The Banquets of the King
1 Now it took place in the days of Ahasuerus, the Ahasuerus who reigned from India to [a]Ethiopia over 127 provinces, 2 in those days as King Ahasuerus sat on his royal throne which was at the citadel in Susa, 3 in the third year of his reign he gave a banquet for all his princes and attendants, the army officers of Persia and Media, the nobles and the princes of his provinces being in his presence. 4 [b]And he displayed the riches of his royal glory and the splendor of his great majesty for many days, 180 days.
5 When these days were completed, the king gave a banquet lasting seven days for all the people who were present at the citadel in Susa, from the greatest to the least, in the court of the garden of the king’s palace. 6 There were hangings of fine white and violet linen held by cords of fine purple linen on silver rings and marble columns, and couches of gold and silver on a mosaic pavement of porphyry, marble, mother-of-pearl and precious stones. 7 Drinks were served in golden vessels of various kinds, and the royal wine was plentiful according to the king’s [c]bounty. 8 The drinking was done according to the law, there was no compulsion, for so the king had given orders to each official of his household that he should do according to the desires of each person. 9 Queen Vashti also gave a banquet for the women in the [d]palace which belonged to King Ahasuerus.
There’s an odd thing here, in verse 8: what in the world does it mean to “drink according to the law”, that is “with no compulsion”? I’m not certain exactly, but it does seem to show some restraint on the part of the king, at least when he first planned this lavish display.
But, let’s go back to the beginning, where Ahasuerus displays “his royal glory and the splendor of his great majesty” for half a year (180 days). During that time, there was a banquet for all the nobles, and princes, and army officers, etc. After that, to top it all off, the king throws a banquet for everyone in the city of Susa. And then we see an account of the splendor of the “court of the garden” that was in the king’s palace.
It’s quite the account, to the extent that the floors were made of marble and other precious stones. What was the point of all this? To show what an amazing and awesome king Ahasuerus was. It’s a stark contrast to when the King of the Universe chose to make himself known on this earth as Jesus. It reminds me of something Paul said in his first letter to the Corinthians (12:23): “on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty”.
He was making a comparison between our physical bodies and the role of all parts/people of the church body, but the point is that some things require modesty, while others don’t. Ahasuerus seems to have had a small amount of self-control, but zero modesty, and that can create problems. This doesn’t just apply to our bodies, as Paul noted, since it can even apply to whole people.
It can also apply to other areas of our lives, like our finances and possessions, and this is where Ahasuerus’ weak spot came in to play. In the earlier days of Israel, one of the kings gave a tour of his riches to foreign emissaries, and he lost it all. It’s a reminder to all of us to be modest, no matter our state. The people who make less than you would only be jealous, while the people who make more won’t think much of it at all. In the end, it all belongs to God, and is a gift from him, so what is there to be proud of?
So in all areas of your life, seek modesty, and stay away from pride and vain displays. Whether it be your physical body, or anything else, it is a gift from God, and not to be taken lightly, or like “pearls cast before swine”. Take joy in his gifts, and use them for God’s glory, not your own.