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[music]

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Oh, Xerxes loved his throne.

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I feel like
I'm on a TBN set.

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Xerxes loved
to sit on his throne.

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We read that in chapter 1
of Esther.

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From his throne, he would give
orders across the largest empire

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in the history of the world
to that day,

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the mighty Persian nation.

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It covered roughly
3 million square miles,

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about the same size as
the United States of America.

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He ruled over multiple previous
people groups, languages,

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nations, and cultures that his
father had overtaken as king

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and granted to him
rulership over as the one

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who inherited the throne.

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He was in his mid-30s;
by all accounts tall, dark,

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and handsome; and he had so much
wealth that he was

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continually surrounded with
nothing but opulence.

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Defending him
were 10,000 bodyguards

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called the Immortals.

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Surrounding him were the most
learned men in the day.

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People would come to meet
him and pass before him,

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and to proceed before the throne
of Xerxes meant that you had

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to bow down and worship
him like a god.

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If someone tried to sit upon
his throne, they were executed.

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If they tried to even stand upon
the rug in front of his throne,

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they were executed.

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He loved his throne so much
that he would throw large,

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lavish parties and just sit upon
his throne while people gazed at

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his glory and sang his praises.

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Women would be paraded before
him so that he could choose

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whichever one was most
interesting to him for that day.

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And when his army of a few
million would ride off into

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battle, he would be carried on
his throne to a high point near

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the battlefield where he could
simply sit on his throne

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and observe the victories
of his soldiers,

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including their
defeating Greece.

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And as we examine this study
of Esther and we look at this

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great book of the Bible,

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the first chapter is
really dedicated to

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this man, Xerxes,
Xerxes the Great.

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And the big image we are given
is that he is one

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who sits on a throne,

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and so the themes of king
and kingdom are to awaken

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our imagination
and to cause us to wonder,

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"Is this the best we
can get for a king?"

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and "Is this the best
kingdom that there is for us?"

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So, as I try and get off
my throne without hurting

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myself--my feet don't
even touch the ground.

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We'll be in Esther 1:10,
and we're going to examine

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this great kingdom and this
quote unquote "great king."

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We learn three things.

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Number one, that addictions are
fed by this king in his kingdom,

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and he is, in every way,
a portrait of what the Bible

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elsewhere calls "the world."

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The world is not just the
physical planet that God made,

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it's the spiritual temperature
and attitude of those who

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live on the earth but don't know
God, those who live in

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a quote unquote "worldly" way.

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And Xerxes and his kingdom,
they represent worldliness,

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and one of the first things we
learn about this worldly kingdom

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is that in it,
addictions are fed.

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We read chapter 1, verse 10,
"On the seventh day,

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when the king's heart
was merry with wine."

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So, what's been
happening to this point,

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Xerxes has been
seated on his throne,

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and over the course of 6 months
he's had this enormous, lavish,

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extravagant party, open bar, all
you can eat, all you can drink.

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Perhaps 15,000 men were present.

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The women met separately
with Queen Vashti.

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That meant that the only women
who were present with the men

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were those women who were
hired because of ill repute.

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This is a very disgusting,
degrading, debasing,

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demoralizing event, and it
continues with primarily

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military personnel.

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So, just get
your mind around this.

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King on a throne,
women not present, open bar,

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15,000 soldiers, all you can eat
and drink, no rules, 6 months.

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It's absolute sin,
unleashed, unhinged.

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And then it ends with an even
larger party for 1 week where

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more guests are invited,
and it says that at this point,

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not only were the guests
overconsuming, the king was,

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himself, "merry with wine."

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That's a way of saying
he had too much to drink.

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How many of you have
had too much to drink?

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Don't raise your hand.
There was racing.

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You're going to hurt the person
next to you with your elbow.

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But just so you know, drinking
doesn't make you smarter.

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Amen?

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See, when you're drinking,
you feel smarter,

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and then you wake up, you can't
find your car keys, pants,

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bail money.

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You realize,
"I wasn't that smart."

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And they had that myth
as well.

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In that day, the men would
gather, they would drink,

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make decisions,
then sleep on it,

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because they thought
that when they drank,

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they got clearer thinking
and closer to the gods.

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It's not true.

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See, drinking is not a sin,
but overconsumption always is.

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It's drunkenness.

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And so here, what we are seeing
is men who are overconsuming,

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and the result is that they
start to make some

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very bad decisions, and that's
what we do when we overdrink.

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Right?

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Drinking never helped anyone
accomplish anything important.

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The first thing we see, though,
is that addictions are fed,

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and you need to know that again,
here, Xerxes, and his kingship,

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and his kingdom being symbolic
and representative of the world.

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This is how the world still
works, the world system.

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This is corporate flesh,
human depraved nature,

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aligning together, empowered by
Satan and demons to cause people

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to sin against God.

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That's worldliness.

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And the way the world works is
this: it doesn't make you do

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things you hate, it helps
you do things you love,

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and things that are bad,
and things that are wrong,

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and things that are
addicting and enslaving.

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Satan still works this way.

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He will give you whatever you
want as long as he gets to be

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your king and as long as
you serve his kingdom.

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Sex?
Fine.

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Xerxes gave it,
Satan will too.

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Drink?
Fine.

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Xerxes gave it,
Satan will too.

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Overconsumption?

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Absolutely.

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You're welcome to not just
partake but overconsume,

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and that's okay.

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That's okay with Xerxes,
that's okay with Satan.

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The way that various
kings and kingdoms,

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the way that
a worldly system works,

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it's always the same
because whether it's

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Xerxes on the throne,
or Pharaoh on the throne

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or it's Nero on the throne, or
it's Hugh Hefner on the throne--

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whoever's sitting
on the throne ruling

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from their little kingdom
trying to amass for themselves

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a lot of honor, and fame,
and power, and glory,

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they will give to others
whatever it is that they want as

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long as they get to be the king
and those people are

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obedient citizens
of their kingdom.

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You need to know that,
that the whole world is a trap.

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And some of you will get
frustrated because you think,

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"God said no, and I want yes."

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Satan always says yes because
he doesn't love you

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like a father
loves his children.

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And the way a father loves
his children, he says no.

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He says no when they're going
to do something that is

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going to harm them or others.

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But again, Xerxes here is
a portrait of the world,

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and his kingdom is
a portrait of the world,

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and they way it worked is
the way it always works.

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Those who love you most
will sometimes tell you no.

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Those who are part of
the world system will not only

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give you what you want, they
will give you what you want

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to excess,
to your own addiction,

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to your own destruction.

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God loves us enough to say no.

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There is no father who only
always says yes to every request

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of a child.

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Xerxes is,
in that way, like Satan,

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in that he is giving away what
people want, not what they need.

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The first thing we learn about
this king and his kingdom

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is that addictions are fed.

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Number two, men are castrated.

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Men are castrated.

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I'll read it for you.

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"He commanded--"
and these guys got names.

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"Mehuman--" That's kind of
a rapper name, I was thinking,

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like, ancient Persian
hip-hop artist, Mehuman.

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That's how it's spelled.

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"Biztha."
Sounds like a sidekick.

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"Harbona, Bigtha."

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That's my personal favorite.

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If I had to pick
a Persian name, Bigtha.

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Definitely not Littletha.
I would totally go with Bigtha.

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"Abagtha, Zethar and Carkas."
Okay, a couple things here.

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The Bible talks about real
people, real circumstances,

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real history.

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That's why they're facts.
It's not just philosophy.

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Number two, if you ever have an
opportunity to teach the Bible

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and you hit some of the parts
with the old, crazy names,

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read fast and confident.

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No one knows how
to pronounce them,

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and they'll just assume you do.

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Here are these guys.

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So, you've got seven guys,
"the seven eunuchs."

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What's a eunuch?

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A guy who used to have
a good life, and joy, hope.

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That's the technical
definition of a eunuch.

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A eunuch is a man
who is castrated.

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Proceeding with the story
before I have to fire myself.

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"The seven eunuchs who served in
the presence of King Ahasuerus."

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That's his Persian name.

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His Greek name is Xerxes.

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So, here's how it works.

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In an effort to show how great,
and glorious, and grand he was,

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Xerxes had multiple
wives, practiced polygamy.

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He also had a harem filled with
concubines and other women.

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Perhaps none of them were chosen
because of mutual love

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and affection.

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He was in his mid-30s and he
would see a young woman that he

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found was attractive and he
would bring her into the harem.

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But, she might
live with hundreds,

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maybe thousands of other
women in the palace.

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Perhaps never see her
quote unquote "husband."

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Sometimes women were chosen
for solely political purposes,

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meaning he would want to expand
his empire into another nation,

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and so he would marry one
of the king's daughters,

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and then they would create
a new family and then that

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woman's father would be
a political leader

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within his kingdom and he would
overtake it not by force,

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but by intermarriage.

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Horrible things happen when
marriage is centered on

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something other than love.

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When we marry
for sexual pleasure,

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when we marry
for convenience or comfort,

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when we marry because
there is money to be made,

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either by the woman marrying
an affluent man or the man

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marrying into a rich family
or a hard-working,

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successful woman--any time
the motivation is financial,

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it's political, it's
personal, it's not love,

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crisis is sure to ensue,

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and that's exactly what is
happening here.

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And to ensure that these women,
many of whom would only see him

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perhaps once in their life--to
ensure that they were not

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going to fall in love, that they
would not be married and have

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children, the only men who were
allowed to serve in the presence

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of the harem,
and the concubines,

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and the polygamist nature
of the palace were men

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who had been castrated.

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Men who had been castrated.

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So, number one, we know
that in this kingdom,

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addictions are fed.

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Number two, in this
kingdom, men are castrated.

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You know that Satan is at work
when people do whatever they

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want, and children are
not considered a blessing,

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and marriage and
children are discouraged.

239
00:12:04,542 --> 00:12:07,708
Some things never change.

240
00:12:07,792 --> 00:12:10,500
They didn't allow the children
to be born, neither do we.

241
00:12:10,583 --> 00:12:13,208
They just prevented it
before the conception.

242
00:12:13,292 --> 00:12:15,208
Number three,
women are mistreated.

243
00:12:15,292 --> 00:12:17,375
We all saw this coming.
Right?

244
00:12:17,458 --> 00:12:21,000
One guy sits on a throne, all
the military guys party with him

245
00:12:21,083 --> 00:12:25,833
for 6 months, open bar, women
are turned into the harem,

246
00:12:25,875 --> 00:12:29,917
men are castrated,
women are mistreated.

247
00:12:30,000 --> 00:12:32,625
So, what happens is he's
seated upon his throne,

248
00:12:32,667 --> 00:12:35,208
and here's the grand finale.

249
00:12:35,292 --> 00:12:38,833
He's been seated on his throne
for the better part of 6 months.

