Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous (Esther 1)

The opening of Esther describes the unbelievably lavish excesses of the ultrarich. Some people question the historicity of a 180-day party, but the rich have always used their riches to flex. Today, the world’s ultrarich strap themselves to rockets and send themselves into space to show how rich and powerful they are. Even the mere moderately rich run for the office of president. Anything to say, “I am here, and I am important!”

The king here in the story of Esther is certainly compensating. This becomes readily apparent when his queen refuses his summons. Instead of talking to her on a relational level, he gathers his chief advisors and creates a law! The whole empire is concerned that the king’s inadequacies and powerlessness will influence women everywhere. Where he can’t elicit influence over his own wife, the powers of government need to be brought to bear. The punishment for a woman who refused to come when her husband calls? She will never be summoned ever again!

People say that money can’t buy you happiness, and this is apparent in the king’s story. He literally has all of the money and power in the world, and yet he can’t get the respect or acceptance that he wants. He is isolated and all alone. This is what sin does to all of us, and there is no way to buy a way out of that isolation. Yet many who know that they can’t still look to rich and powerful men as saviors. Not only is money not the solution; powerful men are no saviors either. They are trapped in the same struggle as all of us.