WEBVTT 00:00:30.629 --> 00:00:30.896 Well. 00:00:30.896 --> 00:00:32.298 Good morning, Valley View. 00:00:32.298 --> 00:00:34.167 It's great to be with you today. 00:00:34.167 --> 00:00:35.268 It's great to be back with you. 00:00:35.268 --> 00:00:38.838 I was traveling last week, visiting with some friends. 00:00:38.838 --> 00:00:40.240 Does that mean you were glad I was gone? 00:00:40.240 --> 00:00:41.573 Are you glad I'm back? 00:00:41.573 --> 00:00:43.375 I'm not sure which. 00:00:43.375 --> 00:00:44.511 I’ll assume the better. 00:00:44.511 --> 00:00:45.411 It's good to be back. 00:00:45.411 --> 00:00:46.746 I'm glad to be here either way. 00:00:46.746 --> 00:00:47.780 Thank you. 00:00:47.780 --> 00:00:51.518 And I'm glad we're transitioning to the book of Esther. 00:00:51.518 --> 00:00:53.152 Right. We've been in the book of John. 00:00:53.152 --> 00:00:54.587 We wrapped that up last week. 00:00:54.587 --> 00:01:01.194 We spent 16, 18 months in that book working through it. 00:01:01.194 --> 00:01:05.765 And I'm really excited to get into another book of the Bible, a book from the Old Testament. 00:01:05.765 --> 00:01:10.469 And as I studied, I saw some interesting connections with all that we've studied in the book of John. 00:01:10.469 --> 00:01:12.704 Some of that will come out today. 00:01:13.772 --> 00:01:20.480 One of the things I think we'll see in this book is exemplified in a story you may have heard some share over time. 00:01:20.480 --> 00:01:29.555 I've heard different versions of this story, so I'm going to maybe condense them into one a little bit, share a generalized version of it. 00:01:29.555 --> 00:01:38.697 But there was this missionary couple they had been serving in Africa for 40 years, and their time was up, and it was time to return to the US, and they're on their way back. 00:01:38.697 --> 00:01:40.132 And this was back before airplanes. 00:01:40.132 --> 00:01:57.716 So they're on a ship and they're approaching land, and they see the band out playing, and they see the crowds cheering, and they see the streamers going up in the air and the confetti and the excitement and the joy and they think, is this for us, are people celebrating our return? 00:01:57.716 --> 00:02:00.486 We've sacrificed our lives on the mission field. 00:02:00.486 --> 00:02:03.489 We buried children behind. 00:02:03.656 --> 00:02:07.560 Are they here to celebrate, to welcome us back? 00:02:07.560 --> 00:02:15.234 And then, of course, as they approach land, they realize that there is a famous politician on board or a famous businessman. 00:02:15.234 --> 00:02:20.872 I've heard different versions of this that they're really there to welcome. 00:02:20.872 --> 00:02:24.210 And then part of them, their countenance falls. 00:02:24.210 --> 00:02:26.179 Does anybody care? 00:02:26.179 --> 00:02:29.181 Does it matter what we've done? 00:02:29.314 --> 00:02:34.419 But then there's this check of going, this is not our kingdom. 00:02:34.419 --> 00:02:37.156 We're not here to please them. 00:02:37.156 --> 00:02:42.594 In fact, the world tends to operate where they praise power. 00:02:42.594 --> 00:02:45.564 They praise strength, money. 00:02:45.631 --> 00:02:48.633 They praise that their realm. 00:02:49.268 --> 00:02:55.942 But what we're going to see in the book of Esther is that even when it seems like God, where are you? God, we're in this world. 00:02:55.942 --> 00:02:56.776 We're living in this world. 00:02:56.776 --> 00:02:59.512 And it doesn't seem the things we're living for matter at all. 00:02:59.512 --> 00:03:01.813 Where are you when it feels that way? 00:03:02.848 --> 00:03:03.748 We're going to see in this. 00:03:03.748 --> 00:03:06.586 Even when he seems hidden, he's still there. 00:03:06.586 --> 00:03:08.621 He's still working. 00:03:08.621 --> 00:03:10.288 He's still navigating. 00:03:10.288 --> 00:03:15.694 He's still directing, sometimes in imperceptible, seemingly obscure ways. 00:03:15.694 --> 00:03:18.698 He is still there at work. 00:03:19.031 --> 00:03:29.808 Part of the reason that's so interesting with the Book of Esther is just related to where the Book of Esther shows up in your Bible, in your, I'm assuming you brought an English Bible this morning. 00:03:29.808 --> 00:03:35.814 If it's in English, then more than likely the Book of Esther shows up on the front half of the Old Testament. 00:03:35.814 --> 00:03:44.757 It's going to be before Job, Psalms, Proverbs, and that area. Kind of follows on the historical books, Chronicles, Kings, in that section. 00:03:44.757 --> 00:03:56.868 And it's in an era of history when the nation has been divided, they've been carried off into exile, they've been taken in to other countries, they've been subjugated, they've been put sort of back into slavery. 00:03:56.868 --> 00:03:59.237 Not totally, but they're now under a foreign rule. 00:04:00.806 --> 00:04:02.407 So that's where it lands in our English Bibles. 00:04:02.407 --> 00:04:12.217 But you know, what's interesting is in the Hebrew Bible and, and, and how the Bible was originally written, the original Hebrew language, they tended to put those books in a different order than we do. 00:04:12.217 --> 00:04:16.422 We tend to put them in groupings by general category of literature. 00:04:16.422 --> 00:04:19.425 They tend to put it thematically. 00:04:19.492 --> 00:04:21.826 So I gave an example when we went through the book of Ruth. 00:04:21.826 --> 00:04:23.194 You may remember this. 00:04:23.194 --> 00:04:27.031 Ruth in the Hebrew Bible came after the Book of Proverbs. 