“After these things, when the wrath of King Ahasuerus was appeased, he remembered Vashti and what she had done, and what was decreed against her. Then said the king's servants that ministered unto him, let there be fair young virgins sought for the king; and let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom, that they may gather together all the fair young virgins unto Shushan, the palace, to the house of the women, unto the custody of Hegai, the king's chamberlain, keeper of the women, and let their things for purification be given them. And let the maiden which pleaseth the king be queen instead of Vashti. And the thing pleased the king, and he did so: “Now in Shushan, the palace, there was a certain Jew, whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite, who had been carried away from Jerusalem with the captivity which had been carried away with Jeconiah, king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, had carried away. And he brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle's daughter, for she had neither father nor mother.
And the maid was fair and beautiful, whom Mordecai, when her hither and mother were dead, took for his own daughter.
So it came to pass, when the king's commandment and his decree was heard, and when many maidens were gathered together unto Shushan, the palace, to the custody of Hegai, that Esther was brought also unto the king's house, to the custody of Hegai, keeper of the women. And the maiden pleased him, and he speedily gave her things for her purification, with such things as belonged to her.... and he preferred her and her maids unto the best places of the house of the women.
Now when the turn of Esther, the daughter of Abihail, the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her, was come to go in unto the king, she required nothing but what Hegai, the king's chamberlain, the keeper of the women, appointed. And Esther obtained favor in the sight of all of them that looked upon her. So Esther was taken unto King Ahasuerus, into his house royal in the tenth month, which is the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign. And the king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained grace and favor in his sight, more than all the virgins, so that he set the royal crown upon her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti. Then the king made a great feast unto all his princes and his servants, even Esther's feast." (Esther 2:1-9, 15-18).
In the last chapter we saw something of the glory of the feast which God spreads out, and the refusal of that feast, and the cause of this refusal—the satisfaction of the sinner with himself and his condition. Vashti had a feast of her own; those invited in Luke 14 were occupied, the one with his farm, another with his merchandise, the other with his wife. Those to whom the gospel goes today, and who will not be saved, are such as refuse the ground or condition.
The precious word is, "The Son of man is come to seek and to save that which is lost. They do not consent to the condition of the lost. The word says, "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners." The word says, "The dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear Him shall live." It defines the dead as those that are without God, and are far off, and enemies. But they will not take any such thought of themselves. In this chapter we see a feast also, and one at it. Indeed, it is her own.
She has her feast as had Vashti; but it is made by the king, and he is there with her. But it is so beautiful in its way, that it is called "Esther's feast.”
And how did she get there? For this was a wonderful position, to take a place beside the king, as the object upon which he would lavish all the wealth of his kingdom and all the affections of his heart. She had not applied for it. There never could have risen, in her maiden imagination, the thought or the dream of such a thing. Had she been near enough to the king to have thought of entering his palace, it would be only as the lowest servant of one of his servants, never to have eaten with him, and to share his thoughts and royalty.
But there went out an invitation through all the provinces, open, public, general. It followed one that had decreed swift judgment upon her who despised the dignity and grace and glory of the king. So we learn that the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness, and all unrighteousness of men who hold the truth in unrighteousness; and then a new proclamation comes through the gospel of His grace, that God's righteousness is revealed on the principle of faith to those who believe. And in order to make them believe, God shows them their utter ruin, their guilt and inability to do anything. This is found in the epistle to the Romans.
Vashti's feast was unrighteousness towards the king, like men holding what God gives them apart from-Him. The son who got his living from his father (Luke 15) Went out from his presence to use it, and did but abuse it, and came to want In Rom. 1 man is described as using 'his natural faculties altogether against God. Has he the capability of worshipping? But he did not worship God, but beasts and stupid idols. He worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator. And then all these passions what did he do with them, the very gifts and riches of his being? They all got out of their natural use and demonstrated what ne was. And so God, having pronounced judgment upon all that man is and does, now sends out a proclamation of the richest kind to the world, as lost. The offer is His, own presence, the sharing the royalty of His own Son, to be bone of His bone and flesh of His flesh, to take a place at once and forever in the most intimate fellowship of His heart, to know the exquisite delicacy of His home-love, to have HIMSELF! The king was not seeking servants, even a Minister of state, but a bride. This is wonderful, surpassing the wildest dream of man, the highest flight of thought or longing. Can you take it in, as a true statement that God actually wants you, a lost sinner, a guilty man, to have and hold all that the Lord Jesus has acquired? This is salvation with a meaning!
You see this bride was not to seek the king. She was sought for. Besides, she was an object of deliberative counsels, just as the counsels of God have been set forth in the infinite gospel of the present time. It is the grand cunt of this day, the most wonderful He has put His hand to, the gospel of the glory. It is telling out His own want; He has need. He loves because He is God. You do not have to beg for it, or do anything to secure its outflow. It is there already. He has commended His love toward sinners in the death of Christ. Now accept it.
But how? Can you, in this picture that He has given you, trace-this out? Can you discover the conditions of the feast and the marriage? Vashti is banished from it, while Esther secures all. Read carefully Rom. 9:30,-10:10 and you will see this matter. It is your assumed or supposed goodness that hinders, not your badness, except that it is intensely bad not to be saved for nothing as a vile sinner, when God so wants you, and when you are such. The first, the fundamental thing in all badness, is being away from God, doing without God. Do you think the son would have spent his all in riotous living, if he had staid and had it with his father? Now it is certainly set forth "for our admonition" in this beautiful chapter, that Esther did get everything, while Vashti lost all. Shall we look, then, to see what the Holy Spirit sets forth about the characteristics of Esther? No matter what she was, the proclamation included her, and the royal position awaited her. So that she seems to be a principal figure in the whole succeeding history.
