Only God Is Awesome

The National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky, illustrates this well. On February 12, 2014, a sinkhole opened up under the museum, swallowing eight corvettes. Two years later the directors of the museum opened an exhibit to continually tell the story of what happened. The exhibit is divided into eight sections: The Day, Media Coverage, Pop Culture, Cars Affected, The Recovery, Karst Landscapes, What It Took to Fix the Sinkhole, and the Grand Finale (“Corvette Cave In Exhibit Opens on Two Year Anniversary of Museum Sinkhole”). I think a section is missing. The creators of the exhibit should have added, “The Sinkhole Got Eight of Our Cars but One Day They Will All Be Gone!” Not everyone will grasp this most important lesson from the sinkhole, but as exiles we must beware having “living affections to dying things” (“Of Communion with God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,” in The Works of John Owen, 2:150). The worldly agenda of accumulation and abundance provides no lasting security. One day all those who have placed their confidence in material possessions will be found eternally wanting.

For those who find their identity in possessions, the reality is they can never obtain what they desire. When asked how much money is enough, wealthy American industrialist John D. Rockefeller replied, “Just a little bit more” (“John D. Rockefeller,” http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/John_D._Rockefeller). And indeed, as expensive as his own possessions were and as expansive as was his power, it was not enough for Ahasuerus. Like many of us, he lacked contentment with what he had and was driven by what lacked. He wanted Greece. The king’s father had struggled against the Greeks during what was known as the First Persian War (492–490 B.C.), but it was left to Ahasuerus to lead a second invasion of Greece (480–479 B.C.), which resulted in the subjugation of several Greek cities before a string of costly defeats stopped the Persian advance. (Gregory, Inconspicuous Providence, 23)

Ahasuerus would never conquer Greece, which Herodotus notes joyfully (The Histories, 540–43).

The endless pursuit of accumulation is both dangerous and disappointing and can be destructive. Paul warns Timothy that “the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and by craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs” (1 Tim 6:10). Moreover, the sum of one’s possessions is never the sum of one’s person. As exiles we must always remember that who we are is not based on what others say and think about us but on what God says about us in Christ. No matter how others flaunt their worldly accumulations, their cups and curtains and couches cannot compare with the treasure we have in our Christ. As exiles, we should never be in awe of worldly abundance.

Esther 1:8-9

Moving from drapes to drinks, the author of Esther informs us a declaration was made to let everyone at the party know they were free to drink as they desired. In other words, despite customary Persian party protocol, just because the king drank, guests would not be forced to drink as well. Consider this for a moment. In order for those he was hosting to know they had freedom to drink or abstain, the king made a royal decree. A royal decree on drinks! Strain comments:

It’s actually hard not to smirk again at the micromanaging, megalomania of the king that needs to legislate for how people drink at his party, which, by the way, is exactly what the author is aiming at. Ahasuerus wants us to bow before him in awe and reverence. He wants to be adored by his subjects, feared by his enemies, obeyed by everyone. He wants total control. (“The Lord Reigns”)

The people under Xerxes’s reign (Jews included) were living in a place where even the smallest details were regulated by the one in power.

While legislating liquids further revealed Ahasuerus’s control, Duguid contends it was not a sign of true power. He writes,

Real power does not consist in regulating such detailed minutiae. In fact, the tendency to regulate such details is actually a sign of weakness not power. The stories that circulate of government regulations requiring bananas to conform to certain criteria of straightness and size do not impress us as shining examples of government efficiency but rather of bureaucrats run amok, compensating for lack of real significance by inordinate attention to minuscule details. Such was the empire of Ahasuerus, and as we read its description, it is hard to resist a chuckle. (Esther and Ruth, 9)

Though we can consider Esther 1:8 with some amusement in our day, God’s people living in Susa and throughout the Persian Empire were probably not doing a lot of laughing. A king who has to announce to his subjects that they have freedom to drink as they desire, at least at this one party, is probably not providing a lot of freedoms in his domain, especially to foreigners.

