Introduction: This book shows the Provident Hand of Almighty God on behalf of His People. This is seen in the entire book. The Lord’s name is never mentioned in this book. This book is a good example of the saying “What man proposes, God disposes.” I mentioned in a previous message that these people were practical atheists.
I recalled a humorous story that happened in the life of Brother Roloff. He was preaching in this one place. A little boy was playing with his dog. Brother Roloff asked the child what kind of dog he had even though he could tell it was a mutt. The little boy told him that it was a German police dog. Brother Roloff asked the boy if he was sure. The little boy told him he was sure because he was undercover. That is like these people. They may have been God’s chosen people but they must have been undercover.
There are several people who I read after, who believe the key verse in this book is Esther 4:16.
“Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish.”
But I think the key is found in Esther 4:14.
“For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father’s house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”
Both are important but suppose Esther had not been there for such a time as this. The Jewish people would have spared in another way but this was the way My Father planned.
We are living in interesting times. We have seen one of the most interesting hurricane seasons in recent history. We see the agenda of the radical homosexual community trying to shape America in a different way. It is said that the homosexual community only makes us about 2% of the total population of the United States. Yet they want to dictate to us their values. I understand from my reading that the divorce rate is down. But that is not a good thing. More people are just living together without the benefit of marriage. Children who are just one set of parents are rarity. God has us here in this time frame for such a time as this.
In this first chapter, we see what happens when the party fails. Did any of the events that will occur catch the Lord off guard? NO! NO! NO! Ten thousand times NO! Has it occurred to you that nothing occurs to the Lord? Nothing catches the Lord off guard. He never says, “I did not see that coming”.
The LORD always plans ahead. You and I plan ahead for vacations, jobs that need to be done, schoolwork, and a host of other things. There would be a major move to wipe out the whole Jewish race. In these chapters we see God making advance plans to save His nation from extinction.
I. THE KING’S SHOW Vs. 1-9
“Now it came to pass in the days of Ahasuerus, (this is Ahasuerus which reigned, from India even unto Ethiopia, over an hundred and seven and twenty provinces:) That in those days, when the king Ahasuerus sat on the throne of his kingdom, which was in Shushan the palace, In the third year of his reign, he made a feast unto all his princes and his servants; the power of Persia and Media, the nobles and princes of the provinces, being before him: When he shewed the riches of his glorious kingdom and the honour of his excellent majesty many days, even an hundred and fourscore days. And when these days were expired, the king made a feast unto all the people that were present in Shushan the palace, both unto great and small, seven days, in the court of the garden of the king’s palace; Where were white, green, and blue, hangings, fastened with cords of fine linen and purple to silver rings and pillars of marble: the beds were of gold and silver, upon a pavement of red, and blue, and white, and black, marble. And they gave them drink in vessels of gold, (the vessels being diverse one from another,) and royal wine in abundance, according to the state of the king. And the drinking was according to the law; none did compel: for so the king had appointed to all the officers of his house, that they should do according to every man’s pleasure. Also Vashti the queen made a feast for the women in the royal house which belonged to king Ahasuerus.”
A. This king was a great ruler. He had 127 provinces under his control. This was no small feat. He did it without telephone, television or telegraph. But everyone knew who was the boss. The Persian Army was almost unstoppable. (In the eyes of the world it would seem so but no in the eyes of God.) This place of Persia is today Iran and Iraq.
His kingdom spanned from Egypt to India. That is a fairly good piece of real estate. He had been in power for three years. He is now settling into his rule. According to one of my sources of research, this party was a time also to plan the war on Greece the following year that history records happened. It showed his commanders and rulers that if he could pull off an event of this type, he could pull off a war with the great nation of Greece.
B. The king loved to party. Vs. 3-9
The party lasted six months because people were coming from great distances to be there and had their turn to present themselves before the King. The last week was the climax of the entire event. But this party was only a week and those invited were the locals.
This king liked to show off his wealth. That is said that his palace was a work of art. Our text verses refer to this.
II. THE QUEEN’S SEPARATION
Vs. 10-12
“On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, and Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas, the seven chamberlains that served in the presence of Ahasuerus the king, To bring Vashti the queen before the king with the crown royal, to shew the people and the princes her beauty: for she was fair to look on. But the queen Vashti refused to come at the king’s commandment by his chamberlains: therefore was the king very wroth, and his anger burned in him.”
A. He was loaded. Vs. 10, 11
Drunks make stupid mistakes. They don’t have or use good judgment. Proverbs 20:1
“Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.”
