Jexit: Judah Comes Home
An Essential Banquet
A sermon on Esther
As we work our way through the Jexit series we have been focussing on the returned exiles
… we have been looking at some aspects of their responses and actions.
… we have specifically been focussing on the group of people who returned.
… the group of people who were given freedom by the Persian King Cyrus to return to Judah and rebuild the temple.
Approximately 60,000 people took the opportunity to return.
But not everyone returned.
5 So the family leaders of Judah and Benjamin, along with the priests and Levites—everyone God had motivated—prepared to go up and rebuild the Lord’s house in Jerusalem. 6 All their neighbours supported them with silver articles, gold, goods, livestock, and valuables, in addition to all that was given as a freewill offering.
Ezra 1:5-6
The neighbours are not neighbouring Babylonians. The neighbours here are fellow Jews.
In 538BC when Cyrus gave the people freedom there was a group of Jews who said, “Yep, we are heading home.”
But there is another group of Jews who say, “Well actually we are staying here.”
Why didn’t everyone return?
We are not specifically told, but we can deduce from the Scripture a number of reasons.
Firstly it was a long way from Babylon to Jerusalem
8 Ezra (talking about their journey of another group of Jews later) .. began his journey from Babylon on the first day of the first month, and he arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month, for the gracious hand of his God was on him.
Ezra 7:8-9
Ezra was thankful for a quick trip of four months!
It could take four months.
It could take six months.
In either case it is a long way. It is a long and difficult trip to make with 60,000 people, and cattle, and all the supplies.
You don’t make a trip like that on a whim. So this could explain why some of the Jews didn’t return - it is a long way.
Another reason why some people didn’t return is because they are actually quite settled. They have been in Babylon for over 50 years.
Families settle in.
Families build a business.
Families make roots.
In fact this is what Jeremiah told them to do at the beginning of the exile.
When the Jews first went to Babylon they hated it. And prophets rose up among the exiles in Babylon and they were saying that God was going to bring them exiles home soon – which was a lie. So the true prophet, Jeremiah, wrote to the exiles to tell them the truth.
4 This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5‘Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. 6 Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. 7 Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.’
Jeremiah 29:4-7
Obviously this prayer works!
People settle.
One of those was the King of Judah.
27 In the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the year Awel-Marduk became king of Babylon, he released Jehoiachin king of Judah from prison. He did this on the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth month. 28 He spoke kindly to him and gave him a seat of honour higher than those of the other kings who were with him in Babylon. 29 So Jehoiachin put aside his prison clothes and for the rest of his life ate regularly at the king’s table. 30 Day by day the king gave Jehoiachin a regular allowance as long as he lived.
2 Kings 25:27-30
That is not such a bad outcome. And the treatment received by the King of Judah from the king of Babylon is a reflection of a general approach. When the Persian King Cyrus, who is also known as Darius the Mede, overthrew Babylon and came to power this what he decided.
3 Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the chief ministers and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. Daniel 6:3-4
This took place just before the first set of exiles were planning to go home. Daniel has been rising through the ranks the whole time he is in Babylon.
From Daniel chapter 3 we learn that Nebuchadnezzar had set up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego set over the affairs of the province of Babylon.
Nehemiah is another person … we will look at his impact later in the series.
Just because the Jews were in exile that did not mean they were treated as secondary citizens. There were plenty of opportunities for the Jewish people to get ahead.
The nation of Babylon was a conquering nation. But the nation was not shy in promoting people of talent and capacity - it didn’t matter where these people came from.
That is the environment.
It is quite a pleasant environment.
All that you want or need is available.
When the Persians came they were just as willing to build and support and provide.
So, if you think about that option, or taking a journey back to a homeland which has been destroyed. The whole city is in ruins. It is overgrown. You would need to start again from scratch. Why would you go back to Judah. So, in 538BC when many people returned home, many others did not.
Now we skip forward about 45 years, to 483BC. That brings us to the beginning of the book of the book of Esther.
Can I encourage you to have your Bible open at Esther.
We are not going to look at one specific text - but multiple numbers of texts.
Specifically we are going to look at texts that take place in connection with a banquet.
We start at the first banquet
1 This is what happened during the time of Xerxes, (or some of you might have Ahasuerus it is the same person) the Xerxes who ruled over 127 provinces stretching from India to Cush 2 At that time King Xerxes reigned from his royal throne in the citadel of Susa, 3 and in the third year of his reign he gave a banquet for all his nobles and officials. The military leaders of Persia and Media, the princes, and the nobles of the provinces were present. 4 For a full 180 days he displayed the vast wealth of his kingdom and the splendour and glory of his majesty.
