Esther 1:1–8

Remember that Ahasuerus was a general title, just as Pharaoh was the general title in Egypt, and Abimelech among the Philistines. There were many Pharaohs and many Abimelechs. So also among the Persians there were several that bore the name of Ahasuerus. Which Ahasuerus is meant is a question, but it is a matter of no importance; if it were, God would have told us. I take it, though, that he was Xerxes. One reason is the character of the man: huge resources, endless wealth, great luxury and vanity, and a habit of ruling by whim and doing whatever he pleased.

The name Ahasuerus is a title. It means the chief king, or the king of all kings. Xerxes, the son of Darius Hystaspes, bore this title, king of kings. The old carved inscriptions give him the same title. One of them reads: "I, the mighty king, king of kings, king of countries full of people, king of this great and mighty earth, far and near."

India was the eastern boundary of the Persian empire of Ahasuerus, as Ethiopia was its western boundary (Esther 1:1; Esther 8:9). India is not mentioned anywhere else in Scripture. But Solomon's ships may have visited it on their three-year voyages for sandalwood, apes, peacocks and the like (1 Kings 10:22).

When Darius the Mede received the kingdom there were 120 satrapies, or provinces. Now seven more had been added, though the day of great conquest was over. The man on the throne was bent on a lavish show of riches from secret places, treasures hidden in the dark, and a life of luxury.

The events that fill world history with their noise count for almost nothing in the inspired book. God mentions them only when they touch the history of His people in some way, or when they point ahead to prophetic events, or to conflicts between nations that will have Israel as their target.

It is a vivid picture of earthly splendour, without a thought of God, true or false. Nebuchadnezzar brought in religion of a base sort, and sought to compel it on all. Xerxes, for he it seems to be who now possessed the general title here used, showed himself, as Daniel said long previously, "far richer than all before him," thought of no one higher, and gave himself up to ostentatious indulgence.

It has often been noted that the name of God is not found in the Book of Esther. This is characteristic. God does not show Himself. The government of the world had fallen to that throne, with all its power and all its mistakes. But behind it God holds the reins by His providence. He watches over the carrying out of His purposes, and over everything needed to fulfil them. And He cares for His people, whatever their condition and whatever the power of their enemies.

There were still many Jews who chose to remain in Persia. If they had faith, it was so weak that there was no energy to get back to God's appointed place for them. The book of Esther then shows how God dealt with these Jews despite their lack of faith. Why is God's name never mentioned in the book? Because Israel had not submitted to God's authority. They were in such a state that God would not openly own them as His people, in keeping with what He had said in Hosea 1:9 — "not My people."

The book of Esther assumes the servitude to Gentile masters into which their own turning from God had brought His people. Yet even in that servitude at its worst — outside the land, the temple, the sacrifices, and the priesthood — the book shows the surest working of God's providence on their behalf against their enemies, however deadly and powerful.

Ahasuerus was a name given to the chief king of Persia. History knows the Ahasuerus of verse 1 as Xerxes I. His empire extended over a very large area, including 127 provinces from India to Ethiopia. The capital of his empire was Shushan, a beautiful city surrounded by mountains and rich in vegetation. It is here called a citadel, for it was a fortress, a castle built not only for residence, but for military defence (v. 2).

The title of Ahasuerus was a general one, just as Pharaoh was the general one in Egypt, and Abimelech among the Philistines. There were many Pharaohs and many Abimelechs, and among the Persians several kings bore the name Ahasuerus. Which Ahasuerus is meant is a question, but it is a matter of no importance; if it were, God would have told us. I presume, however, that it was really Xerxes. One reason is the character of the man — a man of enormous resources, unbounded wealth, immense luxury and vanity, and of the most arbitrary and unpredictable character.

What could you expect from people who seemed happy to stay on among the nations? The highest earthly authority had given them leave, and even encouragement, to return to the land of promise. A remnant of the scattered Jews had gone back with the heir to David's throne, and with the high priest, to rebuild the temple and the city.

