The Vast Glory of a Kingdom, 3

Esther 1:
1. It came to pass in the days of Ahasuerus, (this Ahasuerus which reigned from India even Ethiopia, over an hundred and twenty and seven provinces:)
2.That in those days, when king Ahasuerus sat on the throne of his kingdom, which was in Shushan the palace
3. In the third year of his reign he made a feast unto all his princes and his servants, the power of Persia and Media, the nobles and princes of the provinces, being before him
4. When he showed the riches of his glorious kingdom and the honour of his excellent majesty many days, even an hundred and fourscore days.

We have been reflecting on the Book of Esther, w have been reading of a king the bible describes as having a vastly immeasurable kingdom that is gloriously rich and consisting of peoples of many cultures and outlook. It is amazing how he’s able to be the centre of the harmony and conflicts as well as the contradictions oozing from this huge conglomerate. This king decides to showcase the might and riches and the great resources of his excellent kingdom. For more than half of a year, he is literally feeding the people: his princes or subordinate rulers and servants. Ahasuerus, this king is a man. Before him and after him and for ever is the kingdom of God. The display of majesty and power and glory and honour expressed concerning king Ahasuerus in this book are a snippet leaking from heaven to man’s earth by some mechanism; every picture of the heavenly handled by mortals always turn awry. Kingdom establishment and kingly expression are heavenly, but in the hand of man, it’s a world of horror, tragedies and catastrophes. God alone is described as the true Potentate, to whom be glory and majesty and power and dominion and authority for ever and ever. Man in me is a critical part of this exhaustless kingdom whose vast resources cannot give out in all eternity. Ahasuerus and his kingdom though rich and vast are limited. The King of kings doesn’t have to impress me with his awesome power, his creativity and ingenuity. He is not bound to display before me the richness of his kingdom. He doesn’t have to woo my friendship Who’s surrounded by myriads of exotic beings in his kingdom in heaven or the in the kingdom of heaven. Yet this King crested me for this sole purpose of possessing my being, that he might live in me. He deliberately intervened in history because of me, abolishing death and bringing immortality to light. He reborn me so that he might express himself on earth through me; that I might live him on earth and display the vastness of his glorious kingdom. Yet, amazing, in the deliberateness of unfathomable wisdom and knowledge, he crested me the weakest. This mystery of God inhabiting me stirred the curiosity of the angels, principalities, powers – beings in their own right and realms who are excellent in power and might – and they are still busy trying to pry open: How, they wondered in the beginning of my creation in the hand of the King, can God dwell in Man, in me forever? God promised them a holy marvel of his Almightiness; he let them know that in the later days, in his kingdom, they would be seeing him in his unbounded wisdom. “To the intent,” the scripture assures, “that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church ( I’m part of the church, you know) the MANIFOLD wisdom of God according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ our Lord” (Ephesians 3:10-11). This wisdom he showed in his mystic secret hidden in his Son Jesu Christ. Then his Son, that this divine technology might be replicated in me, died and resurrected and brought immortality, a reincarnation of himself in me! Oh, the depth both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! (9:33). You see, God, my Father could do anything, could just make me do what he wanted me to do – but he would not take advantage of my weakness as a man, the lowest in the cadre of the mighty ones. He seeks my cooperation. You could see he covets my friendship as he passionately desires me. You see it would hurt him greatly if I don’t cooperate with him for my redemption which he brought about through the shedding of the blood of his Son Jesus. Redemption means restoring to the original balance of things, to the original thought of God. Now, he sings a serenade and croons to me a lullaby. The amazing love, unequalled! He impressed on me the strength of his love by taking my place in righteous judgement! Lord what can I say to this love!
Father, you have me; I’m forever yours. This is love shinning through the kingdom: “God commendeth his love towards us in that while we’re yet sinners Christ died for us.” I’m glad that you have me and at the dawn of your glorious parousia, the complete supervening of your kingdom, I will be like you because I’ll see and be just as you are. This is the hope of my waiting (1 John 3:2). Lord I love that! You became me and you turned around to hold the mirror of you to me so that I may become more and more like you, the image I see. Now in the glory of your kingdom, I’m being metamorphosed into the same glory as you who I behold – the you who’s the perfection, nay, the fullness of glory.