00:04:27.031 --> 00:04:29.267 How does Proverbs end? 00:04:29.267 --> 00:04:37.408 An excellent woman who can find? It gives the display of an excellent woman, the model of an excellent woman, an excellent woman in Proverbs 31. 00:04:37.408 --> 00:04:42.680 And then, of course, the implication is you want to know someone like this, read about Ruth. 00:04:42.680 --> 00:04:43.482 Here she is. 00:04:44.649 --> 00:04:49.922 And so there were connections between books that were meant to show you certain things. 00:04:49.922 --> 00:04:53.858 Esther ended the Old Testament originally. 00:04:53.858 --> 00:04:57.495 It was one of five books that ended the Hebrew Bible. 00:04:57.495 --> 00:04:58.963 They were lumped together. 00:04:58.963 --> 00:05:01.899 There was Ecclesiastes, Lamentations, Song of Solomon. 00:05:01.899 --> 00:05:03.901 Ruth and Esther were there. 00:05:03.901 --> 00:05:08.007 They were called the Five Scrolls, the Book of Five Scrolls, all there together. 00:05:08.007 --> 00:05:09.608 At the end of the Old Testament. 00:05:09.608 --> 00:05:10.809 Now, here's the powerful part of that. 00:05:10.809 --> 00:05:14.379 I'm going to read you a quote from one of the commentators I read. 00:05:14.379 --> 00:05:26.959 His name was, his last name was Gregory, and he makes this point about the scope of the Old Testament because the whole Old Testament, you see something occurring gradually occurring throughout the Old Testament until it ends here at the end of it. 00:05:26.959 --> 00:05:43.776 Gregory says it this way, as the Old Testament unfolds, there is a gradual shift from presence to absence, from the presence of God to the absence of God. 00:05:43.776 --> 00:05:47.913 Now, let me unpack that a little bit, because I'm not saying God is absent. 00:05:47.913 --> 00:05:50.915 From the obvious presence of God. 00:05:50.949 --> 00:05:56.053 There's this gradual shift and it it's pretty obvious if you take a step back and look at it. 00:05:56.053 --> 00:06:00.057 In the garden, God was there walking with them. 00:06:00.225 --> 00:06:01.526 Then they're cast out of the garden. 00:06:01.526 --> 00:06:03.161 They're not there in his physical presence anymore. 00:06:03.161 --> 00:06:07.833 But then he comes-- pillar of fire, guides them to the Promised Land. 00:06:07.833 --> 00:06:10.968 But then there's the shift where those go away. 00:06:10.968 --> 00:06:13.237 And then prophets come and there are miracles performed. 00:06:13.237 --> 00:06:19.944 But over time there's less prophets, and there's this decreasing, obvious presence of God. 00:06:19.944 --> 00:06:26.785 Till we get to the book of Esther, where his name is not even mentioned. 00:06:26.785 --> 00:06:30.656 I mean, there's no obvious reference to God in the book. 00:06:31.656 --> 00:06:32.591 Some have seen that. 00:06:32.591 --> 00:06:34.793 And what's that doing in the Bible then? 00:06:34.793 --> 00:06:37.196 Why is that even here? 00:06:37.196 --> 00:06:40.264 What we're going to see as we study that is he is still there. 00:06:40.264 --> 00:06:48.673 His providential hand is still guiding everything, but it does leave us feeling like in this day and age, even. 00:06:48.673 --> 00:06:52.343 I think this is part of the reason this book will be so powerful for us. 00:06:52.343 --> 00:06:58.550 Part of the reason we can relate to it is many times I find myself wondering, where are you, God? 00:06:58.550 --> 00:07:01.452 I mean, the world is all about power, all about strength. 00:07:01.452 --> 00:07:05.089 Their priorities are so different than it seems than anything you care about. 00:07:05.089 --> 00:07:07.559 Where are you in the midst of all this madness? 00:07:07.559 --> 00:07:08.627 Have you ever felt that way? 00:07:09.827 --> 00:07:12.764 Probably every time you open your phone. 00:07:12.764 --> 00:07:16.535 Where are you God? The world has gone crazy. 00:07:17.468 --> 00:07:19.937 But we're going to see his hand. 00:07:19.937 --> 00:07:21.839 It's still guiding. 00:07:21.839 --> 00:07:24.375 It's still at work. 00:07:24.375 --> 00:07:30.048 And the Book of Esther really has this series of short stories within one big story. 00:07:30.048 --> 00:07:32.783 The one big story is God takes Esther. 00:07:32.783 --> 00:07:41.860 He takes this woman, this Jewish woman, this peasant woman, and he elevates her to the highest office in the land, Queen over the land. 00:07:41.860 --> 00:07:56.374 And he uses her to save his people, to rescue his people in the midst of crisis, when he seems to be completely absent, he's still at work behind the scenes. 00:07:56.374 --> 00:08:02.279 What we're going to see today specifically, is the issue, the theme of power. 00:08:02.279 --> 00:08:06.718 Power is all throughout this section, and it's the issue I brought up to begin with. 00:08:06.718 --> 00:08:07.418 It's the issue. 00:08:07.418 --> 00:08:10.454 It's the thing that our world praises above all else. Power. 00:08:12.290 --> 00:08:16.093 We're going to see three power plays in the story today in Esther chapter one. 00:08:16.093 --> 00:08:19.029 In fact, if you have a Bible, turn to the Book of Esther. 00:08:19.029 --> 00:08:23.235 It'll be on page 382 if you have a church Bible and those are out in the lobby. 00:08:23.235 --> 00:08:27.204 If you don't have a Bible, I'll be reading the whole chapter of the Bible over the course today. 00:08:27.204 --> 00:08:30.208 And if you want to follow along, slip out there and grab a copy. 00:08:30.208 --> 00:08:31.141 That's yours. 