only did the emperor have lots of resources, he also had the most beautiful woman.

The author describes an emperor who is not as powerful as he thinks he is. The description of him may say that he rules one hundred and twenty-seven nations, but the reality is that he cannot even rule his own wife. So the man is weak where one would expect him to be strong, and if he is weak there, will he not be weak in other areas?

Ahasurerus was a king who dictated oppression. The refusal of Vashti to go along with the circus parade created a crisis because her behaviour could become an example to others. It was not difficult to get rid off her, but it would be difficult if the reason for her removal became public. So a decree was brought into existence that stated that the man must be in charge in every home, It is likely that this was the normal custom, so the royal decree is more that stressing a custom. The decree was making a command that was enforceable by law.

The author of this account presents a penetrating assessment of the Emperor and his policies and intentions. We are meant to see the amusing and sarcastic descriptions of life in the royal court. Whatever else the author is saying, he is asserting that life in the most powerful spot on earth is not up to much. So we can list some of those details.

We see the emptiness of affluence, the foolishness of worldly wisdom, the abuse of power, the attempt to control and the fear of losing position. And do we not see them today, even although circumstances have changed a great deal as far as the kind of systems that run our world? Affluence is rampant, foolishness in a moral sense marks many of the decisions of rulers, and we even have rules stretching down to what people do within their homes and families.

When we come to the close of this chapter, we should notice that there is a sense of uncertainty and of anticipation because there is a vacant spot in the palace. The position of queen is vacant, and all we are told about the next one is in the advice of the counsellors that the position be given to one that is better than Vashti. Do they mean one that is more beautiful than Vashti, or one that is more submissive than Vashti, or one that is very different from Vashti? Who is going to arrange for such a woman to appear? We are left in suspense at the close of chapter 1.

The kingdom of grace

If Esther was the only book in the Bible, we would not have much hope. The big empire is not that big, and its principles of government are not very attractive. But we know that there is another kingdom, with a very different kind of king, and that is the kingdom of Jesus. Since we know the details of his kingdom, we can compare and contrast it not only with the empire of Ahasurerus, but also with all earthly empires and governments that will appear on the stage of human history. We can compare and contrast the three points noticed earlier about the kingdom of Ahasurerus.

The riches of Jesus. 
At the beginning of his account, the author went into detail about the extent of the Persian empire and the many resources and provisions Ahasurerus could provide. What possessions does Jesus have? As the Creator of all things, he owns the universe. He does not only own one hundred and twenty-seven provinces, he owns more than one hundred and twenty-seven solar systems. Everything is his.

In addition, he has many other riches. We can call them internal as distinct from internal. He possesses infinite amounts of joy and peace, indeed he has so much that the Bible describes him as a fountain that continually pours out such experiences. 

Then there are the riches of his outlook towards those who oppose him. Ahasurerus would not tolerate any opposition to his rule and would crush any who rose against him. Strong government is often an expression of fear of losing power. In amazing contrast, Jesus shows grace to those who oppose his government. His agents, whether prominent or less-so, pass on his wish to show mercy to those who oppose him.

Why does this happen? The reason is that Jesus wants to share his riches with his people and not merely to show them to him. Put it this way. When we reach the capital city of his kingdom, we are not given a week-long feast for a visitor, nor do we join a queue for a few months to gaze at his personal possessions. Instead we become residents and share in his possessions and provisions. All those who trust in Jesus become joint-heirs with him of all things.

The care of his people 
Ahasurerus was prepared to demean his queen, an action which revealed he had no real affection for her, and his only interest was in using her to boost his own ego. Jesus does not act like that towards his people, and we know that in a sense all of them are his royal bride. He freely enhances her appearance by giving her external and internal beauty. 

The external beauty that he provides we call the doctrine of justification in which his perfect life is imputed to them as the garments of salvation which they wear at all times. As far as this garment is concerned, it means that those who wear it don’t have to worry about their appearance when they appear in his presence because this garment is always the ideal one to wear. And even if the king pays a surprise visit, this garment means that his people are always dressed appropriately.

The internal beauty that he gives is the change that the Holy Spirit brings about in their character. In their hearts and minds, the fruit of the Spirit appears and when we look at what they are we can see that they are the features of the king himself. While there may have been many who would want the riches of Ahasurerus, there are not many who would want his character. But it is very different with the King of grace. Everyone in his kingdom wants to be like him, are becoming like him, and one day will be like him.

The rules that he makes
Whatever else can be said about the decree of Ahasurerus, it was not liberating for half of his subjects and it would never have produced happy homes. In contrast, the rules that Jesus provides, and which never need to be adjusted or tweaked, bring freedom and rest to his subjects. His laws are routes to liberty of mind and heart and they provide satisfaction and meaningfulness to their lives. Obedience to them brings peace from heaven to those who delight in them. All his subjects discover that his laws bring refreshment to their daily experience and make life in this world to be enjoyable. And as they obey the rules, even in situations of difficulties in providence, they find peace.

Which kingdom is the better kingdom? Our sermon title is What a King! Three simple words, but how different their meaning when we link them to Artaxerxes or Jesus. What a useless, cruel king was the emperor of one hundred and twenty-seven provinces! He is now an ex-ruler, who no longer owns an inch and no longer has any power. 

What an amazing King is the Possessor of the galaxies, who shares his riches with poor sinners, provides them with internal and external beauty, and gives them rest and peace day by day! Is he our King, one that we can be truly proud of, and recommend to others?