esther 1

Today we officially start Esther. In Esther 1:1-3 you will notice the author of Esther puts the book in history by telling us this happen during the time of Xerxes(by the way, some translations use his Hebrew name, Ahusuerus) who ruled of 127 provinces stretching from India to Cush, which shows that if someone wanted to check these stats just check a history book? In verse 3, you will notice the holds a banquet in his third year of his reign for the nobles and the military are present.  history records Xerxes ruled for 486-465 B.C. and some of the Greek- Persian war battles took place from 482-479 B.C. so maybe this is a another tie to history.

It says in verse 4 that for 180 days he displayed his kingdom. This was not unheard of (after all if you had much wealth how many of you would keep quiet about it?), righteous king Hezekiah showed of his wealth to the Babylonian envoys which unfortunately for Judah on Babylon's hit list (seen in 2 Kings 20:12-19)

during this king Xerxes drinks a lot of wine(which would make a very bad baptist, even though he attends a lot of feasts in this book). and his wife, Queen Vashti also gave a banquet for the women. while he was in high spirits from the wine he commanded Vashti be brought to him so he can show her off, but she refused. So he deposed her. Sometimes with this text I see people , bible commentaries either side with Xerxes, saying Vashti is a worldly women for not submitting to her husband, or siding with Vashti, saying it was a command from a drunk king saying this is proof that wine is evil (i would say to that if wine is evil then why in 1 Timothy 5:23 does Paul tell timothy to stop drink only water and have a little wine to settle his stomach). I think they miss the point of this text when you get caught up with taking sides especially in scripture. To me, this is the first of many proofs of God's sovereignty in this people he uses a rash king to accomplish his purposes.

Now king Xerxes makes a decree written in the laws of Persians and the Medes which cannot be repealed. Now the Persian emperor like many emperors thought they were gods so they didn't want to be wrong, but this irrevocable causes problems not only in the book of Esther but also in another famous bible persons life one which every christian child knows the name of ,Daniel.  Some jealous administrators  trick king Darius into signing a decree that no one for 30 days can pray to a god other than the king, and this distresses the king when he learns it was a trap for his favorite administrator Daniel who is then thrown into a lions den and we all know what happens then.  I think these decrees also teach us not to make rash vows which is what Jesus taught in the sermon on the mount and what Jesus brother James taught