Reflection No. 3677 of 4322

Context · Reflection

Esther (Greek) 1:1-8: a reflection

1[In the second year of the reign of Ahasuerus the great king, on the first day of Nisan, Mordecai the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Jew dwelling in the city Susa, a great man, serving in the king’s palace, saw a vision. Now he was one of the captives whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had carried captive from Jerusalem with Jeconiah the king of Judea. This was his dream: Behold, voices and a noise, thunders and earthquake, tumult upon the earth. And, behold, two great serpents came out, both ready for conflict. A great voice came from them. Every nation was prepared for battle by their voice, even to fight against the nation of the just. Behold, a day of darkness and blackness, suffering and anguish, affection and tumult upon the earth. And all the righteous nation was troubled, fearing their own afflictions. They prepared to die, and cried to God. Something like a great river from a little spring with much water, came from their cry. Light and the sun arose, and the lowly were exalted, and devoured the honorable. Mordecai, who had seen this vision and what God desired to do, having arisen, kept it in his heart, and desired by all means to interpret it, even until night. Mordecai rested quietly in the palace with Gabatha and Tharrha the king’s two chamberlains, eunuchs who guarded the palace. He heard their conversation and searched out their plans. He learned that they were preparing to lay hands on King Ahasuerus; and he informed the king concerning them. The king examined the two chamberlains. They confessed, and were led away and executed. The king wrote these things for a record. Mordecai also wrote concerning these matters. The king commanded Mordecai to serve in the palace, and gave gifts for this service. But Haman the son of Hammedatha the Bougean was honored in the sight of the king, and he endeavored to harm Mordecai and his people, because of the king’s two chamberlains.] And it came to pass after these thingsin the days of Ahasuerus, —(this Ahasuerus ruled over one hundred twenty-seven provinces from India)— 2in those days, when King Ahasuerus was on the throne in the city of Susa, 3in the third year of his reign, he made a feast for his friends, for people from the rest of the nations, for the nobles of the Persians and Medes, and for the chief of the local governors. 4After this—after he had shown them the wealth of his kingdom and the abundant glory of his wealth during one hundred eighty days— 5when the days of the wedding feast were completed, the king made a banquet lasting six days for the people of the nations who were present in the city, in the court of the king’s house, 6which was adorned with fine linen and flax on cords of fine linen and purple, fastened to golden and silver studs on pillars of white marble and stone. There were golden and silver couches on a pavement of emerald stone, and of mother-of-pearl, and of white marble, with transparent coverings variously flowered, having roses arranged around it. 7There were gold and silver cups, and a small cup of carbuncle set out, of the value of thirty thousand talents, with abundant and sweet wine, which the king himself drank. 8This banquet was not according to the appointed law, but as the king desired to have it. He charged the stewards to perform his will and that of the company.

Lord, the account opens with a king who spends months displaying his vast wealth and glory, spreading a lavish banquet to show off his splendor, a picture of the emptiness of living to display one's wealth and glory. For a hundred and eighty days the king showed the wealth of his kingdom and the abundant glory of his splendor, the account says, and then spread a great banquet, with couches of gold and silver, marble pillars, and costly wine. The king's great concern was to display his wealth and glory, to show off his splendor before others, spending months and lavish feasts on the exhibition of what he had. It is a picture of a life given to displaying wealth and glory; and such display, however dazzling, is passing show. Show me what the king was so concerned to do. For a hundred and eighty days, he displayed the wealth of his kingdom and the glory of his splendor; then he held a lavish banquet, all to show off his splendor before others. His great concern was display: to exhibit his wealth, to be seen in his glory, to impress with his splendor. And the account quietly exposes its emptiness: all this dazzling show was, in the end, passing display, spent on impressing others with what he had. This holds a caution about a way of living I can be drawn into. There is a strong pull to live for display: to want to show off what I have, my possessions, my success, my splendor such as it is; to be seen, admired, impressed by others; to spend myself on the exhibition of my wealth and glory. But such display is empty, passing show. Earthly splendor, however dazzling, passes away; and a life given to displaying it is spent on vanity. Take that to my heart. Keep me from spending my life displaying my wealth and glory for others to admire; help me live for what lasts, Lord, not for the empty, passing show of splendor, seeking not to be admired for what I have but to live for what endures.