00:08:31.141 --> 00:08:33.245 That's for you to keep to be able to read from. 00:08:33.245 --> 00:08:34.946 Grab a Bible reading plan as well. 00:08:34.946 --> 00:08:40.451 We're working through the New Testament and Acts over the course of this year, but we'll be in Esther chapter one. 00:08:40.451 --> 00:08:47.392 We're going to see three power plays here in particular, we're going to see power displayed, power shown off. 00:08:47.392 --> 00:08:50.394 We're going to see power denied. 00:08:50.495 --> 00:09:00.270 And then lastly, we're going to see power employed, power displayed, power denied, power employed through the course of Esther chapter one. 00:09:00.270 --> 00:09:02.941 So let's look, let's start in the first few verses here. 00:09:02.941 --> 00:09:10.914 Start at verse one and read a few verses to get the context of the story, the background, a little bit of the setting of Esther chapter one. 00:09:10.914 --> 00:09:14.785 Now in the days of Ahasuerus-- And let me stop there, by the way. 00:09:14.785 --> 00:09:19.724 Someone clued me in on how to pronounce this because that's a weird word. 00:09:19.791 --> 00:09:22.793 You say uh, and then you say Lazarus. 00:09:23.128 --> 00:09:24.729 Ahasuerus. Does that help? 00:09:24.729 --> 00:09:26.730 I found it helpful. 00:09:26.730 --> 00:09:33.804 Now, in the days of Ahasuerus, the Ahasuerus who reigned from India to Ethiopia over 127 provinces. 00:09:34.672 --> 00:09:40.378 In those days when king Ahasuerus set on his royal throne in Susa, the citadel. 00:09:40.378 --> 00:10:05.970 In the third year of his reign, he gave a feast for all his officials and servants, the army of Persia and Media, and the nobles and governors of the provinces were all before him, while he showed the riches of his glory, the splendor, pomp of his greatness for many days, 180 days, six month long feast, banquet, over the top. 00:10:05.970 --> 00:10:08.773 In fact, here's some of what we saw when the days were completed. 00:10:08.773 --> 00:10:12.476 The King gave for all the people present in Susa, the citadel both great and small. 00:10:12.476 --> 00:10:14.278 A feast lasting for seven days. 00:10:14.278 --> 00:10:15.712 180 days wasn't enough. 00:10:15.712 --> 00:10:18.283 Let's cap it off with seven more days. 00:10:18.283 --> 00:10:38.503 In the court of the garden of the King's palace, there were white cotton curtains, violet hangings fastened with cords of fine linen, purple purple to silver rods, marble pillars, couches of gold and silver on a mosaic pavement of porphyry, porphyry is like a granite stone with crystals in it. 00:10:38.503 --> 00:10:41.105 Marble, mother of pearl and precious stones. 00:10:42.105 --> 00:11:00.091 Drinks were served in golden vessels, vessels of different kinds, and the royal wine was lavished according to the bounty of the king, and drinking was, according to this edict, there is no compulsion, for the king had given orders to all his staff of his palace to do as each man desired. 00:11:01.024 --> 00:11:08.666 Queen Vashti also gave a feast for the women in the palace that belonged to King Ahasuerus. 00:11:08.666 --> 00:11:19.943 So here's the setting King Ahasuerus is over a vast realm, 127 provinces from stretching across the Middle East, across to India. 00:11:19.943 --> 00:11:22.245 Huge realm. 00:11:22.245 --> 00:11:29.586 And he throws this 180 day long party and it is over the top. 00:11:29.586 --> 00:11:31.956 No reserves, whatever anybody wants. 00:11:31.956 --> 00:11:34.325 And he shows off his army. 00:11:34.325 --> 00:11:36.059 He shows off his palaces. 00:11:36.059 --> 00:11:39.864 In fact, the detailed the splendor of the palace. 00:11:39.864 --> 00:11:45.336 The only really other place where we see this kind of detail described is in the temple, in the Tabernacle. 00:11:45.336 --> 00:11:48.339 Just overwhelming wealth and beauty. 00:11:49.706 --> 00:11:55.947 And now some have seen this and read this and have said, what a megalomaniac, what an egomaniac. 00:11:55.947 --> 00:12:00.551 This guy's just all about showing off --again, power display. This is the theme. 00:12:00.551 --> 00:12:02.385 The first thing we're seeing around power. 00:12:02.385 --> 00:12:04.120 Let me show off my power. 00:12:04.120 --> 00:12:06.157 Let me show off how great I am. 00:12:06.157 --> 00:12:09.927 Let me show off how much I've done for everyone to see. 00:12:10.561 --> 00:12:13.563 What an egotistical maniac. 00:12:14.498 --> 00:12:18.436 And certainly there was probably some of that going on. 00:12:18.436 --> 00:12:21.706 I read one Jewish commentator, though, that helped me see this from another perspective. 00:12:21.706 --> 00:12:29.212 In fact, it's really helpful whenever you're studying scripture to take a step back, try to step out of our own culture a little bit. 00:12:29.212 --> 00:12:34.851 We bring our modern sensibilities in back into old cultures, ancient cultures. 00:12:34.851 --> 00:12:39.923 They saw things differently than us, sometimes better, sometimes worse, but differently. 00:12:39.923 --> 00:12:42.960 Try to get your head in the space of where they were at the time. 00:12:44.662 --> 00:12:52.035 And if you're this king who has conquered vast provinces, you know no kingdom stays exactly the way it is. 00:12:52.035 --> 00:12:53.671 It's constantly in flux. 00:12:53.671 --> 00:12:55.005 But parts you've conquered. 00:12:55.005 --> 00:12:58.042 And then they gained back their freedom and back and forth. 