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My great-grandparents told me
stories of a mighty dragon

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that descended
on the Holy Temple.

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The people
had rebelled against God.

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"I will declare my
judgments against them,

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"for all their evil
in forsaking me.

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"They have made offerings to
other gods and worshiped

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the work of their own hands."

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In his anger, God turned his
people over to the fearsome

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enemy, King Nebuchadnezzar,
the dragon of Babylon, through

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whom the fury of God burned
against my people.

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"Nebuchadnezzar the king
of Babylon has devoured me,

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"he has crushed me, he has
made me an empty vessel,

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he has swallowed me
up like a dragon."

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The tears of my people
flowed like a river,

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but they could not quench
the fires

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that consumed our land.

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Into the wilderness we were
led, defeated and destroyed.

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The God we'd forsaken,

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we thought he'd
forsaken us.

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But even in our darkest moment,
God would not leave

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or forsake his people.

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Once more, he made us a promise.

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"I will not look on you
in anger, for I am merciful,

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"I will not be angry forever.

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"Only acknowledge your guilt,
that you rebelled against

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"the Lord your God. . . . I will take
you, one from a city and two

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from a family, and I will
bring you to Zion."

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For 70 years, the people
of God lived in Babylon.

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Over time, Babylon began to
wither and a great lion rose

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from the east: Cyrus,
the king of Persia.

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His armies consumed the world.

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He set his gaze on the remains
of the great dragon's lair,

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Babylon.

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There, Cyrus led a cunning
attack and the kingdom fell.

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Cyrus was a great and good king
and did not believe in

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keeping men as slaves.

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During the first year
of his reign,

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he issued a decree
that freed the Jews.

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God stirred the hearts of his
most devoted people

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to journey back to Jerusalem
and rebuild his temple.

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"And let each survivor,
in whatever place he sojourns,

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"be assisted by the men of his
place with silver and gold,

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"with goods and with beasts,
besides freewill offerings

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for the house of God that
is in Jerusalem."

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Cyrus went the way of all men.

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"Behold, three more
kings shall arise in Persia,

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"and a fourth shall be far
richer than all of them.

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"And when he has become
strong through his riches,

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he shall stir up all against
the kingdom of Greece."

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Behold, Ahasuerus,

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Xerxes the Great.

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Under Xerxes, the empire
prospered and so did the Jews

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who did not return to Jerusalem.

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Among these Jews was a family
of the Tribe of Benjamin.

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They gathered all they could
scrape together and headed out

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from Babylon for the richest
city the world had ever known,

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the Persian capital of Susa.

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During the journey, both
the mother and father died,

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leaving a baby girl to Mordecai.

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Little did my cousin know that
I would grow to be a woman

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the world would never forget.

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I'm glad we're a church that
gets excited about books

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of the Bible.

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If you're going to be
excited about something,

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that's something good
to be excited about, amen?

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Today, we start Esther:

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God's Perfect Work through
Imperfect People.

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Esther is one of only two books
of the Bible that has its name

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after a woman.

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For you ladies, God bestows
particular dignity, value,

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and worth for you
in the pages of Scripture,

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but particularly in
the book of Esther.

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And as we begin our study
of the book of Esther,

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I want to give you a bit
of background and history.

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It's one of the last books
written in the Old Testament.

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It was written about
2 1/2 thousand years ago,

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so we're looking at quite an
ancient book by every account.

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We don't know who the author is.

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There's no internal evidence
for who wrote this book.

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We know, ultimately, God,

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the Holy Spirit wrote
the book of Esther,

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and perhaps it
was Mordecai, her cousin,

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who penned it, some
scholars would say.

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Jews, in particular, love
the book because it shows

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the beginning
of the Feast of Purim,

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which we'll get to
in a few weeks.

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Christians, however,
have not, quite frankly,

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known what to do with the book.

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For the first 7 centuries
of the Christian church,

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0 commentaries were produced
on the book of Esther.

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We sort of treated it like
Superman does kryptonite

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or a cat does water.

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We just stayed away.

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We didn't know what to do
with this particular book.

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Then comes along John Calvin,
one of the great Bible teachers

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and commentators.

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In the history of the church,
we have no record that he ever

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preached a sermon from
the book of Esther,

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and he certainly didn't
write any commentary on it.

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In addition, Martin Luther,
the great Protestant Reformer,

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he said it was basically
a horrible book.

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He was sad that it was ever
written and it shouldn't even be

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in the Bible.

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It's that controversial,
and part of the reason it is

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so controversial is it's
difficult to interpret.

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At no point does the book
of Esther tell us what their

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internal motivations were, what
God's external perspective is.

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It doesn't give us any
commentary, just history.

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Some of you will ask, "Well,
what does the rest of the Bible

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have to say about
the book of Esther?"

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Nothing.

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So, as we go through it,
in your women's Bible study

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or your Community Group,
you can duke it out.

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You can debate,
dialogue, discuss,

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and duke out what exactly is
meant by the historical record

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of the story of Esther.

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Perhaps to aid your studies,
you want to grab a commentary.

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The best one is written by
Karen Jobes and she's written

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a fantastic commentary
on Esther.

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But what I find particularly
curious is one section where she

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says, "It's probably not a good
idea to preach or teach through

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the whole book of Esther."

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So, guess what
we're going to do?

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Please turn in your
Bibles to Esther 1:1,

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as we are going to spend our
time in the ensuing months going

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verse by verse, word by
word, through Scripture.

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We do this because the Bible
says that all Scripture is

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God-breathed and profitable.

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Well, that would include Esther.
Amen?

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Alright, here we go.
We're gonna launch right in.

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We'll start with a who.

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Who's the first character
that God, the Holy Spirit,

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introduces in this epic story?

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Well, we read in Esther 1:1,
"Now in the days of Ahasuerus."

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Alright, so we've got to unpack
this guy named Ahasuerus.

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His Persian name is Ahasuerus.

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His Greek name is Xerxes.

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You heard of Xerxes?

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You shouldn't watch it, but if
you have seen Frank Miller's

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film, "300"--a bunch of guys who
did P90X and a bunch of gals

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who don't wear enough clothes,
that's why I can't recommend it.

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It is the story of
King Xerxes, this man.

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How many of you guys
play "Assassin's Creed"?

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Okay, if you raised your hand,
you're new to Mars Hill

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and you don't know that we make
fun of men like you.

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So--

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So if you're one of those
guys who's really good at

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video games, you know, tell your
mom "Hi" in the basement where

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you live, but what you will note
is one of the characters in

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"Assassin's Creed" is Xerxes.
Okay?

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You've got to say it like that.
Xerxes.

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Now, Xerxes was the great
Persian king and he ruled

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and he reigned.

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He towers, in human history at
that time, and he, in every way,

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towers over the life
and the story of Esther.

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He is, at this point,
in his mid-30s.

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We're gonna read in just
a moment that this was

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the third year of his reign.

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He assumed the throne at about
the age of 32, so now he's,

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let's say, 35-36.

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This means when Esther enters
the scene in a few weeks,

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she's 15 to 20 years
younger than he is.

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He is a man who grew up
very wealthy, very affluent.

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He is commented upon at quite
length by a man named Herodotus,

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so a lot of what I'll teach you
as we spend our time together

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comes from Herodotus.

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He was a Greek historian.

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He's actually called
"The Father of History."

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And the way history was
typically told in that day,

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whichever nation won the war,
they would hire the historian

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to write the story.

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So, it's really not history.

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What it is is P.R.

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Now, what Herodotus did,

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he had a perspective
that was different.

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He decided to try to be
objective and neutral,

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and so he would go to interview
people who were eyewitnesses

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to events, and he would look at
all sides of historical records,

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and he would try,
as much as was possible,

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to present an objective,
neutral view of history.

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And much of his work centers
around the Persian Empire,

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because it had conflict with
Greece, and around this man,

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Xerxes, as he was
known, Xerxes the Great.

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Well, where is
the story taking place?

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Again, chapter 1, verse 1.

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"This is the Ahasuerus,"
or Xerxes,

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"who reigned from India to
Ethiopia over 127 provinces,"

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or satraps.

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There's a bit of
a theological debate there.

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The big idea is this: he is the
most powerful man on the earth.

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There's no one who
rules as Xerxes rules.

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His father, Darius,
was a legendary king,

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ruled some 36 years, was
a man who expanded his empire

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by taking over, conquering, and
assimilating multiple nations.

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So, they are a kingdom that
spans multiple nations

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and peoples.

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They have different races,
different ethnicities,

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different languages, and
different religious convictions.

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Darius, and perhaps Xerxes, if
they had any religious devotion,

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it would have been
Zoroastrianism,

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so they are pagans.

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They do not worship
the God of the Bible.

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And it says that they live,
at this point, in Susa.

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If you want a modern-day place
for that, it's around Iran,

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so we're talking, away from
Jerusalem, away from the temple,

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away from the priesthood,
away from the presence of God

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on the earth.

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And the question arises: is
God working in history

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just in Jerusalem
or in other nations?

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Is God just present in the
temple or is he, to some degree,

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also present elsewhere?

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And this great story
of Esther shows, yes,

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God is at work in nations
beyond Jerusalem, even pagan,

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godless nations like
this Persian kingdom.

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And this man, Darius, he had
this enormous empire that

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the heathen handed to his son.

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And the way it
worked in that day,

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kings were considered like gods,
and they would have

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multiple wives and they
practiced polygamy.

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Women were widely mistreated.

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In addition, they had
an enormous harem,

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and so the palace would include
an entire section just to house

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all of the women who were
there to please the king,

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whatever his nefarious
desires might be.

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As corrupted as your mind can
conceive is the reality of life

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in that day.

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These men make Hugh Hefner look
Little League in comparison

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to the kind of lavish
lifestyle, opulence,

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and abuse of women
that they enjoyed.

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So, this man, Darius,
the great king,

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he had multiple wives
and multiple children,

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because it was believed if you
had many wives and a huge harem

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and lots of children, it showed
the greatness of the king

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and the kingdom.

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Then he had a decision to make
nearing the end of his reign:

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"To whom shall I give my kingdom
that I've labored for?"

238
00:13:22,375 --> 00:13:24,333
And he gave it to
his son Xerxes,

239
00:13:24,375 --> 00:13:27,083
and this is just
a narcissistic, spoiled,

240
00:13:27,167 --> 00:13:31,500
rich kid who grew
up in the palace,

241
00:13:31,542 --> 00:13:33,625
never worked a day in his life.

242
00:13:33,667 --> 00:13:36,333
He didn't go to war, he
didn't fight, he didn't labor,

243
00:13:36,375 --> 00:13:37,792
he didn't struggle.

244
00:13:37,833 --> 00:13:40,708
He probably, if it was
according to custom,

245
00:13:40,792 --> 00:13:43,417
didn't meet his
father until he was 5.

246
00:13:43,500 --> 00:13:46,333
In that day, men
conceived children;

247
00:13:46,375 --> 00:13:48,208
they didn't raise children.

248
00:13:48,292 --> 00:13:51,292
So, you wouldn't even meet your
dad until your 5th birthday.

249
00:13:51,333 --> 00:13:53,000
You were raised by your mom.

250
00:13:53,042 --> 00:13:55,417
In this case, you were raised
in the women's quarters

251
00:13:55,500 --> 00:13:56,833
in the palace.

252
00:13:56,875 --> 00:13:59,333
You were raised with
the other wives in the harem.

253
00:13:59,375 --> 00:14:02,917
So, he grew up
a very spoiled boy.

254
00:14:03,000 --> 00:14:07,667
He lacked nothing and then he
was given the kingdom

255
00:14:07,750 --> 00:14:10,708
that his father ruled over.

256
00:14:10,792 --> 00:14:14,333
And because the nations
have changed in name,

257
00:14:14,375 --> 00:14:18,000
to give you an account, he
basically ruled from Sudan

258
00:14:18,083 --> 00:14:20,667
all the way up
to Pakistan today,

259
00:14:20,750 --> 00:14:22,500
all the way over to Greece.

