Esther 1 - How to live as a minority voice in a world that is increasingly hostile

I am going to start a series – which will be interrupted a couple times – but I’d like to do a series on the Book of Esther. If I ruin it for you – I’m sorry!
Heavenly Father, thank You for the opportunity to be together to worship You as a community and a family. Your church is a community – a NATION! CHURCH had so much meaning in the Bible – it was an identity – who we are – members of the Church of the Living God. The family of God – Children – Our Father in Heaven. We want to learn to live as pleasing children. Thank You for forgiving us – and may we now live our lives for You – as best as we can – to live in this world to live in such a time as this – what a great time to be alive and to be servants of Jesus Christ, our Lord.
So – a little introduction – if you don’t know the story – you’ll pick it up – you can get a video of it if you want – they change the characters to vegetables. We had Psalty when we had kids. They were on cassette tapes – things that were invented just before Jesus was born.
Esther – I am not going to go into this – it is one of the most debated books in the Bible – what is debated – should it be there at all? I am not going to talk about any of the reasons except one – and it has been generally agreed that it should be there. There are those who just like to argue about this stuff – and there are those who read it.
The number one reason that people ask why it is there – God is never mentioned in the book. Yahweh is never mentioned. The temple is never mentioned. The Law is never mentioned – neither is the promised land or faith or prayer or the chosen people (yes, Jews) – promises, exodus, so much never mentioned. Jerusalem is mentioned once.
Despite all this – God’s secret activity fills the story as much as any other story in the Bible. The book is void of religion and religious expression – YET it contains some of the greatest acts of devotion and faith in the Bible – but that has thrown it into confusion as to why it is there.
The actual story begins in 483 BCE – we know the date – it tells us sort of – and it happens during the diaspora – 586 BC the Babylonians come in and sack Jerusalem and carry its people to Babylon – and then Babylon is conquered by Persia – so this is a Persian king. This shows God’s people living as a minority people in a strange land and a land of captivity. For us – it is how to live as a minority voice in a world that is increasingly hostile.
You can apply this to your work – as one of the few who may speak out for Christ – or in your family – wherever you are a minority as a believer in Christ. It is also about power and control – who has it and who does not – and why it does and does not matter who has power. This speaks freshly into our world of constant terrorist attacks and race relations and strange elections! There is nothing new under the sun – it has all existed in the past – it may feel new to us – but it is not.
The human race has always dealt with these things.
How do we understand the book of Esther? For the Jews, there is a feast called Purim – and they act it out – that is probably a good thing to think about – not that we should act it out – and I am not going to - but in a classical sense – the book is a comedy. Not what we think about for a farce or comedy – but the story is filled with political satire. We’ll look at that. In order for us to understand it – there is a phrase – the Bible is not written to us, but it is written for us. It was written to very specific people and that is important to understand. If we want to understand it – we need to understand who it was written to – and because of that – it was written for us – because the Bible is living. The book was written close to a hundred years after the actual events. The people it was written for were going through very specific problems – and it was written to meet those needs. I am of the opinion – there was a silent period near the end of the Old Testament – to a community that is not hearing from the God who is shown throughout the Old Testament. What you are going through – it has happened in the past and God was involved
It speaks to us today when we have to live by faith when God cannot be seen – or has not been heard from or can be felt from us.
There are times God wants us to live by faith – and this story says – when we are waiting for revival – and answer to prayer that we are waiting for – and it is not happening – it is in those times that the book of Esther was written for us and speaks to us.
Let’s jump into the story – I want to let the story speak and will throw in some commentary for clarification.
Esther 1: 1 Now it took place in the days of Ahasuerus (Xerxes – Greek), the Ahasuerus who reigned from India to Ethiopia over 127 provinces, 2 in those days as King Ahasuerus sat on his royal throne which was at the citadel in Susa, 3 in the third year of his reign he gave a banquet for all his princes and attendants, the army officers of Persia and Media, the nobles and the princes of his provinces being in his presence.
483 BC – because the reign began in 486 BC – from history. He throws a banquet for all the important people – and the Media – you know – wherever the politicians are the Media will be there too!

4 And he displayed the riches of his royal glory and the splendor of his great majesty for many days, 180 days.
In a story where there is no mention of God – the first thing the author does – is presents a character who THINKS he is god! He believes he is god. Like a god – is displaying his glory – his majesty – his power – his wealth to the world and very little has changed. This god/king – what we see in him – his display – his projected self. He is a poser. That is what we see throughout the story. A false self – who reigns sovereign over all things – that is how he projects himself. We know people like that – maybe not as significant – we can be like that – wanting to be in complete control – and that is always a false projection