00:12:58.042 --> 00:13:03.014 It's all things are always changing. The country lines are changing all the time now even as well. 00:13:03.014 --> 00:13:14.658 So at this time, if you wanted to keep those guys, those lands you've conquered, if you want to keep those 127 provinces as a part of your kingdom, part of what you're going to do. 00:13:14.658 --> 00:13:23.967 In fact, this probably wasn't just one continuous 180 day party with the same group of people, nobody getting anything done for six months, but just partying. 00:13:23.967 --> 00:13:27.738 More than likely, this was more of a let me bring in each region. 00:13:27.738 --> 00:13:32.743 Let me bring in each of those 127 leaders one at a time. 00:13:32.743 --> 00:13:33.677 Show off. 00:13:33.677 --> 00:13:37.114 In fact, it says the armies of Media and Persia. 00:13:37.248 --> 00:13:45.489 So when they come to town, you're subtly sending a message-- hey, don't forget, don't forget how strong we are. 00:13:45.489 --> 00:13:51.595 I conquered you and I'll come back with all these folks if you try to rebel against me. 00:13:51.595 --> 00:13:53.697 But also look at my wealth. 00:13:53.697 --> 00:13:55.599 Look at my splendor. 00:13:55.599 --> 00:14:01.171 I mean, this is part of the reason you want to be a part of what we're doing because of how strong and great we are. 00:14:01.171 --> 00:14:05.275 You see, he's doing a little bit of wine and dine too. 00:14:05.275 --> 00:14:07.510 Hey, stay a part of what we're doing. 00:14:07.510 --> 00:14:09.547 Don't make me come back there. 00:14:09.547 --> 00:14:12.548 Use my army again. 00:14:12.716 --> 00:14:14.817 There's multiple things going on here. 00:14:14.817 --> 00:14:18.288 We. You know, this still happens today, by the way. 00:14:18.288 --> 00:14:23.427 A friend of mine worked for a company in Silicon Valley, and he's remote work. 00:14:23.427 --> 00:14:25.062 And most of their employees are remote work. 00:14:25.062 --> 00:14:29.500 But once a year, they bring everybody in and they show off the headquarters, and they give them all kinds of stuff. 00:14:29.500 --> 00:14:32.302 And it's their way of saying, don't you love working here? 00:14:32.302 --> 00:14:33.504 Aren't we the best? 00:14:33.504 --> 00:14:35.105 Isn't this the greatest company? 00:14:35.105 --> 00:14:37.041 Don't forget, we're all together in this. 00:14:37.041 --> 00:14:39.475 We have one common job. 00:14:39.475 --> 00:14:41.245 We're all working together. 00:14:41.245 --> 00:14:44.248 We still do this kind of thing at times. 00:14:44.748 --> 00:14:45.716 Now here's what happens, though. 00:14:45.716 --> 00:14:52.855 After that 180 days of bringing in the different governors, 127 regions, let them see my might and splendor. 00:14:52.855 --> 00:14:56.393 Let me show off my power, display my power. 00:14:56.393 --> 00:14:59.462 He caps it all off with the seven day feast. 00:14:59.462 --> 00:15:01.565 And by the way, that word feast. 00:15:01.565 --> 00:15:03.667 That's one of the major themes of the Book of Esther. 00:15:03.667 --> 00:15:05.101 It's so interesting. 00:15:05.101 --> 00:15:13.943 Something like half of the uses of that word in all the Old Testament, huge body of literature, almost half of those show up in the book of Esther. 00:15:13.943 --> 00:15:17.447 You see this word feast over and over and over again. 00:15:17.447 --> 00:15:21.051 We're going to talk more about what that means feast, feast, feast. 00:15:22.251 --> 00:15:25.254 But they cap it off with this seven day feast. 00:15:25.254 --> 00:15:26.956 You know, we do that same kind of thing here. 00:15:26.956 --> 00:15:30.193 We're celebrating the Derby for two weeks, but then the derby occurs at the end. 00:15:30.193 --> 00:15:31.128 It's a bigger event. 00:15:31.128 --> 00:15:33.596 It's the pinnacle of the celebration. 00:15:33.596 --> 00:15:35.499 Your 180 days of celebration. 00:15:35.499 --> 00:15:39.469 Let's cap it off with the seven day celebration. 00:15:39.836 --> 00:15:45.475 And then what is going to happen here at the very end is interesting, and we get just a hint of the problem. 00:15:45.475 --> 00:15:47.076 The tension in the story. 00:15:47.076 --> 00:15:54.350 Every good story has some tension that is introduced where you go, uh-oh, something's not right. 00:15:54.350 --> 00:15:56.320 Something is not perfect in the kingdom. 00:15:56.320 --> 00:16:00.557 This power display, there's just this hint of problem. 00:16:00.557 --> 00:16:02.759 If you look back in verse nine, we just get a hint. 00:16:04.027 --> 00:16:09.198 He's doing this gigantic feast, showing off everything to the whole world. 00:16:09.198 --> 00:16:11.100 But Queen Vashti also gave a feast. 00:16:11.100 --> 00:16:12.903 She's given her own feast. 00:16:12.903 --> 00:16:18.140 It's separate for the women in the palace that belonged to King Ahasuerus. 00:16:19.676 --> 00:16:23.714 There's just this hint of why is she off having her own feast? 00:16:23.779 --> 00:16:26.783 Why are they separated? 00:16:27.484 --> 00:16:30.486 Why not together? 00:16:30.620 --> 00:16:32.655 Maybe there's some problem in the kingdom. 00:16:32.655 --> 00:16:33.657 We just get a hint. 00:16:33.657 --> 00:16:36.426 It's introduced. 00:16:36.426 --> 00:16:39.929 Now, this seven day banquet is wrapping up. 00:16:39.929 --> 00:16:40.831 How does it wrap up? 00:16:40.831 --> 00:16:42.164 Power has been displayed. 00:16:42.164 --> 00:16:44.167 He's showing off his might, his splendor. 00:16:44.167 --> 00:16:47.971 The King is showing everyone how great his kingdom is. 00:16:48.839 --> 00:16:53.176 And look at how he wants to cap off the whole celebration. Everything. 