First, she was a foreigner, totally estranged in life, habits and ways from the king. True, she kept from the chamberlain the knowledge of her people, who were captives, but we do not read that the king made any provision to exclude her people from the offer. And when she came to the king she was to be his kindred, "one flesh" with him. Just such were we who are saved; just such are you to-day as unsaved; enemies of God by wicked works, far off, having no hope. The distance between God and you is infinite. The whole habit of your life has been estrangement from Him, the walk according to the course of this world, according to another ruler, the prince of this world, Satan. The king made no difficulty about the far off one, and, now, the invitation takes in all, distinctively.
Second, she was without father or mother; a true child of Abraham in this, according to God's way of dealing in grace with him, for he was to leave his country and his kindred and he cast entirely upon God who appeared to him. Surely this one has these marks as an object of grace that God delights to point out. Death had done its work in her case, and judgment too, in making her a captive. Dependent upon another's kindness, she had learned subjection, which came out so sweetly afterward in her requiring nothing at the hand of Hegai but what he suggested. She was broken by death and utter ruin, a far-off and lone one, having nothing. Now, is this your portrait? Have your kindred anything for you? is there anything in man, of life, or goodness, or native honor, or worth to which you cling? Her being all this is to teach you what position you are to take. As to God, you are there, too.
Then death has come in, in your case. You are worthy of death as a guilty one, and must justify. God in this. The death of Christ was for sin and for sinners, and if you see yourself as guilty before God, you must know that nothing but death will meet that. "Of judgment" is one of the things the Holy Spirit is to set forth now, "because the prince of this world is judged." "Now is the judgment of this world." You are not being left here to see if you can be better, but you are already under judgment.
Third, the relative of Esther, doubtless, most fully entered into all this sad condition more than she did, as his name (Mordecai) implies mourning, bitterness. But he nourished her as his own daughter. Let her own name be what it would, she learned from him. And so the reality of your condition is, doubtless, vastly lower than your conception of it. But the condition itself and not your reckoning of it is where God's proclamation of mercy meets you. It is not your-feelings, your realization, but the dread fact, standing out in all its awful proportions of horror and grief, that you are in this place and condition of bitterness. Do not play with this matter, waiting for feeling. The fact is the awful thing. You are to-day undone, lost! Believe it, and as such, hear God.
Fourth, but Esther found favor with Hegai, who 'was of the king's household, and had his mind and judgment in regard to fitness. And so she was commended to him for preparation for the king. She did not have to bring anything along for anointing or purification. Poor thing! in captivity, in poverty, in plebeian condition, what would the adorning and the cheap ornaments that she might put on, the best she could get, no doubt, do but make her disgusting to the king? It is one thing to be pleasing to the chamber lain; and another to be ready for the king and his court.
“Except a man be born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of God." Without holiness no man shall see Him. It is one thing for God to go out in grace, seeking vile sinners; it is another to be taking them into His counsels and companionship, to adorn His palace of glory. It was virtually the king in the preparation, as it was the king in proclamation; but he did not see Esther officially as suited to him, till she was suited to him. As a sinner, you are just right for the Holy Spirit to bring the word to show you what you are and what you need and bring what you need. Whatever you are, naturally, you want Christ. You must be made anew in Christ Jesus. All through the ceremonies of Israel, the spices and the incense that had to do with the tabernacle, set forth the worthiness of Christ, His acceptableness to God. It is only in the name of Christ Jesus we can stand before God.
Therefore start not that she could not at once go before the king. As she was, she was fit for his officer, and therefore was in the king's hands. Henceforth, as before, she had nothing to do, but let him do all. So the Holy Spirit brings the only One that can make us fit for God. Washed in the precious blood of Christ, there is no spot upon us; found in Christ, we are as fit as He for God. We are a savor of Christ unto God, then. The cleansing, the adorning must be His. Oh, take it; see, the provision is made! For what else is the Holy Spirit here, but to take of the things of Christ? If you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, you will have the fitness for God, for heaven, and can give thanks unto the Father who hath made you meet for the inheritance of the saints in light. No matter how brightly the light shines there, you will not be put to shame.
What had Esther but her native condition for Hegai? Ah, yes, her beauty. You may say that she had something in herself, that she was fair to look upon. But beauty is a relative thing, and depends on the eye that looks upon it. What you and I might esteem beautiful, might not be so to another. It is not said that she esteemed herself beautiful, but she was fair to Hegai, and then afterwards to the king. O Christ loved the church and gave Himself for it." He saw a beauty that the world does not see in it. Its native condition was what attracted Him. To be yourself is your beauty; not to put anything on, not religiousness nor any morality or reputation.
Fifth, but I hasten, with but a word, to the last thing.
Esther is taken to the king, and at once made his own, joined forever to him, losing her own individuality through marriage, and yet so characterizing all things, that the feast becomes hers, and she seems to have the heart of the king and his enactments in her own hands.
Beloved soul, God will be known henceforth in redemption—not creation—glory. The second Man, not the first, shall characterize all His ways and display. And is not that for you? Not what you have of goodness or are by nature, but what you get in Christ, gives meaning to all that is to come. The world to come whereof we speak, is set up under man redeemed in Christ and with Him.
Oh, what a step, from captivity to ruling; from poverty to the palace; from the poor 'unknown thing of no rank, below all ranks of the kingdom, despised by the lowest, to the settled dignity of the queen, the delight of the heart of the king, as well as his official consort! And God puts such stories as these in His book, that you and I may know the riches of His grace more fully, and take it all. The king and queen together at the feast, she happy in the unmixed kindness that lifted her there, and he joyful in her beauty and the value he has put upon her! Oh, will you go to this feast?