When we exiles find ourselves under the rule of a tyrant who does not share our convictions and who seeks to control every aspect of our lives, we may be tempted both to despair and to acquiesce. Our brothers and sisters in Christ who live in some of the places most hostile to the gospel may feel these temptations even today. We should pray for them now lest they despair because the human whose rule they live under provides more force than freedom, and nothing appears to be improving anytime soon. Those living under a tyrant’s rule may be tempted to assimilate fully into the prevailing culture. In order not to stand out from the crowd, they may choose not to stand up for their convictions. Unlike Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who refused to compromise despite the threat of death, some may be waffling and in need of “being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, so that [they] may have great endurance and patience” (Col 1:11). If you did not stop and pray when I suggested it a few sentences ago, maybe you will do so now.

How can those of us who are not living in the realm of a tyrant apply this verse to our lives? Well, Ahasuerus wanted to control every aspect of his people’s existence but primarily for his good and not theirs. We should remember that this is not true of God. God’s desire to have every facet of our lives yielded to him is ultimately for our best. Our seeking to retain control of any area is not only to the detriment of ourselves but also hurts our families and faith families.

Second, whether our parents, our bosses, our president, or whomever else may be in a position of authority over us is in view, we should pray for them frequently (1 Tim 2:2). I regularly pray for our mayor, city council, governor, congress, and president, asking the Lord to provide all they need to serve him faithfully with the stewardship he has entrusted to them. I ask the Lord to give them a sense of the accountability they will have before him one day and ask him to surround them with those who will continually speak his Word into their lives.

Third, no matter who is in charge where we live, may the Spirit always remind us, “The Lord reigns! Let the earth rejoice; let the many coasts and islands be glad” (Ps 97:1). Though I care who wins elections in our country, I ultimately sleep peacefully each night because the Lord reigns! May we be stirred not to “fear those who kill the body but are not able to kill the soul; rather, fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matt 10:28).

Esther 1:9 introduces Queen Vashti. We will consider her more closely in the next chapter, so I will provide just a few thoughts here. First, the name Vashti “has been associated with Persian words meaning ‘best’ or ‘the beloved,’ ‘the desired one,’ a lovely name by which to be known” (Baldwin, Esther, 60). Second, after all the details provided in the first eight verses, what is noticeable is the author’s minimalist approach to verse 9. In it we are informed a queen is hosting a feast for the women, and the location of the party is somewhere in Ahasuerus’s palace but separate from the other feasts. Some speculate that these feasts were part of a wedding celebration, but their thoughts are just that: speculation.

More than anything else, the author uses verse 9 as an important bridge to the material that follows. The one who had great power and possessions, and even decreed how people drank at his party, would soon have one closest to him resist his commands. If 1:1-9 could be considered pomp and trumpets, then what immediately follows in verses 10-12 could be compared to the classy sound of someone blowing raspberries with his mouth! This in itself is a great reminder that, as exiles, we should not be afraid of worldly authority.

What is clearly missing in Esther 1:1-9 is an acknowledgment of God, and what is present is one who wants to be adored as a god. Gregory notes,

There is, in all these elaborate descriptions, a characterization of the king. He is portrayed as someone who has extravagant wealth, unlimited power, and unrivaled pretension. Noblemen, military officials, wineries, stone masons, interior decorators, and furniture craftsman are under his command. The wealth of the kingdom is at his disposal, and he thinks nothing of lavishly parading it in front of those under him. . . . Clearly, Ahasuerus lacks nothing and spares nothing. (Inconspicuous Providence, 25–26)

But Ahasuerus is lacking something in 1:1-9. It’s the same action and admission lacking from the rich man in Luke 12:16-21 and from Herod in Acts 12:20-23. What is lacking is an acknowledgment of God like the one Paul expresses in Romans 11:36: “For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever. Amen.” Ahasuerus may feel like he is a god, but he is not. Instead, the prince of Persia will be a pawn in God’s providential plan.

One of my favorite movies is Gladiator. In it Russell Crowe plays the role of a Roman general named Maximus who was betrayed, suffered the loss of his family, and was sold into slavery. In time he ends up in the Roman coliseum as a gladiator fighting not just for his freedom but also for his life. In the first battle all of his training, experience, and ability prove useful as he leads his band of fellow slaves to victory and survival. Then, as a means of identifying and celebrating the masked victor, Caesar, who betrayed Maximus, enters the arena and asks the gladiator for his name and to remove his mask. Initially, Maximus refuses the emperor’s request. Enraged by this disrespect, Caesar commands the gladiator to identify himself. In a powerful moment Maximus reveals his true identity and then says one of my favorite lines in the film: “The time for honoring yourself will soon be at an end, Highness.” That line would fit Ahasuerus’s situation well. Regardless of the magnificent picture of power and possessions crafted in the opening of Esther, earthly prominence is no match for heavenly providence.