260
00:14:22,542 --> 00:14:24,500
I'll show you a bit of a map.

261
00:14:24,583 --> 00:14:27,708
So, everything in the green was
the kingdom of Xerxes

262
00:14:27,792 --> 00:14:30,125
that he inherited from his
father, Darius.

263
00:14:30,167 --> 00:14:34,000
In that day, they would have
also called this "the world."

264
00:14:34,042 --> 00:14:35,417
Okay?
Okay?

265
00:14:35,500 --> 00:14:37,500
That's the world.
Okay?

266
00:14:37,583 --> 00:14:40,708
There weren't a ton of people,
yet, in Mexico or Detroit.

267
00:14:40,792 --> 00:14:42,125
Right?

268
00:14:42,167 --> 00:14:44,125
Or wearing kilts in Scotland.
Right?

269
00:14:44,167 --> 00:14:45,917
That hadn't happened yet.

270
00:14:46,000 --> 00:14:49,000
At this point, the majority of
people on the earth lived in

271
00:14:49,042 --> 00:14:53,125
this region,
and he ruled all of it.

272
00:14:53,167 --> 00:14:57,167
So, imagine today,
one ruler, one political,

273
00:14:57,250 --> 00:15:03,500
spiritual leader rising up with
such power that they can turn

274
00:15:03,542 --> 00:15:08,000
Egypt, Libya, Israel, Turkey,
Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia,

275
00:15:08,083 --> 00:15:13,625
Afghanistan, Pakistan into
one nation under their rule.

276
00:15:13,667 --> 00:15:16,708
Even today, that
would be amazing, right?

277
00:15:16,792 --> 00:15:20,500
Just to get two of these nations
to get along would be a miracle.

278
00:15:20,542 --> 00:15:22,000
Right?

279
00:15:22,083 --> 00:15:24,333
These peoples,
historically, have fought,

280
00:15:24,375 --> 00:15:27,375
they have not liked one another,
they have oftentimes been

281
00:15:27,458 --> 00:15:29,417
adversaries and not allies.

282
00:15:29,500 --> 00:15:32,625
You know that a king and
a kingdom is great when he can

283
00:15:32,667 --> 00:15:37,917
turn enemies into his kingdom,
all subject to his rule.

284
00:15:38,000 --> 00:15:44,417
Xerxes is nothing short of a god
in the minds and eyes of those

285
00:15:44,500 --> 00:15:47,625
who observe his rule and reign.

286
00:15:47,667 --> 00:15:52,500
There's no one at the level of
authority, and power, and might.

287
00:15:52,583 --> 00:15:55,333
There has never been, to this
point in the history of

288
00:15:55,375 --> 00:16:00,583
the world, an empire this large,
this vast, this affluent,

289
00:16:00,667 --> 00:16:02,708
and this powerful.

290
00:16:02,792 --> 00:16:06,583
It's hard to overstate
who this man, Xerxes, was.

291
00:16:06,667 --> 00:16:09,708
And some of you may ask, "How
did he get his edicts out

292
00:16:09,792 --> 00:16:12,000
"into these various
cultures and nations?

293
00:16:12,042 --> 00:16:14,917
How did he enforce,
if not impose, his will?"

294
00:16:15,000 --> 00:16:18,500
Well, they created, actually,
the first postal system,

295
00:16:18,542 --> 00:16:23,083
and as he would give decrees,
it was like a word from God,

296
00:16:23,167 --> 00:16:25,625
and it was believed
that he was a God-man.

297
00:16:25,667 --> 00:16:27,500
Sound familiar?

298
00:16:27,583 --> 00:16:29,917
And he called himself
the king of kings.

299
00:16:30,000 --> 00:16:31,708
Sound familiar?

300
00:16:31,792 --> 00:16:34,917
And it was believed that he
spoke with the voice of the sun,

301
00:16:35,000 --> 00:16:37,500
and that when he said
something, it was like Bible,

302
00:16:37,542 --> 00:16:42,375
it was inerrant, it was perfect,
it was to be immediately obeyed.

303
00:16:42,458 --> 00:16:45,292
And they would take the decrees
of King Xerxes and they would

304
00:16:45,333 --> 00:16:49,000
send them through the empire
through the postal system,

305
00:16:49,083 --> 00:16:52,167
and his postal system,
to deliver his decrees,

306
00:16:52,250 --> 00:16:54,167
came up with this
particular motto--

307
00:16:54,250 --> 00:16:56,625
tell me if this sounds familiar.

308
00:16:56,667 --> 00:17:00,708
"Neither snow, nor rain, nor
gloom of night stays these

309
00:17:00,792 --> 00:17:03,375
"valiant couriers from
the swift completion

310
00:17:03,458 --> 00:17:05,000
of their appointed rounds."

311
00:17:05,083 --> 00:17:06,583
What's that sound like?

312
00:17:06,667 --> 00:17:08,583
The U.S. Postal Service.

313
00:17:08,667 --> 00:17:11,167
We stole that from King Xerxes.

314
00:17:11,250 --> 00:17:13,000
The whole U.S. Postal System

315
00:17:13,083 --> 00:17:16,375
should say thank you to
King Xerxes for inventing

316
00:17:16,458 --> 00:17:19,792
postal routes
and also their motto.

317
00:17:19,833 --> 00:17:25,792
This man ruled over about
roughly 3 million square miles.

318
00:17:25,833 --> 00:17:28,292
That's roughly about
the same size as

319
00:17:28,333 --> 00:17:30,708
the United States of America.

320
00:17:30,792 --> 00:17:33,333
He is a big deal.

321
00:17:33,375 --> 00:17:38,083
He is the U.S. president,
plus Bill Gates,

322
00:17:38,167 --> 00:17:42,333
plus everyone else
combined on the earth.

323
00:17:42,375 --> 00:17:44,875
There's no one in--I
could just go on forever.

324
00:17:44,958 --> 00:17:51,208
Everybody who's rich, powerful,
famous, cool, he's it, add a zero.

325
00:17:51,292 --> 00:17:52,833
That's Xerxes.

326
00:17:52,875 --> 00:17:54,208
You get my big idea.

327
00:17:54,292 --> 00:17:55,625
He's a big deal.

328
00:17:55,667 --> 00:17:57,667
Now, when did all
of this happen?

329
00:17:57,750 --> 00:17:59,167
Verse 2.

330
00:17:59,250 --> 00:18:02,500
"In those days when King Xerxes
sat on his royal throne

331
00:18:02,583 --> 00:18:05,500
in Susa," modern-day Iran,
"the citadel,

332
00:18:05,542 --> 00:18:07,417
in the third year of his reign."

333
00:18:07,500 --> 00:18:10,417
Not only does this guy
have a palace, he has two.

334
00:18:10,500 --> 00:18:12,167
You know you're rich
when you're like,

335
00:18:12,250 --> 00:18:15,167
"I've got a back up palace
in case I blow a tire

336
00:18:15,250 --> 00:18:16,583
on the first one."

337
00:18:16,667 --> 00:18:18,083
That's a rich guy.
Right?

338
00:18:18,167 --> 00:18:19,583
And when they have a palace,

339
00:18:19,667 --> 00:18:21,083
their palace is on
the acropolis.

340
00:18:21,167 --> 00:18:23,583
That means "high point," so he
sits high and exalted

341
00:18:23,667 --> 00:18:25,000
up on a hill.

342
00:18:25,042 --> 00:18:26,375
He's like a god.

343
00:18:26,458 --> 00:18:29,375
He's up near the heavens, and
the commoners and the peasants

344
00:18:29,458 --> 00:18:32,000
who want to gaze upon
his palace and kingdom,

345
00:18:32,083 --> 00:18:34,917
they have to look up,
and he looks down on them.

346
00:18:35,000 --> 00:18:38,292
There's a lot of
symbolism there.

347
00:18:38,333 --> 00:18:40,917
And he had a fortified palace.

348
00:18:41,000 --> 00:18:42,333
He had two.

349
00:18:42,375 --> 00:18:44,833
He had one for the summer,
one for the winter,

350
00:18:44,875 --> 00:18:47,000
so he could get good
weather year-round.

351
00:18:47,042 --> 00:18:50,500
It's in modern-day Iran.

352
00:18:50,542 --> 00:18:52,833
Is God working far
away from Jerusalem?

353
00:18:52,875 --> 00:18:54,917
Yes, he is.

354
00:18:55,000 --> 00:18:59,000
In addition, we are told, and I
am not saying this in a way

355
00:18:59,083 --> 00:19:02,417
that is inappropriate, but he is
supposed to be a handsome guy.

356
00:19:02,500 --> 00:19:04,000
Okay?

357
00:19:04,042 --> 00:19:06,917
I don't know what
a handsome guy is,

358
00:19:07,000 --> 00:19:10,167
but the record says that he
was tall, dark, and handsome.

359
00:19:10,250 --> 00:19:12,375
I'm not sure that's handsome.

360
00:19:12,458 --> 00:19:15,125
I tend to think that short
and wide is handsome,

361
00:19:15,167 --> 00:19:20,625
but the historical record says
that he was very handsome, like,

362
00:19:20,667 --> 00:19:23,125
a very good-looking guy.

363
00:19:23,167 --> 00:19:24,500
Okay?

364
00:19:24,583 --> 00:19:26,500
So, whatever your
picture, ladies,

365
00:19:26,583 --> 00:19:30,083
is of a really good-looking
guy, that was Xerxes.

366
00:19:30,167 --> 00:19:33,208
Now, can you imagine that women
were really interested in him?

367
00:19:33,292 --> 00:19:37,208
Most powerful, richest man on
the earth who says he's god,

368
00:19:37,292 --> 00:19:40,292
has a palace and
a backup palace,

369
00:19:40,333 --> 00:19:45,125
he mistreated and abused women,
and he took the position that

370
00:19:45,167 --> 00:19:49,333
God had assigned to him
and he used it for evil.

371
00:19:49,375 --> 00:19:50,833
He also was well protected.

372
00:19:50,875 --> 00:19:52,833
You ever heard of the Immortals?

373
00:19:52,875 --> 00:19:54,417
You ever heard of the Immortals?

374
00:19:54,500 --> 00:19:57,208
Or there was the television
show, "Deadliest Warrior,"

375
00:19:57,292 --> 00:19:59,708
where they'll get various
fighting styles from history and

376
00:19:59,792 --> 00:20:02,708
have them duke it out and see
which one is the toughest.

377
00:20:02,792 --> 00:20:05,417
One of their episodes, they had
the Immortals against the Celts,

378
00:20:05,500 --> 00:20:06,917
and of course the Celts lost.

379
00:20:07,000 --> 00:20:08,333
We all saw that coming.

380
00:20:08,375 --> 00:20:11,083
Any time you're up against the
Immortals, you're going to lose.

381
00:20:11,167 --> 00:20:12,500
Right?

382
00:20:12,542 --> 00:20:14,667
Like, if a guy shows
up for a fight:

383
00:20:14,750 --> 00:20:16,833
"What group are you with?"
"I'm with the Immortals."

384
00:20:16,875 --> 00:20:19,000
"Well, I should just go home.
You can't die.

385
00:20:19,083 --> 00:20:20,417
That means I can't win."

386
00:20:20,500 --> 00:20:22,625
And that was their perspective,
that these soldiers,

387
00:20:22,667 --> 00:20:26,625
these warriors, this personal
bodyguard division for Xerxes,

388
00:20:26,667 --> 00:20:29,500
they thought that these
guys were invincible.

389
00:20:29,583 --> 00:20:32,125
And there were 10,000 of
them, called the Immortals,

390
00:20:32,167 --> 00:20:35,125
and this was his security staff.

391
00:20:35,167 --> 00:20:36,625
Okay?