250
00:12:38,875 --> 00:12:41,500
At the conclusion
of the enormous party,

251
00:12:41,542 --> 00:12:46,000
the guest list
increases for a week,

252
00:12:46,083 --> 00:12:47,625
and here's the grand finale.

253
00:12:47,667 --> 00:12:49,667
He's going to make a request:

254
00:12:49,750 --> 00:12:53,417
"To bring Queen Vashti before
the king with her royal crown."

255
00:12:53,500 --> 00:12:56,333
Some of the ancient
commentators, the targums,

256
00:12:56,375 --> 00:13:00,333
the Midrash, they say that he
may be asking her to wear

257
00:13:00,375 --> 00:13:02,708
only her crown.

258
00:13:02,792 --> 00:13:04,708
It wouldn't have been like
a queen's crown

259
00:13:04,792 --> 00:13:06,708
like we're used to
from British royalty,

260
00:13:06,792 --> 00:13:08,917
more like
a turban with jewels in it,

261
00:13:09,000 --> 00:13:11,375
but Vashti is the queen.

262
00:13:11,458 --> 00:13:15,583
"In order to show the peoples
and the princes her beauty,

263
00:13:15,667 --> 00:13:18,167
for she was lovely to look at."

264
00:13:18,250 --> 00:13:19,583
So, here's the deal.

265
00:13:19,667 --> 00:13:22,000
He picked Vashti because
she was beautiful.

266
00:13:22,042 --> 00:13:28,667
He's drunk, everyone's drunk,
all the women are alone

267
00:13:28,750 --> 00:13:31,708
having their party, the men
are having their party,

268
00:13:31,792 --> 00:13:34,833
and he is seated on his
throne and he decides,

269
00:13:34,875 --> 00:13:37,333
"It's time to show off
my beautiful wife."

270
00:13:37,375 --> 00:13:39,000
So, he calls for Queen Vashti,

271
00:13:39,083 --> 00:13:41,417
and you've got to hear it
this way, right?

272
00:13:41,500 --> 00:13:44,125
I hear it like Don Knotts
after a weekend at

273
00:13:44,167 --> 00:13:45,875
Charlie Sheen's house, okay?

274
00:13:45,958 --> 00:13:47,667
He says it like this:

275
00:13:47,750 --> 00:13:51,000
"Get me Vashti! Get Vashti!"
Okay?

276
00:13:51,083 --> 00:13:55,792
Just think of the guy who's just
really drunk, out of control.

277
00:13:55,833 --> 00:13:57,500
At this point,
he's on his throne,

278
00:13:57,583 --> 00:13:59,833
but he's probably sideways.
You know?

279
00:13:59,875 --> 00:14:02,292
Kind of hanging off the throne.

280
00:14:02,333 --> 00:14:04,292
You've got to see
him in that light.

281
00:14:04,333 --> 00:14:06,417
"Get Vashti!"

282
00:14:06,500 --> 00:14:08,625
Maybe all the military
guys are cheering,

283
00:14:08,667 --> 00:14:11,500
"We want to see the queen!
We want to see the queen!

284
00:14:11,583 --> 00:14:13,792
Go get her."

285
00:14:13,833 --> 00:14:15,583
Now, we don't know
what she's wearing.

286
00:14:15,667 --> 00:14:17,333
Some indicate that she's
underdressed or perhaps

287
00:14:17,375 --> 00:14:20,125
the request is that she
would come undressed.

288
00:14:20,167 --> 00:14:23,167
How many of you women, that
doesn't sound like a good day?

289
00:14:23,250 --> 00:14:25,208
The guys have been
drunk for 6 months.

290
00:14:25,292 --> 00:14:28,083
Your husband is hammered and
wants you to come and do

291
00:14:28,167 --> 00:14:31,208
a bit of a stroll in front
of a bunch of drunk soldiers.

292
00:14:31,292 --> 00:14:33,125
Okay?

293
00:14:33,167 --> 00:14:37,500
Now, some of you guys are single
and crazy, and you'll think,

294
00:14:37,583 --> 00:14:39,833
"Well, that sounds
like a good idea, you know?

295
00:14:39,875 --> 00:14:42,708
"That's not a bad idea, that's
just like a swimsuit competition

296
00:14:42,792 --> 00:14:45,500
"or a Miss America competition
where they come out on stage,

297
00:14:45,583 --> 00:14:48,333
or the Hooters girls,
or the Hawaiian Tropic."

298
00:14:48,375 --> 00:14:50,708
Let me tell you,
once you become a dad,

299
00:14:50,792 --> 00:14:52,833
everything looks different.
Amen?

300
00:14:52,875 --> 00:14:55,708
You're a single guy,
your head is wrong.

301
00:14:55,792 --> 00:14:58,000
Everything you think is wrong.
Okay?

302
00:14:58,083 --> 00:15:01,000
You become a dad and you have
a daughter, you're just like,

303
00:15:01,083 --> 00:15:04,833
"Everyone needs to die.
Everyone there needs to die."

304
00:15:04,875 --> 00:15:07,167
These men should all get
part-time jobs

305
00:15:07,250 --> 00:15:08,833
as crash test dummies.

306
00:15:08,875 --> 00:15:11,833
We should just run them into
walls and see what happens.

307
00:15:11,875 --> 00:15:14,500
Okay?

308
00:15:14,583 --> 00:15:17,917
So, what's Queen Vashti
going to do?

309
00:15:18,000 --> 00:15:21,333
How many of you ladies, this
would be a hard situation?

310
00:15:21,375 --> 00:15:22,708
Right?

311
00:15:22,792 --> 00:15:25,208
And some of you ladies
are like, "The Bible says,

312
00:15:25,292 --> 00:15:26,708
'Wives submit
to your husbands.'"

313
00:15:26,792 --> 00:15:28,125
Ladies, should she submit?

314
00:15:28,167 --> 00:15:29,833
Yes or no?

315
00:15:29,875 --> 00:15:32,000
Okay.
Some of the women say no.

316
00:15:32,042 --> 00:15:34,708
How many women say she
should submit to her husband?

317
00:15:34,792 --> 00:15:36,625
Let's see what she does.

318
00:15:36,667 --> 00:15:38,833
Okay.

319
00:15:38,875 --> 00:15:41,125
Wow, that was a pretty
staggeringly unanimous vote

320
00:15:41,167 --> 00:15:43,000
we just had right there.

321
00:15:43,042 --> 00:15:44,500
Right?

322
00:15:44,542 --> 00:15:45,875
"But--" But!

323
00:15:45,958 --> 00:15:48,083
Oh, you know it's
going to go good now.

324
00:15:48,167 --> 00:15:52,625
"But Queen Vashti refused to
come at the king's command."

325
00:15:52,667 --> 00:15:55,625
Not much of a command.
Right?

326
00:15:55,667 --> 00:15:57,667
"Delivered by the eunuchs."

327
00:15:57,750 --> 00:16:00,625
I feel sorry for
these seven guys, right?

328
00:16:00,667 --> 00:16:03,333
Can you imagine that?
You're like, "Mom, I got a job!"

329
00:16:03,375 --> 00:16:05,000
"As what?"
"As a eunuch."

330
00:16:05,083 --> 00:16:07,208
"Aww, really?
No grandkids?

331
00:16:07,292 --> 00:16:08,917
Okay, well, congratulations
on the job."

332
00:16:09,000 --> 00:16:10,417
And then the king
says, "Alright,

333
00:16:10,500 --> 00:16:13,417
"you seven eunuchs go tell
the queen to come parade

334
00:16:13,500 --> 00:16:15,083
before me and the boys."

335
00:16:15,167 --> 00:16:17,792
The seven eunuchs go over
to Queen Vashti,

336
00:16:17,833 --> 00:16:20,333
"Alright, it's time for you
to come and parade before--"

337
00:16:20,375 --> 00:16:24,000
"Tell him to stuff it."

338
00:16:24,083 --> 00:16:25,917
"But he thinks
he's the Lord God.

339
00:16:26,000 --> 00:16:28,083
He sits on a throne."

340
00:16:28,167 --> 00:16:30,917
"Tell him to stuff it.
Tell the Lord to stuff it."

341
00:16:31,000 --> 00:16:33,708
"Okay.
What's he going to do to us?

342
00:16:33,792 --> 00:16:37,792
"I mean, it can't get any worse.
You know?

343
00:16:37,833 --> 00:16:40,667
"Alright, King.

344
00:16:40,750 --> 00:16:43,708
She says, 'Stuffeth this.'"

345
00:16:43,792 --> 00:16:46,625
You know?
That's what she says.

346
00:16:46,667 --> 00:16:50,792
"At this the king became angry."

347
00:16:50,833 --> 00:16:52,917
Drunk and angry.

348
00:16:53,000 --> 00:16:55,500
Oh, that's what we need,
more drunk, angry guys.

349
00:16:55,583 --> 00:16:57,625
That's always a good idea.

350
00:16:57,667 --> 00:16:59,333
"And his anger
burned within him."

351
00:16:59,375 --> 00:17:00,917
Why?

352
00:17:01,000 --> 00:17:03,125
Because he's humiliated.

353
00:17:03,167 --> 00:17:06,500
He's humiliated.

354
00:17:06,583 --> 00:17:10,500
Now, the debate is this:
did Vashti do a good thing

355
00:17:10,583 --> 00:17:11,917
or a bad thing?

356
00:17:12,000 --> 00:17:13,500
There's no indication
she's a believer.

357
00:17:13,583 --> 00:17:15,500
If she has any
religious convictions,

358
00:17:15,583 --> 00:17:17,292
she's probably Zoroastrian.

359
00:17:17,333 --> 00:17:19,417
She doesn't worship
the God of the Bible,

360
00:17:19,500 --> 00:17:22,625
so we're not saying that
she's a godly woman, you know?

361
00:17:22,667 --> 00:17:26,583
But what we are saying is she
made a very brave decision.

362
00:17:26,667 --> 00:17:29,792
The question is was it
a good or a bad decision,

363
00:17:29,833 --> 00:17:32,625
a moral or an immoral decision?

364
00:17:32,667 --> 00:17:35,625
And Jewish commentators,
Christian commentators,

365
00:17:35,667 --> 00:17:37,875
they've debated this
throughout history.

366
00:17:37,958 --> 00:17:40,208
Some think, "Well, that
was not a good idea.

367
00:17:40,292 --> 00:17:42,208
"Wives are supposed to
submit to their husbands,

368
00:17:42,292 --> 00:17:44,208
"and obey their husbands,
and respect their husbands,

369
00:17:44,292 --> 00:17:46,708
"and defer to their husbands,
and what happened here was,

370
00:17:46,792 --> 00:17:49,208
"you know, he gave
a decree and she said no,

371
00:17:49,292 --> 00:17:51,917
"and that happened publicly in
front of all the other men.