Esther 1:1-4
So there is 180 days of showing off.
Then a banquet which lasts for seven days.
A lot alcohol can be consumed in seven day.
Then the King lets the alcohol speak.
10 On the seventh day, when King Xerxes was in high spirits from wine, he commanded the seven eunuchs who served him—Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona,Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar and Karkas— 11 to bring before him Queen Vashti, wearing her royal crown, in order to display her beauty to the people and nobles, for she was lovely to look at.
Esther 1:10-11
Get my wife who is beautiful - that is a wise thing to say.
I want to show off her beauty to everyone - that is not so wise.
Vashti says, “ I am not a trophy wife so I am not coming.”
Now understand this … nobody defies the command of the Persia King.
So this is a huge problem so the kings wise men … notice that it is all men … come up with a very man-ly answer to the problem.
16 Then Memukan replied in the presence of the king and the nobles, “Queen Vashti has done wrong, not only against the king but also against all the nobles and the peoples of all the provinces of King Xerxes. 17 For the queen’s conduct will become known to all the women, and so they will despise their husbands and say, ‘King Xerxes commanded Queen Vashti to be brought before him, but she would not come.’ 18 This very day the Persian and Median women of the nobility who have heard about the queen’s conduct will respond to all the king’s nobles in the same way. There will be no end of disrespect and discord. 19 “Therefore, if it pleases the king, let him issue a royal decree and let it be written in the laws of Persia and Media, which cannot be repealed, that Vashti is never again to enter the presence of King Xerxes. Also let the king give her royal position to someone else who is better than she.
Esther 1:16-19
The story starts because Queen Vashti says, “I don’t want to be a trophy wife.”
Then the story becomes a search for a better Queen … along with the proclamation where,
21 The king and his nobles were pleased with this advice, so the king did as Memukan proposed. 22 He sent dispatches to all parts of the kingdom, to each province in its own script and to each people in their own language, proclaiming that every man should be ruler over his own household, using his native tongue.
Esther 1:21-22
So spoken by the most powerful man in the land who can’t control his own wife.
That sets the scene.
Now a new wife needs to be found. The way the new wife is found is basically by having a “Miss Persia Contest”.
We have beautiful Vasti
Now we need the beautiful replacement.
You can read it later on, how the process unfolds, but the process coincides with the next banquet which is in Chapter 2.
17 Now the king was attracted to Esther more than to any of the other women, and she won his favour and approval more than any of the other virgins. So he set a royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. 18 And the king gave a great banquet, Esther’s banquet, for all his nobles and officials. He proclaimed a holiday throughout the provinces and distributed gifts with royal liberality.
Esther 2:17-18
And I am sure that during the banquet when he was very toasted the drunken King would have asked for Esther to be brought out to be shown off …
… and out she came without hesitation.
Esther wins the contest. So who is Esther?
5 Now there was in the citadel of Susa a Jew of the tribe of Benjamin, named Mordecai son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, 6 who had been carried into exile from Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, among those taken captive with Jehoiachin king of Judah. 7 Mordecai had a cousin named Hadassah (that is her Jewish name), whom he had brought up because she had neither father nor mother. This young woman, who was also known as Esther, had a lovely figure and was beautiful. Mordecai had taken her as his own daughter when her father and mother died.
Esther 2:5-7
Another important piece of information is found in
10 Esther had not revealed her nationality and family background, because Mordecai had forbidden her to do so.
Esther 2:10
Now remember why the King wanted a new wife. It was to prove, and reinforce, that each man is the ruler of their own house.
In the process of finding the new wife the King now has a Jewess, a woman who stands under the rule of God, in his house.
The King wants to rule his own house … and all men to rule their own house.
Yet through this process the King has brought in Esther who is faithful to Yahweh.
Yahweh the God over all.
I want to be Lord of my house … but instead the God of Esther is Lord.
You can see what is happening can’t you.
The question that is constantly comes up in the book of Esther is, “who is actually in charge?”
And it is not the king.
You may or may not know that God’s name is not used in the book of Esther. It is the one of two books in the Bible - the other being Song of Songs - where the name of God is not mentioned.
Yet God is behind everything.
God is fully in control.
Let’s move to the next banquet.
Esther wants to see the King and goes through a long process - but then see gets to see the King and make the request.
3 Then the king asked, “What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be given you.”
4 “If it pleases the king,” replied Esther, “let the king, together with Haman, come today to a banquet I have prepared for him.”
5 “Bring Haman at once,” the king said, “so that we may do what Esther asks.”