392
00:20:36,667 --> 00:20:40,667
So, his security staff
fills a small stadium,

393
00:20:40,750 --> 00:20:43,333
and they would travel
with him wherever he went,

394
00:20:43,375 --> 00:20:47,625
and they were glad to die for
him, and they would defend him,

395
00:20:47,667 --> 00:20:50,833
and they would go to war with
him, and they would protect him.

396
00:20:50,875 --> 00:20:52,333
And again, I'm not
recommending it,

397
00:20:52,375 --> 00:20:54,708
but they also make an
appearance in the film, "300."

398
00:20:54,792 --> 00:20:57,667
They're the guys with the masks.

399
00:20:57,750 --> 00:21:02,625
He also had 2,000 horsemen who
followed him and 2,000 lancers.

400
00:21:02,667 --> 00:21:04,875
I mean, that's quite a posse.
Right?

401
00:21:04,958 --> 00:21:07,375
Like, we get impressed, we're
like, "Oh, there's a rapper.

402
00:21:07,458 --> 00:21:08,792
"He's got a full limo.

403
00:21:08,833 --> 00:21:10,500
"Oh, and that guy's
got a stadium.

404
00:21:10,583 --> 00:21:12,292
That's a posse."

405
00:21:12,333 --> 00:21:14,583
All of these soldiers
surrounding him,

406
00:21:14,667 --> 00:21:19,500
and it talks about him
sitting on his royal throne.

407
00:21:19,583 --> 00:21:21,833
Now, let me tell you
about his throne.

408
00:21:21,875 --> 00:21:26,417
His throne symbolized
everything that he valued.

409
00:21:26,500 --> 00:21:31,125
The throne was beautiful, it
was enormous, it was glorious,

410
00:21:31,167 --> 00:21:35,000
and the picture of him seated,
high and exalted, upon a throne,

411
00:21:35,083 --> 00:21:37,500
is a godlike portrait.

412
00:21:37,583 --> 00:21:40,833
It shows him in all
majesty and all glory.

413
00:21:40,875 --> 00:21:45,000
It shows him ruling
and reigning like a god.

414
00:21:45,083 --> 00:21:48,875
He loved his throne so much
that when his army would go into

415
00:21:48,958 --> 00:21:53,375
battle--and he an army of
perhaps a few million soldiers.

416
00:21:53,458 --> 00:21:56,708
He also could be a tyrant,
and dictate and dominate

417
00:21:56,792 --> 00:21:59,167
through destruction.

418
00:21:59,250 --> 00:22:01,500
And as his army would
march off into battle,

419
00:22:01,583 --> 00:22:05,500
he would have his throne
carried to the battle,

420
00:22:05,583 --> 00:22:09,417
and he would sit on it
surrounded by the Immortals,

421
00:22:09,500 --> 00:22:12,208
and they would carry
him off to war.

422
00:22:12,292 --> 00:22:15,500
And he would sit up on
a high point and watch his

423
00:22:15,583 --> 00:22:21,583
military defeat his foes while
seated on his throne.

424
00:22:21,667 --> 00:22:27,208
If you and I were to sit on his
throne, death was the penalty.

425
00:22:27,292 --> 00:22:31,000
If you and I were to step on
the rug in front of his throne,

426
00:22:31,042 --> 00:22:33,625
death was the penalty.

427
00:22:33,667 --> 00:22:36,917
When we pass before
him or just his throne,

428
00:22:37,000 --> 00:22:41,625
we were to bow down in homage,
and worship, adoration,

429
00:22:41,667 --> 00:22:46,125
humility to
the great King Xerxes,

430
00:22:46,167 --> 00:22:48,000
the king of kings.

431
00:22:48,083 --> 00:22:50,333
He was a god.

432
00:22:50,375 --> 00:22:54,833
He was worshiped as a god.

433
00:22:54,875 --> 00:22:57,500
So, what's he going to
do with all this money?

434
00:22:57,542 --> 00:23:00,833
What's he going to do with all
this power and all this fame?

435
00:23:00,875 --> 00:23:04,292
Is he going to care for widows,
orphans, and those in need?

436
00:23:04,333 --> 00:23:07,208
Is he going to look after young
girls who could be abused

437
00:23:07,292 --> 00:23:10,167
in a very difficult day?

438
00:23:10,250 --> 00:23:13,583
Is he going to make sure all
those kids who don't have a dad

439
00:23:13,667 --> 00:23:15,125
are cared for?

440
00:23:15,167 --> 00:23:16,667
No.

441
00:23:16,750 --> 00:23:19,667
No.
Here's what he does.

442
00:23:19,750 --> 00:23:21,417
The end of verse 3.

443
00:23:21,500 --> 00:23:24,625
"He gave a feast for all
his officials and servants.

444
00:23:24,667 --> 00:23:27,708
"The army of Persia and Media
and the nobles and governors

445
00:23:27,792 --> 00:23:29,583
of the provinces
were before him."

446
00:23:29,667 --> 00:23:33,417
He threw parties, huge parties.

447
00:23:33,500 --> 00:23:36,125
What's the biggest party
you've ever been to?

448
00:23:36,167 --> 00:23:37,917
Was it a wedding,
wedding reception,

449
00:23:38,000 --> 00:23:40,625
50th wedding anniversary?

450
00:23:40,667 --> 00:23:43,125
He threw huge parties.

451
00:23:43,167 --> 00:23:46,167
Now, one thing, as you study
Esther--please study it on your

452
00:23:46,250 --> 00:23:51,000
own--there are between eight
and ten banquets or feasts

453
00:23:51,083 --> 00:23:52,917
scattered throughout the book.

454
00:23:53,000 --> 00:23:57,417
The commentators debate, but
those are scenes at which

455
00:23:57,500 --> 00:23:59,417
significant things happen.

456
00:23:59,500 --> 00:24:02,833
The storyline transitions at
these banquets and feasts.

457
00:24:02,875 --> 00:24:05,500
So, here is the first of many.

458
00:24:05,542 --> 00:24:08,708
And the way it would work is
this: you might wonder, how does

459
00:24:08,792 --> 00:24:12,667
he maintain his rule
over his kingdom?

460
00:24:12,750 --> 00:24:14,500
How does he keep
everybody in line?

461
00:24:14,583 --> 00:24:16,000
Well, it's easy.

462
00:24:16,042 --> 00:24:18,208
You get all the military
and political leaders,

463
00:24:18,292 --> 00:24:25,167
you invite them to your palace,
and you feed them the best food,

464
00:24:25,250 --> 00:24:27,875
and you give them
the best drink,

465
00:24:27,958 --> 00:24:32,000
and you hand to them
the most beautiful harem,

466
00:24:32,083 --> 00:24:36,500
and you give them lavish
gifts of gold and silver,

467
00:24:36,583 --> 00:24:40,833
and they will do
anything for you

468
00:24:40,875 --> 00:24:44,625
because you care for them.

469
00:24:44,667 --> 00:24:50,208
These are tax dollars at work.

470
00:24:50,292 --> 00:24:54,375
This was a party
to end all parties.

471
00:24:54,458 --> 00:24:57,125
The commentators say,
just his military generals,

472
00:24:57,167 --> 00:25:01,208
and his leaders,
and the rulers, 15,000 people.

473
00:25:01,292 --> 00:25:02,625
Okay?

474
00:25:02,667 --> 00:25:06,667
Those of you who are event
planners, hospitality folks,

475
00:25:06,750 --> 00:25:09,708
start thinking
about 15,000 people.

476
00:25:09,792 --> 00:25:13,708
Transportation, housing,
rooms, security.

477
00:25:13,792 --> 00:25:15,708
They're all very important.

478
00:25:15,792 --> 00:25:22,208
Food, drink, flowers,
place settings, entertainment,

479
00:25:22,292 --> 00:25:26,583
bands, harem, girls, teenagers.

480
00:25:26,667 --> 00:25:29,000
All of it organized.

481
00:25:29,083 --> 00:25:32,625
How much does it cost?

482
00:25:32,667 --> 00:25:34,792
It's free.

483
00:25:34,833 --> 00:25:38,333
It's all from
the great King Xerxes.

484
00:25:38,375 --> 00:25:41,917
Now, how many of us, we hear
that, we say, "That's nasty.

485
00:25:42,000 --> 00:25:47,167
That's just nasty with a side
of nasty and nasty for dessert."

486
00:25:47,250 --> 00:25:48,583
Okay?

487
00:25:48,667 --> 00:25:50,417
That's just nasty.

488
00:25:50,500 --> 00:25:55,500
Just a drunk old man, ruling,
reigning, abusing girls,

489
00:25:55,542 --> 00:25:58,417
spending money,
feasting, drinking.

490
00:25:58,500 --> 00:26:04,583
How many of us, our frustration
is really rooted in jealousy?

491
00:26:04,667 --> 00:26:07,583
If we gave you an unlimited
amount of power and wealth,

492
00:26:07,667 --> 00:26:09,000
what would you do?

493
00:26:09,042 --> 00:26:11,500
Some of you are like,
"I would feed the poor."

494
00:26:11,542 --> 00:26:12,875
You would throw a party.

495
00:26:12,958 --> 00:26:14,917
You would throw a party.

496
00:26:15,000 --> 00:26:17,917
You would throw a party and you
would invite lots of important

497
00:26:18,000 --> 00:26:20,417
people so they could all
take their photo with you,

498
00:26:20,500 --> 00:26:22,625
and you could put it on
Facebook and Twitter.

499
00:26:22,667 --> 00:26:25,625
"Here I am with Puff Daddy,
and Puff Mommy, and Puff Baby.

500
00:26:25,667 --> 00:26:27,333
"I'm all puffed up.
It's amazing.

501
00:26:27,375 --> 00:26:29,625
"Here I am.
I got rims on my chariot.

502
00:26:29,667 --> 00:26:32,917
"We're rolling high society.
It's a big deal.

503
00:26:33,000 --> 00:26:37,000
"Here I am with musicians, and
political leaders, and heroes,

504
00:26:37,083 --> 00:26:40,375
"and all the people that you see
on television or you read about

505
00:26:40,458 --> 00:26:41,792
"in the tabloids.

506
00:26:41,833 --> 00:26:45,417
"All the people that we want to
get to know and we wish we were

507
00:26:45,500 --> 00:26:48,417
"like, oh, they're all at my
house and they all come because

508
00:26:48,500 --> 00:26:51,417
"I called them, and they all
want to hang out with me

509
00:26:51,500 --> 00:26:53,417
because they all know
that I'm in charge."

510
00:26:53,500 --> 00:26:56,000
It's why we watch certain
shows, we follow certain stars,

511
00:26:56,083 --> 00:26:58,208
we care about certain tabloids.

512
00:26:58,292 --> 00:26:59,625
What are they doing?

513
00:26:59,667 --> 00:27:01,833
And really what it
is, it's jealousy.

514
00:27:01,875 --> 00:27:04,667
And here, the curtain gets
pulled back and we get

515
00:27:04,750 --> 00:27:09,375
a portrait of what it looks like
to live at the highest levels

516
00:27:09,458 --> 00:27:14,500
in the history of the world in
the days of the kings of Persia.

517
00:27:14,583 --> 00:27:17,792
How long do you think
this party lasted?

518
00:27:17,833 --> 00:27:21,167
This is crazy.

519
00:27:21,250 --> 00:27:24,167
"While he showed the riches of
his royal glory and the splendor

520
00:27:24,250 --> 00:27:26,208
and pomp of his
greatness for many days."

521
00:27:26,292 --> 00:27:28,000
How many days, Mars Hill?

522
00:27:28,083 --> 00:27:29,417
"180 days."

523
00:27:29,500 --> 00:27:31,333
That's a party!

524
00:27:31,375 --> 00:27:35,167
How many of you are like, "Yeah,
I partied one time for 6 months!

525
00:27:35,250 --> 00:27:38,000
I don't remember it, but
I hear it was amazing."

526
00:27:38,083 --> 00:27:39,417
Alright?