372
00:17:52,000 --> 00:17:53,417
"She humiliated
and shamed her husband,

373
00:17:53,500 --> 00:17:55,167
and a woman should
never do that."

374
00:17:55,250 --> 00:17:58,375
Even the great Martin Luther
used this as a bit of an example

375
00:17:58,458 --> 00:18:00,208
on how a woman shouldn't act.

376
00:18:00,292 --> 00:18:02,583
How many of you would
take that perspective?

377
00:18:02,667 --> 00:18:04,708
You'd say, "Yeah, she should
submit to her husband.

378
00:18:04,792 --> 00:18:06,125
"She should obey her husband.

379
00:18:06,167 --> 00:18:07,500
She should respect her husband."

380
00:18:07,583 --> 00:18:10,875
How many of you say, "No.
No way.

381
00:18:10,958 --> 00:18:13,625
"What she did was a good
thing, and a godly thing,

382
00:18:13,667 --> 00:18:15,625
"and a noble thing,
and an honorable thing,

383
00:18:15,667 --> 00:18:17,833
"and a moral thing because
what he asked her

384
00:18:17,875 --> 00:18:19,208
"to do was reprehensible.

385
00:18:19,292 --> 00:18:22,708
"And if your husband is a dolt
and he asks you to do something

386
00:18:22,792 --> 00:18:27,292
and you do it, you're just
joining him in his folly."

387
00:18:27,333 --> 00:18:30,125
How many of you that would
be more your perspective?

388
00:18:30,167 --> 00:18:32,875
Women's Bible studies, you
can kick it around this week,

389
00:18:32,958 --> 00:18:35,833
talk it through, right?

390
00:18:35,875 --> 00:18:39,333
Your Community Groups, talk
it through, figure it out.

391
00:18:39,375 --> 00:18:41,667
The Bible does say that
a woman should love,

392
00:18:41,750 --> 00:18:44,083
and respect, and honor,
and obey her husband.

393
00:18:44,167 --> 00:18:45,708
It actually uses those words.

394
00:18:45,792 --> 00:18:47,708
Some of you women
are okay with it,

395
00:18:47,792 --> 00:18:50,917
some of you it's like water on
a cat, not so happily received,

396
00:18:51,000 --> 00:18:53,208
but that's what it does say.

397
00:18:53,292 --> 00:18:56,375
Here's what I believe.

398
00:18:56,458 --> 00:18:59,583
I believe that Vashti made
a noble, courageous, brave,

399
00:18:59,667 --> 00:19:02,417
moral decision.

400
00:19:02,500 --> 00:19:05,833
She stood up to a guy who
was never stood up to.

401
00:19:05,875 --> 00:19:08,292
Nobody ever told him no.

402
00:19:08,333 --> 00:19:11,917
I mean, they thought that
the sun spoke through this guy.

403
00:19:12,000 --> 00:19:16,583
They thought he was god-man,
and Vashti says, "No.

404
00:19:16,667 --> 00:19:20,500
"He's just nasty man
and he's asking me to do

405
00:19:20,583 --> 00:19:22,333
something nasty."

406
00:19:22,375 --> 00:19:25,000
It's in the Hebrew.

407
00:19:25,083 --> 00:19:28,917
"And that's nasty, and I
don't want to be nasty,

408
00:19:29,000 --> 00:19:31,917
"and I don't want to do nasty,
and just because he's nasty,

409
00:19:32,000 --> 00:19:34,500
I'm going to say
no to Mr. Nasty."

410
00:19:34,583 --> 00:19:36,500
I believe she made
a good decision.

411
00:19:36,583 --> 00:19:38,917
I believe she made
the right decision.

412
00:19:39,000 --> 00:19:42,500
Now, let me use this as
a teaching opportunity.

413
00:19:42,583 --> 00:19:46,625
For the men--okay, I'll hammer
the men first, like nails.

414
00:19:46,667 --> 00:19:48,083
Okay.

415
00:19:48,167 --> 00:19:52,583
Number one, men, what is
your standard of beauty?

416
00:19:52,667 --> 00:19:54,417
Your wife.
Okay?

417
00:19:54,500 --> 00:19:57,333
We hit this in "Real Marriage,"
but God made Adam and Eve,

418
00:19:57,375 --> 00:20:00,917
and he didn't give Adam
or Eve a list of options.

419
00:20:01,000 --> 00:20:05,708
Tall, short, skinny, not so
skinny, you know, long hair,

420
00:20:05,792 --> 00:20:10,167
short hair, you know,
great breath, whew, melts things.

421
00:20:10,250 --> 00:20:11,625
You know?

422
00:20:11,667 --> 00:20:13,500
You didn't have
a list of options.

423
00:20:13,583 --> 00:20:16,708
What God gave Adam was
a woman or an aardvark.

424
00:20:16,792 --> 00:20:18,833
Woman looked amazing.

425
00:20:18,875 --> 00:20:25,083
For Eve, he gave Adam.
That's it.

426
00:20:25,167 --> 00:20:27,333
So, God didn't give them
a standard of beauty.

427
00:20:27,375 --> 00:20:28,833
He gave them a spouse.

428
00:20:28,875 --> 00:20:31,000
God doesn't give us
a standard of beauty.

429
00:20:31,042 --> 00:20:32,375
He gives us a spouse,

430
00:20:32,458 --> 00:20:34,375
and our spouse is our standard
of beauty.

431
00:20:34,458 --> 00:20:35,792
And here's the problem.

432
00:20:35,833 --> 00:20:37,208
Xerxes thinks his
wife is beautiful.

433
00:20:37,292 --> 00:20:38,917
That's not a problem.

434
00:20:39,000 --> 00:20:42,167
But he wants to parade her in
front of all the other men

435
00:20:42,250 --> 00:20:45,208
so they can ogle her
and then become covetous,

436
00:20:45,292 --> 00:20:47,792
commit adultery,
lust of the heart,

437
00:20:47,833 --> 00:20:50,500
compare their wives to his wife.

438
00:20:50,583 --> 00:20:52,792
It's like pornography,
and swimsuit issues,

439
00:20:52,833 --> 00:20:55,167
and advertising, and marketing.

440
00:20:55,250 --> 00:20:58,417
Today, it's to get men
to compare, wrongly,

441
00:20:58,500 --> 00:21:01,875
their wife to another woman and
then have a standard of beauty

442
00:21:01,958 --> 00:21:04,083
that is someone other
than their wife,

443
00:21:04,167 --> 00:21:08,708
and then be guilty of lust
and adultery of the heart.

444
00:21:08,792 --> 00:21:11,000
Men, our standard of
beauty is our wife.

445
00:21:11,083 --> 00:21:13,083
Wives, your standard of
beauty is your husband.

446
00:21:13,167 --> 00:21:15,000
This is the way
God made marriage.

447
00:21:15,083 --> 00:21:16,583
This is God's intention.

448
00:21:16,667 --> 00:21:19,125
Horrible things happen,
and we can look at these men

449
00:21:19,167 --> 00:21:21,208
and we can say,
"Oh, these are nasty men."

450
00:21:21,292 --> 00:21:24,000
Some men do the same thing,
rather than having the financial

451
00:21:24,083 --> 00:21:26,417
wherewithal, though,
to parade an actual woman,

452
00:21:26,500 --> 00:21:29,000
we just do it digitally,
and we do it privately,

453
00:21:29,042 --> 00:21:31,417
and we do it shamefully.

454
00:21:31,500 --> 00:21:34,500
The times have changed, but
the hearts of men have not.

455
00:21:34,583 --> 00:21:37,167
So, practically, that means
if your spouse is tall,

456
00:21:37,250 --> 00:21:38,625
you're into tall.

457
00:21:38,667 --> 00:21:40,625
If your spouse is short,
you're into short.

458
00:21:40,667 --> 00:21:42,625
If your spouse is skinny,
you're into skinny.

459
00:21:42,667 --> 00:21:44,125
If your spouse is
formerly skinny,

460
00:21:44,167 --> 00:21:45,500
you're into formerly skinny.

461
00:21:45,583 --> 00:21:46,917
Alright?

462
00:21:47,000 --> 00:21:48,917
If your husband has
hair, you love hair.

463
00:21:49,000 --> 00:21:52,875
If he loses his
hair, you hate hair.

464
00:21:52,958 --> 00:21:54,708
Your spouse is your
standard of beauty.

465
00:21:54,792 --> 00:21:58,833
Number two, your wife is not
a trophy to be paraded around

466
00:21:58,875 --> 00:22:01,375
for other men to ogle.

467
00:22:01,458 --> 00:22:02,833
Right?

468
00:22:02,875 --> 00:22:05,333
Let's say, ladies, you're
dating a guy and he says,

469
00:22:05,375 --> 00:22:08,083
"Hey, put on that dress that
doesn't fit where the neckline

470
00:22:08,167 --> 00:22:09,500
"and the hemline meet.

471
00:22:09,542 --> 00:22:12,500
"That's my favorite one, because
we're going to go to my buddy's

472
00:22:12,542 --> 00:22:15,667
party, and I want all the guys
to see you looking your best."

473
00:22:15,750 --> 00:22:17,083
Stay home.
Right?

474
00:22:17,167 --> 00:22:19,833
Hang out with Jesus, the one guy
who doesn't ask you

475
00:22:19,875 --> 00:22:21,875
to act like that.

476
00:22:21,958 --> 00:22:25,833
Some men like to dress up their
wives and parade them around

477
00:22:25,875 --> 00:22:29,708
so that other men would be
impressed by their trophy.

478
00:22:29,792 --> 00:22:32,292
That's a godless thing,
it's a horrible thing,

479
00:22:32,333 --> 00:22:35,708
it's a denigrating,
disrespectful, damaging thing,

480
00:22:35,792 --> 00:22:39,000
and Vashti says, "No.
I will not do that.

481
00:22:39,083 --> 00:22:42,208
"I will not do that."

482
00:22:42,292 --> 00:22:44,417
I want you men
to really check your heart,

483
00:22:44,500 --> 00:22:47,333
even when you go out
in public with your wife.

484
00:22:47,375 --> 00:22:50,375
Do you want her to appear
a certain way and is that

485
00:22:50,458 --> 00:22:54,208
because you like her to be
a trophy that demonstrates

486
00:22:54,292 --> 00:22:57,375
something of your greatness
and glory?

487
00:22:57,458 --> 00:23:00,292
If so, there's something
wrong with you.

488
00:23:00,333 --> 00:23:02,625
There's something
amiss with you,

489
00:23:02,667 --> 00:23:05,667
and that's the heart
of King Xerxes.

490
00:23:05,750 --> 00:23:09,500
Number three, your wife
should be your best friend.

