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This is the story of something that happened in the time of
Xerxes, the Xerxes who ruled from India to Ethiopia – 127 provinces in
all. King Xerxes ruled from his royal
throne in the palace complex of Susa (in what we now know as northern Iran).
Inside his opulent palace King Xerxes gave a lavish banquet for all his
officials and ministers. The army of
Persia and Media and the nobles and governors of all the provinces were present
while he displayed the great and vast wealth and the stunning beauty of his
kingdom for over six months. To bring
this event to a close the King had a feast for all the people present in the
citadel of Susa. There was hardly be a
better time to be in the city: in the garden of the king’s palace the men
feasted, drank the best wine without restraint, lounged on couches of gold and
silver set on marble and mother of pearl floors. Meanwhile Queen Vashti gave a banquet for the
women of Susa inside the palace of the king.
If it all seemed like a thin veneer, veiling an insecure
King who wanted the approval of all, it was proven so on the seventh day of the
banquet. Just before the end of the
revelry the King sent orders for the queen, the ravishing Vashti, to be brought
to the garden wearing the royal crown that all the King’s men could admire him
for his wealth, his power and the beauty of his wife. Vashti heard the request
and refused. Tired of being another trophy on display, tired of being paraded
about and adored for beauty, tired of being objectified, she simply refused. If
she was drunk and showing off to the ladies or if she had been waiting and
plotting an opportunity to make a statement, her refusal sparked a hot
response. The King was drunk with rage.
The queen had refused him, in front of all his guests. This sent a wave of panic throughout the
officers and men in the garden – "what if my wife catches wind of this behavior? This type of behavior could spark a
revolution amongst the women in this land - we must act decisively and quell
it," they all agreed, Queen Vashti must lose her royal
position. "This will serve as a reminder to all the women to obey their
husbands," they said to one another. And it was so: a letter was
send to all the royal provinces, each in their own language: “Every man is the
master of his own house, whatever he says, goes.” If any woman wondered what her place
was, she had the unfortunate story of Queen Vashti to remind her: the word of her husband or father was the law. The end.
After the King had dealt with Queen Vashti an extensive
search was undertaken for a replacement.
Officials were appointed in every province to bring the most beautiful
young women to the King’s palace. At the
palace they would receive twelve months of beauty treatments, they would be
tutored on royal protocol and thoroughly prepared to meet the king. At the end of the year one of the young women
would be chosen to be Queen.
There was a man named Mordecai who lived in the palace
complex in Susa, years ago his family had been captured and brought into Babylon by the
wicked King Nebuchadnezzar. Though Susa had always been his home, Mordecai had another identity that ran
deeper than his allegiance to Xerxes; he was Jewish.
Mordecai had also adopted and raised his cousin Esther, as she had neither
father nor mother. Esther was known for her lovely face and her easy smile; people would often remark on what a rare beauty she was. When she was spotted by one of the King's officials she was rounded up with the other contestants for the first ‘Top Model' or 'Miss Teen Persia' on record. It was a lush year of beauty treatments,
cleanse diets and royal service that would be the envy of celebrities today. Mordecai was also the first helicopter
parent: every day he strolled around the
royal court and got news of what Esther had been doing and how she was. He feared how a year in the King's harem might change his niece. Before she had left Mordecai instructed her not
to say anything about her family and her racial background. The memory of his family being carried into
exile was in his bones; it was a vulnerability and anxiety never left him.
Over the year Esther won the admiration of many including
Hegai who ran the harem. It was no
surprise to her that King Xerxes fell head over heels in love with Esther,
placed a royal crown on her head and named her Queen. In her honour a national holiday was
declared, gifts were given with royal generosity and a great banquet was held
for all of the nobles and officials in the King’s palace. This is a 'rags to riches' story for the
ages. But do you think Esther wondered
if it would all come crashing down on her like it did for Queen Vashti? Do you wonder if that palace felt oppressive
for all its emphasis on aesthetic, for all its praise of beauty? Do you wonder if she felt like she was in her own exile,
without Mordecai, without her people, in this vast palace?
Esther had still not revealed her identity to the King and
Mordecai was still hanging about the palace giving instruction to Esther
even though she was married and was, in fact, his Queen. Both of these things turned out to be very
important in the events that unfolded.
One day when Mordecai was outside the palace gates he
overheard a plot by two palace guards to kill the King! Mordecai informed
Esther, who in turn informed the King, and gave Mordecai the credit. When it turned out to be true, the men were
hung for their act of treason. This
event was recorded in the King’s logbook, which was also important because
sometimes King’s have short memories or forget important things that relatively
unimportant people did.
In the meantime, a man by the name of Haman was rising in
the King’s ranks. He loved power and he loved himself. He
savoured every word of praise poured on him. When Haman left the palace all of the King’s
servants at the gate would bow down and kneel before Haman. But Mordecai didn’t
do it. This was his Queen Vashti
moment. Maybe it was rooted in long
memory, for Haman was from the line of King Agog who caused the downfall of Mordecai’s
Benjaminite ancestor Saul. Maybe he was
frustrated that the King promoted Haman and not him, especially after Mordecai
saved the King’s life. Maybe Mordecai’s
refusal was a small protest. Maybe it
was in obedience to the first commandment, ‘thall shalt have no other gods
before you,’ and he, like Daniel, would not bow down. The palace guards and servants took note of
Mordecai’s response, “bow down, king’s orders,” they shouted. But Mordecai would not. Haman was infuriated. Over the course of days of aggressive words
and threats, the guards learned that Mordecai was Jewish. Haman took this piece
of information and became determined to lead a campaign of genocide against the
Jewish people all because one man would not bow down.