527
00:27:39,500 --> 00:27:41,000
Six months!

528
00:27:41,042 --> 00:27:45,125
First of all, that definitely
means it's a time of peace.

529
00:27:45,167 --> 00:27:47,917
If all the political leaders
and military leaders are like,

530
00:27:48,000 --> 00:27:50,708
"We're gonna go drink for
6 months and then come back,"

531
00:27:50,792 --> 00:27:55,208
you know that this kingdom
is really running well.

532
00:27:55,292 --> 00:27:56,625
Okay?

533
00:27:56,667 --> 00:27:58,667
In addition,
do the math with me.

534
00:27:58,750 --> 00:28:00,583
Start to think about it.

535
00:28:00,667 --> 00:28:05,083
Six-month party for
fifteen thousand people.

536
00:28:05,167 --> 00:28:08,125
How many of you have recently
just had a dinner party where

537
00:28:08,167 --> 00:28:11,500
you cooked for some people, and
then you went to bed for a month

538
00:28:11,583 --> 00:28:12,917
you were so tired?

539
00:28:13,000 --> 00:28:14,333
Right?

540
00:28:14,375 --> 00:28:16,917
Like, Thanksgiving,
Christmas, exhausted.

541
00:28:17,000 --> 00:28:21,208
Six months.

542
00:28:21,292 --> 00:28:23,083
Six months!

543
00:28:23,167 --> 00:28:25,833
Now, how many of you really
are like, "That sounds good.

544
00:28:25,875 --> 00:28:29,333
"Pastor Mark, don't
say it like it's bad.

545
00:28:29,375 --> 00:28:32,417
"Like, you know,
a 6-month vacation?

546
00:28:32,500 --> 00:28:35,708
"Like, a hammock
and a drink with, you know,

547
00:28:35,792 --> 00:28:39,000
"an umbrella in it, and yeah.

548
00:28:39,042 --> 00:28:40,625
"Praise the Lord.

549
00:28:40,667 --> 00:28:42,833
"It's in the Bible, why
don't--yeah, let's do that.

550
00:28:42,875 --> 00:28:44,208
"You know?
Like, that's a--"?

551
00:28:44,292 --> 00:28:46,208
How many of you right
now, you're like,

552
00:28:46,292 --> 00:28:48,000
"Six-month vacation,
unlimited food and drink."

553
00:28:48,042 --> 00:28:51,833
This is like
an all-inclusive resort.

554
00:28:51,875 --> 00:28:54,708
It's unbelievable.

555
00:28:54,792 --> 00:28:57,125
Why?
Why does he do this?

556
00:28:57,167 --> 00:28:58,833
Because he loves people,
because he's nice,

557
00:28:58,875 --> 00:29:00,708
because he's generous?

558
00:29:00,792 --> 00:29:02,333
No.

559
00:29:02,375 --> 00:29:05,000
"He showed the riches
of his royal--" what?

560
00:29:05,083 --> 00:29:08,167
"Glory."
There's a worship word.

561
00:29:08,250 --> 00:29:10,708
Here's what it's all about:

562
00:29:10,792 --> 00:29:14,833
"Everyone, come see
the glory of the king.

563
00:29:14,875 --> 00:29:18,292
He's high, and exalted,
and seated on a throne."

564
00:29:18,333 --> 00:29:20,500
Sound familiar?

565
00:29:20,583 --> 00:29:23,417
"We're going to gather people
around him from all the nations

566
00:29:23,500 --> 00:29:24,917
"that he rules.

567
00:29:25,000 --> 00:29:27,125
"We're going to eat,
and we're going to drink,

568
00:29:27,167 --> 00:29:29,625
"and we're going to sing,
and were going to play.

569
00:29:29,667 --> 00:29:32,625
"And one after the other, we're
going to spend 6 months toasting

570
00:29:32,667 --> 00:29:37,000
"the great King Xerxes while he
sits on his throne and receives

571
00:29:37,083 --> 00:29:42,708
glory, and honor, and praise,
and he's worshiped as a god."

572
00:29:42,792 --> 00:29:46,375
It's all about his glory.

573
00:29:46,458 --> 00:29:49,083
Mars Hill Church, we believe
that the glory is

574
00:29:49,167 --> 00:29:51,500
for another king.
Amen?

575
00:29:51,583 --> 00:29:55,417
Another king who seats
himself upon a throne,

576
00:29:55,500 --> 00:30:00,125
and he rules and reigns over
nations, kings, kingdoms.

577
00:30:00,167 --> 00:30:02,833
This man wants to be Jesus.

578
00:30:02,875 --> 00:30:06,333
This man thinks he's Jesus.

579
00:30:06,375 --> 00:30:11,417
Now, how many of us, really,
given the same resources,

580
00:30:11,500 --> 00:30:15,125
we would make
the same decisions?

581
00:30:15,167 --> 00:30:18,500
How many of us, really,
when it comes to our wealth,

582
00:30:18,542 --> 00:30:21,625
it's about us showing our glory.

583
00:30:21,667 --> 00:30:23,833
So, the car we drive is
so that everybody's,

584
00:30:23,875 --> 00:30:25,583
"Wow, did you see that?
That's nice.

585
00:30:25,667 --> 00:30:27,000
"Where'd you get that?

586
00:30:27,042 --> 00:30:29,208
How'd you
afford--that's amazing."

587
00:30:29,292 --> 00:30:33,000
We can sit in a nice bucket
seat with a seat warmer.

588
00:30:33,083 --> 00:30:35,333
That's our throne.

589
00:30:35,375 --> 00:30:38,708
We go home to our house and we
want to have the greatest house

590
00:30:38,792 --> 00:30:40,917
so we can show the world,
"Here's our glory.

591
00:30:41,000 --> 00:30:42,667
Look at what we've done."

592
00:30:42,750 --> 00:30:45,333
Walk into your house, almost
every house has got one chair,

593
00:30:45,375 --> 00:30:47,000
right, that's your chair.

594
00:30:47,083 --> 00:30:48,833
"No one sit in the chair!

595
00:30:48,875 --> 00:30:50,500
That's my chair."

596
00:30:50,583 --> 00:30:53,500
I'm just quoting your father.
Right?

597
00:30:53,542 --> 00:30:57,417
'Cause that's his throne,
and this is his kingdom,

598
00:30:57,500 --> 00:31:03,708
and you're all his subjects,
and the king is now in glory.

599
00:31:03,792 --> 00:31:06,417
There's something in
us that wants to be king.

600
00:31:06,500 --> 00:31:09,000
There's something in us
that wants all the glory.

601
00:31:09,042 --> 00:31:14,667
The difference between you,
and I, and he is the wealth,

602
00:31:14,750 --> 00:31:19,917
opulence, and resources that
are at our availability.

603
00:31:20,000 --> 00:31:23,125
But the clothes we wear,
look at how glorious they are!

604
00:31:23,167 --> 00:31:26,708
How we present ourselves,
look at how glorious they are!

605
00:31:26,792 --> 00:31:33,000
This was all about the king
being exalted in glory,

606
00:31:33,042 --> 00:31:36,208
a mere man acting
like the God-man.

607
00:31:36,292 --> 00:31:38,833
The story continues.

608
00:31:38,875 --> 00:31:41,875
Verse 5: "And when these
days were completed,"

609
00:31:41,958 --> 00:31:44,625
6 months of partying.

610
00:31:44,667 --> 00:31:48,708
Let me just say this: do you
know what it looks like--

611
00:31:48,792 --> 00:31:50,833
can you even conceive what
it looks like,

612
00:31:50,875 --> 00:31:55,167
6 months, all expenses
paid, free harem, open bar,

613
00:31:55,250 --> 00:31:58,708
all-you-can-eat
buffet, no rules.

614
00:31:58,792 --> 00:32:00,792
Where, like, Charlie Sheen's
over in the corner

615
00:32:00,833 --> 00:32:03,000
shaking his head like,
"This is too much.

616
00:32:03,083 --> 00:32:06,125
This is out of control.
This is too much."

617
00:32:06,167 --> 00:32:08,000
Right?

618
00:32:08,083 --> 00:32:09,583
He's just like, "This is crazy.

619
00:32:09,667 --> 00:32:12,792
"I can't handle--I
can't stomach this.

620
00:32:12,833 --> 00:32:14,167
It's out of control."

621
00:32:14,250 --> 00:32:16,500
Right?
It's insanity.

622
00:32:16,583 --> 00:32:20,333
This is Mardi Gras meets
frat party meets, you know,

623
00:32:20,375 --> 00:32:25,292
open bar meets
happy hour insanity.

624
00:32:25,333 --> 00:32:28,000
How many of you--maybe
don't raise your hand,

625
00:32:28,083 --> 00:32:31,000
but how many of you, you've
kind of tried this life?

626
00:32:31,083 --> 00:32:34,125
You're like, "I woke up wearing
a lampshade in another state

627
00:32:34,167 --> 00:32:35,833
"2 months later.
You know?

628
00:32:35,875 --> 00:32:37,625
I've tried that."

629
00:32:37,667 --> 00:32:39,333
Okay?

630
00:32:39,375 --> 00:32:41,333
That's what's going on.

631
00:32:41,375 --> 00:32:43,333
How many of you deep
down, you're like,

632
00:32:43,375 --> 00:32:45,208
"I still think
that might be fun."

633
00:32:45,292 --> 00:32:47,000
Right?

634
00:32:47,042 --> 00:32:49,500
Some of you are not
getting the big idea.

635
00:32:49,542 --> 00:32:50,875
This is bad!

636
00:32:50,958 --> 00:32:52,833
This is really,
really, really bad.

637
00:32:52,875 --> 00:32:54,333
Okay?

638
00:32:54,375 --> 00:32:56,833
And here it goes: "And when
these days were completed,

639
00:32:56,875 --> 00:32:58,583
"the king gave
for all the people

640
00:32:58,667 --> 00:32:59,958
"present in Susa the citadel,

641
00:33:00,083 --> 00:33:03,375
"both great and small, a feast
lasting seven days in the court

642
00:33:03,458 --> 00:33:05,125
of the garden of
the king's palace."

643
00:33:05,167 --> 00:33:09,417
So, 6 months, the 15,000
political and military rulers

644
00:33:09,500 --> 00:33:12,583
get an enormous party,
and then he opens it up to all

645
00:33:12,667 --> 00:33:16,083
the "regular folk,"
the poor people, the peasants,

646
00:33:16,167 --> 00:33:20,375
and there were very rich
and very poor in that day.

647
00:33:20,458 --> 00:33:22,375
So, now more the
normal citizens,

648
00:33:22,458 --> 00:33:23,875
they get a 1-week party.

649
00:33:23,958 --> 00:33:26,917
So, Xerxes says, first of
all, "You get a week off work.

650
00:33:27,000 --> 00:33:28,417
It's a national holiday."

651
00:33:28,500 --> 00:33:29,917
Yay King Xerxes!

652
00:33:30,000 --> 00:33:31,792
"And I'm going to
open the palace!"

653
00:33:31,833 --> 00:33:33,333
Good!

654
00:33:33,375 --> 00:33:35,292
How many of you have
been, for example,

655
00:33:35,333 --> 00:33:37,083
through somewhere like Europe
or Turkey

656
00:33:37,167 --> 00:33:39,708
and you get to go into a palace.

657
00:33:39,792 --> 00:33:41,208
"Ooh, there's the throne!"

658
00:33:41,292 --> 00:33:42,625
You get to see it.

659
00:33:42,667 --> 00:33:44,500
"There's the jewels!
Oh, there's the dining room.

660
00:33:44,583 --> 00:33:45,917
"Oh, there's the bedroom.

661
00:33:46,000 --> 00:33:48,208
Oh, you know, there's
the guest quarters."

662
00:33:48,292 --> 00:33:51,167
And oh, you get to see
the majesty of the king

663
00:33:51,250 --> 00:33:53,417
and his kingdom.

