The second of Ahasuerus'
feasts is in full action. The décor is beautiful. The vessels of
gold have been brought out, and the royal wine has been poured. We
can imagine the festivities and jubilant behavior of the people both
small and great in attendance. The ruler of Persia desires that
everyone be unlimited in their celebration, and in chapter one and
verse eight, we learn more about Ahasuerus' party. We read:
And the drinking [was]
according to the law; none did compel: for so the king had appointed
to all the officers of his house, that they should do according to
every man's pleasure.
This
verse begins with, “And the drinking was according to the law;
none did compel:” In other words, there was no limitation as to
how much drink a person could drink, however there was no one
promoting imbibing to drunkenness either. There was an implied honor
that was associated with everyone remaining sober for the most part
and still having a good time, and it appears that a law was written
to insure this would be the case.
The
verse continues, “for the king had appointed to all the officers
of his house, that they should do according to every man's pleasure.”
Ahasuerus' insured that each man in attendance would be satisfied
with his own personal desire for drink by having his officers or
chief operators give unlimited supply to all who were there. Some
would desire more, and some would desire less, but whatever their
pleasure was, the officers were to accommodate them. Can we imagine
such liberality and giving?
As we
continue our story, we must keep in mind that God Almighty is the
true author of these words. Although the scripture was written by
men, it was inspired by God. As God sets the scene for us with all
these decorations, feasting, drinking and celebrating, we behold a
small glimpse of the man that God will use in future chapters to save
His people and ultimately the line for the Messiah. As we plod
through these early verses, let us remember that Our Heavenly Father
is into details, and if we ponder these events long enough, we will
gain insight into His involvement in the affairs of men. Just as
importantly, we may realize that He is also involved in our
situations as well. May the Lord bless us all with the insight that
He is working diligently behind the scenes according to every man's
pleasure.
Next time we will be introduced to Ahasuerus's wife the queen, so
read ahead, and let us join together then.
Until
tomorrow...there is more...
Look for
the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation
to Generation” in all major
bookstore
sites, www.amazon.com ; www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to
e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore
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