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Esther 1:19-20, “Therefore, if it pleases the king, let him issue a royal decree and let it be written in the laws of Persia and Media, which cannot be repealed, that Vashti is never again to enter the presence of King Xerxes. Also let the king give her royal position to someone else who is better than she.  Then when the king’s edict is proclaimed throughout all his vast realm, all the women will respect their husbands, from the least to the greatest.”

It was in 539BC that King Cyrus of Persia conquered Babylon. A year later, he allowed the Jewish people to end their exile and return to Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 36).  But not all of them went.  They had lives and livelihoods and the journey to Jerusalem would mean picking up and moving after generations in Babylon/Persia.  Esther and her family, who this book is about, for whatever reason decide to stay put.  They give us a picture of what it looks like to be a faithful Jew in a foreign land. 

In this first chapter, we meet King Xerxes, who ruled Persia from 485 to 465BC.  It was a very large kingdom and Xerxes expanded its borders quite a bit, all the way to what it now Pakistan to the east and Ethiopia to the south.  While he may have been a good military commander and strategist, he struggled in the “don’t get drunk and mess up your marriage” area, as we can see in today’s text.  Xerxes had thrown a huge banquet with many diplomats and important people from all over the region.  He flaunts his wealth and then wants to flaunt his wife.  Most Jewish scholars think that when Xerxes asked Vashti to display her royal crown, it meant that he wanted her to appear naked in front of this large group of inebriated men. 

Vashti, his wife, isn’t having it.  Women in those days had almost no say so in marriage, particularly if one was married to the king.  And yet, something gave Vashti courage to say I’m not going to be paraded around like property before this group of drunk men.  Maybe this had happened before.  Regardless, it was a recipe for disaster and it would have been against custom of staying covered. 

But Xerxes had unilateral power.  To refuse a command of the king, especially in front of others, would most certainly have consequences.  Vashti was willing to subject herself to them.  She would rather lose her position in society than lose her dignity.  She was brave, and while she knew it would mean something harsh, it was worth it to her.  Sure enough, the king, probably under the influence of alcohol and without giving it much thought, decrees that Vashti is never to be in his presence again.  Vashti has courageously served and now exited.  God is making a way for someone else who will serve for a very specific purpose. 

Let’s pray…Lord, Give us courage to serve you with dignity.  Give us courage to do what is right in your eyes.  Give us courage to lift your name on high.  Always.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.