491
00:23:09,583 --> 00:23:12,000
Alright, we talked about
this in "Real Marriage,"

492
00:23:12,083 --> 00:23:14,208
but when God
made Adam, he said,

493
00:23:14,292 --> 00:23:16,833
"It was not good for
the man to be alone,

494
00:23:16,875 --> 00:23:20,333
"so he made Eve to be his
wife, and his partner,

495
00:23:20,375 --> 00:23:22,083
and his friend."

496
00:23:22,167 --> 00:23:25,208
Grace and I like to always say
that one of the most important

497
00:23:25,292 --> 00:23:28,083
aspects of marriage
is friendship.

498
00:23:28,167 --> 00:23:30,417
If they truly were
friends--let's say that

499
00:23:30,500 --> 00:23:34,417
Vashti and Xerxes were friends,
would he treat her like this?

500
00:23:34,500 --> 00:23:36,625
Yes or no?
No way.

501
00:23:36,667 --> 00:23:38,625
You don't do this
to your friend.

502
00:23:38,667 --> 00:23:41,125
You don't objectify your friend,
you don't denigrate your friend,

503
00:23:41,167 --> 00:23:44,500
you don't parade your friend,
you don't in any way

504
00:23:44,583 --> 00:23:49,625
put your friend in harm's way.

505
00:23:49,667 --> 00:23:52,875
This is what happens when
marriage is about the money,

506
00:23:52,958 --> 00:23:56,417
when marriage is about the sex,
when marriage is about the power

507
00:23:56,500 --> 00:24:00,083
and it's not about
the friendship.

508
00:24:00,167 --> 00:24:03,333
The way to mitigate this is
always be working on

509
00:24:03,375 --> 00:24:07,208
"the closest human friendship
you have is with your spouse."

510
00:24:07,292 --> 00:24:13,000
See, Xerxes has innumerable
women and zero friendships

511
00:24:13,083 --> 00:24:15,500
with any woman.

512
00:24:15,542 --> 00:24:18,792
God wants us to have one spouse
and be friends with them.

513
00:24:18,833 --> 00:24:21,917
Number four, and I want you men
to really take this to heart:

514
00:24:22,000 --> 00:24:24,375
Xerxes has many sons.

515
00:24:24,458 --> 00:24:27,208
If we're going to look at
Xerxes and say, "He's nasty,"

516
00:24:27,292 --> 00:24:31,917
we have to also say,
"And we're like him."

517
00:24:32,000 --> 00:24:34,667
Otherwise, we get into
a moralism where he's a bad guy,

518
00:24:34,750 --> 00:24:36,125
we're a good guy.

519
00:24:36,167 --> 00:24:38,000
The truth is,
we know his nastiness,

520
00:24:38,083 --> 00:24:40,417
they just haven't written
ours down and publicized it,

521
00:24:40,500 --> 00:24:42,708
so we don't have an opportunity
to be criticized

522
00:24:42,792 --> 00:24:44,917
as we criticize him.

523
00:24:45,000 --> 00:24:49,500
From swimsuit issues, to men's
magazines, to pornography, to,

524
00:24:49,542 --> 00:24:53,583
you know, the fashion industry,
to marketing and advertising,

525
00:24:53,667 --> 00:24:58,000
to naughty coffee stands, to
cheerleaders, to Hooters girls,

526
00:24:58,083 --> 00:24:59,958
to Miss America.

527
00:25:00,083 --> 00:25:03,417
I mean, the list goes on,
and on, and on, and on, and on.

528
00:25:03,500 --> 00:25:06,500
Xerxes has many sons, and some
of them wait until they're in

529
00:25:06,542 --> 00:25:09,625
their power years, 40s and 50s,
where they make some money,

530
00:25:09,667 --> 00:25:11,208
and then what do they do?

531
00:25:11,292 --> 00:25:13,500
They get rid of their
wife of their youth,

532
00:25:13,583 --> 00:25:15,625
and then they go
after the youngest,

533
00:25:15,667 --> 00:25:17,833
most attractive woman
they can afford.

534
00:25:17,875 --> 00:25:20,417
And in places like California
where we've got a church,

535
00:25:20,500 --> 00:25:23,667
it's an absolute
crisis and epidemic,

536
00:25:23,750 --> 00:25:26,792
because it's not
about the friendship,

537
00:25:26,833 --> 00:25:29,125
it's not about the love.

538
00:25:29,167 --> 00:25:33,833
It's about Xerxes' sons
wanting trophies on their arms.

539
00:25:33,875 --> 00:25:36,833
So, men, this is
a wake up call for all of us.

540
00:25:36,875 --> 00:25:38,208
Amen?

541
00:25:38,292 --> 00:25:40,708
You need to know that
our hearts, all of us,

542
00:25:40,792 --> 00:25:43,208
incline toward the same
things, male and female.

543
00:25:43,292 --> 00:25:44,625
We look at Xerxes.

544
00:25:44,667 --> 00:25:46,125
His heart is inclined
toward money.

545
00:25:46,167 --> 00:25:47,833
Do you love money?

546
00:25:47,875 --> 00:25:50,375
The Bible doesn't say anything
good about lovers of money.

547
00:25:50,458 --> 00:25:52,875
Do you love power?

548
00:25:52,958 --> 00:25:54,708
Do you love comfort?

549
00:25:54,792 --> 00:25:56,125
Do you love drink?

550
00:25:56,167 --> 00:25:57,500
Do you love food?

551
00:25:57,583 --> 00:25:59,167
Do you love sex?

552
00:25:59,250 --> 00:26:02,000
Then we're a lot like Xerxes.

553
00:26:02,042 --> 00:26:04,917
Ladies, a couple
things for you.

554
00:26:05,000 --> 00:26:08,125
Number one, submission does not
include submitting to things

555
00:26:08,167 --> 00:26:12,125
that are degrading and/or
humiliating or endangering.

556
00:26:12,167 --> 00:26:14,500
If your husband's asking
you to disobey the Lord,

557
00:26:14,542 --> 00:26:16,667
he's not the highest authority.

558
00:26:16,750 --> 00:26:18,875
This is the good news
of Christianity.

559
00:26:18,958 --> 00:26:22,667
Above the king is
the King of kings.

560
00:26:22,750 --> 00:26:26,708
Above your husband
is the Lord of lords.

561
00:26:26,792 --> 00:26:29,083
Men only have
derivative authority.

562
00:26:29,167 --> 00:26:31,500
Leaders in any capacity,
male or female,

563
00:26:31,542 --> 00:26:34,833
only have derivative authority,
not innate authority.

564
00:26:34,875 --> 00:26:37,500
So, a husband, a father, he
doesn't have innate authority.

565
00:26:37,583 --> 00:26:39,000
He has derivative authority.

566
00:26:39,083 --> 00:26:41,292
It's borrowed from the Lord,
and if he's disobeying,

567
00:26:41,333 --> 00:26:43,417
disregarding,
dishonoring the Lord,

568
00:26:43,500 --> 00:26:45,292
well, then he should
not be obeyed.

569
00:26:45,333 --> 00:26:48,917
Because the highest authority
says no, and he says yes,

570
00:26:49,000 --> 00:26:51,000
then the answer is no.

571
00:26:51,042 --> 00:26:54,333
So, ladies, if your husband
asks you to lie, to steal,

572
00:26:54,375 --> 00:27:00,292
to cover for him, to participate
with him in some sin, or evil,

573
00:27:00,333 --> 00:27:03,708
or injustice, or crime,
the answer is what?

574
00:27:03,792 --> 00:27:05,708
No.

575
00:27:05,792 --> 00:27:09,208
So, my second point is some
of you ladies need to learn

576
00:27:09,292 --> 00:27:11,583
how to stand up for
yourself and say no.

577
00:27:11,667 --> 00:27:14,083
And I know, you're just like,
"Mark Driscoll said that.

578
00:27:14,167 --> 00:27:15,833
"That is crazy.
That is unbelievable.

579
00:27:15,875 --> 00:27:18,208
I did not think
that was possible."

580
00:27:18,292 --> 00:27:21,125
We believe in the whole
counsel of God's Word.

581
00:27:21,167 --> 00:27:24,333
We believe that everything in
the Scripture should be obeyed,

582
00:27:24,375 --> 00:27:27,833
and the worst thing is when we
only take some of what the Bible

583
00:27:27,875 --> 00:27:30,708
says and then we
impose it on people.

584
00:27:30,792 --> 00:27:35,125
The Bible does say respect,
obey, honor your husband.

585
00:27:35,167 --> 00:27:36,917
Submit to him.

586
00:27:37,000 --> 00:27:39,875
The Bible also tells the
husbands to love their wives,

587
00:27:39,958 --> 00:27:42,792
to honor the Lord,
to obey the Scriptures,

588
00:27:42,833 --> 00:27:45,417
to be under the authority
of the elders in the church,

589
00:27:45,500 --> 00:27:48,375
and to be under the
authority of the government.

590
00:27:48,458 --> 00:27:54,792
And ladies, sometimes
the godliest thing is to say no.

591
00:27:54,833 --> 00:27:57,917
I believe what Vashti did
was noble, it was brave,

592
00:27:58,000 --> 00:27:59,917
it was good, it was right.

593
00:28:00,042 --> 00:28:03,000
And some of you ladies, you've
mastered the art of saying no.

594
00:28:03,042 --> 00:28:05,708
Like, you're--you could, like,
teach a grad school class

595
00:28:05,792 --> 00:28:08,875
on how to jam up a man.
Right?

596
00:28:08,958 --> 00:28:10,833
I mean, you landed the dismount.

597
00:28:10,875 --> 00:28:12,500
Boom, nailed it again.

598
00:28:12,583 --> 00:28:14,417
You're really good at it.
Okay?

599
00:28:14,500 --> 00:28:16,708
Now, some of you ladies
have never even tried.

600
00:28:16,792 --> 00:28:18,500
You're always like, "Yes, okay.

601
00:28:18,583 --> 00:28:20,208
Whatever you say.
Whatever you want."

602
00:28:20,292 --> 00:28:22,708
No, pick your chin up.
Look him in the eye.

603
00:28:22,792 --> 00:28:24,917
"No!
No."

604
00:28:25,000 --> 00:28:29,208
I've seen this repeatedly, where
there's a foolish man with

605
00:28:29,292 --> 00:28:34,500
a wise woman and her not
speaking is not helping.

606
00:28:34,542 --> 00:28:39,000
Ladies, use a loving voice,
use a respectful voice,

607
00:28:39,042 --> 00:28:42,292
use a godly voice,
but don't lose your voice.

608
00:28:42,333 --> 00:28:44,083
And sometimes, a woman
has to prayerfully,

609
00:28:44,167 --> 00:28:46,500
carefully just say no.