For a Jew the circumstances under the great king were most unusual. The opening scene is as if Israel were, like the name of God Himself, not even whispered.

The prophet Daniel had predicted this display, saying: "Behold… the fourth (king of Persia) shall enrich himself with great riches more than all; and when he has become strong through his riches, he shall stir up all the realm of Greece." (Dan. 11:2) "The third year of his reign" corresponds, according to history, to the year in which his formidable expedition against Greece... was decreed. We have no doubt that all this show of luxury and power was intended to prepare this expedition.

It is a vivid picture of earthly splendour, without a thought of God, true or false. Nebuchadnezzar brought in religion of a base sort, and sought to force it on all. Xerxes... showed himself "far richer than all before him," as Daniel had said long before. He thought of no one higher. He gave himself up to showy indulgence, all the more after his invasion of Greece failed completely.

Perhaps no book in the Bible shows the great truth of God's providence more remarkably. Notice one striking feature: the name of God never appears in it. Ignorant men have supposed this to be a defect. In truth, naming God openly all through it would badly spoil the book. The prime object is to show His hand secretly working where His name could not rightly be proclaimed. Far from being a fault, this is one of the most strengthening thoughts we can have. We deal with a similar secret providence every day.

Ahasuerus represents power, royal authority, in the earth. He then filled the throne that was supreme among the nations... Still, he represents power, royal authority in the earth. Just like Solomon in Jerusalem, he himself did evil... Still, as a general picture he stood for power. He was a shadow of Christ on the throne of glory — the throne that will rule the world in righteousness.

The title of Ahasuerus was a general one, just as Pharaoh was the general title in Egypt, and Abimelech among the Philistines. That is, there were many Pharaohs and many Abimelechs. So among the Persians there were several who bore the name of Ahasuerus. Which Ahasuerus is meant is a question, but it is of no importance; if it were, God would have told us. I take it, however, that it was really Xerxes. One reason is the character of the man — a man of enormous resources, unbounded wealth, immense luxury and vanity, and a man of the most arbitrary and unpredictable character.

History tells us that "the third year of his reign" is the year the king ordered his great expedition against Greece, which had already beaten back his father Darius. We have no doubt that all this show of luxury and power was meant to prepare that expedition, planned together with the princes, nobles and chief men of the 127 provinces of this immense empire. One word used of some of them seems to point to this purpose. The verse speaks of the power (v. 3), listed right after the princes of the kingdom. Strictly, the word "power" means the army — that is, the leaders or generals of the army.

It is a vivid picture of earthly splendour, without a thought of God, true or false. Xerxes gave himself up to ostentatious indulgence, all the more after the utter failure of his invasion of Greece. Underneath such unmatched worldly grandeur you can see shame and fear.

All the haughtiness that declared itself in Nebuchadnezzar reappears in Ahasuerus. No spirit or fruit of repentance — no learning of himself, or of what suits him as a creature — is seen in this man of the earth. The lie of the serpent, which shaped man at the beginning, is working as earnestly as ever. The old desire to be as God speaks out in the Persian now, as it had before in the Chaldean.

The events that fill the history of the world with their noise count for almost nothing in the inspired book. God mentions them only when they touch the history of His people in one way or another, or when they foreshadow events that prophecy speaks of. This truth has great importance for us. The conflicts among nations in our own day often preoccupy us so much that our souls lose communion with the Lord. Let us take the Word to measure the value of these conflicts, and weigh the facts in the scales of the sanctuary. How small they will seem in the light of our God's eternal purposes!

The Persian king claimed the title King of Kings, which belongs only to the Lord Himself. Ahasuerus held his feast in the third year of his reign, to show the riches of his kingdom and the honour of his excellent majesty. God invites us to a gospel feast, prepared in His Son, who died and rose again on the third day. This feast shows the exceeding riches of His grace in kindness towards us. Ahasuerus invited all to come to his feast, with no condition but to come. In the same way, God wants all men to be saved, and He offers the riches of His grace without money and without price. While the Persian king displayed the glories of his great kingdom, God displays the glory of His grace.