00:16:55.912 --> 00:17:07.490 on the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha -- that would be an interesting name, wouldn't it? 00:17:07.490 --> 00:17:10.160 Bigtha. Don’t want that. 00:17:10.160 --> 00:17:15.798 Abagtha, Zethar and Carkas-- I don't know that I want that name either, especially if I'm a eunuch. 00:17:15.798 --> 00:17:23.373 The seven eunuchs who served in the presence of King Ahasuerus to bring Queen Vashti before the king with her royal crown. 00:17:23.373 --> 00:17:26.409 So he called seven eunuchs who serve the queen. 00:17:26.409 --> 00:17:31.314 Go tell her we need her to come out wearing her royal crown. 00:17:31.314 --> 00:17:37.119 The purpose was to show the people and the princes her beauty, for she was lovely to look at. 00:17:37.119 --> 00:17:44.294 But Queen Vashti refused to come at the king's command, delivered by the eunuchs. 00:17:44.294 --> 00:17:51.067 At this the king became enraged, and his anger burned within him. 00:17:53.236 --> 00:18:02.846 Some have seen this, and seen that in this moment the king here he is in his power display, showing off the world, is now maybe abusing the Queen. 00:18:03.512 --> 00:18:07.182 Maybe he is not treating her with respect and kindness. 00:18:07.182 --> 00:18:11.988 He's dragging her out to showing her off to everyone again, to show how great he is. 00:18:11.988 --> 00:18:15.424 Not to honor her, but to make it all about him. 00:18:15.424 --> 00:18:28.337 Now, of course, again, maybe some of that was going on, but also think about things through the lens of ancient cultures, through the lens of especially monarchy, king and queen, even today. 00:18:28.337 --> 00:18:32.474 What is the number one responsibility of a king or queen? 00:18:32.909 --> 00:18:35.444 You hear this phrase make an appearance. 00:18:35.444 --> 00:18:38.213 You show up for big events. 00:18:38.213 --> 00:18:45.654 Even in our culture, if there's a state of the Union address and the vice president won't come out, that's a problem. 00:18:45.654 --> 00:18:47.457 You know, there's some big tension. 00:18:47.457 --> 00:18:51.461 Your one job should be to walk out and listen to that. 00:18:51.461 --> 00:18:56.132 So we don't know why she won't come out, but for whatever reason, she won't. 00:18:56.132 --> 00:18:57.267 And it doesn't matter really. 00:18:57.267 --> 00:18:59.435 That's why the story doesn't tell us why. It doesn't matter. 00:18:59.435 --> 00:19:03.807 Because no matter, there would be no good reason not to come out when the King calls you. 00:19:05.442 --> 00:19:07.743 This is the one thing you do. 00:19:07.743 --> 00:19:11.513 And part of me, I look at this and I think also. 00:19:12.848 --> 00:19:17.252 Here you have kind of this hint at creation. 00:19:17.252 --> 00:19:18.654 Seven days of creation. 00:19:18.654 --> 00:19:22.424 God presents woman to man, seven days of a party. 00:19:22.424 --> 00:19:29.332 The Queen is brought out as a royal representation of the pinnacle of celebration, of the pinnacle of creation and kingdom. 00:19:29.332 --> 00:19:31.701 This is a little bit of symbolism. 00:19:31.701 --> 00:19:33.135 This is inference. 00:19:33.135 --> 00:19:42.979 This isn't exactly what's happening here, but there is this element of this is the pinnacle of me honoring her and showing off my whole kingdom. 00:19:44.113 --> 00:19:44.948 And she won't come. 00:19:44.948 --> 00:19:47.951 Now, the tragedy here. 00:19:50.752 --> 00:20:00.663 The King thinks that his power is in possessions, in his wealth, in his might, in his strength. 00:20:01.230 --> 00:20:03.165 I think we're all tempted to think that at times. 00:20:04.500 --> 00:20:06.836 Luke 12 reminds us, life does not consist. 00:20:06.836 --> 00:20:10.973 Real life does not consist in the abundance of possessions. 00:20:10.973 --> 00:20:13.977 That's not where life is found. 00:20:16.645 --> 00:20:18.614 The King thinks he has power. 00:20:18.614 --> 00:20:20.482 He thinks he has life. 00:20:20.482 --> 00:20:26.823 And yet there's a complete break with his very own one that he should love the most. 00:20:27.957 --> 00:20:33.628 You know, even at a purely secular level, one of the best predictors, in fact, the best predictor of happiness. 00:20:33.628 --> 00:20:35.464 It's not money. 00:20:35.464 --> 00:20:37.165 And I know I've heard it over and over again. 00:20:37.165 --> 00:20:41.104 Yes, money doesn't bring happiness, I'd sure love to test that theory, though, right? 00:20:41.104 --> 00:20:43.740 Who hasn't said that? 00:20:43.740 --> 00:20:45.107 It's not. 00:20:45.107 --> 00:20:48.076 The most miserable people on earth are the richest. 00:20:48.076 --> 00:20:48.911 They are. 00:20:48.911 --> 00:20:51.814 I know it's hard to believe. It's true. 00:20:51.814 --> 00:20:53.182 By all measurable account. 00:20:54.650 --> 00:20:57.286 It's not money, it's not possessions. 00:20:57.286 --> 00:21:01.289 It's not even job success and fulfillment. 00:21:01.289 --> 00:21:03.893 Again, just even at a purely secular level. 00:21:03.893 --> 00:21:05.327 Take the Bible out of it. 00:21:05.327 --> 00:21:07.730 Take religion out of it. 00:21:07.730 --> 00:21:12.902 The most powerful measure, the clearest measure of general happiness, is relationships. 