610
00:28:46,583 --> 00:28:48,083
Vashti says what?

611
00:28:48,167 --> 00:28:49,917
No.

612
00:28:50,000 --> 00:28:56,083
Number three, for the ladies,
if your boyfriend wants you

613
00:28:56,167 --> 00:29:00,125
to underdress, dump him.

614
00:29:00,167 --> 00:29:02,000
Okay?

615
00:29:02,042 --> 00:29:05,875
If your husband wants
you to underdress,

616
00:29:05,958 --> 00:29:12,875
dress in multiple layers
to the glory of God.

617
00:29:14,167 --> 00:29:21,167
Get flannel over flannel over
flannel with a coat over a coat.

618
00:29:21,792 --> 00:29:23,625
Okay?

619
00:29:23,667 --> 00:29:29,292
We do live in a day where some
guys really want to cause their

620
00:29:29,333 --> 00:29:35,000
women to be objectified,
and the answer is no.

621
00:29:35,042 --> 00:29:38,583
Especially if you're dating
him, stop dating him.

622
00:29:38,667 --> 00:29:41,625
Right now, he's on
his best behavior.

623
00:29:41,667 --> 00:29:47,292
I'll give you a moment to dump
him while I get some water.

624
00:29:47,333 --> 00:29:49,500
I'm not kidding.

625
00:29:49,583 --> 00:29:52,000
This is efficient.

626
00:29:52,083 --> 00:29:56,000
It beats having
a bunch of meetings.

627
00:29:56,083 --> 00:29:58,833
Alright, back to
the Scriptures.

628
00:29:58,875 --> 00:30:01,708
Verse 13: "Then the king
said to the wise men."

629
00:30:01,792 --> 00:30:04,667
Just so you know, these
are not the wisest men.

630
00:30:04,750 --> 00:30:06,625
Right?

631
00:30:06,667 --> 00:30:08,125
It's Larry, Curly, and Moe.

632
00:30:08,167 --> 00:30:09,792
This is his cabinet.

633
00:30:09,833 --> 00:30:12,792
"Then the king said to the wise
men who knew the times

634
00:30:12,833 --> 00:30:14,792
"(for this was the king's
procedure toward all

635
00:30:14,833 --> 00:30:16,500
"who were versed in law
and judgment,

636
00:30:16,583 --> 00:30:18,000
the men next to him being--"

637
00:30:18,083 --> 00:30:19,417
And here are their names,

638
00:30:19,500 --> 00:30:21,417
because it shows that
God works in history:

639
00:30:21,500 --> 00:30:23,833
"Carshena, Shethar,
Admatha, Tarshish, Meres,

640
00:30:23,875 --> 00:30:28,000
"Marsena, and Memucan,
the seven princes of Persia

641
00:30:28,083 --> 00:30:30,208
and Media, who saw
the king's face,"

642
00:30:30,292 --> 00:30:32,208
so they had access
to his presence,

643
00:30:32,292 --> 00:30:34,000
"and sat first in the kingdom)."

644
00:30:34,042 --> 00:30:35,375
So, these are big guys.

645
00:30:35,458 --> 00:30:36,875
This is his cabinet.

646
00:30:36,958 --> 00:30:40,833
He sits in a huge throne
and they sit on little thrones

647
00:30:40,875 --> 00:30:42,708
alongside of him.

648
00:30:42,792 --> 00:30:46,500
All very--you know,
"We're his cabinet.

649
00:30:46,542 --> 00:30:48,208
"We're versed in law.

650
00:30:48,292 --> 00:30:52,292
We're the wise men," overseeing
the 6-month drunken frat party.

651
00:30:52,333 --> 00:30:56,125
Just so you know,
these are the wise men.

652
00:30:56,167 --> 00:30:59,333
And that's what it
says on their resume,

653
00:30:59,375 --> 00:31:01,500
but there's no evidence
to hold up in court

654
00:31:01,583 --> 00:31:03,083
that these are wise men.

655
00:31:03,167 --> 00:31:05,208
Verse 15: "According to the law,

656
00:31:05,292 --> 00:31:07,417
"what is to be done
to Queen Vashti,

657
00:31:07,500 --> 00:31:09,625
"because she has not
performed the command

658
00:31:09,667 --> 00:31:12,333
of King Ahasuerus delivered
by the eunuchs?"

659
00:31:12,375 --> 00:31:14,417
This gets all very official.

660
00:31:14,500 --> 00:31:17,083
Alright, so, Larry,
Curly, Moe, they all meet.

661
00:31:17,167 --> 00:31:19,667
"First we must look, was
legal process followed?"

662
00:31:19,750 --> 00:31:21,083
"Yes, yes.

663
00:31:21,167 --> 00:31:24,125
"The seven sad eunuchs took
the news to the queen,

664
00:31:24,167 --> 00:31:27,000
"and they requested on behalf
of the king that she come

665
00:31:27,083 --> 00:31:30,833
"and parade before the drunken
men, and she said no.

666
00:31:30,875 --> 00:31:32,583
"And it's all confirmed.

667
00:31:32,667 --> 00:31:34,583
"We have witnesses,
we wrote it down.

668
00:31:34,667 --> 00:31:36,083
"It's very serious.

669
00:31:36,167 --> 00:31:38,000
"We called a meeting,
there was a committee,

670
00:31:38,083 --> 00:31:39,708
there were things written down."
Alright?

671
00:31:39,792 --> 00:31:41,833
"A guy with
a big hat confirmed it.

672
00:31:41,875 --> 00:31:43,875
It's all very legitimate."

673
00:31:43,958 --> 00:31:47,000
Now it's turned into
an international crisis.

674
00:31:47,042 --> 00:31:49,208
This is the most powerful man
who rules

675
00:31:49,292 --> 00:31:54,292
over 3 million square miles
and can't handle a wife.

676
00:31:54,333 --> 00:31:57,333
How many of you guys are like,
"That explain my whole life"?

677
00:31:57,375 --> 00:31:59,417
Okay.

678
00:31:59,500 --> 00:32:03,708
The story continues.

679
00:32:03,792 --> 00:32:07,500
"Then Memucan said in
the presence of the king

680
00:32:07,583 --> 00:32:09,208
"and the officials,

681
00:32:09,292 --> 00:32:12,000
'Not only against the king
has Queen Vashti done wrong.'"

682
00:32:12,083 --> 00:32:14,417
Oh, it's much worse than that.

683
00:32:14,500 --> 00:32:20,583
This has now been tweeted,
and it's really--it's trending.

684
00:32:20,667 --> 00:32:25,875
It's trending in the Hebrew.

685
00:32:28,167 --> 00:32:30,833
"But also against all the
officials and all the peoples

686
00:32:30,875 --> 00:32:34,125
who are in all the provinces
of King Ahasuerus."

687
00:32:34,167 --> 00:32:36,375
"This is a crisis.

688
00:32:36,458 --> 00:32:39,500
"When she told you no, all
of a sudden a lot of women

689
00:32:39,583 --> 00:32:44,417
"realized that's a good word.

690
00:32:44,500 --> 00:32:46,500
"Little but powerful.

691
00:32:46,542 --> 00:32:47,917
"No.

692
00:32:48,000 --> 00:32:49,917
"They've been practicing
it all day at home,

693
00:32:50,000 --> 00:32:51,875
"waiting for their husband
to return from work.

694
00:32:51,958 --> 00:32:54,667
"'No. No.
No!'

695
00:32:54,750 --> 00:32:57,667
"The women are all practicing.

696
00:32:57,750 --> 00:33:01,375
"We have the makings
of an outbreak.

697
00:33:01,458 --> 00:33:03,708
"This is an epidemic.

698
00:33:03,792 --> 00:33:06,000
"Next thing you know,
fools won't get their way.

699
00:33:06,083 --> 00:33:08,417
Oh, what will we do?"

700
00:33:08,500 --> 00:33:11,083
"For the queen's
behavior," verse 17,

701
00:33:11,167 --> 00:33:13,125
"will be made
known to all women,

702
00:33:13,167 --> 00:33:16,417
"causing them to look at
their husbands with contempt,

703
00:33:16,500 --> 00:33:18,667
"since they will say,

704
00:33:18,750 --> 00:33:21,667
"'King Ahasuerus
commanded Queen Vashti

705
00:33:21,750 --> 00:33:25,125
to be brought before him,
and she did not come.'"

706
00:33:25,167 --> 00:33:27,708
Can you see this?

707
00:33:27,792 --> 00:33:30,500
These very powerful men:
"Well, you know King,

708
00:33:30,583 --> 00:33:34,625
"if we don't do something,
we're all jerks like you,

709
00:33:34,667 --> 00:33:37,833
"and our wives are all
frustrated like yours,

710
00:33:37,875 --> 00:33:41,167
"and if yours tells you to stuff
it, ours are going to tell us

711
00:33:41,250 --> 00:33:42,583
"to stuff it.

712
00:33:42,667 --> 00:33:44,333
This is now a crisis."

713
00:33:44,375 --> 00:33:46,000
You see the comedy?

714
00:33:46,042 --> 00:33:48,625
What happens is sometimes
rulers, kings, those in power,

715
00:33:48,667 --> 00:33:51,625
those in authority, those
who are rich and famous,

716
00:33:51,667 --> 00:33:55,167
they take themselves so
seriously, but they're silly.

717
00:33:55,250 --> 00:33:56,833
They're silly.

718
00:33:56,875 --> 00:33:59,375
This is silly.

719
00:33:59,458 --> 00:34:01,500
What's going to happen?

720
00:34:01,583 --> 00:34:03,333
Is Vashti going to back down?

721
00:34:03,375 --> 00:34:05,125
"I'm sorry.
I apologize.

722
00:34:05,167 --> 00:34:07,000
"Let me send out
a press release.

723
00:34:07,042 --> 00:34:09,000
Okay, ladies, we'll all
do what we're told."

724
00:34:09,042 --> 00:34:11,500
Is she going to
hold to her guns?

725
00:34:11,542 --> 00:34:13,375
Well, let's read.

726
00:34:13,458 --> 00:34:17,833
"This very day the noble women
of Persia and Media

727
00:34:17,875 --> 00:34:20,375
"who have heard
of the queen's behavior

728
00:34:20,458 --> 00:34:23,125
"will say the same to all
the king's officials,

729
00:34:23,167 --> 00:34:27,792
and there will be contempt
and wrath in plenty."

730
00:34:30,792 --> 00:34:36,292
Any time men have to impose
respect on women just goes

731
00:34:36,333 --> 00:34:39,333
to show that the men
aren't respectable.

732
00:34:39,375 --> 00:34:41,000
Right?

733
00:34:41,042 --> 00:34:42,375
Men, let me say this.