It was in the third year of his reign that he gave a great feast lasting 180 days (v. 4). He entertained all of his officials and servants, including representatives of the many provinces. What was his object? He wanted to impress them with the splendour of his own glory! The wealth spent on this celebration must have been enormous. No doubt he had many things to show these visitors to make them marvel that he had grown so rich.

The prophet Daniel had predicted this ostentation, saying: "Behold… a fourth shall be far richer than all of them. And when he has become strong through his riches, he shall stir up all against the kingdom of Greece" (Dan. 11:2). History places "the third year of his reign" in the year when he decided on his mighty expedition against Greece. Greece had already resisted Darius, his father, and won. We have no doubt that all this display of luxury and power was meant to prepare that expedition. He planned it together with the princes, nobles and chief men of the one hundred and twenty-seven provinces of this immense empire.

It is a vivid picture of earthly splendour, without a thought of God, true or false. Nebuchadnezzar brought in religion of a base sort, and sought to force it on everyone. Xerxes seems to be the man holding the general title used here. As Daniel said long before, he showed himself "far richer than all before him." He thought of no one higher, and gave himself up to showy indulgence — all the more after his invasion of Greece failed completely. Under worldly grandeur, in efforts so unmatched, you can detect shame and fear. You can also see his wish to please the peoples of his vast lands, and to wipe out the memory of a foreign disgrace that might ruin him.

All the haughtiness that showed itself in Nebuchadnezzar reappears in Ahasuerus. This man of the earth shows no spirit or fruit of repentance. He learns nothing about himself, or about what suits him as a creature. The lie of the serpent, which shaped man at the beginning, is at work as earnestly as ever. The old desire to be as God speaks out in the Persian now, as it had before in the Chaldean. The one had built his royal city. He looked at it in pride and said, "Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?" The other now makes a feast. For a hundred and eighty days he shows the princes and nobles the whole power of his realm.

God uses this monarch to picture for us divine authority and power at work as sovereign. His purpose is to show grace to His people and to hand administrative power to the man of His choice. Yet this king's limitless ambition seeks only to make himself equal to God, while he satisfies his passions. Only the Sovereign has the right to show grace; and this truth, hidden in the shadows, brought some comfort to this afflicted, miserable people.

Ahasuerus held his feast in the third year of his reign. It was to show the riches of his kingdom and the splendour of his greatness. God invites us to a gospel feast, prepared in His Son, who died and rose again on the third day. This feast displays the exceeding riches of His grace in kindness toward us... While the Persian king displayed the glories of his great kingdom, God displays the glory of His grace.

The great feast that Ahasuerus held with his nobles and princes for seven days was apparently not held in any of the halls inside the palace. It was held in the open air, "in the court of the garden of the king's palace."

The capital of his empire was Shushan. It had a beautiful setting, surrounded by high mountains, crossed by streams and full of rich plant life. From the time of King Darius it was the home of the Persian kings. The word "palace" is better translated fortress or castle. The king showed the riches of his glorious kingdom and entertained the nobles and princes for six months.

It is a vivid picture of earthly splendour, without a thought of God, true or false. Xerxes seems to be the king who held the general title used here. He showed himself, as Daniel said long before, "far richer than all before him." He thought of no one higher, and gave himself up to showy indulgence. He did so all the more after the utter failure of his invasion of Greece. Under such unmatched grandeur you can detect shame and fear. He also wanted to please the peoples of his vast dominions and to wipe out the memory of a foreign disgrace that might ruin him.

The king wanted a grand conclusion to this event. So he invited all the people to a feast lasting seven days, held in the court of the garden of the king's palace (v. 5). Verses 6-7 describe the luxurious surroundings. This shows how the religious world likes to adopt principles it recognises as beautiful, but which become only a show without reality. White and blue linen speak of the purity (white) and heavenly character (blue) of God's testimony among His people. Purple speaks of royal character and the silver rods speak of redemption. All of these have vital value for those redeemed by the blood of Christ.

