A
Banquet
This happened in the days of Ahasuerus,
the same Ahasuerus who ruled over one hundred twenty-seven provinces from
When these days were completed, the king
gave for all the people present in the citadel of Susa, both great and small, a
banquet lasting for seven days, in the court of the garden of the king's
palace. There were white cotton curtains and blue hangings tied with cords of
fine linen and purple to silver rings and marble pillars. There were couches of
gold and silver on a mosaic pavement of porphyry, marble, mother-of-pearl, and
colored stones. Drinks were served in golden goblets, goblets of different
kinds, and the royal wine was lavished according to the bounty of the king.
Drinking was by flagons, without restraint; for the king had given orders to
all the officials of his palace to do as each one desired. Furthermore, Queen Vashti
gave a banquet for the women in the palace of King Ahasuerus.
Esther 1:1-9
Having fun is important, but not when you
bury your head so you don't hear the bad news. So it was with King Ahasuerus of
Persia. His reluctance to be bothered by bad news nearly resulted in the
annihilation of the Jewish people. The king only allowed "happy"
people into his presence. What a difference in the way Jesus treats us. He not
only invites us to tell Him our bad news, He has the willingness and the power
to turn our most troubling circumstances into a celebration of praise.
The gospel is bad
news to those who reject it
and good news to
those who receive it.
Our
Daily Bread - July 9, 2005