“4 For a full 180 days he displayed the vast wealth of his kingdom and the splendour and glory of his majesty. 5 When these days were over, the king gave a banquet, lasting seven days, in the enclosed garden of the king’s palace, for all the people from the least to the greatest who were in the citadel of Susa. 6 The garden had hangings of white and blue linen, fastened with cords of white linen and purple material to silver rings on marble pillars. There were couches of gold and silver on a mosaic pavement of porphyry, marble, mother-of-pearl and other costly stones. 7 Wine was served in goblets of gold, each one different from the other, and the royal wine was abundant, in keeping with the king’s liberality. 8 By the king’s command each guest was allowed to drink without restriction, for the king instructed all the wine stewards to serve each man what he wished.”NIV

As we established yesterday, this gathering/banquet was a historical event. But as I read what happened, I see some important Kingdom principles in the story:

  1. Our King – the King of all kings – has invited us into His ‘’enclosed garden’’ (5). It is a place of great beauty (6), but best of all, we get to be with the King; to enjoy His presence; to share His intimate company. What a privilege.
  2. The Kingdom invitation goes out to ‘’all the people from the least to the greatest’’ (5). “Whosever will may come.’’
  3. Every believer is a vessel for the ‘wine’ of the Kingdom, but each human “goblet” is “different from the other’’ (7).
  4. The King is generous and the ‘‘ royal wine’’ is ‘’abundant’’ (7).
  5. In the Christian life, you tend, by and large, to get what you go for. Listen again:

‘’By the king’s command each guest was allowed to drink with no restrictions, for the king instructed all the wine stewards to serve each man what he wished.’’ Do you see that? You could drink as much as you wished. So let me ask, ‘How much of God do you really want?’ ‘How thirsty/hungry are you for all He wants to give you?’ J.O. Sanders (I believe correctly) observed, ‘We are at this moment as close to God as really we choose to be.’ But as someone else said, ‘The devil is always telling us it is dangerous to get too close to God.’

PRAYER: Lord, increase my desire for you.