00:21:12.902 --> 00:21:20.276 If you have a great relationship with your family and friends, you are surrounded by people who love you. 00:21:20.276 --> 00:21:23.546 You're more than likely going to live a happy, fulfilled life. 00:21:23.546 --> 00:21:25.948 Now again, I'm taking not this. 00:21:25.948 --> 00:21:27.415 These are secular studies that are done. 00:21:27.415 --> 00:21:30.252 These aren't talking about no one Christ follower in him trusting him. 00:21:30.252 --> 00:21:33.788 And of course, those are all going to be connected. 00:21:33.823 --> 00:21:38.193 But one thing we can be sure of life does not consist in the abundance of possessions. 00:21:38.193 --> 00:21:39.595 And we've got a divide here. 00:21:41.730 --> 00:21:43.766 How is the king going to react? 00:21:43.766 --> 00:21:47.036 His power has been displayed now it's been denied. 00:21:47.036 --> 00:21:48.503 You think you're so powerful. 00:21:48.503 --> 00:21:50.940 I don't have to do what you say. 00:21:50.940 --> 00:21:52.240 His power has been denied. 00:21:52.240 --> 00:21:55.243 Now, that doesn't usually go well. 00:21:55.443 --> 00:21:57.747 You think of like Henry the Eighth. 00:21:57.747 --> 00:22:00.715 Multiple wives beheaded. 00:22:00.715 --> 00:22:02.151 King can do whatever he wants. 00:22:02.151 --> 00:22:05.688 Probably the more ancient it is, the more violent it's going to get. 00:22:05.688 --> 00:22:07.722 How is he going to react in this moment? 00:22:07.722 --> 00:22:08.758 I've shown my power. 00:22:08.758 --> 00:22:10.859 You've denied it. 00:22:10.859 --> 00:22:13.061 He's full of anger, full of wrath. 00:22:13.061 --> 00:22:14.730 Not a good time to make decisions. 00:22:14.730 --> 00:22:16.565 Anybody been there? 00:22:16.565 --> 00:22:20.036 That's not when you want to make your decision. 00:22:20.336 --> 00:22:20.869 You want to back up. 00:22:20.869 --> 00:22:22.637 Get a clear head. 00:22:22.637 --> 00:22:23.471 What does he do? 00:22:23.471 --> 00:22:27.143 How is he going to react to his power denied? Let's look. 00:22:27.143 --> 00:22:28.676 Keep reading with me. 00:22:28.676 --> 00:22:31.247 Look at verse 13. 00:22:31.247 --> 00:22:55.637 Then the king said to the wise men who knew the times, for this was the king's procedure toward all who were versed in law and judgment, the men next to him being Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media, who saw the king's face and sat first in the kingdom. 00:22:55.637 --> 00:22:56.672 He comes to consult them. 00:22:56.672 --> 00:23:06.248 He asks them this question according to the law, what is to be done to Queen Vashti, because she has not performed the command of King Ahasuerus, delivered by the eunuchs? 00:23:08.917 --> 00:23:12.488 I've just got to pause here and applaud him. 00:23:13.355 --> 00:23:23.898 You know, didn't know him personally, but just the example he sets in the midst of his anger, in the midst of his rage, in the midst of his merry heart, full of wine. 00:23:23.898 --> 00:23:31.373 For whatever reason, he has the wisdom to take a step back and say, I need to go get counsel on this. 00:23:32.273 --> 00:23:33.741 And there's a lot of wisdom to that. 00:23:33.741 --> 00:23:39.414 You know, I don't I don't think it's any coincidence Andrew prayed over marriages here. 00:23:39.647 --> 00:23:45.954 Too many times when we're angry, frustrated, we feel disrespected. 00:23:45.954 --> 00:23:48.123 What do we do in that moment? 00:23:48.123 --> 00:23:53.695 We run out and pray and find seven wise counselors to get advice and counsel. 00:23:55.763 --> 00:23:57.199 It's very quiet in here all of a sudden. 00:23:58.834 --> 00:23:59.867 That's not what we do. 00:23:59.867 --> 00:24:02.871 We react, overreact. 00:24:03.505 --> 00:24:04.138 Don't you? 00:24:04.138 --> 00:24:07.142 How dare you? What? 00:24:07.843 --> 00:24:13.382 He had, for whatever reason, the ability in the moment to step back and go. 00:24:13.382 --> 00:24:17.685 I better get some advice here before I react, before I overreact. 00:24:18.287 --> 00:24:21.789 Man, how many things would be averted if we did that? 00:24:21.789 --> 00:24:25.560 How many situations would be different if we just hesitated? 00:24:25.560 --> 00:24:28.564 Sought some counsel, got some wisdom? 00:24:29.530 --> 00:24:30.265 That's good to see. 00:24:30.265 --> 00:24:34.169 That's a good example in the midst of a lot of bad examples. 00:24:34.435 --> 00:24:39.441 So he seeks out some of his counselors to get their advice. What should I do? 00:24:39.441 --> 00:24:43.811 By the way, the contrast here with the book of John is palpable right here. 00:24:43.811 --> 00:25:01.395 Here we have an unrighteous king seeking out wisdom on how to obey the law rightly. Contrast that with the Pharisees, self-righteous religious rulers, ignoring the law, pushing it aside, not even wanting to follow any part of the law just to get what they want. 00:25:02.364 --> 00:25:03.397 We want him dead. 00:25:03.397 --> 00:25:04.266 We want him gone. 00:25:04.266 --> 00:25:05.433 No matter what. 00:25:05.433 --> 00:25:12.039 We’ll ignore procedure, we’ll ignore law, we’ll make up laws, we’ll make up lies. 00:25:13.407 --> 00:25:15.443 Again, that's a tough place to be. 00:25:15.443 --> 00:25:23.684 If you find yourself in that arena where you're feeling like, I want what I want, no matter what, I don't want to hear what God's Word, God's Word, has to say about it. 00:25:23.684 --> 00:25:26.688 I don't want to hear what any trusted counselors have to say about it. 00:25:26.688 --> 00:25:30.858 I just want what I want, and I'm going to keep pressing forward. 00:25:30.858 --> 00:25:32.693 That's the place to pause. 00:25:32.693 --> 00:25:34.630 That's the place to cry out in prayer. 00:25:34.630 --> 00:25:37.098 Lord, would you give me wisdom? 