Not only was he drinking, he was making sure that there was plenty of booze to go around. The Bible has the answer to that also.
Habakkuk 2:15
“Woe unto him that giveth his neighbour drink, that puttest thy bottle to him, and makest him drunken also, that thou mayest look on their nakedness!”
Proverbs 31:4-5
“It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink: Lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted.”
We don’t know what he was asking her to do other than to show off his wealth and tell folks that he was better than they were. It is interesting to note that her name meant beautiful.
B. She was a lady. Vs. 12
Some people called this “The First Woman’s Libber.” I don’t think so. She was a lady. She was not going be a showpiece for a bunch of drunks. Wives in this land nothing less than a piece of property. It is a good possibility that she did not know the Lord but she would be a good example of a scriptural principle found in Proverbs.
Proverbs 11:22
“As a jewel of gold in a swine’s snout, so is a fair woman which is without discretion.”
C. He was a lout. His anger was a part of his life and he was not used to having his commands disobeyed. She had to have known the consequences of her acts yet she acted with more dignity and wisdom than he did. He serves as an example of the problems with anger.
Proverbs 14:17
"He that is soon angry dealeth foolishly: and a man of wicked devices is hated."
Proverbs 14:29, "He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly."
Proverbs 16:32
"He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city."
Ecclesiastics 7:9
"Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools."
James 1:19-20
"Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God."
III. THE NATION STUNNED
Vs. 13-18
“Then the king said to the wise men, which knew the times, (for so was the king’s manner toward all that knew law and judgment: And the next unto him was Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media, which saw the king’s face, and which sat the first in the kingdom;) What shall we do unto the queen Vashti according to law, because she hath not performed the commandment of the king Ahasuerus by the chamberlains? And Memucan answered before the king and the princes, Vashti the queen hath not done wrong to the king only, but also to all the princes, and to all the people that are in all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus. For this deed of the queen shall come abroad unto all women, so that they shall despise their husbands in their eyes, when it shall be reported, The king Ahasuerus commanded Vashti the queen to be brought in before him, but she came not. Likewise shall the ladies of Persia and Media say this day unto all the king’s princes, which have heard of the deed of the queen. Thus shall there arise too much contempt and wrath.”
A. They were stunned that she would defy the king. This was unheard of doing in that day. It could mean her death.
B. The men were stunned in that they thought that their wives follow her example. It has been the first ladies of a country who sets the tone for the rest of the women of the nation.
These men were supposed to be the wise men of the kingdom. Remember they were at the banquet. Their minds were probably pickled like the king from the wine. They were probably astrologers, and they would give the wrong advice. You cannot trust these type people. No matter how they tell to make it sound spiritual, it is always devil advice.
IV. MEMUCAN’S SOLUTION
Vs. 19-22
“If it please the king, let there go a royal commandment from him, and let it be written among the laws of the Persians and the Medes, that it be not altered, That Vashti come no more before king Ahasuerus; and let the king give her royal estate unto another that is better than she. And when the king’s decree which he shall make shall be published throughout all his empire, (for it is great,) all the wives shall give to their husbands honour, both to great and small. And the saying pleased the king and the princes; and the king did according to the word of Memucan: For he sent letters into all the king’s provinces, into every province according to the writing thereof, and to every people after their language, that every man should bear rule in his own house, and that it should be published according to the language of every people.”
A. She was to no longer be Queen. Her life was spared from death but not shame. Her principle cost her everything. No longer will her life be one of luxury and ease. The lesson to learn here is that we ought to stand by our principles from the Bible even if it cost us.
B. The proclamation was published throughout the kingdom. Her dethroning leads to Esther’s enthroning. It proves that the Bible is true.
Romans 8:28
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
Conclusion: What has this to do with the Jews people? If these events had not occurred, what would have happened to the Jewish people when Haman did his devious plot? This chapter is just an introduction that will lead to the events ahead. In the next chapter we will be looking at some prominent lessons about protection.
There are several lessons that we can learn from this chapter.
1. We can see the folly of showing off. This is nothing less than sinful pride.
2. We can the folly of booze. It clouds the mind. It closes the door to right judgment and always leads to problems.
3. This king did not love his wife like Christ loves the church. He really wanted submission on her part but he did not treat her like Christ treated the church.
4. Anger makes you do things that you will later regret. He could not take his proclamation back after he sobered up because of how the laws were written in his country.
5. God is always working behind the scenes. You may not see it or even aware of it but He is still at work.
Freedom Baptist Church Sunday Morning
9/20/04
