King Xerxes of Persia lived in his capital city of Susa and ruled one hundred twenty-seven provinces from India to Ethiopia. During the third year of his rule, Xerxes gave a big dinner for all his officials and officers. The governors and leaders of the provinces were also invited, and even the commanders of the Persian and Median armies came. 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 1:1-4, CEV)
One of my favorite stories in the Bible is Esther’s. It’s a wonderful illustration of faith under fire, and I’m always inspired by it. And even though the name of Jehovah isn’t mentioned at all, God’s sovereignty abounds.
So join me on a new journey of intrigue, man’s fallibility, deception, strong faith, and good overcoming evil. And to paraphrase Bette Davis, “Fasten your seatbelts, people. It’s going to be quite a ride.”
Let’s start by meeting a man of great power, but one who is vain and selfish. One who is easily swayed by those he should have ruled with an iron hand.
King Xerxes is the king of Persia. He is rich and powerful. And he likes to show off that wealth. As our story opens, he’s throwing yet another banquet to remind everyone of just how wealthy he is.
But it’s not just a banquet as we would imagine. Read that last verse again. This party went on for 180 days. 180 days, folks. Think about it. It’s one thing to have a one-time get together and serve Beluga caviar and Dom Perignon. It’s quite another to do this over and over for 180 days.
Yes, King Xerxes is rich and powerful. But again, as we continued our journey, keep in mind the underlying reason for his wanting to show off. Instead of relying on his own strength of character, he needs the constant adulation of others.
Oh, yes. It’s going to be quite a ride!
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