664
00:33:53,500 --> 00:33:56,125
That's all this is.

665
00:33:56,167 --> 00:33:58,625
This is an opportunity
for the poor peasants,

666
00:33:58,667 --> 00:34:00,917
and the simple workers,
and the commoners,

667
00:34:01,000 --> 00:34:04,417
and those who are illiterate,
"Oh yes, we get to get a tour,

668
00:34:04,500 --> 00:34:08,000
"a free tour of
the king's palace.

669
00:34:08,083 --> 00:34:11,708
"We get to see our
king in all his glory.

670
00:34:11,792 --> 00:34:15,583
We get to see all
that is his kingdom,"

671
00:34:15,667 --> 00:34:17,708
and they parade through.

672
00:34:17,792 --> 00:34:20,000
Kind of like us going
to the mall, right?

673
00:34:20,083 --> 00:34:21,792
"Oh, look at that!
Wow!

674
00:34:21,833 --> 00:34:24,000
"That's amazing!
Oh, I wish I could have that.

675
00:34:24,042 --> 00:34:25,500
I wish I could afford that."

676
00:34:25,583 --> 00:34:26,917
And his place is nice.

677
00:34:27,000 --> 00:34:28,917
His place makes
Restoration Hardware

678
00:34:29,000 --> 00:34:30,625
look like camping.

679
00:34:30,667 --> 00:34:32,500
This place is unbelievable.

680
00:34:32,583 --> 00:34:34,500
Let's read of it.

681
00:34:34,542 --> 00:34:38,000
"There were white cotton
curtains and violet hangings

682
00:34:38,042 --> 00:34:41,000
fastened with cords
of fine linen."

683
00:34:41,042 --> 00:34:43,375
So, it says--they give
some of the decor.

684
00:34:43,458 --> 00:34:45,708
Some of you are interior
designers, event planners,

685
00:34:45,792 --> 00:34:48,625
you like hospitality,
you're cooks.

686
00:34:48,667 --> 00:34:51,583
You get an idea of
the magnificence of this event.

687
00:34:51,667 --> 00:34:54,333
I don't know how many people
are here at this point.

688
00:34:54,375 --> 00:34:56,500
There's, let's say, 15,000 plus
everybody--maybe there's

689
00:34:56,583 --> 00:34:58,500
50,000 people.

690
00:34:58,583 --> 00:35:01,417
You even get an idea of
how big this party is?

691
00:35:01,500 --> 00:35:04,417
And it tells us some of
the colors are purple,

692
00:35:04,500 --> 00:35:07,333
and the reason it tells us
that the colors are purple,

693
00:35:07,375 --> 00:35:10,292
purple was the most
expensive, most difficult,

694
00:35:10,333 --> 00:35:12,625
most rare color in that day.

695
00:35:12,667 --> 00:35:14,875
It was the hardest
to obtain purple dye,

696
00:35:14,958 --> 00:35:18,000
so it was only for the most
affluent and wealthy.

697
00:35:18,083 --> 00:35:21,083
That's why in the New Testament,
it tells us that this gal,

698
00:35:21,167 --> 00:35:24,125
Lydia, became a Christian
and she gave to help Paul's

699
00:35:24,167 --> 00:35:29,667
ministry, tells us that she was
a dealer in purple garments.

700
00:35:29,750 --> 00:35:32,208
She was very rich.

701
00:35:32,292 --> 00:35:35,000
So, like in our day, somebody
walks by, you're like, "Wow!"

702
00:35:35,042 --> 00:35:38,208
You see the--that's why we put
labels on our clothes, right?

703
00:35:38,292 --> 00:35:41,208
"Oh, that was expensive.
How did they afford that?"

704
00:35:41,292 --> 00:35:44,000
Well, in that day, you didn't
necessarily need a label on

705
00:35:44,083 --> 00:35:48,792
your clothes, you just needed to
wear purple and everybody knew.

706
00:35:48,833 --> 00:35:52,000
Wow, purple.

707
00:35:52,083 --> 00:35:55,833
Only a select few
can afford that.

708
00:35:55,875 --> 00:35:59,208
Now, here's what they
do with these colors.

709
00:35:59,292 --> 00:36:01,875
What do they do?

710
00:36:01,958 --> 00:36:04,833
"Purple to silver rods."

711
00:36:04,875 --> 00:36:07,833
The curtains are purple.

712
00:36:07,875 --> 00:36:11,083
The curtains are purple.

713
00:36:11,167 --> 00:36:14,167
Now, is this a big
palace or a small palace?

714
00:36:14,250 --> 00:36:15,667
Big palace.

715
00:36:15,750 --> 00:36:17,667
A lot of curtains
or a few curtains?

716
00:36:17,750 --> 00:36:19,875
A lot of curtains.
You're a poor commoner.

717
00:36:19,958 --> 00:36:21,625
Down where you live,
nobody owns purple.

718
00:36:21,667 --> 00:36:23,667
They've never seen purple.
They've heard about it.

719
00:36:23,750 --> 00:36:25,083
"There's this thing
called purple."

720
00:36:25,167 --> 00:36:26,500
"Really, what's it like?"

721
00:36:26,542 --> 00:36:30,125
"It's kind of like blue married
red and they had purple."

722
00:36:30,167 --> 00:36:31,875
"I've never seen that!"

723
00:36:31,958 --> 00:36:37,500
Then you walk into the palace
and all the curtains are purple.

724
00:36:37,542 --> 00:36:39,083
Wow.

725
00:36:39,167 --> 00:36:42,083
Not only that, silver rods.

726
00:36:42,167 --> 00:36:44,292
How many of you, when
you hang your curtains,

727
00:36:44,333 --> 00:36:45,917
you hang them on silver rods?

728
00:36:46,000 --> 00:36:48,167
Do you do that at
your apartment?

729
00:36:48,250 --> 00:36:49,583
Like, what are the curtains--

730
00:36:49,667 --> 00:36:52,083
"Well, you know, I need to hold
the curtains up

731
00:36:52,167 --> 00:36:54,500
"and I had leftover silver,
just mountains of silver,

732
00:36:54,583 --> 00:36:56,000
"and I thought,
'Well, curtain rods,

733
00:36:56,083 --> 00:36:58,583
that's a good use for silver.'"

734
00:36:58,667 --> 00:37:01,875
Tax dollars at work.

735
00:37:01,958 --> 00:37:03,583
"And marble pillars."

736
00:37:03,667 --> 00:37:07,417
How many of you have a marble
pillar in your dorm, your condo?

737
00:37:07,500 --> 00:37:10,667
You're like, "Yes, the ceiling
is up, the floor is down.

738
00:37:10,750 --> 00:37:12,583
"We needed something
to keep them separated.

739
00:37:12,667 --> 00:37:15,208
I chose marble pillars."

740
00:37:15,292 --> 00:37:20,000
This is magnificent
wealth, even to this day.

741
00:37:20,083 --> 00:37:22,833
"And also couches
of gold and silver."

742
00:37:22,875 --> 00:37:24,833
This one's just crazy.

743
00:37:24,875 --> 00:37:27,125
You're walking through, you're
like, "That's a nice couch."

744
00:37:27,167 --> 00:37:29,000
"Gold.
Gold."

745
00:37:29,042 --> 00:37:30,625
"The whole couch?"
"Yes."

746
00:37:30,667 --> 00:37:32,125
"How many seats do you have?"

747
00:37:32,167 --> 00:37:34,875
"Well, we have seating
for, I don't know, 50,000.

748
00:37:34,958 --> 00:37:36,500
"And all the couches are gold.

749
00:37:36,583 --> 00:37:39,708
"And then, you know, we went to
the flea market and we got

750
00:37:39,792 --> 00:37:41,500
some silver ones too."

751
00:37:41,583 --> 00:37:44,333
Can you even see this?

752
00:37:44,375 --> 00:37:46,667
Meanwhile, down the hill,
there are poor people

753
00:37:46,750 --> 00:37:49,375
that are hunting,
and fishing, and farming,

754
00:37:49,458 --> 00:37:52,167
trying to eke out a living
to feed their families.

755
00:37:52,250 --> 00:37:55,333
But oh, there's
the great King Xerxes.

756
00:37:55,375 --> 00:37:58,000
He sits on a gold couch.

757
00:37:58,042 --> 00:37:59,625
His curtains are purple.

758
00:37:59,667 --> 00:38:02,125
They're held up with silver.

759
00:38:02,167 --> 00:38:06,208
"Mother-of-pearl
and precious stones."

760
00:38:06,292 --> 00:38:10,500
It includes one here,
"Pavement made of porphyry."

761
00:38:10,583 --> 00:38:13,208
This is a purple quartz.

762
00:38:13,292 --> 00:38:16,625
He's now got fine
jewels for the floor.

763
00:38:16,667 --> 00:38:18,167
Can you imagine that?

764
00:38:18,250 --> 00:38:19,667
You're walking like,
"This is amazing."

765
00:38:19,750 --> 00:38:21,417
You look down,
you're like, "What the?

766
00:38:21,500 --> 00:38:22,833
"What the heck?

767
00:38:22,875 --> 00:38:25,833
It's all fine jewels
in the floor."

768
00:38:25,875 --> 00:38:28,000
The story continues:
"Mother-of-pearl."

769
00:38:28,083 --> 00:38:29,708
How many of you
ladies, right now,

770
00:38:29,792 --> 00:38:32,083
would like to have
anything mother-of-pearl?

771
00:38:32,167 --> 00:38:34,000
Anything.

772
00:38:34,083 --> 00:38:36,667
Mother-of-pearl is mentioned,
and precious stones.

773
00:38:36,750 --> 00:38:39,125
He just says, "Et cetera."

774
00:38:39,167 --> 00:38:41,583
That's how over the top it is.

775
00:38:41,667 --> 00:38:46,708
It's just overwhelming, it's
awe-inspiring, it's heaven-like.

776
00:38:46,792 --> 00:38:49,208
It's so majestic.

777
00:38:49,292 --> 00:38:53,167
How many of you were wondering,
"Well, what's on the menu?

778
00:38:53,250 --> 00:38:56,292
What did they eat?
What did they drink?"

779
00:38:56,333 --> 00:38:58,917
"Drinks were served in," what?

780
00:38:59,000 --> 00:39:00,500
"Gold vessels."

781
00:39:00,583 --> 00:39:02,917
I mean, the thing
is getting crazy.

782
00:39:03,000 --> 00:39:04,417
You walk in, you're
like, "Hello,

783
00:39:04,500 --> 00:39:05,833
welcome to the king's party."

784
00:39:05,875 --> 00:39:07,208
"Thank you."

785
00:39:07,292 --> 00:39:08,625
"Here's your gold vessel."

786
00:39:08,667 --> 00:39:10,000
"What's that for?"

787
00:39:10,083 --> 00:39:11,417
"Drinking."

788
00:39:11,500 --> 00:39:12,833
"Really?"

789
00:39:12,875 --> 00:39:15,583
How many of you don't have gold
glasses in your cupboard

790
00:39:15,667 --> 00:39:17,000
at home?

791
00:39:17,083 --> 00:39:18,417
Pure gold.

792
00:39:18,500 --> 00:39:21,125
You know you have a lot
of gold when they're like,

793
00:39:21,167 --> 00:39:23,125
"What do you want do
with all the gold?

794
00:39:23,167 --> 00:39:24,875
There's so much gold,
this whole mountain."

795
00:39:24,958 --> 00:39:26,292
"I don't know, place settings?"

796
00:39:26,333 --> 00:39:28,792
So, the guests come in,
they're handed a gold goblet.

797
00:39:28,833 --> 00:39:33,333
This is more money than they
will earn in their lifetime.

798
00:39:33,375 --> 00:39:35,000
"Oh, it's for drinking."

