Why Am I Never Satisfied? | Esther 1:5–8

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Our text today is Esther 1:5-8

And when these days were completed, the king gave for all the people present in Susa the citadel, both great and small, a feast lasting for seven days in the court of the garden of the king's palace. There were white cotton curtains and violet hangings fastened with cords of fine linen and purple to silver rods and marble pillars, and also couches of gold and silver on a mosaic pavement of porphyry, marble, mother-of-pearl, and precious stones. Drinks were served in golden vessels, vessels of different kinds, and the royal wine was lavished according to the bounty of the king. And drinking was according to this edict: "There is no compulsion." For the king had given orders to all the staff of his palace to do as each man desired. — Esther 1:5-8

The table is full. The room is stunning. The wine keeps flowing. And everyone is free to have exactly what they desire.

It sounds like freedom—but it may be one of the clearest pictures of bondage in the chapter.

After spending 180 days displaying his wealth to the leaders of the empire, King Ahasuerus hosts another feast. This one lasts seven days and includes everyone in Susa, "both great and small."

The details are intentionally excessive: white cotton curtains, violet hangings, silver rods, marble pillars, gold and silver couches, precious stones, and golden drinking vessels. An abundance of royal wine fills the scene. Every detail communicates the same message: there is more than enough.

Then we arrive at the decisive line. The king orders his staff "to do as each man desired."

It may sound generous, but it exposes a lie we still believe: that if we give our desires more room, they will eventually be satisfied.

But human desire is never satisfied, as the poet Mick Jagger famously observed.

It only wants more. More money becomes the new normal. More food creates another craving. More attention raises the level of attention we require. And more comfort makes every inconvenience harder to bear.