INTRODUCTION TO ESTHER (Esther 1:1-9)
INTRODUCTION:
Only two books of the Bible are named after women. We studied through the first one just before I went to 1st and 2nd Thessalonians, it is named after Ruth who is the main character of that book, the Moabitess that became the grandmother of king David. The second book which we will begin this morning is the last of the historical books of the Old Testament, though it is not the last chronologically. Esther is sandwiched between the books of Nehemiah and Job. If we were to date when the events of this book took place it would be in the date range of 483-477 B.C. This is approximately 55-65 years after the captivity of Judah. Remember that Babylon under king Nebuchadnezzar had defeated Judah and carried her into captivity in the land of Babylon. Babylon fell to the Median-Persian empire in 536 B.C. Cyrus was the first Persian king of this empire and in the first year of his reign he wrote a proclamation permitting the Jews to return to their homeland in fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy. Cyrus was followed by his son Cambyses, he was followed by his son Darius I, who was followed by his son Xerxes, who is the king in the book of Esther, although in Esther his name is never mentioned but only his title Ahasuerus.
For many who read this little book it is a puzzle, I say that because it seems to be out of place in the Bible. The reason I say this is because there is no mention of God in this book, there is no reference to worship or to faith, there is no prediction of the Messiah, there is no mention of heaven or hell. It would seem that there is nothing religious about this book, at least on the surface. So, why is it included in the canon of Scripture? Many commentators view it as a revelation of God’s providence—the way God works behind the scenes to preserve His people in times of peril. This is a very valid approach to Esther. The book beautifully shows us the ability of God to work through natural means and to bring about His will through the seemingly free choices of men who in no way are feeling that they are being coerced by an unseen hand. But there is more to it than that. The real key to this little book is found in the New Testament.
Paul more than once in his letters taught that the historic incidents that happened to Israel and Judah are intended as types or examples for us. A type is an Old Testament person, place, thing, or occurrence that prefigures a person, place, thing, or occurrence found in the New Testament called the antitype. We saw this when we were in the book of Genesis and studied the life of Joseph, he was a type of Jesus, and we noted the similarities. These types occur so that we might have an illustration of what God intends to do with us. This does not mean that these accounts are stylized legends of unhistoric events. These are true historic events that took place, but, in the wisdom of God, they happened in such a way as to form a detailed picture of God’s dealings with us on a spiritual level. The Old Testament is God’s visual aid to the truth of the New Testament. Our Scripture reading this morning from Romans 15 alluded to these types that were written for our instruction. Paul also wrote in 1 Corinthians 10:11, “Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.” (1 Corinthians 10:11, NASB95)[1] If we learn to read the Old Testament historic events using this key from the New Testament, we will discover that these events are far more than just history. We might even see our own spiritual journey in the pages of the Old Testament. Jesus during His earthly ministry used the Old Testament in this way at times. For example, He taught that the days of Noah were a picture of what the world conditions will be at the time of His second coming. He also taught that the experience of Jonah being swallowed by a large fish was a picture of His death and resurrection.
As we enter into the book of Esther, then we will look for the illustration, the instruction behind the historic event, and I believe this book will come to life for us. We will discover ourselves in the pages of this event, in the unfolding of this historic event we shall find an unfolding of our own makeup. The Bible was given to us not only that we may learn to know God, but that we may also learn to know ourselves. The book of Esther will help us to do this. Let’s begin by praying and then reading the first verses of the book.
--PRAY--
SCRIPTURE:
Turn in your Bibles this morning to the book of Esther 1:1-9, our passage for today. Please, if you are able, stand in honor of the reading of God’s Word and follow along as I read.
Esther 1:1-9,
“Now it took place in the days of Ahasuerus, the Ahasuerus who reigned from India to Ethiopia over 127 provinces, in those days as King Ahasuerus sat on his royal throne which was at the citadel in Susa, in the third year of his reign he gave a banquet for all his princes and attendants, the army officers of Persia and Media, the nobles and the princes of his provinces being in his presence. And he displayed the riches of his royal glory and the splendor of his great majesty for many days, 180 days. When these days were completed, the king gave a banquet lasting seven days for all the people who were present at the citadel in Susa, from the greatest to the least, in the court of the garden of the king’s palace. There were hangings of fine white and violet linen held by cords of fine purple linen on silver rings and marble columns, and couches of gold and silver on a mosaic pavement of porphyry, marble, mother-of-pearl and precious stones. Drinks were served in golden vessels of various kinds, and the royal wine was plentiful according to the king’s bounty. The drinking was done according to the law, there was no compulsion, for so the king had given orders to each official of his household that he should do according to the desires of each person. Queen Vashti also gave a banquet for the women in the palace which belonged to King Ahasuerus.” (Esther 1:1–9, NASB95)[2]
THE KING (Esther 1:1-4)
The book of Esther opens and centers around a kingdom and its king. It begins with a description of the magnificence of that kingdom. As I mentioned in my introduction the name of this king is never given to us. The word Ahasuerus is not a personal name, but a title like Czar or Caesar. Because it is not Hebrew it is not quite sure what it means, possibly chief or prince, a title that demands respect. The fact that the book of Esther never gives us the personal name of this Ahasuerus seems to indicate that this is not relevant to the significance of the historic event. As this event opens, we find the empire at peace. If this is Xerxes, then he will have just finished putting down a revolt in Egypt and one in Babylon. It is now the third year of his reign, and the king is holding a banquet that lasts 180 days—six months. This banquet was for all the military officers, the nobles, and the princes of the 127 provinces of the king’s empire. One commentator said that it would be impossible for all these people in leadership to be away from their posts for six months. He suggested that the king summoned some and wined and dined them and when they had left another group would be summoned. It is also believed that this may have been a planning meeting for the coming invasion of Greece. Obviously, it was a time of peace and there was no threat to the kingdom. The king took this opportunity to display the riches of his royal glory and the splendor of his great majesty. The king ruled his vast empire from India to Ethiopia with absolute authority carried out by his princes and nobles who were completely loyal to the king, and because of this loyalty the kingdom was at rest.