As exiles, we should not be surprised if there is no worldly acknowledgment of God’s greatness, glory, and goodness. Many people think they have built their own kingdoms and are the masters of their fates and captains of their souls (William Ernest Henley, “Invictus”). For them nothing is owed to God. While I am concerned for those who hold such convictions, I am primarily concerned with those who claim to know the truth.

How quick are we to credit God for all of his blessings in our lives? When we put away a sin with which we have struggled or if we share the gospel and see someone yield her life to Christ, how much tribute do we offer to God as we share about it with others? We are more prone to acknowledge God if we are more consistent in adoring God.

Having considered Esther 1:1-9, I want to conclude this chapter with two applications. First, as exiles, we should not adopt a worldly agenda. No spiritual life is to be found in worldly arrogance, worldly abundance, or worldly authority. Eternal life is found only in knowing God and the one he sent—Jesus Christ (see John 17:3). The accumulation of power and possessions is not a worthy end.

As a leader Ahasuerus was concerned with promoting his own glory and greatness. This is not how we as exiles steward positions of authority that God grants to us. Instead, Jesus taught his disciples,

You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those in high positions act as tyrants over them. But it is not so among you. On the contrary, whoever wants to become great among you will be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you will be a slave to all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. (Mark 10:42-45)

Greatness in God’s kingdom is not found in self-promotion but in self-denial. May it be clear that the only agenda we exiles follow was given to us by the one who has all authority in heaven and on earth.

Second, as exiles, we should keep adoring the only God who is awesome. I often tell our faith family that if we are going to love God passionately and others rightly, then we must consider the cross constantly. When I consider what God has done for us in the cross of Christ, praise for God flows fervently. When I consider Christ’s laying down his life to redeem his enemies, loving my neighbor as myself is gospel fueled.

In 1:1-9 there is much fuel for adoration of God when we realize that the king of Persia is no comparison to the King of kings (I am thankful here for Derek Prime’s help in considering these truths—Unspoken Lessons, 30–32). For example, while all of Persia was subject to Ahasuerus, all of creation is subject to Christ. He reigns . . . in and over every nation. He is not simply King of the earth, but King of the universe. . . . He rules over the living and the dead. He is ruler over all who exercise rule in the world. He is Lord over all lords, and King over all kings. All powers and beings in the universe must ultimately bow the knee to him. (Prime, Unspoken Lessons, 30)

As Abraham Kuyper declares, “There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry: ‘Mine!’” (Bratt, Abraham Kuyper, 488).

There is still more fuel for praise. While Ahasuerus sat on a throne in Susa, Christ has a throne at the right hand of his Father in the heavenly places that is “far above every ruler and authority, power and dominion, and every title given, not only in this age but also in the one to come” (Eph 1:21). There will never be a threat or an end to his reign. While Ahasuerus threw a feast for prominent servants, Christ throws feasts for pardoned sinners. In discussing the Lord’s Supper, Prime contends,

There is no banquet on earth to compare with this. It is a love feast for pardoned sinners, whatever their status in human society. . . . This banquet is a foretaste of a far greater banquet to come—the marriage feast of the Lamb. Then we shall sit down and feast with him. (Unspoken Lessons, 31)

And last, while Ahasuerus seemed to have unlimited resources, only in Christ do we truly find “incalculable riches” (Eph 3:8). He does not love on a budget but lavishes grace on those whom the Father gives him.

Throughout earth’s history there have been powerful pagan leaders. To their rules, however, there have been set periods of time, set boundaries of influence, and limited resources to control. And the one who has set all of those restrictions is God, who still rules and is carrying out his good plan. Their failure to acknowledge him does not mean he did not use them to advance his purposes. As exiles, then, let us continually sing,

This is my Father’s world: O let me ne’er forget

That though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the Ruler yet.

This is my Father’s world: Why should my heart be sad?

The Lord is King; let the heavens ring! God reigns; let earth be glad!

(Babcock, “This Is My Father’s World”)