5 When these days were completed, the king gave 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 court of the garden of the king’s palace.
After doing all that for everyone – he throws a party for seven more days for every one – well – not everyone – but the men.
6 There were hangings 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 pavement of porphyry, marble, mother-of-pearl and precious stones. 7 Drinks were served in golden vessels of various kinds, and the royal wine was plentiful according to the king’s [c]bounty.
This is what we would call an open bar – for seven days!
This is just a method of control. This is the original pork legislation – giving everyone what they want to garner their loyalty – and their votes. This gives a glimpse into the culture – haves and have nots. Life was a party – an entertainment – all meant to impress everyone - and to fulfill a campaign promise – because – people will be loyal to the one they believe will give them the good life. It is just human nature. If I come across as a bitter old man – it is because I am!
8 The drinking was done according to the law, there was no compulsion, for so the king had given orders to each official of his household that he should do according to the desires of each person. 9 Queen Vashti also gave a banquet for the women in the [d]palace which belonged to King Ahasuerus.
Vashti also throws a party for the women. This is all we know about it – not how much they drank or anything.
Queen Vashti’s Refusal
10 On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar and Carkas, the seven eunuchs who served in the presence of King Ahasuerus, 11 to bring Queen Vashti before the king with her royal crown in order to display her beauty to the people and the princes, for she was beautiful. 12 But Queen Vashti refused to come at the king’s command delivered by the eunuchs. Then the king became very angry and his wrath burned within him.
The original trophy wife!
Notice this little bit of comedy. The king – who was in control of all things – the eunuchs – whose job was to protect the harem. This all powerful man has to hire impotent men – because they would be no threat to him. Power gets rid of anything that will threaten it. Powerful people fear other people having power and control – so they eliminate them.
12 But Queen Vashti refused to come at the king’s command delivered by the eunuchs. Then the king became very angry and his wrath burned within him.
Oooo – the man who could control everything can’t control his wife. He spends half a year demonstrating his power – and in one line – Queen Vashti dismantles all that power! Now it is probably important to understand what is going on in the story. Some try to make marriage counseling or practical advice about this – the only good advice you can glean from this is to not get drunk and be a jerk!
Think about it – an open bar for seven days – and the king wants his wife to dance – and probably not a waltz or a polka. I don’t think we can blame her in this situation.
13 Then the king said to the wise men who understood the times—for it was the custom of the king so to speak before all who knew law and justice 14 and were close to him: Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena and Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media who [e]had access to the king’s presence and sat in the first place in the kingdom— 15 “According to law, what is to be done with Queen Vashti, because she did not [f]obey the command of King Ahasuerus delivered by the eunuchs?”
Who were these people? Cronies – suck-ups – we have a domestic dispute and the guy has to turn it into an issue of an affair of the state – because he is unable to handle a simple relational conflict. He gets ADVISORS – this is ridiculous – for a simple communication problem between him and his wife.

16 In the presence of the king and the princes, Memucan said, “Queen Vashti has wronged not only the king but also all the princes and all the peoples who are in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus. 17 For the queen’s conduct will [g]become known to all the women causing them [h]to look with contempt on their husbands by saying, ‘King Ahasuerus commanded Queen Vashti to be brought in to his presence, but she did not come.’ 18 This day the ladies of Persia and Media who have heard of the queen’s conduct will speak in the same way to all the king’s princes, and there will be plenty of contempt and anger.
19 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 [j]be repealed, that Vashti may no longer come into the presence of King Ahasuerus, and let the king give her royal position to [k]another who is more worthy than she. 20 When the king’s edict which he will make is heard throughout all his kingdom, [l]great as it is, then all women will give honor to their husbands, great and small.”
The question we want to ask? So how did that work out?
We have the great and mighty Oz hiding behind the curtain of political advisors. They come up with plans to assure their power instead of looking at what is best for people.
21 This word pleased the king and the princes, and the king did [m]as Memucan proposed. 22 So he sent letters to all the king’s provinces, to each province according to its script and to every people according to their language, that every man should be the master in his own house and the one who speaks in the language of his own people.
What we will see – throughout this story – this king – who reigns sovereign over all – is manipulated by every character in this story.
For us – just a few practical thoughts – and then we will dive into this more next week. We all have this false self – what we want people to believe about us – the way we want them to view us – for this king – it was he is in control and all-powerful. For me – I want peace at all costs, that I will avoid conflict – but that is not what peace is – that is a projection of truth, but it is false.
We all have these kinds of things.
John Ortberg calls this a shadow mission. We want to be known as spiritual and having it all together – maybe in our family or marriage or work – and we project that – but we know it is not true – it is just not happening inside of us.
Some project being strong because we are insecure. Some project being sweet and meek because we manipulate. Some of us – fun-loving – because we want approval.
Some project themselves as successful because of internal failures – and we can go on and on –
Those who project external beauty to hide an ugly soul.
We all have these. You may have more than one – and it resides deep in our souls – and you will not make progress until you know what it is – because what we want to do is find our true self in Christ – that is what we want to find. We all have a curtain we try to hide behind.
You don’t discover it and say – oh good – I got that over with – it hurts! Find out where you struggle – think through what bothers you – especially in other people – that is where your darkness is – that which bothers you in others is trying to reveal what is wrong inside of you. Do it! Go there! {Please go there – s o you can find it.
What wrong people have you gathered around yourself? People who will enable your behavior? Decisions. We all do that too. We all have seven eunuchs in our lives, metaphorically. People we know – I can get away with it with this crowd. Not all of our friends, but we all have some in that realm.
This happens in so many ways – it happens in theological circles – it is easy to just want to hear those who say the same things over and over – the things YOU say! And none of us wants to be challenged with the things that are deep core to us. But Jesus came to challenge the deepest values of the people he ministered to – did He not? And does He not want to do the same with us?
And finally – do you have people who will challenge you in your life?
Lord, thank You for this story – I ask that each of us would be willing to look at the holes in our own souls – we all have fears – things that we want to hide – we all do – there is no question about it – nothing is hidden from you – it doesn’t mean we have to tell the whole world about our problems – but there needs to be a few who know us.