(Note that it is “What Esther asks.” Who is in control?)
So the king and Haman went to the banquet Esther had prepared. 6 As they were drinking wine, the king again asked Esther, “Now what is your petition? It will be given you. And what is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be granted.”
7 Esther replied, “My petition and my request is this: 8 If the king regards me with favour and if it pleases the king to grant my petition and fulfill my request, let the king and Haman come tomorrow to the banquet I will prepare for them. Then I will answer the king’s question.”
Esther 5:3-8
She has a banquet to tell the king she wants a banquet.
That is intrigue … having a banquet so you can organise another banquet!
Two for the price of one.
That has got to be important. So let’s see why it is important.
1 After these events,
… these events were a time when Mordecai saved the King by uncovering a conspiracy against the life of the King.
After these events, King Xerxes honoured Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, elevating him and giving him a seat of honour higher than that of all the other nobles. 2 All the royal officials at the king’s gate knelt down and paid honour to Haman, for the king had commanded this concerning him. But Mordecai would not kneel down or pay him honour.
Esther 3:1-2
Esther uncle … her adopted father … is not going to bow down to any man.
Haman doesn’t like this so he hatches a plan.
8 Then Haman said to King Xerxes, “There is a certain people dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom who keep themselves separate. Their customs are different from those of all other people, and they do not obey the king’s laws; it is not in the king’s best interest to tolerate them. 9 If it pleases the king, let a decree be issued to destroy them, and I will give ten thousand talents of silver to the king’s administrators for the royal treasury.”
Esther 3:8-9
Haman hates the Jews because Mordecai did not bow down.
Haman wants to destroy all of the Jews in all of the provinces … Judah is also under the rule of Persia at this time.
So this decree would impact all of the Jews who have returned.
And all the Jews everywhere in the 127 provinces.
13 Dispatches were sent by couriers to all the king’s provinces with the order to destroy, kill and annihilate all the Jews—young and old, women and children—on a single day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar, and to plunder their goods.
Esther 3:13
Esther wants to talk with the king to sort this out. That’s why Esther has a banquet … just with herself and Xerxes and Haman. To try and discover why such an edict was written. Because once an edict is written it cannot be taken away.
It is rule.
It is law.
Only if the king overturns it does the edict stop. That’s why she wants them all to come back the next night.
However between the two banquets some really interesting events occur. King Xerxes is having trouble sleeping … he has insomnia. So he asks for the annuls of the book of the kings. Basically it is one of the most boring books he can think of and he is going to read it to help him to sleep.
He reads this annual and he discovers that Mordecai had revealed the threat about the conspiracy against the King and Mordecai had saved the Kings life.
So the king asks, “Was anything done to honour Mordecai?” … and nothing has been done.
So the King asks, “Who is available at the moment?”
And Haman has just walked through the door.
Here is what happens.
6 When Haman entered, the king asked him, “What should be done for the man the king delights to honour?”
Now Haman thought to himself, “Who is there that the king would rather honour than me?” 7 So he answered the king, “For the man the king delights to honour, 8 have them bring a royal robe the king has worn and a horse the king has ridden, one with a royal crest placed on its head. 9 Then let the robe and horse be entrusted to one of the king’s most noble princes. Let them robe the man the king delights to honour, and lead him on the horse through the city streets, proclaiming before him, ‘This is what is done for the man the king delights to honour!’”
10 “Go at once,” the king commanded Haman. “Get the robe and the horse and do just as you have suggested for Mordecai the Jew, who sits at the king’s gate. Do not neglect anything you have recommended.”
Esther 6:6-10
Haman is absolutely humiliated by this process. Then, after all this humiliation, Haman goes off to the banquet. And this is what happened.
1 So the king and Haman went to Queen Esther’s banquet, 2 and as they were drinking wine on the second day, the king again asked, “Queen Esther, what is your petition? It will be given you. What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be granted.”
3 Then Queen Esther answered, “If I have found favour with you, Your Majesty, and if it pleases you, grant me my life—this is my petition. And spare my people—this is my request. 4 For I and my people have been sold to be destroyed, killed and annihilated. (Remember the King still does not know that she is a Jew). If we had merely been sold as male and female slaves, I would have kept quiet, because no such distress would justify disturbing the king.”
5 King Xerxes asked Queen Esther, “Who is he? Where is he—the man who has dared to do such a thing?”
6 Esther said, “An adversary and enemy! This vile Haman!”
Then Haman was terrified before the king and queen. 7 The king got up in a rage, left his wine and went out into the palace garden. But Haman, realizing that the king had already decided his fate, stayed behind to beg Queen Esther for his life.