799
00:39:35,042 --> 00:39:36,500
Now, you start
thinking about it,

800
00:39:36,583 --> 00:39:38,208
those of you who
are event planners

801
00:39:38,292 --> 00:39:39,625
and watch the Food Network.

802
00:39:39,667 --> 00:39:41,000
Start thinking about it.

803
00:39:41,083 --> 00:39:44,000
If you have 50,000 guests, how
many place settings do you need?

804
00:39:44,083 --> 00:39:45,417
I don't know.
A lot.

805
00:39:45,500 --> 00:39:48,500
Can you imagine the busboys
walking around with tubs full of

806
00:39:48,583 --> 00:39:51,417
gold goblets and the guy at the
dishwasher's in the back like,

807
00:39:51,500 --> 00:39:53,500
"Gold, gold, gold,
gold, gold, gold,"

808
00:39:53,583 --> 00:39:56,708
just cleaning all the dishes.

809
00:39:56,792 --> 00:39:58,417
The story continues.

810
00:39:58,500 --> 00:40:01,000
What did they put in
the golden vessels?

811
00:40:01,083 --> 00:40:03,167
It says, "Vessels of
different kinds," as well.

812
00:40:03,250 --> 00:40:06,417
In case you didn't like gold,
you could go with, I don't know,

813
00:40:06,500 --> 00:40:09,125
some precious stone, or you
could go with something that was

814
00:40:09,167 --> 00:40:11,833
hand-carved, or maybe a metal,
or something that was just

815
00:40:11,875 --> 00:40:13,625
hand-forged out of silver.

816
00:40:13,667 --> 00:40:16,333
After all, if gold is
not what you're seeking,

817
00:40:16,375 --> 00:40:19,583
we have options for you.

818
00:40:19,667 --> 00:40:23,500
"And the royal wine."

819
00:40:23,542 --> 00:40:27,500
Friends, there are two kinds
of wine:

820
00:40:27,583 --> 00:40:31,875
wine and royal wine.

821
00:40:31,958 --> 00:40:33,500
Right?

822
00:40:33,542 --> 00:40:36,000
Everything from, "Hey, it
came in a box," to

823
00:40:36,083 --> 00:40:39,333
"Hey, it came in a bottle,"
that's wine.

824
00:40:39,375 --> 00:40:42,000
Royal wine?

825
00:40:42,083 --> 00:40:47,417
Now, imagine this: 15,000 people
have had an open bar

826
00:40:47,500 --> 00:40:50,417
for 6 months.

827
00:40:50,500 --> 00:40:52,792
You ever seen somebody
at an open bar?

828
00:40:52,833 --> 00:40:55,292
Okay, if you're thinking of
getting married some day and

829
00:40:55,333 --> 00:40:58,500
you're like, "I don't know if we
should do an open bar," don't!

830
00:40:58,542 --> 00:40:59,875
Don't.

831
00:40:59,958 --> 00:41:02,792
Just don't.
Right?

832
00:41:02,833 --> 00:41:06,000
Everybody gets drunk, they
start breaking commandments,

833
00:41:06,083 --> 00:41:07,917
the bride is crying.

834
00:41:08,000 --> 00:41:09,500
Right?

835
00:41:09,542 --> 00:41:11,208
The groomsmen are fighting.

836
00:41:11,292 --> 00:41:14,000
Like, it all just--everybody
goes three people back

837
00:41:14,083 --> 00:41:16,833
on the evolutionary chart when
you have an open bar, right?

838
00:41:16,875 --> 00:41:19,667
You're like sloped foreheads,
grunting, hitting each other.

839
00:41:19,750 --> 00:41:21,083
It's horrible.

840
00:41:21,167 --> 00:41:22,500
Okay?

841
00:41:22,583 --> 00:41:25,417
So don't do an open bar
at your wedding reception, amen?

842
00:41:25,500 --> 00:41:27,167
How many of you have done that?

843
00:41:27,250 --> 00:41:28,917
You're like,
"We did an open bar.

844
00:41:29,000 --> 00:41:31,125
"Yeah, that was not good.
That was not good.

845
00:41:31,167 --> 00:41:32,875
"Yeah.
We still can't find a cousin.

846
00:41:32,958 --> 00:41:37,333
We just miss him."
All right?

847
00:41:37,375 --> 00:41:39,875
Open bar for 6 months.

848
00:41:39,958 --> 00:41:43,000
Not just wine, royal wine.

849
00:41:43,083 --> 00:41:47,333
So, you're talking the best wine
that could possibly be made,

850
00:41:47,375 --> 00:41:51,625
unlimited open bar, and then
they open it to the commoners,

851
00:41:51,667 --> 00:41:53,833
and the peasants,
and the regular folk.

852
00:41:53,875 --> 00:41:55,917
Imagine this, okay?

853
00:41:56,000 --> 00:41:58,500
Just conceive with me, like,
a guy who's a fisherman,

854
00:41:58,583 --> 00:42:01,667
a farmer,
he's got a week holiday,

855
00:42:01,750 --> 00:42:03,667
you know, the king
gives him it off.

856
00:42:03,750 --> 00:42:05,583
"Hey, Martha, let's
go see the palace.

857
00:42:05,667 --> 00:42:07,000
A mug, what's this?"

858
00:42:07,042 --> 00:42:09,208
"This is all you can
drink royal wine."

859
00:42:09,292 --> 00:42:12,667
"Yes!
How long is this good for?"

860
00:42:12,750 --> 00:42:15,208
"A week."

861
00:42:15,292 --> 00:42:18,292
Insanity ensues.

862
00:42:18,333 --> 00:42:21,125
Insanity ensues.

863
00:42:21,167 --> 00:42:23,833
I mean, this guy's house makes
Puff Daddy's house look like

864
00:42:23,875 --> 00:42:25,667
a tool shed.

865
00:42:25,750 --> 00:42:27,125
Okay?

866
00:42:27,167 --> 00:42:29,500
And this guy's bar
is unprecedented.

867
00:42:29,583 --> 00:42:33,625
There's nothing in Vegas that
even compares to what is

868
00:42:33,667 --> 00:42:38,917
being served and how
people are behaving.

869
00:42:39,000 --> 00:42:42,500
"And drinking was
according to this edict."

870
00:42:42,583 --> 00:42:44,333
So, they have a drinking rule.

871
00:42:44,375 --> 00:42:46,833
How many of you think
drinking rule would be good?

872
00:42:46,875 --> 00:42:49,500
Yes, that's a good idea,
a drinking rule.

873
00:42:49,542 --> 00:42:52,375
Here's the drinking rule:
"There is no compulsion."

874
00:42:52,458 --> 00:42:55,708
Okay, here's the drinking
rule: there's no rules!

875
00:42:55,792 --> 00:42:58,375
There was a rule in that day,
when the king drank

876
00:42:58,458 --> 00:43:00,625
you would have to drink,
but the king said,

877
00:43:00,667 --> 00:43:02,125
"You can drink
whatever you want,

878
00:43:02,167 --> 00:43:04,125
"you can drink as
much as you want,

879
00:43:04,167 --> 00:43:05,625
"you can drink
whenever you want.

880
00:43:05,667 --> 00:43:07,000
No rules."

881
00:43:07,083 --> 00:43:13,167
Imagine telling 50,000 people
that they had a week to drink

882
00:43:13,250 --> 00:43:16,625
and do without limitation.

883
00:43:16,667 --> 00:43:19,708
This is the emergency brake
pulled on the sinful condition

884
00:43:19,792 --> 00:43:23,083
of mankind.

885
00:43:23,167 --> 00:43:27,333
How many of you,

886
00:43:27,375 --> 00:43:30,208
really, have had days like this?

887
00:43:30,292 --> 00:43:33,000
Maybe not 7 in a row
or 180 in a row,

888
00:43:33,042 --> 00:43:35,000
but you've had days like this.

889
00:43:35,083 --> 00:43:38,208
No limitations, no
inhibitions, no restrictions,

890
00:43:38,292 --> 00:43:44,500
just full-throated sin, go
for it, drunkenness, gluttony,

891
00:43:44,583 --> 00:43:48,708
perversion, debauchery,
overindulgence.

892
00:43:48,792 --> 00:43:50,708
See, and what can happen is
we look

893
00:43:50,792 --> 00:43:52,625
and we can sort of get
religious.

894
00:43:52,667 --> 00:43:54,625
"Wow, those are nasty people.
That's very terrible.

895
00:43:54,667 --> 00:43:57,500
"I just feel like I need
hand sanitizer to even read this

896
00:43:57,583 --> 00:43:59,000
story, the things are so nasty."

897
00:43:59,083 --> 00:44:02,333
But then some of us, if we
were honest, we would say,

898
00:44:02,375 --> 00:44:06,917
"Been there, done that.
I understand.

899
00:44:07,000 --> 00:44:12,125
"I understand how
sinful people can be,

900
00:44:12,167 --> 00:44:13,917
"and when given opportunity,

901
00:44:14,000 --> 00:44:18,833
they tend to prefer
the opportunity for evil."

902
00:44:18,875 --> 00:44:21,917
"The king had given orders to all
the staff of his palace

903
00:44:22,000 --> 00:44:24,500
to do as each man desired."

904
00:44:24,542 --> 00:44:28,000
How many of you ladies are
wondering, where's the ladies?

905
00:44:28,083 --> 00:44:29,708
Like, where are the gals?

906
00:44:29,792 --> 00:44:32,917
How many of you gals would
not want to be at this party?

907
00:44:33,000 --> 00:44:35,917
Okay, all of you would not
want to be at this party,

908
00:44:36,000 --> 00:44:39,875
especially the one that was
military personnel for 6 months,

909
00:44:39,958 --> 00:44:43,000
15,000 men, drunk.

910
00:44:43,042 --> 00:44:44,625
Okay?

911
00:44:44,667 --> 00:44:47,208
All the commandments are broken.

912
00:44:47,292 --> 00:44:49,625
There's nothing good happening.

913
00:44:49,667 --> 00:44:52,500
It was customary in that day
for the husbands and wives

914
00:44:52,583 --> 00:44:54,125
to dine together.

915
00:44:54,167 --> 00:44:57,000
It wasn't like it is today in
some Muslim cultures where when

916
00:44:57,083 --> 00:44:59,208
there's a public gathering,
the men and women, perhaps,

917
00:44:59,292 --> 00:45:00,667
are separated.

918
00:45:00,750 --> 00:45:03,667
In that day, it was customary
for the men and women to,

919
00:45:03,750 --> 00:45:05,167
generally speaking,
dine together.

920
00:45:05,250 --> 00:45:06,583
Not this one.

921
00:45:06,667 --> 00:45:08,083
So, we read in verse 9:

922
00:45:08,167 --> 00:45:10,292
"Queen Vashti also
gave a feast for the women

923
00:45:10,333 --> 00:45:12,292
in the palace that
belonged to King Ahasuerus,"

924
00:45:12,333 --> 00:45:14,417
King Xerxes.

925
00:45:14,500 --> 00:45:17,500
So, all the men are drinking,
and feasting, and partying.

926
00:45:17,583 --> 00:45:20,375
And there are women there,
but what kind of women?

927
00:45:20,458 --> 00:45:23,125
The employed women who
are part of the harem,

928
00:45:23,167 --> 00:45:26,208
and we'll get into that because
that ties in directly to

929
00:45:26,292 --> 00:45:28,667
the story of Esther.

930
00:45:28,750 --> 00:45:31,833
Over in another room, another
portion of the palace,

931
00:45:31,875 --> 00:45:33,500
is Queen Vashti.

932
00:45:33,583 --> 00:45:35,833
She's got all the women.

933
00:45:35,875 --> 00:45:38,708
When no women are present
and no rules are in place,

934
00:45:38,792 --> 00:45:41,500
men become animals.
Amen?

935
00:45:41,583 --> 00:45:44,333
What they're doing is
despicable, deplorable,

936
00:45:44,375 --> 00:45:49,417
disgusting, and depraved,
and there are women there,

937
00:45:49,500 --> 00:45:52,000
but these are women who are
getting used and abused.

