Esther A Hero Who Seized Her Divine Moment

TODAY –we are going to meet a Queen named Esther… who when her moment came, she seized it with GREAT PASSION and with total disregard for her own wellbeing...

This drama from the word of God takes place nearly 2500 years ago in the city of Susa, just north of the Persian Gulf, and East of the Tigris and Euphrates river, (modern day Iran).

IT has been over 90 years since Jerusalem fell at the hands of the Babylonians. (Because of they refused to repent and leave their LIFE OF sin and rebellion)…

I’m convinced that God is going to speak to every single person in this room today and give them something home from Esther’s life… Why? Because God’s word is living and active, shaper then a double-edged sword and it WILL NOT come back void today.

The Story…

‘The Party’ [chapter 1]

THIS - chapter opens up with King Xerxes in his capital city. he’s been king for just 3 years. AND – according to the Greek historian Herodotus he was planning on invading Greece in 2 years. (His dad had tried 7 years earlier and was defeated at the Battle Of Marathon). AND – to set the stage for this event Xerxes threw a HUGE party to let people know just how great and powerful he was… For one hundred eighty days he showed off his wealth and spent a LOT OF MONEY to impress his guests with the greatness of his kingdom- Esther 1:4.

NOW - I think we would have to call Xerxes the ultimate party animal. I MEAN – he’s throwing a party for all of his nobles, officials, princes and military leaders, one commentator said probably A GROUP of about 10,000-15,000. And did you notice know how long this party lasted? 6 months. AND - do you know what he did right after that party? HE - threw another one (a smaller one) for 7 days in the enclosed garden of his palace.

AND – this party was wilder and crazier then the first one… IN FACT – the main purpose of this party was just to get trashed… I mean - he had an open bar everyone could drink what they wanted - 24/7, for a solid week. OKAY – do you see the picture?

THERE’S BEEN - a major party going on for days… everyone is pretty wasted. AND – on the last day of the party the king (no doubt drunk) thought; “Hey, this has been a great party. Every body is fixing to go home. But before they leave, I think I’ll show off just one more thing. My wife. She’s so beautiful.”

And so he sends his servants to get her verse 11. NOW – traditional Jewish interpretation is that – when he told his servants to bring Queen Vashti to him with the royal crown on her head… That the crown was all that she would be wearing… SO – what the king is asking his wife (his queen) to do – is to come down and parade around naked in front of his drunken buddies…

What do you think Queen Vashti did when she heard the King’s order? She refused, she told him to take a hike… You see, she wasn’t about to allow herself and the King (who was not in his right mind) to be disgraced. VASHTI - was a woman of convictions and even though she knew that the price would be high to refuse, she said, "Tell the king I’m not coming."

Well, when Xerxes hears this he gets ticked off and he asks some of his officials what he should do. They say, ‘bro, if you don’t do something about your wife… Things will really get out of control when our wives our wives hear of it... Man the last thing we need is a country full of angry women who don’t know their place? Dude you need to punish your wife take her crown and then issue a decree that all woman in the empire need TO LISTEN TO their husbands, and that the man is the one who was to wear the toga in the house…”

SO they remove Vashti’s crown and issue a decree that all woman in the empire, must respect their husband. RESPECT – (is not something you demand… it’s something you earn).

‘The Pageant’ [Chapter 2]

This takes place nearly four years after the end of chapter one. In the intervening years Xerxes takes his navy and goes to Europe and tries to defeat Greece, (again, something his dad failed to do). But he doesn’t do much better (in fact A MOVIE recently came out about this defeat, ‘The 300’)… so he tried to numb the pain in HIS LIFE with sexual sin… people still do that today… it never works. Sexual sin ALWAYS TAKES YOU FURTHER THEN YOU WANT TO GO and KEEPS YOU LONGER THAN YOU WANT TO STAY.