The great feast which he made reminds us of another feast which the Lord has spread... Ahasuerus invited all to come to his feast, with no other condition but to come. In the same way God wants all men to be saved. He offers the riches of His grace without money and without price. While the Persian king displayed the glories of his great kingdom, God displays the glory of His grace.

The guests who receive and accept the invitation have an entertainment far beyond the one Ahasuerus provided (Esther 1:1-8). It is like the light of the unclouded noonday sun above a glow worm's gleam. But the main idea is not how the guests will fare, or even how they will be dressed. It is what is worthy of Him for whose glory the feast was held, and who is in all things to have the first place.

The princes and nobles were entertained first. Then came the seven days for all the people in Shushan, small and great. But at the close, when it was least expected, a check came and gloom fell over everything.

This king had limitless ambition. He wanted only to make himself equal to God and to satisfy his passions. Yet God uses him to show us divine authority and sovereign power at work, with a view to showing grace to His people... God had turned away from His people. Even so, to the eyes of faith one principle of authority remained: the right to lift up and to bring low, the right to show grace.

It is a vivid picture of earthly splendour, without a thought of God, true or false. Nebuchadnezzar brought in religion of a base sort, and sought to force it on everyone. Xerxes seems to be the one holding the general title used here. As Daniel said long before, he showed himself "far richer than all before him." He thought of no one higher, and gave himself up to showy indulgence — all the more after his invasion of Greece failed.

This man of the earth shows no spirit or fruit of repentance — no learning about himself, or about what suits him as a creature. The lie of the serpent, which shaped man at the beginning, is working as hard as ever. The old desire to be as God speaks out in the Persian now, as it had before in the Chaldean. The one had built his royal city. He looked at it in pride and said, "Is not this great Babylon that I have built for the house of the kingdom, by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?" The other now makes a feast. For a hundred and eighty days he shows the princes and nobles the whole power of his realm.

The Hebrew shesh means white, and so is sometimes used for linen — if it is not cotton instead. It is also used for white marble, Song of Solomon 5:15; Esther 1:6.

Verses 6-7 describe the luxury of this feast. It shows how the religious world likes to take up for itself principles it sees to be beautiful, but which become only a show without reality. For white and blue linen speak of the purity (white) and heavenly character (blue) of God's testimony among His people. Purple speaks of royal character, and the silver rods speak of redemption. All of these are of vital value to those whom the blood of Christ has redeemed. In the hands of people who are only religious in form, however, it is imitation, taken up because it looks attractive.

The couches of gold and silver at the king's feast were for rest. Gold and silver are symbolic of righteousness and redemption, and these are the couches, the resting places, for the believer. Ahasuerus invited everyone to his feast, and set no condition except to come. In the same way God wants all men to be saved. He offers the riches of His grace without money and without price. While the Persian king displayed the glories of his great kingdom, God displays the glory of His grace.

Do you ponder the hangings, the couches of gold and silver, and the marble pavement of Esther 1:6? Are these, or even greater glories, the furniture that attracts the king's attention? No. The wedding was "furnished" with guests. And every guest there spoke to the King's eye and heart of the unequalled sufferings of His Son.

They served the royal wine in vessels of gold, and no two of them were alike. The king displayed his enormous wealth and his abundant possessions. "The royal wine was lavished according to the bounty of the king." And there was perfect freedom; each could drink to his heart's content.

It is a vivid picture of earthly splendour, without a thought of God, true or false. Nebuchadnezzar brought in a low kind of religion and tried to force it on everyone. Xerxes... showed himself, as Daniel said long before, "far richer than all before him." He thought of no one higher than himself, and gave himself up to showy indulgence. He did so all the more after his invasion of Greece failed completely. Underneath such unmatched grandeur you can detect shame and fear. He wanted to please the peoples of his vast empire, and to wipe out the memory of a foreign disgrace which could be ruinous.