734
00:34:42,458 --> 00:34:45,083
At your house, if you have
to keep pulling out

735
00:34:45,167 --> 00:34:48,125
all the "Obey me," verses,

736
00:34:48,167 --> 00:34:51,000
maybe she just
doesn't respect you because

737
00:34:51,083 --> 00:34:54,708
you're not respectable.

738
00:34:54,792 --> 00:35:00,083
There are easier ways to deal
with these sorts of situations.

739
00:35:02,083 --> 00:35:08,667
Here's something that
Xerxes never does: repent.

740
00:35:08,750 --> 00:35:13,000
Let me ask you this: is Xerxes
right or wrong--let me just

741
00:35:13,083 --> 00:35:18,875
set this up so it's an easy vote
for us--to request that his wife

742
00:35:18,958 --> 00:35:23,833
parade underdressed or undressed
in front of maybe

743
00:35:23,875 --> 00:35:27,500
50-100,000 drunk guys?

744
00:35:27,583 --> 00:35:30,000
You think that was
a good or a bad request

745
00:35:30,083 --> 00:35:32,292
by the great King Xerxes?

746
00:35:32,333 --> 00:35:35,000
Oh, and he made that
decision while drunk.

747
00:35:35,042 --> 00:35:36,708
We all agree, right?

748
00:35:36,792 --> 00:35:39,417
If we took a vote right
now, you'd say bad decision.

749
00:35:39,500 --> 00:35:40,833
So, what should he do?

750
00:35:40,875 --> 00:35:42,708
Apologize.

751
00:35:42,792 --> 00:35:47,208
"Sweetheart, I'm sorry.
I was drunk.

752
00:35:47,292 --> 00:35:51,917
"I shouldn't have been drunk.
I was with the guys.

753
00:35:52,000 --> 00:35:54,792
"I shouldn't have been
with those guys.

754
00:35:54,833 --> 00:35:57,000
"They all started
doing the wave.

755
00:35:57,042 --> 00:35:58,625
"'Get Queen Vashti!'

756
00:35:58,667 --> 00:36:01,417
"Next thing I know, we've got
ourselves a little Persian wave

757
00:36:01,500 --> 00:36:06,833
"going on, and out of fear
of man and cowardice,

758
00:36:06,875 --> 00:36:10,417
"I asked you to come
and to parade

759
00:36:10,500 --> 00:36:15,417
"before the drunken soldiers,
and I'm sorry.

760
00:36:15,500 --> 00:36:19,917
That was wrong.
Please forgive me."

761
00:36:20,000 --> 00:36:21,833
It would have been over, right?

762
00:36:21,875 --> 00:36:23,500
Would it have been over?

763
00:36:23,542 --> 00:36:25,500
Probably so.

764
00:36:25,583 --> 00:36:30,625
Instead, he remains unrepentant.

765
00:36:30,667 --> 00:36:33,917
Okay, now, again,
we read the story,

766
00:36:34,000 --> 00:36:37,417
and what we need to do is
continually ask ourselves,

767
00:36:37,500 --> 00:36:42,167
"How am I like Xerxes?
How am I self-righteous?

768
00:36:42,250 --> 00:36:43,625
"How am I stubborn?

769
00:36:43,667 --> 00:36:46,375
"How do I want the world
to rotate around me?

770
00:36:46,458 --> 00:36:48,625
"Where am I trying
to put my throne?

771
00:36:48,667 --> 00:36:50,917
"What kingdom am I
trying to build?

772
00:36:51,000 --> 00:36:55,583
"In what ways am I foolish and
where in my life

773
00:36:55,667 --> 00:36:58,125
am I unrepentant?"	

774
00:36:58,167 --> 00:37:03,208
Let me say this: when we're
wrong, we should repent.

775
00:37:03,292 --> 00:37:06,708
It doesn't matter if you're more
powerful, you should repent.

776
00:37:06,792 --> 00:37:09,000
It doesn't matter
if you're the boss,

777
00:37:09,083 --> 00:37:10,708
you should repent
to the employees.

778
00:37:10,792 --> 00:37:12,500
It doesn't matter if
you're the husband,

779
00:37:12,542 --> 00:37:14,000
you should repent to the wife.

780
00:37:14,083 --> 00:37:15,708
It doesn't matter if
you're the parent,

781
00:37:15,792 --> 00:37:17,208
you should repent to the kids.

782
00:37:17,292 --> 00:37:19,000
It doesn't matter if
you're the pastor,

783
00:37:19,042 --> 00:37:20,500
you should repent
to the congregation.

784
00:37:20,542 --> 00:37:21,875
It just doesn't matter.

785
00:37:21,958 --> 00:37:24,375
If you're the president, you
should repent to the voters.

786
00:37:24,458 --> 00:37:27,792
If you're in charge,
it doesn't mean you're right,

787
00:37:27,833 --> 00:37:31,500
and good leadership is
demonstrating humility.

788
00:37:31,583 --> 00:37:35,292
Good leadership is
demonstrating repentance.

789
00:37:35,333 --> 00:37:38,833
Repentance is where we
acknowledge, "I'm just wrong.

790
00:37:38,875 --> 00:37:41,125
"I could make a lot
of excuses, reasons.

791
00:37:41,167 --> 00:37:43,500
"I could get a whole bunch
of people together.

792
00:37:43,542 --> 00:37:45,208
"I could get a bunch of people

793
00:37:45,292 --> 00:37:47,208
"who agree with me
and think like me,

794
00:37:47,292 --> 00:37:49,625
"and some of them are highly
educated and have degrees,

795
00:37:49,667 --> 00:37:52,625
"and I could quote books, and we
could bring in a professional,

796
00:37:52,667 --> 00:37:54,125
"and we could write things down,

797
00:37:54,167 --> 00:37:55,875
"we could make it look
very official,

798
00:37:55,958 --> 00:37:59,000
but at the end of the day,
I just have a hard heart."

799
00:37:59,083 --> 00:38:00,500
Is that you, friend?

800
00:38:00,542 --> 00:38:05,417
I'll tell you, at times
in my life, it's been me.

801
00:38:05,500 --> 00:38:08,208
Everything gets really hard and
complicated when people remain

802
00:38:08,292 --> 00:38:11,000
unrepentant, especially people
in positions of authority,

803
00:38:11,042 --> 00:38:15,208
and we all have some place
that we are in authority.

804
00:38:15,292 --> 00:38:17,708
Here's what happens when
we don't repent:

805
00:38:17,792 --> 00:38:19,917
we defend ourselves.

806
00:38:20,000 --> 00:38:21,667
How many of you have done this?

807
00:38:21,750 --> 00:38:23,375
You get a friend,
and another friend,

808
00:38:23,458 --> 00:38:26,208
and somebody who's like you, and
somebody who agrees with you,

809
00:38:26,292 --> 00:38:28,500
and somebody who isn't
going to check the facts,

810
00:38:28,542 --> 00:38:30,000
and you bring them together,

811
00:38:30,042 --> 00:38:33,167
and you CC them on the e-mail,
you put it on the website,

812
00:38:33,250 --> 00:38:34,875
you post it on
your Facebook wall,

813
00:38:34,958 --> 00:38:36,375
you bring them
together for coffee.

814
00:38:36,458 --> 00:38:38,375
"Oh it's a prayer--I
have a prayer request."

815
00:38:38,458 --> 00:38:39,792
You know?

816
00:38:39,833 --> 00:38:42,000
"I have a prayer request.
My husband's a jackalope.

817
00:38:42,042 --> 00:38:44,000
"And, you know, all your
husbands are jackalopes.

818
00:38:44,042 --> 00:38:47,000
"We should pray for each other.
Well, I got your back, girl.

819
00:38:47,042 --> 00:38:48,500
Okay.
Here we go.

820
00:38:48,542 --> 00:38:50,000
Here we go.
Here we go.

821
00:38:50,042 --> 00:38:51,500
Just fire up
the carnival music.

822
00:38:51,542 --> 00:38:52,917
Ding, ding, ding.
Here we go.

823
00:38:53,000 --> 00:38:55,000
And that's what's
happening here.

824
00:38:55,083 --> 00:38:58,208
He's unrepentant, so he
starts to build a case.

825
00:38:58,292 --> 00:38:59,917
You know what
unrepentant people do?

826
00:39:00,042 --> 00:39:02,125
They build cases.
How do I know?

827
00:39:02,167 --> 00:39:06,333
I build great cases.

828
00:39:06,375 --> 00:39:12,625
Well, here's his case:
"I'm the king, she's not.

829
00:39:12,667 --> 00:39:15,500
"I sit on a throne,
she doesn't.

830
00:39:15,583 --> 00:39:18,500
"I rule over the world,
she's lucky to have me.

831
00:39:18,583 --> 00:39:23,208
"I give orders and everybody
obeys, she should have obeyed.

832
00:39:23,292 --> 00:39:25,500
"She's my wife.

833
00:39:25,583 --> 00:39:28,375
"What right does she
have to say no to me?

834
00:39:28,458 --> 00:39:30,625
"And she's humiliated
me in front of the men.

835
00:39:30,667 --> 00:39:33,833
"How can I rule as a king
without my dignity intact?

836
00:39:33,875 --> 00:39:35,500
"Oh yes, and the men are right.

837
00:39:35,583 --> 00:39:38,625
"If she defies me, then we'll
have anarchy and corruption.

838
00:39:38,667 --> 00:39:40,917
She's taking down
the whole empire."

839
00:39:41,000 --> 00:39:43,333
Isn't it amazing how
one unrepentant person

840
00:39:43,375 --> 00:39:47,125
can build a case that
sounds pretty convincing?

841
00:39:47,167 --> 00:39:50,000
Satan is not only a deceiver,

842
00:39:50,083 --> 00:39:56,792
he also helps us
to deceive ourselves.

843
00:39:56,833 --> 00:39:58,917
What do you need to repent of?

844
00:39:59,000 --> 00:40:03,083
What do you need to just
own and say, "I was wrong.

845
00:40:03,167 --> 00:40:06,125
I'm sorry"?

846
00:40:06,167 --> 00:40:09,167
He would have had a totally
different kingdom if he was

847
00:40:09,250 --> 00:40:12,875
a humble king like Jesus.

848
00:40:12,958 --> 00:40:16,000
But he's not a humble king,
he's a proud king.

849
00:40:16,083 --> 00:40:19,125
Well, what's going to happen?

850
00:40:19,167 --> 00:40:21,333
Here's what they say.

851
00:40:21,375 --> 00:40:23,500
Verse 19:
"If it pleases the king,

852
00:40:23,542 --> 00:40:26,333
"let a royal order
go out from him,

853
00:40:26,375 --> 00:40:29,000
"and let it be written among
the laws of the Persians

854
00:40:29,042 --> 00:40:31,500
and the Medes so that it may
not be repealed."