938
00:45:52,083 --> 00:45:55,208
And some of you men need to
understand that the difference

939
00:45:55,292 --> 00:45:58,708
between you and Xerxes--
and he was a perverted man.

940
00:45:58,792 --> 00:46:01,208
I mean, he married
this woman, Vashti.

941
00:46:01,292 --> 00:46:03,500
Do you know who she was
originally married to?

942
00:46:03,583 --> 00:46:05,375
His brother.

943
00:46:05,458 --> 00:46:07,125
This is his sister-in-law.

944
00:46:07,167 --> 00:46:08,625
He stole her.

945
00:46:08,667 --> 00:46:11,333
He thought she was attractive
so he stole his brother's wife

946
00:46:11,375 --> 00:46:14,333
and, in addition, he thought
that his brother's daughter

947
00:46:14,375 --> 00:46:17,417
was attractive,
and so he stole her too,

948
00:46:17,500 --> 00:46:19,583
and he married
the mother and the daughter,

949
00:46:19,667 --> 00:46:23,125
his sister-in-law and his niece.

950
00:46:23,167 --> 00:46:27,708
In addition, he had numerous
other wives and he had a harem.

951
00:46:27,792 --> 00:46:30,500
Herodotus, the great historian,
says that the last 15 years of

952
00:46:30,583 --> 00:46:33,208
his life he hardly tended
to matters of state.

953
00:46:33,292 --> 00:46:36,208
He was totally consumed with
the harem and all the women

954
00:46:36,292 --> 00:46:39,792
who just met all of his evil,
sick, sinful, selfish,

955
00:46:39,833 --> 00:46:43,208
abusive desires.

956
00:46:43,292 --> 00:46:46,417
And let me say this: some of
you guys have this same thing

957
00:46:46,500 --> 00:46:48,792
on your hard drive.

958
00:46:48,833 --> 00:46:53,000
The only difference between
you and Xerxes is income.

959
00:46:53,083 --> 00:46:58,500
And so what he had in
reality, you have digitally.

960
00:46:58,583 --> 00:47:02,500
We've got to be careful
that as we condemn Xerxes,

961
00:47:02,583 --> 00:47:04,708
we condemn ourselves.

962
00:47:04,792 --> 00:47:06,875
As we condemn their
overindulgence,

963
00:47:06,958 --> 00:47:09,417
we condemn our overindulgence.

964
00:47:09,500 --> 00:47:14,167
As we condemn their desire for
glory--and it's what we use

965
00:47:14,250 --> 00:47:17,000
Facebook and Twitter
and social media to do.

966
00:47:17,042 --> 00:47:19,333
"Photos of what I'm doing
because the whole world

967
00:47:19,375 --> 00:47:23,000
"needs to see what I am up
to because I am important,

968
00:47:23,083 --> 00:47:25,917
"I am significant,
I am central and essential,

969
00:47:26,000 --> 00:47:28,667
"and there are things that I
am doing that are glorious

970
00:47:28,750 --> 00:47:31,667
"and you need to see them,
and you need to praise me,

971
00:47:31,750 --> 00:47:34,417
and you need to honor me
by posting on my wall."

972
00:47:34,500 --> 00:47:40,292
The times have changed,
but the hearts have not.

973
00:47:40,333 --> 00:47:46,208
It's amazing how what we see
externally reveals what is

974
00:47:46,292 --> 00:47:48,208
going on internally.

975
00:47:48,292 --> 00:47:50,125
Amen?

976
00:47:50,167 --> 00:47:53,292
Now at this point, Xerxes,
in hearing the story,

977
00:47:53,333 --> 00:47:55,417
would feel so proud.

978
00:47:55,500 --> 00:47:58,917
"Look at me in all my glory!"

979
00:47:59,000 --> 00:48:04,333
But it reveals something of
a very wicked, evil, selfish,

980
00:48:04,375 --> 00:48:09,875
narcissistic desire
to be God,

981
00:48:09,958 --> 00:48:12,500
to sit on a throne,

982
00:48:12,583 --> 00:48:18,208
to rule over nations,
to ravage and abuse women,

983
00:48:18,292 --> 00:48:22,500
to indulge in food
and drink in excess.

984
00:48:22,583 --> 00:48:26,792
Might I say, Mars Hill, he's
just the first American.

985
00:48:29,750 --> 00:48:33,292
My question to you is
this--think on it for a moment

986
00:48:33,333 --> 00:48:37,208
as we've read the words
of the book of Esther.

987
00:48:37,292 --> 00:48:39,500
What's missing?

988
00:48:39,583 --> 00:48:41,917
What's missing, Mars Hill?

989
00:48:42,000 --> 00:48:43,875
Let me ask it another way.

990
00:48:43,958 --> 00:48:46,333
Who's missing?

991
00:48:46,375 --> 00:48:49,208
Who's missing in the story?

992
00:48:49,292 --> 00:48:53,208
God.

993
00:48:53,292 --> 00:48:55,417
We just read
the first nine verses

994
00:48:55,500 --> 00:48:57,500
of the great book of Esther,

995
00:48:57,583 --> 00:49:01,333
God is not once mentioned,
God doesn't appear.

996
00:49:01,375 --> 00:49:04,333
Some of you say, "Well, what
if we keep reading the book?"

997
00:49:04,375 --> 00:49:07,833
Read the whole book of Esther,
God is never mentioned once.

998
00:49:07,875 --> 00:49:09,292
It's a godless book.

999
00:49:09,333 --> 00:49:11,583
God never appears.

1000
00:49:11,667 --> 00:49:13,500
God doesn't speak.

1001
00:49:13,583 --> 00:49:15,708
No prophet speaks
on God's behalf.

1002
00:49:15,792 --> 00:49:17,708
No angel shows up.

1003
00:49:17,792 --> 00:49:21,625
The heavens don't open and God
delivers a word personally.

1004
00:49:21,667 --> 00:49:23,792
There are no miracles.

1005
00:49:23,833 --> 00:49:26,375
There's nothing supernatural.

1006
00:49:26,458 --> 00:49:28,583
There's no mention of
Jerusalem, and the temple,

1007
00:49:28,667 --> 00:49:30,333
and the presence of God.

1008
00:49:30,375 --> 00:49:31,917
There's no mention
of the priesthood

1009
00:49:32,000 --> 00:49:34,208
and the sacrificial system
for sin.

1010
00:49:34,292 --> 00:49:36,875
There's no quoting of
other books of the Bible.

1011
00:49:36,958 --> 00:49:38,875
There's no giving of God's laws.

1012
00:49:38,958 --> 00:49:41,833
No one repents, no one prays.

1013
00:49:41,875 --> 00:49:46,833
There is no action from God or
to God that is revealed anywhere

1014
00:49:46,875 --> 00:49:49,708
in the entirety of
the book of Esther.

1015
00:49:49,792 --> 00:49:54,917
It's this stunningly
curious omission.

1016
00:49:55,000 --> 00:50:01,292
How many of you this
sounds like your life?

1017
00:50:02,333 --> 00:50:04,875
How many of you this
sounds like your life?

1018
00:50:04,958 --> 00:50:06,875
You're like, "I have
never seen a miracle.

1019
00:50:06,958 --> 00:50:09,208
"I've read about them,
I've never seen a miracle.

1020
00:50:09,292 --> 00:50:11,917
God's never showed
up in that way in my life."

1021
00:50:12,000 --> 00:50:14,417
How many of you have
never heard from God?

1022
00:50:14,500 --> 00:50:17,625
You've never gotten a dream,
a vision, an audible word.

1023
00:50:17,667 --> 00:50:20,375
You've never gotten
visited by an angel.

1024
00:50:20,458 --> 00:50:22,625
You're sick and you
haven't been healed.

1025
00:50:22,667 --> 00:50:24,708
You've prayed and it's
not been answered.

1026
00:50:24,792 --> 00:50:28,917
You've looked and it's
not been accomplished.

1027
00:50:29,000 --> 00:50:30,625
How many of you,
that's your life?

1028
00:50:30,667 --> 00:50:33,500
It feels like
the story of Esther.

1029
00:50:33,583 --> 00:50:37,000
"Dirty, rich men rule
the world, I'm grinding it out,

1030
00:50:37,083 --> 00:50:40,833
and God doesn't show up."

1031
00:50:40,875 --> 00:50:43,500
And it leads to all
kinds of questions.

1032
00:50:43,583 --> 00:50:48,417
"God, do you even exist
or is Xerxes really God?

1033
00:50:48,500 --> 00:50:51,375
"Is this the best we have?

1034
00:50:51,458 --> 00:50:54,792
"God, if you do exist, are you
paying any attention at all?

1035
00:50:54,833 --> 00:50:56,875
"Are you just a deistic God?

1036
00:50:56,958 --> 00:50:58,792
"Are you an absentee landlord?

1037
00:50:58,833 --> 00:51:02,500
Have you been on vacation
and do you not care?"

1038
00:51:02,583 --> 00:51:06,583
Or "God, do you lack
the power to do anything?

1039
00:51:06,667 --> 00:51:09,833
"Is your glory not commensurate
to the Xerxes of the world?

1040
00:51:09,875 --> 00:51:12,625
"Is your throne not
above their throne?

1041
00:51:12,667 --> 00:51:15,125
"Do you not see?
Do you not care?

1042
00:51:15,167 --> 00:51:17,375
Will you not act?"

1043
00:51:17,458 --> 00:51:19,708
How many of you
in your dark, desperate,

1044
00:51:19,792 --> 00:51:23,292
desolate moments have either
uttered that

1045
00:51:23,333 --> 00:51:25,417
or thought that privately?

1046
00:51:25,500 --> 00:51:27,125
Let's be honest.

1047
00:51:27,167 --> 00:51:29,708
"Where is he?"

1048
00:51:29,792 --> 00:51:32,292
Women are being abused,
money is being misspent,

1049
00:51:32,333 --> 00:51:37,500
and mere men
think they're gods.

1050
00:51:37,583 --> 00:51:39,208
Where's God?

1051
00:51:39,292 --> 00:51:44,625
Where's God
in the story of Esther?

1052
00:51:44,667 --> 00:51:49,000
He's silhouetted in
the book, friends.

1053
00:51:49,083 --> 00:51:51,167
Any of you seen a silhouette?

1054
00:51:51,250 --> 00:51:53,333
See, a painting is
in great detail.

1055
00:51:53,375 --> 00:51:57,500
A silhouette paints
a portrait through absence.

1056
00:51:57,583 --> 00:52:00,125
God appears
in the story of Esther,

1057
00:52:00,167 --> 00:52:03,500
but he does so silhouetted.

1058
00:52:03,542 --> 00:52:06,208
He's not there.

1059
00:52:06,292 --> 00:52:07,833
So it is with a silhouette.

1060
00:52:07,875 --> 00:52:10,417
When you see it, you
can't make anything out,

1061
00:52:10,500 --> 00:52:13,167
and then all of a sudden,
you look at the absence,

1062
00:52:13,250 --> 00:52:15,667
and it reveals the presence
of something that you missed

1063
00:52:15,750 --> 00:52:17,917
at first glance.

1064
00:52:18,000 --> 00:52:20,333
God is silhouetted through
the book of Esther,

1065
00:52:20,375 --> 00:52:24,583
and might I submit this to you,
friends: God works in Esther

1066
00:52:24,667 --> 00:52:27,667
not through his visible
hand of miracle,

1067
00:52:27,750 --> 00:52:30,500
but through his invisible
hand of providence.

1068
00:52:30,583 --> 00:52:34,583
Because, see, we know that
history is not circumstance,

1069
00:52:34,667 --> 00:52:37,000
happenstance, or chance.