Ahasuerus had the wealth for it. So he could show a most generous spirit in this great provision, and at the same time let each man fully follow his own wish about drinking. This is a striking imitation of the grace of God. God provides every necessity with no legal bondage, and He encourages each believer to act on his own faith. But even in Christendom, ungodly men turn the grace of God into lewdness (Jude 4) — just as the king was thinking only of his own pleasure.

The king's marriage feast for his son in Matthew 22 is a lovely thing to think about. The king is God; the son is Christ Jesus, who "came into the world to save sinners." At such a feast everything would surely be the best. It would be beneath such royalty to provide anything inferior, or anything that could even be matched. The guests who receive and accept the invitation enjoy far more than Ahasuerus provided (Esther 1:1-8). His feast is a glow-worm's gleam; theirs is the noonday sun.

The wine is the symbol of joy; it cheers God and man (Judges 9:13). The king had his joy with his subjects at this feast on earth. In the same way, God rejoices in those who come to the table of His love, and those who accept His invitation rejoice in Him... Ahasuerus invited everyone to his feast, on no condition but to come. In the same way, God wants all men to be saved, and He offers the riches of His grace without money and without price. While the Persian king displayed the glories of his great kingdom, God displays the glory of His grace.

Here, from the very beginning we find the hidden providence of God at work. Man is full of grand projects. A feast lasting seven days crowns these long ceremonies, and it leads to Vashti's revolt against the king's decision. Her dismissal is decreed and cannot be reversed, but it takes effect only when Ahasuerus returns. Then the Jewish wife, prepared by Providence, can come on the scene and take the place of the Gentile wife at the right moment.

The king displayed his enormous wealth and his abundant possessions. The wine of the kingdom flowed in abundance, according to the bounty of the king. There was perfect freedom; each could drink to his heart's content. The king had instructed the officers "to do as each man desired."

Ahasuerus had the wealth for it. So he could show a most generous spirit in this great provision, and at the same time fully indulge the people's own wish about whether or not they wanted to drink. This is a striking imitation of the grace of God. God provides every need with no legal bondage, and He encourages each believer to act on his own faith. But even in Christendom, ungodly men turn the grace of God into lewdness (Jude 4) — just as the king was thinking only of his own pleasure.

It is a vivid picture of earthly splendour, without a thought of God, true or false. Nebuchadnezzar brought in religion of a base sort, and sought to compel it on all. Xerxes seems to be the king who now held that general title. As Daniel said long before, he showed himself "far richer than all before him." He thought of no one higher, and he gave himself up to showy indulgence, all the more after his invasion of Greece failed completely. Under such unmatched grandeur you can see shame and fear. You can also see his wish to please the peoples of his vast dominions, and to wipe out the memory of a foreign disgrace that could ruin him.

I take it, however, that it was really Xerxes. One reason is the character of the man: a man of enormous resources, unbounded wealth, immense luxury and vanity. He was also a man of the most arbitrary and unpredictable character... He was simply a man who lived to please himself. He gratified his tastes and passions with the ample means that God's providence had put in his hands.

The king had his joy with his subjects at this earthly feast. In the same way, God rejoices in those who come to the table of His love, and those who accept His invitation rejoice in Him... Ahasuerus invited all to come to his feast, with no other condition than to come. In the same way, God wants all men to be saved. He offers the riches of His grace without money and without price. While the Persian king displayed the glories of his great kingdom, God displays the glory of His grace.

But a check came and a gloom was cast over everything when it was least expected, at the close, after the princes and nobles had been entertained, and the seven days had followed for all the people, small and great, present in Shushan.

Man is full of grand projects. A feast lasting seven days crowns these long ceremonies — and it leads to Vashti's revolt against the king's decision. Her dismissal is decreed and cannot be reversed, yet no one carries it out until Ahasuerus returns. Only then can the Jewish wife, prepared by Providence, come on the scene and take the place of the Gentile wife at the right moment.