Only God Is Awesome

Esther 1:1-9

Main Idea: No matter how pagan or how powerful a ruler seems to be, he or she can never thwart God’s providence.

1. Exiles Do Not Adore Worldly Arrogance (1:1-4).
2. Exiles Are Not in Awe of Worldly Abundance (1:5-7).
3. Exiles Are Not Afraid of Worldly Authority (1:8-9).
4. Exiles Are Not Surprised by No Worldly Acknowledgment of God.
5. Exiles Do Not Adopt a Worldly Agenda but Adore the Only Awesome God.

The first verse of the Bible informs us that “God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen 1:1). The initial verses of Exodus list the names of Jacob’s sons and relate Israel’s great multiplication (Exod 1:1-7). The opening verses of Joshua state that God’s plan to give his people the promised land will move forward through Joshua’s leadership despite Moses’s death (Josh 1:1-2). In the beginning verses of Ezekiel, God reminds his people, who are in exile, of his purpose, provision, and presence in their discipline (Dowden, Exalting Jesus in Ezekiel, 3). There is no indication that Ezekiel was seeking a word from the Lord, but in what seemed like an ordinary day, God did something extraordinary and provided Ezekiel with a breathtaking vision. In these examples we see mentions of God, his people, his plans, and even one of his prophets.

In the opening verses of Esther, however, there is no prophet of the Lord, no extraordinary vision, no mention of God’s people, and maybe most surprising, no mention of God. Instead, 1:1-9 reveals a pompous pagan throwing an extended party to display his wealth and power. The author notes the vast expanse of Ahasuerus’s empire (1:1) and his expensive décor and serving pieces (1:6-7). This pagan is consumed with his own (perceived) greatness and concerned that others acknowledge it (1:4). He’s portrayed as the kind of guy who would ask, “You can see how awesome I am, right?” But what he will learn soon enough and what we need to be constantly reminded of is that only God is awesome.

Several years ago I had the habit of saying many things or situations were awesome. Did you see that game? It was awesome. I saw a raccoon run across the road. That’s awesome! The new toothpaste we bought is awesome. You get the gist. I probably would have continued with such overuse if it had not been for one of our elders. Hearing me respond, “That’s awesome,” to something that was at best mediocre prompted him to say, “No, only God is awesome.” I accepted his reproof and almost as quickly affirmed his conviction. If anything, or more accurately anyone, is the definition of awesome, it is God alone. There are some words that we should use only in reference to him because of his greatness and goodness.

If you were a Jew living in Susa (1:2) during the exile, you may have heard that God is awesome because of what you were taught growing up, but experience might leave you struggling with the concept. Despite not being mentioned in 1:1-9, God’s people are in Susa (see 2:5), and they are a “religious minority living in a dominant culture with completely different views from [them] on almost everything” (Jenkins, “Esther and the Silent Sovereignty of God”).

In our world today, many Christian brothers and sisters face severe persecution as they live under the reign of pagan political leaders. What Esther’s first readers needed to be reminded of, as do many in our day, is no matter how pagan or powerful a ruler seems to be, he or she can never thwart God’s providence. God will ultimately use Ahasuerus’s narcissism to accomplish his plan of preserving his people. As Isaiah exhorts us,

God is enthroned above the circle of the earth; its inhabitants are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like thin cloth and spreads them out like a tent to live in. He reduces princes to nothing and makes judges of the earth like a wasteland. (Isa 40:22-23)

No matter what time or place we as believers find ourselves in, we should always remember two truths. First, God determines our when and our where. Paul says, “From one man he has made every nationality to live over the whole earth and has determined their appointed times and the boundaries of where they live” (Acts 17:26). There was no accident or randomness behind the conception of those who were born during Israel’s exile nor to those who were born this week. God makes no mistakes with people he knits together in their mothers’ wombs (Ps 139:13), in how he knits them together, in when he knits them together, or in where he determines for them to be born and to live.

The second truth we need to remember is this: no matter where we are on this globe, it is not ultimately our home. Despite the issuing country for our passports, Paul reminds Christians that “our citizenship is in heaven” (Phil 3:20). A new heaven and earth are coming with a new Jerusalem that has been prepared “like a bride adorned for her husband” (Rev 21:2). In the meantime Peter urges us to live as “strangers and exiles” who “abstain from sinful desires that wage war against the soul” and to “conduct [ourselves] honorably among the Gentiles, so that when they slander [us] as evildoers, they will observe [our] good works and will glorify God on the day he visits” (1 Pet 2:11-12).

In the opening verses of Esther, God’s people were exiles living under pagan rule. We are exiles as well, and we need not be threatened by worldly pomp, possessions, or power. Nor should we yield to temptations to walk in worldly paths of self-promotion. No matter what circumstances or difficulties we find ourselves in and no matter the practices of those in the culture in which we live, the Lord has tasked us to declare his greatness and not our own. As exiles, let us always adore God, who alone is awesome, and may that worship fuel every step of our obedience. With this in mind, let us now consider Esther 1:1-9.