00:25:37.098 --> 00:25:39.000 Would you direct me in this moment? 00:25:39.000 --> 00:25:41.269 Bring someone into my life that can give me counsel? 00:25:42.770 --> 00:25:44.573 So he goes to these men. 00:25:44.573 --> 00:25:46.575 He asks for their advice. 00:25:46.575 --> 00:25:48.009 What kind of advice do they give him? 00:25:48.009 --> 00:25:48.676 What do they say? 00:25:48.676 --> 00:25:49.644 Look at verse 16. 00:25:49.644 --> 00:26:05.126 Then Memucan said in the presence of the king and the officials, not only against the king has Queen Vashti done wrong, but also against all the officials and all the peoples who are in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus. 00:26:06.294 --> 00:26:19.473 For the Queen's behavior will be made known to all women, causing them to look at their husbands with contempt, since they will say King of Ahasuerus commanded the queen Vashti, to be brought before him, and she did not come. 00:26:19.473 --> 00:26:31.519 This very day the noble women of Persia and Media who have heard of the Queen's behavior will say the same to all the King's officials, and there will be contempt and wrath in plenty. 00:26:33.954 --> 00:26:38.093 So their observation before they give advice is this is important. 00:26:38.093 --> 00:26:39.126 This is significant. 00:26:39.126 --> 00:26:41.730 We can't ignore this. 00:26:41.730 --> 00:26:56.010 And again, our modern sensibilities tend to look at this and go, come on, dude, really you're that power hungry that now you feel like everything in the whole world is going to fall apart because your wife didn't walk out once when you asked her. 00:26:56.010 --> 00:26:58.346 Isn't that a little controlling? 00:26:58.346 --> 00:27:00.214 I mean, isn't that a little over the top? 00:27:00.214 --> 00:27:01.615 Aren't you overreacting? 00:27:01.615 --> 00:27:05.420 And we have to put ourselves back in this time. 00:27:05.420 --> 00:27:09.057 Set aside some of our modern sensibilities. 00:27:09.257 --> 00:27:15.163 Every culture, every society, has an order, a way it operates, whether you agree with it or not. 00:27:15.163 --> 00:27:19.166 I'm not defending everything that might have occurred in that culture by any means. 00:27:20.335 --> 00:27:27.142 But even in our era, I mean, if the president's wife is disrespectful to him, obviously in public, that's a problem. 00:27:27.142 --> 00:27:32.614 It makes the president look weak, which makes the country look weak, whether you like him or not. 00:27:32.614 --> 00:27:34.015 That's a that's a big problem. 00:27:34.015 --> 00:27:36.351 You don't want to see that behavior. 00:27:36.351 --> 00:27:41.623 I remember reading about President Grant, before he was president. 00:27:41.623 --> 00:27:45.492 He was General Grant, and he was supposed to be at Ford's Theater with Lincoln. 00:27:45.492 --> 00:27:56.938 It was supposed to be in the box with Lincoln, but they decided at the last minute not to go because Grant's wife could not stand Lincoln's wife. 00:27:58.006 --> 00:28:01.675 She was notorious for being very difficult to be around. 00:28:01.675 --> 00:28:06.413 That's not the kind of reputation you want to hear about the president's wife. 00:28:06.413 --> 00:28:10.684 You want to know that they get along, that there's harmony, that shows that our country is strong. 00:28:10.684 --> 00:28:12.353 It reflects the state of the country. 00:28:12.353 --> 00:28:14.055 So at one level, you can relate. 00:28:14.055 --> 00:28:18.026 You can understand why they would be concerned about this. 00:28:18.026 --> 00:28:20.394 If word gets out, we're going to have big problems. 00:28:21.563 --> 00:28:22.931 So what's the advice they give him. 00:28:22.931 --> 00:28:24.632 What should we do. 00:28:24.632 --> 00:28:27.501 Keep reading here with me. 00:28:27.501 --> 00:28:29.903 Verse 19. 00:28:29.903 --> 00:28:43.884 If it pleases the King, let a royal order go out from him, and let it be written among the laws of the Persians and the Medes, so that it may not be repealed, that Vashti is never again to come before King. 00:28:43.884 --> 00:28:50.959 Ahasuerus, and let the king give her royal position to another who is better than she. 00:28:51.925 --> 00:29:01.769 So when the decree made by the king is proclaimed throughout all his kingdom, for it is vast, just throwing that in there as a remembrance of how powerful I am. It is vast. 00:29:01.769 --> 00:29:05.906 All women will give honor to their husbands, high and low alike. 00:29:05.906 --> 00:29:10.044 This advice pleased the King and the princes and the King did as Memucan proposed. 00:29:10.044 --> 00:29:23.657 He sent letters to all the royal provinces, to every province in its own script, to every people, in its own language, that every man may be master in his own household, and speak according to the language of his people. 00:29:23.724 --> 00:29:23.924 All right. 00:29:23.924 --> 00:29:28.028 There's a couple of a couple of things going on here. 00:29:28.395 --> 00:29:31.398 One is just the irony of the law. 00:29:31.766 --> 00:29:39.507 They were concerned that word would get out that Vashti had shunned the king. 00:29:39.507 --> 00:29:41.308 And so what did they do? 00:29:41.308 --> 00:29:44.278 They spread the word everywhere. 00:29:44.278 --> 00:29:47.414 Let's do a preemptive strike so that the word doesn't leak out. 00:29:47.414 --> 00:29:49.182 And let's make sure everyone knows about it. 00:29:49.182 --> 00:29:56.457 Secondly, the other irony here is that her punishment was the very thing she wanted. 