Haman waited and plotted and approached King Xerxes with
information of a ‘certain people’ scattered about and separated throughout the
provinces. “They are a people with
different customs and practices. And worse than that they do not obey the
king’s laws. They are a rebellious
people and they should not be tolerated.
I know that this will be a costly endeavor for our armies and so I would
like to bankroll the whole operation.
I’ll put 375 tones of silver into the bank for this operation.” King Xerxes handed over his signet ring, gave
his royal seal of approval and jurisdiction to Haman. From there the communication fanned out – all
ruling official were briefed, bulletins were printed, letters were written,
notices were posted calling for the complete elimination of all Jews – young,
and old, men and women and babies. All
of this would take place on a single day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth
month.
Word filtered out and panic spread. Mordecai tore his clothes and put on
sackcloth and ashes. He cried loud and bitter cries in the streets. The Jews responded by fasting, weeping and
wailing. The cries reached Esther in the
palace. She sent one of her attendants
to Mordecai who was beyond the city walls.
Mordecai sent back all the information to Esther: “Haman did this! With
his own money! All because I wouldn’t kneel down! Here is the poster! Go to the King! Intercede
for your people!”
This was too much to take in. Esther had power but not real
power. Mordecai was asking too much.
Hadn’t the King made it clear that men were the authority in their homes? The
palace was no exception. And what about
the law concerning approaching the king in his inner court – she was risking her life to go before the king all for an unrealistic hope that the king might reverse his ruling? Who was she Moses? Aaron?
What could Esther possibly do to deliver her people from this fate?
But, Mordecai would not resolve Esther of her responsibility
to act:
“Do not think that in the King’s palace you will escape any
more than this any more than all the other Jews. For if you keep silent at such a time as
this, relief and deliverance will rise from another quarter but you and your
family will perish. Who knows? Perhaps you have come to royal dignity for such
a time as this?”
These words landed with Esther, she said to Mordecai: “Go
and gather all of the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my behalf,
and neither eat nor drink for three days, I and my maids we will do the
same. After that I will go before the
king, though it is against the law. And
if I perish, I perish.”
Mordecai went away and did as Esther commanded.
After three days, Esther summoned her courage, put on her
royal robes and went before the King.
When the King saw Queen Esther he was delighted and he held out his
golden scepter to her saying, “What is it dear queen? What is your request?
Whatever it is, up to half the kingdom and I shall give it to you” Esther
responded: “ If it pleases the king to grant my petition and fulfill my
request, let the king and Haman come to the banquet that I will prepare
tomorrow.”
King Xerxes left delighted at the invitation of his beloved
Queen.
Esther left, her heart in her throat, her mind racing
Esther left, her heart in her throat, her mind racing
Haman went home that night with an inflated ego, impressed with himself, that he had
gained the admiration of the queen. He had no idea he was about to be blindsided.
The following day Haman and King Xerxes went to the feast
prepared for them by Esther and when they were feasting the King again asked
the queen: “What is your petition Queen
Esther? It shall be granted you. And
what is your request? Up to half the kingdom and it shall be fulfilled.” Queen Esther took a deep breath and let out
her truest self: queen of Persia and a Jew: “This is my petition and this is my
request, I and my people have been sold, to be destroyed, to be killed, to be annihilated. If we had been sold to be slaves, I would not
have bothered you. But for this, I
cannot stay silent.”
The King exploded in a rage: “Who has done this and where is
he?” Terror struck Haman just before Esther’s finger shot directly at him and
he heard the queen declare: “it is he, it is wicked, wicked, Haman.”
The death Haman had planned for Mordecai was now his
own. Haman's blinding pride, and his self -absorption
lead to his folly and his demise. The king cancelled Haman's proclamation, Mordecai the Jew became the second in command to King Xerxes. He was known as one who cared for the good of
his people and who worked for peace and prosperity of the kingdom. In the end the Jewish people were saved by the wisdom of one who sought the guidance and protection of God in prayer. They were saved by the courage of their Queen who spoke in a time when women were silenced. A day that was believed would be a day of great mourning became a day of great joy; the day the Jewish people were delivered. The feast of Purim remembers and recalls this story of deliverance, of grand reversal.
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This is an important story for children to tuck away in their hearts and minds. Esther is called upon to take action for her people at a terrifying point in history. Mordecai posed the question that gives us pause today: "what if you have come to royalty for such a time as this?" What if you are in the position you are in so that you might speak and lead with courage and conviction? What if there is a time like that in every person's life? Is there something that is confronting you and asking you for a response? What do we risk when we say yes to God? What do we risk when we stay silent? When we have the stories of Esther and others who have said yes to God amidst fearful and uncertain times in our imaginations I think it creates possibilities for us. We live in a world where like Esther we are conflicted, we feel the dissonance between our Christian identity and the culture we live in. Some of us acutely feel the vulnerability of being immigrants - we carry with us two identities: Canadian and __________. We know what it is to be weighed down with apathy: "Surely I cannot do anything about this social problem, it is well beyond me, I'm just a kid, I am not qualified, they won't listen to me anyways." Our questions about the presence and action of God persist: will God save us from this? Amidst all of these questions Esther reminds us to listen, even in the silence and act with courage in the face of terror. This is a story of of grand reversal: Haman is hanged, Mordecai is honoured, women are silenced, but through Esther's voice the people are saved. It is a story that points to way to a Saviour who turn the tables and show us that the last shall be first, that the poor shall inherit the kingdom of heaven, that we find our life when we deny ourselves, pick up our cross and follow Jesus.
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