855
00:40:31,542 --> 00:40:33,625
So, the law of the Medes
and the Persians.

856
00:40:33,667 --> 00:40:35,125
You've probably heard of that.

857
00:40:35,167 --> 00:40:37,625
It means once this law
is enacted by the king,

858
00:40:37,667 --> 00:40:40,208
it's irreversible.

859
00:40:40,292 --> 00:40:44,833
"That Vashti is never again to
come before King Ahasuerus."

860
00:40:44,875 --> 00:40:48,625
Now, is it just me,
or does that seem funny?

861
00:40:48,667 --> 00:40:50,500
Okay.

862
00:40:50,542 --> 00:40:54,500
"Vashti," the seven eunuchs say,
"the king wants to see you."

863
00:40:54,583 --> 00:40:56,917
"I don't want to see him."

864
00:40:57,000 --> 00:41:03,542
And the king says,
"She can never see me again."

865
00:41:04,958 --> 00:41:06,500
"Okay!

866
00:41:06,583 --> 00:41:09,917
That's what I asked for."

867
00:41:10,000 --> 00:41:12,333
Do you see the humor in this?

868
00:41:12,375 --> 00:41:14,000
It's ridiculous.

869
00:41:14,042 --> 00:41:17,625
Her punishment is
to never see him.

870
00:41:17,667 --> 00:41:22,125
It's like, "You did what?
Here's ice cream!"

871
00:41:22,167 --> 00:41:27,167
You're like, "Okay!"

872
00:41:27,250 --> 00:41:31,125
What a punishment.

873
00:41:31,167 --> 00:41:32,792
Some of you don't know this.

874
00:41:32,833 --> 00:41:34,292
The Bible is occasionally funny.

875
00:41:34,333 --> 00:41:37,833
It's not always funny,
but sometimes it's funny,

876
00:41:37,875 --> 00:41:40,500
and sometimes people take
themselves seriously,

877
00:41:40,583 --> 00:41:42,500
and they don't
take God seriously,

878
00:41:42,542 --> 00:41:46,708
and so sometimes God uses
a little irony and sarcasm.

879
00:41:46,792 --> 00:41:49,875
And if we can laugh at sinners,
then we could start laughing at

880
00:41:49,958 --> 00:41:52,500
ourselves, and we could stop
taking ourselves so seriously,

881
00:41:52,542 --> 00:41:54,125
and stop taking
others so seriously,

882
00:41:54,167 --> 00:41:56,333
and start taking
God more seriously.

883
00:41:56,375 --> 00:41:59,208
I mean, this guy's
supposed to be God, right?

884
00:41:59,292 --> 00:42:00,833
I'm not impressed.

885
00:42:00,875 --> 00:42:03,625
I mean, it doesn't even seem
like he minored in that

886
00:42:03,667 --> 00:42:05,583
in college.

887
00:42:05,667 --> 00:42:07,708
He's just not very good at it.

888
00:42:07,792 --> 00:42:10,500
"And let the king give her
royal position to another

889
00:42:10,583 --> 00:42:12,208
who is better than she."

890
00:42:12,292 --> 00:42:15,875
What is their definition
of a good wife?

891
00:42:15,958 --> 00:42:21,917
One who remains silent
and just does what she's told.

892
00:42:22,000 --> 00:42:25,917
The wife was originally created,
Genesis 2, to be a what?

893
00:42:26,000 --> 00:42:27,833
A helper.

894
00:42:27,875 --> 00:42:30,917
A wife who only always
says nothing or yes

895
00:42:31,000 --> 00:42:34,000
is not very helpful.

896
00:42:34,083 --> 00:42:36,583
He doesn't want
a helper or a friend.

897
00:42:36,667 --> 00:42:39,500
He basically wants
an obedient pet.

898
00:42:39,583 --> 00:42:41,500
Right?

899
00:42:41,542 --> 00:42:43,625
Full obedience is something
you want from a dog

900
00:42:43,667 --> 00:42:47,000
or a horse, not a spouse.

901
00:42:47,042 --> 00:42:49,500
"So when the decree made
by the king is proclaimed

902
00:42:49,583 --> 00:42:52,167
throughout all his kingdom,
for it is vast,"

903
00:42:52,250 --> 00:42:54,000
they're boasting on him,

904
00:42:54,042 --> 00:42:56,208
"all women will give
honor to their husbands,

905
00:42:56,292 --> 00:42:57,917
high and low alike."

906
00:42:58,000 --> 00:43:01,708
The easiest way for a husband to
have his wife honor and respect

907
00:43:01,792 --> 00:43:06,083
him is to be honorable
and respectable,

908
00:43:06,167 --> 00:43:09,292
not to get a bunch of dudes
to vote for something that is

909
00:43:09,333 --> 00:43:13,125
incongruous with
a man's conduct.

910
00:43:13,167 --> 00:43:16,125
"This advice pleased
the king and the princes,

911
00:43:16,167 --> 00:43:19,583
"and the king did as
Memucan proposed.

912
00:43:19,667 --> 00:43:22,083
"He sent letters to all
the royal provinces,

913
00:43:22,167 --> 00:43:25,000
"to every province in its own
script and every people in its

914
00:43:25,042 --> 00:43:28,000
"own language, that every man be
master in his own household

915
00:43:28,083 --> 00:43:30,417
and speak according to
the language of his people."

916
00:43:30,500 --> 00:43:32,333
This is like Bible.

917
00:43:32,375 --> 00:43:34,333
This is like Scripture.

918
00:43:34,375 --> 00:43:36,833
So Xerxes is seated
on his throne,

919
00:43:36,875 --> 00:43:39,625
and he sends out a decree,
and when he says it,

920
00:43:39,667 --> 00:43:41,333
it's "Thus saith the Lord."

921
00:43:41,375 --> 00:43:43,833
That's how it's received,
and then they write it down,

922
00:43:43,875 --> 00:43:45,500
just like Scripture's
written down.

923
00:43:45,583 --> 00:43:48,208
And then they say, "Okay,
we need to get it to

924
00:43:48,292 --> 00:43:49,625
all the people."

925
00:43:49,667 --> 00:43:51,833
So now, all of a sudden,
we're making copies.

926
00:43:51,875 --> 00:43:53,208
It's called transmission.

927
00:43:53,292 --> 00:43:54,917
And some people speak
a different language,

928
00:43:55,000 --> 00:43:56,417
so we need to translate it.

929
00:43:56,500 --> 00:43:57,833
That's translation.

930
00:43:57,875 --> 00:44:00,833
Xerxes here is trying to write
a little book of the Bible

931
00:44:00,875 --> 00:44:06,208
to cover his own sin, because
that's what false gods do,

932
00:44:06,292 --> 00:44:10,208
and he wants it to be
sent to all peoples

933
00:44:10,292 --> 00:44:12,667
in their native language,
read and obeyed.

934
00:44:12,750 --> 00:44:14,500
We call that the Word of God.

935
00:44:14,542 --> 00:44:16,333
This is not the Word of God.

936
00:44:16,375 --> 00:44:18,333
This is the word
of a false god.

937
00:44:18,375 --> 00:44:20,333
This is the word
of a false king.

938
00:44:20,375 --> 00:44:23,833
This is the word of
a horrible kingdom.

939
00:44:23,875 --> 00:44:26,417
And let me say this: there's
a difference between that

940
00:44:26,500 --> 00:44:29,917
which is legal and that which is
holy, and in that day,

941
00:44:30,000 --> 00:44:33,208
they thought that their king
was kind of like a god as well,

942
00:44:33,292 --> 00:44:35,917
and so it was all corrupted
and it was intermingled.

943
00:44:36,000 --> 00:44:39,708
Let me say this: above every
king, and every president,

944
00:44:39,792 --> 00:44:43,625
and ever dictator, and
every ruler is another King,

945
00:44:43,667 --> 00:44:46,708
and he alone gives
laws that never change.

946
00:44:46,792 --> 00:44:50,000
And his laws, too, are written
down, and they are sent out,

947
00:44:50,042 --> 00:44:52,417
and they are translated,
and they are to be obeyed,

948
00:44:52,500 --> 00:44:56,125
and we call that the
Scriptures, the Word of God.

949
00:44:56,167 --> 00:45:00,708
And what happens here is that
Xerxes sends out a law

950
00:45:00,792 --> 00:45:02,875
that is unholy.

951
00:45:02,958 --> 00:45:07,000
This is so important for
God's people to distinguish.

952
00:45:07,042 --> 00:45:10,375
Something can be
legal and immoral.

953
00:45:10,458 --> 00:45:13,833
Something can be permissible
in the state's eyes

954
00:45:13,875 --> 00:45:16,375
and reprehensible
in the Lord's eyes.

955
00:45:16,458 --> 00:45:18,208
Do you get that?

956
00:45:18,292 --> 00:45:21,292
Adultery is not
a crime, it's a sin.

957
00:45:21,333 --> 00:45:26,292
The murder of the unborn
is not a crime, it's a sin.

958
00:45:26,333 --> 00:45:30,917
The redefining of marriage
is not a crime, it's a sin.

959
00:45:31,000 --> 00:45:34,000
And it doesn't matter
what laws the state makes,

960
00:45:34,042 --> 00:45:36,208
we answer to a higher law.

961
00:45:36,292 --> 00:45:38,667
The laws of the state
always change.

962
00:45:38,750 --> 00:45:42,333
Only God rules with the law
of the Medes and the Persians.

963
00:45:42,375 --> 00:45:44,625
Only God is always right.

964
00:45:44,667 --> 00:45:46,708
Only God never makes a mistake.

965
00:45:46,792 --> 00:45:49,125
Only God never speaks
an errant word.

966
00:45:49,167 --> 00:45:51,292
Only God is unchanging.

967
00:45:51,333 --> 00:45:54,000
Only God is perfect, and holy,
and righteous,

968
00:45:54,042 --> 00:45:55,625
and glorious, and good.

969
00:45:55,667 --> 00:45:59,417
And when God gives a sovereign
decree, and it is written down,

970
00:45:59,500 --> 00:46:01,917
and it is transmitted,
and it is translated,

971
00:46:02,000 --> 00:46:04,667
it is to be obeyed by
everyone, everywhere.

972
00:46:04,750 --> 00:46:08,625
But what continually happens in
that kingdom, in our kingdom,

973
00:46:08,667 --> 00:46:11,292
is people don't want to repent.

974
00:46:11,333 --> 00:46:14,875
And so, like Xerxes,
we like to rewrite the laws.

975
00:46:14,958 --> 00:46:19,417
We like to reinterpret the laws
that God has already given.

976
00:46:19,500 --> 00:46:21,667
We don't write Scripture.