00:29:56.457 --> 00:29:57.525 You don't want to be in front of the king. 00:29:57.525 --> 00:29:59.594 You'll never see him again. 00:29:59.594 --> 00:30:02.596 She may have delighted in knowing that. 00:30:03.196 --> 00:30:12.173 So you have these two ironies, but the tragedy here in this punishment, I think the challenge for us to contemplate. 00:30:12.306 --> 00:30:19.012 Is that somehow and the temptation is to think that laying down the law will change people's hearts. 00:30:19.380 --> 00:30:24.684 I mean, if you have to say, if you're at the point where you have to say to someone, you will respect me. 00:30:25.619 --> 00:30:28.256 You know you've already lost it at that point. 00:30:28.256 --> 00:30:30.892 That's not how you gain respect. 00:30:30.892 --> 00:30:41.469 You gain respect through love, through service, through relationship, through care, for, through trust over time. 00:30:41.469 --> 00:30:48.174 And to think that by creating a law that husbands will respect, wives will respect their husbands at all time. 00:30:48.174 --> 00:30:54.915 Of course, some will respect for that reason, but that's not the kind of respect you want. 00:30:55.883 --> 00:31:01.288 And what we're always striving for here, it's not just laying down laws. 00:31:01.288 --> 00:31:08.128 Yeah, there are clear commands in Scripture, but we don't follow the commands in order to say that we kept the command perfectly. 00:31:08.128 --> 00:31:11.097 And look at me, I did what God said exactly. 00:31:11.097 --> 00:31:14.101 Therefore he owes me. 00:31:14.969 --> 00:31:19.606 No, we obey him because he loved us and we love him. 00:31:19.606 --> 00:31:22.375 As a result, it's out of love. 00:31:22.375 --> 00:31:26.913 It's out of gratitude that he has completely changed my life. 00:31:30.084 --> 00:31:31.885 Look, we're all constantly changing. 00:31:31.885 --> 00:31:34.454 Just this week, I was mountain biking with a group of guys. 00:31:34.454 --> 00:31:36.757 I get together with them every year. 00:31:36.757 --> 00:31:44.565 We sharpen one another, and one of the guys said to me, John, you're a different guy than you were even eight years ago. 00:31:44.565 --> 00:31:47.567 And he meant it in a good way, by the way. 00:31:47.567 --> 00:31:48.435 You're a different guy. 00:31:48.435 --> 00:31:50.438 I said, oh, you mean my mountain biking skills? 00:31:50.438 --> 00:31:52.640 No, no, no, there's more joy. 00:31:53.773 --> 00:31:54.808 There's more delight. 00:31:54.808 --> 00:31:57.811 I was a Christian eight years ago. 00:31:58.045 --> 00:32:02.415 You see, we're always growing and the overflow with what we do. 00:32:02.415 --> 00:32:07.188 I love Julie, not because I'm afraid of what might happen if I don't. 00:32:08.689 --> 00:32:11.692 You know. 00:32:12.092 --> 00:32:13.661 It's a joy. 00:32:13.661 --> 00:32:15.895 It's a delight. 00:32:15.895 --> 00:32:19.032 There's a mutual respect and honor and love. 00:32:19.032 --> 00:32:22.036 And that doesn't come through law alone. 00:32:23.203 --> 00:32:25.839 That doesn't come through power. 00:32:25.839 --> 00:32:28.174 You will love me. 00:32:28.174 --> 00:32:30.443 That doesn’t-- power displayed. 00:32:30.443 --> 00:32:31.846 Look at all this stuff I have. 00:32:31.846 --> 00:32:33.881 Don't you want to love me? 00:32:33.881 --> 00:32:35.215 Look at how much money I have. 00:32:35.215 --> 00:32:38.184 Aren't I loving, aren't I lovable? 00:32:38.551 --> 00:32:43.824 Look at my boats, my yacht, my whatever. 00:32:44.892 --> 00:32:47.961 No power is displayed. 00:32:47.961 --> 00:32:50.663 That's not where we find love. 00:32:50.663 --> 00:32:52.398 Even in the midst of power being denied. 00:32:52.398 --> 00:32:54.434 That doesn't mean we're rejected by God. 00:32:55.970 --> 00:32:58.638 And here we saw power employed. 00:32:58.638 --> 00:33:02.910 When the powerful are threatened, what do they respond with? 00:33:02.910 --> 00:33:04.077 Power. 00:33:04.077 --> 00:33:05.746 Strength. 00:33:05.746 --> 00:33:07.080 Don't tell me. 00:33:07.080 --> 00:33:09.782 I'll show you. 00:33:09.782 --> 00:33:27.134 But the pattern we're going to see in the book of Esther, and the pattern that is set for us, and the pattern we saw in the book of John is God continually chooses one person, the weak, to shame the wise, the foolish to shame the wise, the weak to shame the strong. 00:33:27.134 --> 00:33:32.105 He takes Moses, who can't even talk, takes one man to rescue his people. 00:33:32.138 --> 00:33:36.777 He takes Noah, one righteous man, to rescue his people. 00:33:37.411 --> 00:33:46.586 He takes Joseph, the one cast aside by his family, lowly in the kingdom to rescue his people. 00:33:46.586 --> 00:34:00.134 And we're going to see in the book of Esther God's people in a culture where they are hated and despised, and he takes one lonely person and he uses that person to rescue his people. 00:34:00.134 --> 00:34:03.836 It's the same thing we saw through the book of John. 00:34:03.836 --> 00:34:09.476 Jesus came not to be served, but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many. 00:34:09.476 --> 00:34:17.016 We live in a world where everything is about power, strength, might, prestige, but we're called to live differently. 00:34:17.251 --> 00:34:25.659 We're called to love, to serve, to serve from a place of weakness and to watch him move through that. 00:34:25.659 --> 00:34:30.197 That's what he did for us, loved and served us. 00:34:30.197 --> 00:34:31.998 We're called to do the same. 00:34:31.998 --> 00:34:32.498 Let's pray.