Exiles Do Not Adore Worldly Arrogance

Esther 1:1-4

In the language of the Old Testament, Esther 1:1-4 is actually one sentence. This lengthy sentence reveals important information about the context of Esther. First, what is recorded in Esther occurs during the reign of Ahasuerus and 1:1-20 takes place during the third year of his rule. Now unless you just dominate your family in the advanced levels of Bible Trivia: Seminary Nerd Edition, then I am guessing you do not know much about Ahasuerus or when he was a blip on the historical map.

So, who was Ahasuerus and when were his days? Ahasuerus, better known by his Greek name Xerxes, reigned from 486 to 465 BC (Baldwin, Esther, 17). He “was the son and successor of Darius I Hystaspes, at the beginning of whose reign the restoration of the Jerusalem Temple took place (Hg. 2:1-9; Zc. 7:1; 8:9)” (Baldwin, Esther, 17). Fox notes that some portrayals of Xerxes show “him as an occasionally sagacious and principled, but more often arbitrary, tyrannical, and brutal despot” (Character and Ideology in the Book of Esther, 15). With regard to what we see of Xerxes in the text, Fox says, “His soul is adequately exposed by simple description of his mental states, which are mostly a collection of impulses” (ibid., 171). He is consumed with being honored and displaying his authority. He often wields his incredible power “with . . . little thought invested in its employment.” Rather, it’s carried out by the whims of one who is “erratic, childish, apathetic, and pliable” (ibid., 175–76). Ah! Just the qualifications one loves to see in his or her political leaders who also have absolute (or so it is perceived) command.

Second, these verses reveal the boundaries of Ahasuerus’s empire. He ruled 127 provinces that stretched from India to Cush (southern Pakistan to northern Sudan on our current maps), which was basically the known world and the “greatest empire ever known” at that time (Firth, The Message of Esther, 38). Strain notes that Ahasuerus was the “supreme ruler of the world superpower of the day” (“The Lord Reigns”). The author could have used satrapies (regions composed of multiple provinces) to describe the realm of Ahasuerus, but that number would have been smaller, and the author clearly wants to introduce readers to this king by using the grandest means possible. Though letters will be sent throughout the vast expanse of his territory, the main focus of events in Esther is the capital city of Susa, where “King Ahasuerus reigned from his royal throne” (1:2).

In addition to the who, when, and where the author of Esther provides about Ahasuerus, verse 4 records an important what. In the third year of his reign, he decided to give a feast for Persia’s political and military elites. This is the first reference to a feast in Esther, but it is far from the last. Dialogue and activities around feasts are found in the beginning, middle, and conclusion of the book. There are almost more references to feasts in Esther than in the rest of the Old Testament combined. At these feasts food and drink would have abounded, as well as time to enjoy both, which is not completely dissimilar from my upbringing in Louisiana (minus the strong-drink part). Few things are better than an unhurried crawfish boil after spending the day on the water at Toledo Bend, but I digress.

Ahasuerus’s party was not just any feast. It was not a feast to thank the political and military leaders for their loyalty or service. It was not a feast to honor them for their sacrifices or to reward specific instances of merit. No, as the CSB translates so well, it was a feast for Xerxes to display “the glorious wealth of his kingdom and the magnificent splendor of his greatness” (1:4). Perhaps the invitations to it said something like this:

Dear Important Person,

Your presence is commanded at the King’s Feast,

To give you an opportunity to bask in his glory and greatness,

And to show you what true extravagance and power look like.

What a privilege this will be for you!

Please drop by the palace between noon and midnight any day over the next six months

Or stay for that entire time.

Also, please do not send your regrets; your absence will be to your everlasting regret.

See you soon!

Who could resist such a tempting invitation? Ahasuerus cared so much about his guests giving considerable thought to his abundance and authority that he extended the party to 180 days. Now that is a party! I am usually exhausted after just a few hours of planning, hosting, and cleaning up for parties my wife and I have at our home. I cannot imagine what it was like for the poor servants who spent six months in nonstop food and drink preparation, caring for guests, and completing their usual responsibilities too.

In light of Esther 1:1-4, let me ask you something: Have you ever been around someone who repeatedly informed you of aspects of his greatness or, similarly, the greatness of his children or pet—and even provided pictures or videos as proof? If I am being honest, I confess to you that I avoid conversations with certain people because I cannot stomach another expounding on the laurels of their offspring. I avoid, even more often, those who have their “toppers” ready so that no matter where you try to steer the conversation they have experienced something, been somewhere, accomplished something, or even suffered something that far exceeds whatever puny thing you were sharing. If you have to tell others about how awesome you are, then you probably are not all that great.

Now let me ask you another question: Have you ever thrown a party to celebrate yourself? Hopefully not. But again, if we are being honest, I am not unlike Ahasuerus in wanting others to know about my “greatness.” I have been guilty of sprinkling my accomplishments into conversations for fear of my self-appraised worth not being recognized or affirmed. Depending on when you are reading this volume, if such a thing as social media still exist with their proliferation of #HumbleBrags and incessant postings of things that are “intended” to give God glory while also providing a little self promotion, then I am sorry my generation blessed you with such a gift.