977
00:46:21,750 --> 00:46:23,708
We don't rewrite Scripture.

978
00:46:23,792 --> 00:46:25,833
We repent and obey.

979
00:46:25,875 --> 00:46:30,292
We repent and obey.

980
00:46:30,333 --> 00:46:33,375
What has happened at this point
in the story is the door

981
00:46:33,458 --> 00:46:35,583
is now open for Esther.

982
00:46:35,667 --> 00:46:37,500
Vashti exits stage right.

983
00:46:37,583 --> 00:46:40,625
The question is: who's
the queen going to be?

984
00:46:40,667 --> 00:46:43,833
This leaves the door
open, stage left,

985
00:46:43,875 --> 00:46:47,000
for Esther to make her entrance.

986
00:46:47,042 --> 00:46:53,625
We will get there eventually,
but let me say that this theme

987
00:46:53,667 --> 00:46:57,625
of kings and kingdoms, it
leaves us aching, and longing,

988
00:46:57,667 --> 00:46:59,792
and wanting for more.

989
00:46:59,833 --> 00:47:02,625
Xerxes was the greatest king in
the history of the world

990
00:47:02,667 --> 00:47:06,667
to his day, but every generation
has changed--has, rather,

991
00:47:06,750 --> 00:47:09,500
chased the same foolish myth.

992
00:47:09,583 --> 00:47:12,708
If we could just get a good
king and have a good kingdom,

993
00:47:12,792 --> 00:47:16,167
then we'd have a heavenly
life on a fallen earth.

994
00:47:16,250 --> 00:47:19,708
It doesn't matter if his name
is Pharaoh, or his name is Nero,

995
00:47:19,792 --> 00:47:24,792
or it's a duchess and a duke, or
it's someone who is a president

996
00:47:24,833 --> 00:47:26,792
or a vice president.

997
00:47:26,833 --> 00:47:28,833
It doesn't matter.

998
00:47:28,875 --> 00:47:31,125
It doesn't matter whether
they assume the throne

999
00:47:31,167 --> 00:47:33,333
or they're elected
to the throne.

1000
00:47:33,375 --> 00:47:37,500
When fallen, faulty, flawed
sinners sit on a throne,

1001
00:47:37,583 --> 00:47:41,125
you never get
a glorious kingdom.

1002
00:47:41,167 --> 00:47:42,917
You never get
a glorious kingdom.

1003
00:47:43,000 --> 00:47:46,125
And some of us, we think, "If
I could sit on the throne,

1004
00:47:46,167 --> 00:47:47,625
I would have
a glorious kingdom."

1005
00:47:47,667 --> 00:47:50,375
You and I would do the same
thing as Xerxes given

1006
00:47:50,458 --> 00:47:51,792
the opportunity and power.

1007
00:47:51,833 --> 00:47:54,667
We would pursue fame, and money,
and glory, and comfort, and sex,

1008
00:47:54,750 --> 00:47:57,375
and food, and drink.

1009
00:47:57,458 --> 00:48:00,833
We would not pursue the glory
of God and the good of others.

1010
00:48:00,875 --> 00:48:03,000
No one is fit to sit
upon that throne.

1011
00:48:03,083 --> 00:48:06,000
There is a great, aching need
at this point in human history.

1012
00:48:06,083 --> 00:48:09,000
It is crying out, "Where is
one to sit on the throne?

1013
00:48:09,083 --> 00:48:12,000
"Is there another king?
Is there another kingdom?

1014
00:48:12,083 --> 00:48:14,333
"Is there more hope?
Is there any help?

1015
00:48:14,375 --> 00:48:16,000
Will a king come?"

1016
00:48:16,083 --> 00:48:19,125
And this is one of the last
books of the Old Testament,

1017
00:48:19,167 --> 00:48:22,500
and there are 400 silent years,
and the heart of God's people is

1018
00:48:22,583 --> 00:48:24,625
aching, and quaking, yearning.

1019
00:48:24,667 --> 00:48:26,292
"Where is a king?

1020
00:48:26,333 --> 00:48:28,125
Where is a king?"

1021
00:48:28,167 --> 00:48:32,792
And he's high and exalted, and
he's ruling, seated on a throne,

1022
00:48:32,833 --> 00:48:35,500
and he does something
that Xerxes never did.

1023
00:48:35,583 --> 00:48:40,000
He got off his throne, and he
came down to this confused,

1024
00:48:40,083 --> 00:48:45,208
fallen, flawed, failed world,
and he came not to take,

1025
00:48:45,292 --> 00:48:47,333
but to give.

1026
00:48:47,375 --> 00:48:50,833
He came not to enslave
us, but to free us.

1027
00:48:50,875 --> 00:48:53,667
And so the story of Esther
falls within the storyline

1028
00:48:53,750 --> 00:48:56,625
of the Scriptures that's
all about Jesus,

1029
00:48:56,667 --> 00:48:59,500
and if we don't allow Jesus
to come into the story

1030
00:48:59,583 --> 00:49:01,833
through the themes
of king and kingdom,

1031
00:49:01,875 --> 00:49:04,208
all we're left
with is moralism.

1032
00:49:04,292 --> 00:49:06,708
Xerxes was a bad guy,
Esther was a good girl.

1033
00:49:06,792 --> 00:49:09,000
Be like Esther,
not like Xerxes.

1034
00:49:09,083 --> 00:49:11,000
That's not enough.

1035
00:49:11,042 --> 00:49:13,833
The Bible's not just good
news for what we can do;

1036
00:49:13,875 --> 00:49:17,292
it's good news for
what God has done.

1037
00:49:17,333 --> 00:49:19,917
And so the heart's cry here is,

1038
00:49:20,000 --> 00:49:22,667
"There has to be
a better kingdom.

1039
00:49:22,750 --> 00:49:27,583
There has to be a better king."

1040
00:49:27,667 --> 00:49:31,000
Xerxes sat on his
throne, feeding sin,

1041
00:49:31,083 --> 00:49:34,708
and our King Jesus got off
his throne to forgive sin.

1042
00:49:34,792 --> 00:49:36,500
Amen?

1043
00:49:36,583 --> 00:49:40,125
Xerxes appealed to
our depraved nature,

1044
00:49:40,167 --> 00:49:43,125
King Jesus comes to
give us a new nature.

1045
00:49:43,167 --> 00:49:45,000
Amen?

1046
00:49:45,042 --> 00:49:48,375
King Xerxes' words are
no longer read and obeyed,

1047
00:49:48,458 --> 00:49:51,833
but King Jesus' words will
forever be read and obeyed.

1048
00:49:51,875 --> 00:49:53,833
Amen?

1049
00:49:53,875 --> 00:49:57,000
Xerxes gave people
what they want,

1050
00:49:57,083 --> 00:50:00,000
King Jesus gives
people what they need.

1051
00:50:00,083 --> 00:50:02,000
Amen?

1052
00:50:02,083 --> 00:50:05,208
Xerxes banished his
people from his presence,

1053
00:50:05,292 --> 00:50:09,833
King Jesus never banishes any
of his people from his presence.

1054
00:50:09,875 --> 00:50:11,708
Amen?

1055
00:50:11,792 --> 00:50:15,292
Xerxes paraded his wife
degradingly, King Jesus,

1056
00:50:15,333 --> 00:50:21,667
at the end of time, parades his
wife spotless, pure, gloriously.

1057
00:50:21,750 --> 00:50:23,208
Amen?

1058
00:50:23,292 --> 00:50:26,708
Xerxes no longer
sits upon a throne,

1059
00:50:26,792 --> 00:50:30,500
but King Jesus sits high
and exalted, risen from death,

1060
00:50:30,542 --> 00:50:34,292
ascended into glory,
forever upon his throne.

1061
00:50:34,333 --> 00:50:36,083
Amen?

1062
00:50:36,167 --> 00:50:41,125
Xerxes died and his people died,
King Jesus rose and his people

1063
00:50:41,167 --> 00:50:44,833
will rise to be
with him forever.

1064
00:50:44,875 --> 00:50:46,500
Amen?

1065
00:50:46,583 --> 00:50:48,833
And Xerxes' kingdom
has come to an end,

1066
00:50:48,875 --> 00:50:51,208
but King Jesus' kingdom
never comes to an end.

1067
00:50:51,292 --> 00:50:52,792
Amen?

1068
00:50:52,833 --> 00:50:54,167
Alright!

1069
00:50:54,250 --> 00:50:56,708
Let's honor our king.

1070
00:50:56,792 --> 00:50:59,125
Lord Jesus, you are
high and exalted.

1071
00:50:59,167 --> 00:51:02,333
Right now, Revelation tells
us over, and over, and over,

1072
00:51:02,375 --> 00:51:05,875
you're high, you're exalted,
you're seated upon a throne.

1073
00:51:05,958 --> 00:51:08,375
The nations surround you.

1074
00:51:08,458 --> 00:51:11,500
They cry out worshiping
you day and night.

1075
00:51:11,542 --> 00:51:13,583
The angels join them.

1076
00:51:13,667 --> 00:51:16,792
Lord Jesus, you alone
are the King of kings.

1077
00:51:16,833 --> 00:51:21,333
Your throne alone is occupied
by a great and glorious ruler.

1078
00:51:21,375 --> 00:51:25,125
Your kingdom is coming
and it will never end.

1079
00:51:25,167 --> 00:51:29,333
Lord Jesus, keep us hungry for
more, more of your kingdom,

1080
00:51:29,375 --> 00:51:32,625
more of your glory,
more of your presence.

1081
00:51:32,667 --> 00:51:37,375
Give us a new nature with new
desires to where we no longer

1082
00:51:37,458 --> 00:51:41,083
are satisfied with the pursuits
of this world

1083
00:51:41,167 --> 00:51:43,667
and its kings
and its kingdoms.

1084
00:51:43,750 --> 00:51:48,167
And Lord Jesus, it is my prayer
that we would be your kingdom

1085
00:51:48,250 --> 00:51:51,875
people, that every decision we
would make would simply be

1086
00:51:51,958 --> 00:51:55,333
one of, "Does this honor
or dishonor my king?

1087
00:51:55,375 --> 00:51:58,917
Does this glorify
or not glorify my king?"

1088
00:51:59,000 --> 00:52:02,833
And Lord Jesus, we thank you
that despite history being

1089
00:52:02,875 --> 00:52:06,500
filled with kings and rulers who
come and go, it's your throne,

1090
00:52:06,583 --> 00:52:10,875
above all, coming
eventually to rule over all,

1091
00:52:10,958 --> 00:52:14,333
where there is a King worthy
of our worship to be met.

1092
00:52:14,375 --> 00:52:18,208
Lord Jesus,
you are a better King,

1093
00:52:18,292 --> 00:52:23,083
you provide a better kingdom,
and to that we say amen.