8 Just as the king returned from the palace garden to the banquet hall, Haman was falling on the couch where Esther was reclining.
The king exclaimed, “Will he even molest the queen while she is with me in the house?”
As soon as the word left the king’s mouth, they covered Haman’s face. 9 Then Harbona, one of the eunuchs attending the king, said, “A pole reaching to a height of fifty cubits stands by Haman’s house. He had it set up for Mordecai, who spoke up to help the king.”
The king said, “Impale him on it!” 10 So they impaled Haman on the pole he had set up for Mordecai. Then the king’s fury subsided.
Esther 7:1-10
Do you think God is in control?
Or was this just luck?
We see things happening and we say, “That was really lucky.” But this is not luck.
This is another situation where the providence of God is at work.
That God is at work all the time and we don’t know what is fully going on until the plan unfolds. The fact that king can’t sleep and he goes to the very spot in the annuals … that is not good luck, that is providence.
Sometimes we don’t see it.
There are all of these seemingly unattached events taking place.
Sometimes it is not for years or decades … maybe we won’t find out till we go to heaven.
But we see that these things are working for us.
There is no such thing as a coincidence. It is always a God-incidence.
All this is happening far from Judah - far from the people in the land.
But this is working for the people in the land.
God is still working for his people.
God’s name is never mentioned, not once, in the book of Esther. But it is very clear that God is behind everything that is happening.
But we still have a bit of unfinished business.
Another edict needs to go out
11 The king’s edict granted the Jews in every city the right to assemble and protect themselves; to destroy, kill and annihilate the armed men of any nationality or province who might attack them and their women and children, and to plunder the property of their enemies. 12 The day appointed for the Jews to do this in all the provinces of King Xerxes was the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar. 13 A copy of the text of the edict was to be issued as law in every province and made known to the people of every nationality so that the Jews would be ready on that day to avenge themselves on their enemies.
Esther 8:11-13
And that brings us to the last feast
20 Mordecai recorded these events, and he sent letters to all the Jews throughout the provinces of King Xerxes, near and far, 21 to have them celebrate annually the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month of Adar 22 as the time when the Jews got relief from their enemies, and as the month when their sorrow was turned into joy and their mourning into a day of celebration. He wrote them to observe the days as days of feasting and joy and giving presents of food to one another and gifts to the poor.
Esther 9:20-22
The book opens with a banquet. The book closes with a banquet.
This feast is known as the feast of Purim which is still celebrated to this day by Jews.
The banquet that was meant to be for the destruction of the Jews has been turned to an ongoing celebration of the reversal which God brought about.
The Lord protected his people … the ones who did not return … because he cared for them.
The message for God’s people is clear. They didn’t need to be in the land to be under the protection of God. For God’s power can take hold everywhere, no matter what the enemies of God try to do.
Sorrow Turned To Joy. Mourning Turned into Celebration.
That is the theme of Esther. But isn’t that also the theme of the Gospel.
For each one of us has a story where we know we are facing an enemy.
That great enemy known as sin.
Sin which should have caused our condemnation.
Sin which has the power of eternal destruction.
Sin which impacts men and women and children.
The expected outcome is that we should be punished.
But, because of Christ the King, the King of great reversals … well the end is so different.
The destruction is no more.
The lost are found.
The broken are healed.
The sinful and declared holy.
It is not what is expected, because of the most unexpected event in all of history.
Jesus the man who is like us in almost every way rose from the dead.
If you only remember one thing out of today remember this:-
We serve a God who is the Lord of great reversals. That is the story which defines our lives as believers. But it is a story that we have to let impact us each and every day.
If God brings reversal … do you need to keep living in the shame of the past?
If God brings reversal … do you need to keep following the same temptation?
If God brings reversal … do you need to keep on showing the same character flaws?
If God brings reversal … does anxiety and fear need to keep ruling you?
If God brings reversal … why don’t you have more trust in his favour?
If God brings reversal … why can’t you see the hope of the path ahead?
When Jesus is your Lord everything is reversed … everything.
Death becomes life.
Darkness becomes light.
Fear becomes hope.
Anxiety becomes security.
Separations becomes a relationship.
Failure becomes faith.
This is true no matter where you call your home.
It was true back there in Esther.
It is just as true today.
So we don’t celebrate the feast of Purim once a year.
We celebrate all year … every day … the year of the Lord’s favour.
Sorrow Turned To Joy …Mourning Turned into Celebration
Because you serve the Lord who has the highest authority and the final authority … He is the one who has the power … to bring about any great reversal that needs to take place.
Prayer