We know from other Scriptures that man was created to have dominion, in other words to be a king ruling over his own empire. Our empire is our life, reaching out to touch all those with whom we come in contact and over whom we have influence. Our capital city, corresponding to Susa, the capital city of Ahasuerus, is our body. Our body with our brain, heart, and nervous system is marvelously created and complex. Through it, by means of our senses, reports from the empire without are brought to the king. From it, through the eyes and voice and hands, flow the responses that vitally affect the empire from one end to the other.
But man is more than just a body. There is that part of us that is invisible which forms our personality, that immaterial but conscious part that lives with and expresses itself through the body. It is this immaterial part that controls the life of the kingdom and is represented here by the king. The Bible calls this the soul of man; it involves the faculties of mind, emotion, and will. The will when acted on by the mind and emotions exercises authority within the kingdom. Whatever occurs in your soul—the realm of your mind, your emotions, or your will—has an immediate effect, not only on the capital city of your body but upon the empire. All those with whom you come in contact with and over whom you have influence.
The Bible confirms the fact that man was made to be a king. King David in Psalm 8:6-8 acknowledges to God the place that God has given man. He writes, “You make him to rule over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet, All sheep and oxen, And also the beasts of the field, The birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea, Whatever passes through the paths of the seas.” (Psalm 8:6–8, NASB95)[3] God created man to be a king, to have power and authority. It was an authority given to him, so that he might display the glory of the invisible God. In other words, he was to be the human vehicle of the divine life. As man gave himself to the task of properly governing the earth which he was established as king, he would display the majesty and the glory of the God who indwelt him. Unfallen Adam in the garden of Eden was just such a king. Like Ahasuerus here, his whole empire lay at rest, and he was free to do nothing more than reveal the riches and the fruitfulness and the glory of his kingdom while enjoying unhindered communion with God.
If man was made to commune with God, then there must be provision within man for that communion. There is, it is what is called the human spirit. This spirit was created to be the place of communion between the soul of man and the Holy Spirit of God. The human spirit is pictured for us in the book of Esther by the queen.
THE QUEEN (Esther 1:5-9)
The queen as the book opens is Queen Vashti as we are informed in verse 9. When the king had completed his 180-day banquet he gave another seven-day banquet for all who were present at the citadel at Susa, it was for all from the greatest to the least. The verses go on to describe the court of the garden where the banquet was held and what is described is the magnificence of the king’s riches displayed in the decorations of the court. Nothing of his splendor was withheld and drinks were served in golden vessels and at the king’s command each man should be served according to his desire and the royal wine was plentiful according to the king’s bounty.
Then verse nine informs us that queen Vashti also gave a banquet for the women in the palace. The men banqueted and drank with the king and the women banqueted with the queen. This banquet went on for seven days with the royal wine in abundance and according to each person’s desire.
I said earlier that Queen Vashti represents the human spirit while Ahasuerus represents the human soul. It is the presence of the human spirit within man which makes him an immortal being—just as the whole hope of a continuing kingdom lies in the queen. When a king without a queen dies, the whole kingdom perishes or at least the dynasty does. If man were only a body and soul as the world claims, then we are no different than the animals. But the Bible clearly states that man is more than a body and a soul, but that he also has a spirit. The author of Ecclesiastes tells us in his conclusion at the end of the book that when we die that our body returns to the earth from which it was from, but our spirit will return to God who gave it. It is the spirit of man that does not perish, making us very different from the animals.
In this book the queen provides the place of communion for the king. She is the one to whom the king goes for private fellowship and comfort. In the same way, what takes place between the soul and the spirit of man is the most intimate, most essential activity of man’s nature. So intimate and delicate is this union between soul and spirit (portrayed by the king and queen), that only one thing can expose it. In Hebrews 4:12 the author writes, “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12, NASB95)[4] Only the Word of God can make a distinction between the human soul and the human spirit, revealing the innermost recesses of our life at the deepest level of existence.
CONCLUSION:
So, we have entered into a new book, the book of Esther, and as we do and as we move forward, we will learn some things about ourselves. The king is a picture of the soul of man, the soul comprises the mind, emotions, and will. Ahasuerus’ capital is the city of Susa, this represents man’s body in which all his decisions and actions will be most immediately felt. His empire is the sphere of influence that each man has in life. Finally, his queen represents the spirit of man. It is so closely bound to his soul that no division or separation can be seen. The queen bound in marriage to the king, depicts the place of fellowship, refreshment, and communion with God which is intimately related to our soul. As we continue into this book, I believe that each of us will see ourselves and we will see how accurate this portrayal is as the events of this history unfold.
[1]New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[2]New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[3]New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[4]New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.