As we begin the New Year of 2026, I’ll like us to consider a couple of lessons drawn from the first chapter of the book of Esther, a book that is unique because the word “God” or “Lord” does not appear even once throughout its ten chapters.
Chapter one may be divided into three parts, namely, the display of king Ahasuerus’s worth (vv. 1-9), the defiance of his wife (vv. 10-12), and the decree of his wrath (vv. 13-22).
In the first, we see Ahasuerus’s worth displayed especially in the two great feasts which he held for his subjects. In the second, we read of how his wife, Vashti, defied his command to present herself before his guests at the feast. In the third, we are told of how, in his great anger and at the advice of his counsellor, he issued a decree to divorce his wife and terminate her queenship.
We learn two lessons from this chapter.
First, we are reminded that God is at work even if we do not see it. We do not read about God doing or saying anything in this chapter. In fact, we do not even read about any of God’s children throughout the chapter. All we read about are a mighty king showing off to his people, the queen defying his command, and the king’s decree to depose his queen.
A king calls for a six-month feast followed by a seven-day feast where wine is freely served. A queen is stripped of her position and now there is a vacancy in palace. None of these things seem significant to God’s kingdom or God’s people at first sight.
If we were living in the Persian empire in those days, we might be tempted to say, “So what? Who cares what these crazy pagans are doing? What has all of this got to do with us?”
It is not hard to imagine that many of the Jews living in Persia at that time did not think very much about the latest developments in the palace or in the capital city. Many of them would have just been concerned about the things of ordinary life like how they were going to get their next meal or how they would provide for their family.
The same may be true of us. We too often have no idea what God is doing in history. One politician falls from grace and another comes into prominence. One law is repealed and another is passed. One country goes to war, while another country suffers a natural disaster, and still another suffers economic collapse. And a million other events every day are happening in countries all across the globe. What does one thing have to do with another? How do all these things fit together as little jigsaw pieces in the big picture? What logical connection do they have with one another?
We often have no clue at all and it is unlikely that we will ever know about all their connections in this life time. We see and know so little, not just of those things that are taking place far away from us, but even of things that are happening near and close to us.
But the book of Esther reminds us that God is at work even when we do not see how He is working or what He is doing. He is the great unseen director of all of human history and He is arranging all things for the good of His people and the glory of His name. This has been so since the beginning of time and it continues to be so in the present.
We mustn’t think that God is at work only in the big and dramatic events of redemptive history like the crossing of the Red Sea or the collapse of the walls of Jericho, and that at all other times, He is inactive and uninvolved with what is going on.
No, the God who parted the Red Sea is also the God who directed all the events of Esther. Ahasuerus’ feasts, Vashti’s defiance, and Memucan’s advice may all be ultimately traced back to the Lord. We could say that the Lord was very much at work even though He is practically invisible in the chapter.
Let this be an encouragement to us especially as we step into the new year of 2026. There is much that we do not know but this we know – that the Lord has not changed since the days of Esther. We can still trust Him to do what is good and what is right.
Second, we need to look beyond the beauty and splendor of this world to the beauty and glory of Christ and His kingdom.
I believe that the Holy Spirit actually intends for us to be a little amazed and even slightly dazzled by the beauty and glory of Ahasuerus’s kingdom. That is why He inspired the writer to devote so many verses to describing the greatness and majesty of this Persian king and the workings of his kingdom.
But then having been somewhat awed by the kingdom of Ahasuerus, we must look beyond it to a kingdom that is unseen, eternal and of true value.
One writer wrote, “The empire of this world is a glittering hologram that has no real substance.” This was certainly true of the Persian Empire. When we read about the wasteful extravagance of the king and his pride and foolishness, we know, instinctively, that such a king and kingdom will not last long. And indeed, within a hundred and fifty years from the time of Ahasuerus, the Persian Empire was defeated and replaced by the Greeks.
If you’re looking for something of real value, something that has real substance rather than just the emptiness of man’s achievements and wanton pleasure, then you need to look to an altogether different empire and different king. And it is here that we must see the great contrasts between Ahasuerus and Jesus Christ.
Let me point out four ways in which these two kings differ.
First, we see a contrast in their dominions. Ahasuerus reigned from India to Ethiopia, which is a huge territory, but the Lord Jesus reigns over all the universe. All power in heaven and on earth has been given to Him, and someday, all powers and beings in the world will bow before Him and confess that He is Lord.
Second, we see a contrast in their laws. Unlike Ahasuerus, who made laws that were based on his own pride, pleasure, and benefit, and which often harmed his people, the Lord Jesus gives laws which are truly beneficial and good for His citizens – laws which are rooted in love.
Third, we see a contrast in the feasts which they host. Ahasuerus’s feasts were wasteful, boastful, and sinful. Christ’s feasts are holy, honourable and blessed. On earth, He gives us the Lord’s Supper, which is a precious means of grace and a foretaste of far greater and more glorious things to come. Then when Christ comes again at the end of history, He will call His bride, the church, to the marriage feast of the Lamb. He will call her to come, not for the purpose of parading her like an object, but to pour forth His blessing and grace upon her. And unlike Vashti, who refused, the bride of Christ will come willingly, joyfully, and gladly to her King.
Finally, we see a contrast in their relationships to their brides. Ahasuerus viewed Vashti as just another object in his kingdom, existing only for his pride and pleasure. He sought to make use of her beauty to elevate himself and when she refused to be used by him, he divorced her and looked for a replacement. So different is Christ in His treatment of His bride. Instead of simply sitting there and ordering her to come to Him, Christ humbled Himself and came into this wretched world to seek her out. Instead of trying to make use of her, Christ gave Himself for her by dying on the cruel cross in order to save her life.
Ahasuerus knew nothing of what the apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 5:22, “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;”
As we close, let me ask you – who is your king and whose kingdom are you seeking? Are you wasting your time and your life seeking after the kingdom of this world and serving the god of this world? Or are you seeking first the kingdom of Christ and serving Him, who is a most loving, gentle and kind master?
Oh do not be a Vashti to King Jesus! Do not refuse His call to you to come unto Him. All who come will never be cast out, and all who put their trust in Him will never be put to shame.
Would you not then, in this new year, leave the hollow kingdom of this world with all its glittering splendor, but which can never satisfy, and seek after the One who will never fail you, whether in this life and in the one to come?
May we have our eyes fixed on Jesus, who is both the King of grace and the King of glory.
Blessed New Year!