The Beauty And The Feast Series

I know you remember your wedding. Mine was memorable not because I married the prettiest girl in the world, but because of the circumstances. For the reception we were prepared to feed around 250 people, but more than 500 came so… no seating place. We had to clean the place for the second group of guests fearing all the time that we will run out of food... witch back then in that communist country was a quite of a problem. Did you ever attend a reception where you have to compete for a seat and food?

The book of Esther begins with an incredible feast. We peek into the kitchen and dining room of one of the greatest empires. Let's read Esther ch.1. This is the record of Xerxes and his big party held in the year 483 BC. READ 1:1-7…

Six months of free food, drink and entertainment! That was a long time, wasn't it? And the extra-special banquet at the end of this time lasted for 7 days – the perfect number…How beautiful this must have been. The lighting, decorations, the food... The military and all the VIP's were there. And they drank from golden goblets.

Xerxes was a billionaire. He spent all of the Persian Empire budget to eat, drink and praise himself… He blew everything, according to historians (and it was a lot) for entertaining his supporters and show them that his dynasty will last forever. And ever :)

Remember king Nebucadnezar, who reigned some time before him? He wanted too, that his name, his glory, to last forever… It didn’t happen. After Babylon, Medo-Persia came and God offer them the same chance – to bring peace and prosperity over the ancient world. And to help God’s plan of salvation through Messiah, the promise Savior.

Food, drink and circus… In Latin PANEM ET CIRCENSES. The idea of being accountable to God for everything we indulge ourselves, is not popular. But this is the truth. Of course we should have a saving account for retirement (401k) for example, but if we don't help others less fortunate with what God blessed us and if we are not supporting the Great Commission, we are to repeat the same story.

King Ahashuerus literaly eat and drunk the national treasury and he was forced to make war with Greeks in order to keep his name high and balance the budget. It was another disaster…

ILL. A House of Cards. When I was a child I remember my neighbors playing cards Sunday night. I was there too from time to time to play with their kids. It was not about the poker or anything of that sort.The adults sat around the kitchen table playing cards and telling jokes about the Communist Party. Most of the time we kids just hung around eating pretzels, playing hide-and-seek outdoors, or watching TV. We weren't much interested in playing cards. Sometimes, though, we did play with cards. We'd build elaborate card houses. The challenge came in building the biggest house, the most elaborate structure. It was a lot of fun. You had to balance the cards just right, though. Only gravity and balance held it all together. Once you had that foundation, you would gingerly add more cards here and there, each dependent upon the support of the other. We'd lay layers of card upon card to create an elaborate but fragile house of cards. The slightest movement, though, could send the whole thing crumbling. Our life... [EXTRAPOLATE]

Everything about King Ahasuerus is irresponsible layering of card upon card to create an elaborate but fragile "house of cards." Now Someone shakes the table. It's the last night of the party. The king is drunk. And in his intoxicated state he decides to show off one more of his greatest prizes. He calls for Queen Vashti to come with her royal crown "in order to display her beauty to the people and the princes, for she was beautiful" (verse 11). There's that word "display" again. No doubt it took the form of parading her, perhaps scantily dressed, before those who would have nothing in mind but lust.

"Hey, everyone, look, enjoy . . . envy. On top of everything you've seen the past six months, I've got this hot woman as my Barbie doll!"

But Vashti refuses. Immediately the true character of the king bursts through. The brief biblical record is a real eye-opener. He "be¬came very angry and his wrath burned within him" (v. 12). After 180 days of partying, and six days of another party, Ahasuerus was not planning on it ending this way. But it did. His party was ruined level, and he was livid.

Suddenly the king is not as powerful as he first appears to be. Someone actually disobeys him—and in public, no less. The house of cards crumbles. Now the scene changes from "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous" to the "Private Lives of Public People."