1070
00:52:37,083 --> 00:52:41,417
It's governed by providence,
that God is sovereign and good,

1071
00:52:41,500 --> 00:52:45,125
that God rules and reigns over
all peoples, times, and places,

1072
00:52:45,167 --> 00:52:48,083
that God is in
the details of history,

1073
00:52:48,167 --> 00:52:52,417
that God is working everything
out according to a plan

1074
00:52:52,500 --> 00:52:57,333
for his glory and our good.

1075
00:52:57,375 --> 00:53:01,333
And for those of you who have
felt like the story of Esther

1076
00:53:01,375 --> 00:53:05,167
feels, I want you to know
that God is at work

1077
00:53:05,250 --> 00:53:07,500
in your life as well.

1078
00:53:07,583 --> 00:53:09,167
You may never hear his voice.

1079
00:53:09,250 --> 00:53:11,375
You may never see his
face in this life.

1080
00:53:11,458 --> 00:53:12,833
The angel may not come.

1081
00:53:12,875 --> 00:53:14,333
The healing may not occur.

1082
00:53:14,375 --> 00:53:16,208
The prayer may not be answered.

1083
00:53:16,292 --> 00:53:21,917
Yes, the voice of God may not
thunder down, but God is active,

1084
00:53:22,000 --> 00:53:25,125
and present, and at work
in the lives of his people,

1085
00:53:25,167 --> 00:53:31,667
even those who are far
away from him as they were.

1086
00:53:31,750 --> 00:53:35,333
How many of you, in hearing
the story of Xerxes,

1087
00:53:35,375 --> 00:53:37,500
there's a hollowness,
there's a shallowness,

1088
00:53:37,583 --> 00:53:39,500
there's an emptiness.

1089
00:53:39,583 --> 00:53:42,625
"That's it?

1090
00:53:42,667 --> 00:53:46,583
"That's all we get is
one guy who thinks he's a god,

1091
00:53:46,667 --> 00:53:50,333
and we all worship
him, and then he dies,

1092
00:53:50,375 --> 00:53:54,208
"and then some other nation
rises up, and he's our new god,

1093
00:53:54,292 --> 00:53:56,917
"and we worship him,
and then he dies?

1094
00:53:57,000 --> 00:54:00,583
"Is human history just thousands
of years of corrupt, rich,

1095
00:54:00,667 --> 00:54:04,208
"perverted men sitting on
thrones being worshiped as God?

1096
00:54:04,292 --> 00:54:06,083
"Is that all there is?

1097
00:54:06,167 --> 00:54:07,833
Is there no more?"

1098
00:54:07,875 --> 00:54:10,500
How many are frustrated?

1099
00:54:10,542 --> 00:54:15,500
Here's the good news: above
Xerxes, there's another King.

1100
00:54:15,583 --> 00:54:17,833
This is not the only
book of the Bible.

1101
00:54:17,875 --> 00:54:21,917
It's part of the storyline
that leads to a greater King.

1102
00:54:22,000 --> 00:54:24,417
Above Xerxes, there's
another throne,

1103
00:54:24,500 --> 00:54:28,000
and seated on it is
another King named Jesus.

1104
00:54:28,083 --> 00:54:30,625
And Jesus is our King,
and unlike Xerxes,

1105
00:54:30,667 --> 00:54:33,208
he got off his throne.

1106
00:54:33,292 --> 00:54:36,917
He didn't invite us just
to come and sit around him.

1107
00:54:37,000 --> 00:54:40,917
He first came down
to dwell among us.

1108
00:54:41,000 --> 00:54:45,833
Mars Hill, I need you to know
that Jesus is a better King.

1109
00:54:45,875 --> 00:54:48,708
Here's what Xerxes says about
himself from an inscription that

1110
00:54:48,792 --> 00:54:54,583
the archaeologists uncovered:
"I am Xerxes the Great King,

1111
00:54:54,667 --> 00:54:59,333
"the only king, the king of all
countries which speak all kinds

1112
00:54:59,375 --> 00:55:02,917
"of languages, the king
of this entire big

1113
00:55:03,000 --> 00:55:06,417
and far-reaching earth."

1114
00:55:06,500 --> 00:55:11,583
Xerxes thought he was Jesus.

1115
00:55:11,667 --> 00:55:14,500
Some of you think you're Jesus.

1116
00:55:14,583 --> 00:55:17,167
Some of you honor,
obey, worship, follow,

1117
00:55:17,250 --> 00:55:21,167
adore people who
think they're Jesus.

1118
00:55:21,250 --> 00:55:23,333
Jesus is a better King.

1119
00:55:23,375 --> 00:55:25,375
Amen, Mars Hill?

1120
00:55:25,458 --> 00:55:27,500
Jesus is a better King.

1121
00:55:27,583 --> 00:55:32,333
Xerxes was the son of Darius,
but Jesus is the Son of God.

1122
00:55:32,375 --> 00:55:36,875
Xerxes never tasted
poverty nor humility,

1123
00:55:36,958 --> 00:55:40,833
but Jesus tasted both poverty
and humility

1124
00:55:40,875 --> 00:55:43,500
to identify with us.

1125
00:55:43,583 --> 00:55:47,000
Xerxes used his
power to abuse women,

1126
00:55:47,083 --> 00:55:51,708
but Jesus used his
power to honor women.

1127
00:55:51,792 --> 00:55:55,208
Xerxes spent his entire
life being served,

1128
00:55:55,292 --> 00:56:01,125
but Jesus spent his entire
life serving others.

1129
00:56:01,167 --> 00:56:05,000
Xerxes killed his enemies
with an army of millions,

1130
00:56:05,083 --> 00:56:10,000
but Jesus died for his
enemies, saving billions.

1131
00:56:10,083 --> 00:56:12,833
Xerxes sat on a throne in Susa,

1132
00:56:12,875 --> 00:56:17,333
but Jesus sits on a throne
in heaven.

1133
00:56:17,375 --> 00:56:20,417
Xerxes was the most
powerful man on earth,

1134
00:56:20,500 --> 00:56:22,708
but Jesus made
the heavens and the earth

1135
00:56:22,792 --> 00:56:26,500
and he rules over all creation.

1136
00:56:26,542 --> 00:56:29,917
Xerxes said he would rule
wherever the sun set,

1137
00:56:30,000 --> 00:56:36,125
but only Jesus made the sun
and rules over all of creation.

1138
00:56:36,167 --> 00:56:42,167
Xerxes died and today,
no one worships Xerxes as god;

1139
00:56:42,250 --> 00:56:45,125
but Jesus conquered
death and today,

1140
00:56:45,167 --> 00:56:49,333
billions worship
Jesus as the only God.

1141
00:56:49,375 --> 00:56:52,833
Xerxes thought he was
a man who became god,

1142
00:56:52,875 --> 00:56:56,917
but only Jesus is
God who became a man.

1143
00:56:57,000 --> 00:57:00,833
Xerxes' kingdom had
subjects from many nations,

1144
00:57:00,875 --> 00:57:07,125
but Jesus' kingdom has joyful
worshipers from every nation.

1145
00:57:07,167 --> 00:57:12,292
Xerxes threw enormous banquets,
but the one Jesus is preparing

1146
00:57:12,333 --> 00:57:16,583
for us makes his
pale in comparison.

1147
00:57:16,667 --> 00:57:22,583
Xerxes' kingdom came to an end,
but Jesus' kingdom has no end.

1148
00:57:22,667 --> 00:57:27,167
Xerxes declared himself
king of kings, but he died.

1149
00:57:27,250 --> 00:57:31,083
He stood before and was judged
by the one and only

1150
00:57:31,167 --> 00:57:35,000
King of kings,
the Lord Jesus Christ.

1151
00:57:35,042 --> 00:57:38,500
Mars Hill Church,

1152
00:57:41,750 --> 00:57:45,208
today is our
day of celebration.

1153
00:57:45,292 --> 00:57:48,333
We are citizens of
a greater kingdom.

1154
00:57:48,375 --> 00:57:50,917
We have received a greater gift.

1155
00:57:51,000 --> 00:57:54,917
We are looking forward
to a greater blessing,

1156
00:57:55,000 --> 00:57:57,500
and we gather in the name,
and the presence,

1157
00:57:57,542 --> 00:58:00,167
and the fame of Jesus Christ.

1158
00:58:00,250 --> 00:58:02,333
He is our great King.

1159
00:58:02,375 --> 00:58:05,083
He is a better King than
any king and every king.

1160
00:58:05,167 --> 00:58:08,792
He is the King of kings,
and so now,

1161
00:58:08,833 --> 00:58:11,917
we will celebrate Jesus Christ.

1162
00:58:12,000 --> 00:58:14,708
And if they were willing to
throw lavish, extravagant,

1163
00:58:14,792 --> 00:58:20,833
fun, joyful parties
for a demonic, false king,

1164
00:58:20,875 --> 00:58:25,000
how much more should we rejoice
and be glad that our King

1165
00:58:25,083 --> 00:58:28,708
knows us, that our King loves
us, that our King saves us,

1166
00:58:28,792 --> 00:58:32,500
that our King seeks us,
that our King serves us,

1167
00:58:32,583 --> 00:58:35,208
and our King is preparing
a banquet for us.

1168
00:58:35,292 --> 00:58:37,167
Amen?

1169
00:58:37,250 --> 00:58:40,083
Father God, I pray
for our church.

1170
00:58:40,167 --> 00:58:44,792
I pray that we would
know that you are good,

1171
00:58:44,833 --> 00:58:49,625
that you are sovereign, that
though we don't always see it,

1172
00:58:49,667 --> 00:58:51,708
you are always,

1173
00:58:51,792 --> 00:58:54,333
according to your
invisible hand of providence,

1174
00:58:54,375 --> 00:58:56,083
at work in our lives.

1175
00:58:56,167 --> 00:58:58,708
God, at this point
in the story, there is no hope,

1176
00:58:58,792 --> 00:59:00,875
there is no joy.

1177
00:59:00,958 --> 00:59:03,833
So it is in our life until
we meet the Lord Jesus,

1178
00:59:03,875 --> 00:59:07,375
the greater King,
the greatest King,

1179
00:59:07,458 --> 00:59:10,208
the only King,
the King of kings.

1180
00:59:10,292 --> 00:59:13,500
Lord Jesus, we see you
now, high and exalted.

1181
00:59:13,583 --> 00:59:16,167
We see you seated
on your throne,

1182
00:59:16,250 --> 00:59:20,875
ruling and reigning over
all languages, all nations,

1183
00:59:20,958 --> 00:59:26,292
all cultures, all peoples,
all times, all places.

1184
00:59:26,333 --> 00:59:30,375
You alone are worthy of glory.

1185
00:59:30,458 --> 00:59:32,917
Every party that's
ever been thrown,

1186
00:59:33,000 --> 00:59:37,125
every celebration that's
ever been enacted,

1187
00:59:37,167 --> 00:59:41,708
every time people have gathered
seeking to honor someone,

1188
00:59:41,792 --> 00:59:46,833
it was a faint, hollow, shallow
echo of what we were made for:

1189
00:59:46,875 --> 00:59:50,875
worship; that you are
a glorious God, Lord Jesus,

1190
00:59:50,958 --> 00:59:54,292
and we look forward to the day
when our faith becomes sight,

1191
00:59:54,333 --> 00:59:57,208
when we rise from death as
you did and we walk into

1192
00:59:57,292 --> 01:00:00,125
your kingdom together
as your people.

1193
01:00:00,167 --> 01:00:02,500
We see you seated
upon the throne,

1194
01:00:02,583 --> 01:00:06,000
we sit down at the table that
you have prepared for us,

1195
01:00:06,083 --> 01:00:10,083
and we honor, and celebrate,
and glorify you forever.

1196
01:00:10,167 --> 01:00:13,333
Don't let us settle for
lesser kings and kingdoms.

1197
01:00:13,375 --> 01:00:16,500
Keep us hungry and strong
until we see the Lord Jesus,

1198
01:00:16,542 --> 01:00:18,667
in whose name we pray.
Amen.