The author of Esther carefully crafted the opening scene to force us to consider the power and prominence of Ahasuerus. And as much as I recoil at what is recorded, I cannot help but see myself in its reflection. I do not rule a vast empire, nor do I have the resources to provide for a six-month party, but I still often crave to be acknowledged and honored. Even worse, sometimes I am tempted to be angered by others who do not recognize me. That is not the path for the Lord’s people, however. As exiles we know better than to place confidence in such fleeting places as worldly wealth, power, and recognition. But if I am not regularly considering the Lord’s greatness, then I am prone to consider my own. Reading about his renown in his Word recalibrates my heart and mind and helps me perceive, once again, my proper place in his world. Consider this: Ahasuerus threw a party for 180 days to celebrate his glory, but from the moment he spoke into existence the heavens and the earth, all of creation has never ceased declaring God’s. Ahasuerus’s party started and finished with a specific duration, but of the celebration of God there will be no end. Now that gives us proper perspective!

One final note for exiles to consider in these opening verses is that a display of evil’s power does not mean a diminishing of God’s. God has no rival and no equal. He has never been, is not, and will never be threatened or thwarted. To be the leader in Susa is nowhere near being the Sovereign over all. No matter how much power a pagan leader seems to wield, he or she is no threat to God’s providence.

Exiles Are Not in Awe of Worldly Abundance

Esther 1:5-7

After 180 days of pomp and party, Ahasuerus decided to do what you probably did following your last six-month celebration. He threw another feast. Makes sense. Every good party needs an after-party. But instead of his political and military officials being the guests of honor (Who are we kidding? Ahasuerus is always the guest of honor!), he invited all the citizens of Susa. This second and shorter party (it only lasted seven days) was possibly “a way of thanking them for their involvement in the great feast” (Firth, The Message of Esther, 39). I am sure there was no other way those servants would rather be thanked than by having more meals to prepare and cups to clean! And just consider for a moment, when is the last time you noted a seven-day party as “the shorter one”?

While there may have been restraint in the duration, there was certainly none in the display. Continuing to carefully craft a particular image of Ahasuerus, the author of Esther moves from describing the king’s provinces to his possessions. Curtains, cords, couches, and cups are all described in detail meant to convey expense and extravagance. Gregory writes,

This is the only place in the Old Testament where a narrator describes in such detail the background environment of a scene. The reason, presumably, is to give the reader a sense of just how opulent and lavish these feasts are. (Inconspicuous Providence, 25)

The mosaic made from marble and mother-of-pearl is meant to say something about the man, Ahasuerus. The cups, which like snowflakes lacked twins and would have made keeping up with your drink a little easier, are meant to communicate something about the one wearing the crown.

One of the lies of identity is that “I am what I have.” When trying to discern who we are, some of us are prone to make that decision based on what we possess or what we lack. Having abundant resources or meager resources, however, does not define us. I have known some wonderful and some awful people among both the wealthy and the poor. Having grown up in a double-wide trailer and having driven vehicles that some would call “hoopties,” I have often felt insecure and intimidated when defining myself by assets. But of all the treasures Ahasuerus used to impress those who attended his feasts, how many of those items do you think he still possesses today? That’s right: none. I am always grieved when I consider the one whom Jesus told to “sell all you have and distribute it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven” (Luke 18:22). He refused to do what Jesus said, and instead of embracing the treasure who is Christ, he clung to lesser treasures and walked away to his eternal detriment.

As exiles, we should never place our confidence or our identity in things that are fleeting. As John exhorts,

For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride in one’s possessions—is not from the Father, but is from the world. And the world with its lust is passing away, but the one who does the will of God remains forever. (1 John 2:16-17)

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.

Exiles Are Not Afraid of Worldly Authority

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.

Exiles Are Not Surprised by No Worldly Acknowledgment of God

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.

Exiles Do Not Adopt a Worldly Agenda but Adore the Only Awesome 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”)

Reflect and Discuss

1. Why should we study the book of Esther?
2. Outside of a yearly reading plan, what interaction have you had with the book of Esther?
3. Have you ever heard a sermon series that walked through each chapter in Esther? If so, how did God use that series in your life?
4. Has there ever been a time when you could not see, hear, or feel God? When was that, and how did you eventually come to acknowledge his presence or his promises? When we cannot see, hear, or feel God, what should we do?
5. Give an example of how God works in the mundane. Why do we tend to acknowledge him more in the miracle than the mundane?
6. How can the book of Esther be an encouragement to us if we are concerned by pagan and powerful rulers?
7. Are you, like Ahasuerus, ever tempted to declare your own glory and greatness instead of God’s? Why is this dangerous?
8. In what area of life are you, like Ahasuerus, failing to acknowledge God or his provision?
9. How and why should we put away any temptation we may have to want the same abundance and opulence as was on display at Ahasuerus’s party?
10. In what ways is Jesus a better king than Ahasuerus?