Slices
Prepare
Think back to the grandest occasion or ceremony you have ever attended. Were you a key part of the occasion or an onlooker? Who else was there? How did you feel?
Bible passage
Queen Vashti deposed
1 This is what happened during the time of Xerxes, the Xerxes who ruled over 127 provinces stretching from India to Cush: 2 at that time King Xerxes reigned from his royal throne in the citadel of Susa, 3 and in the third year of his reign he gave a banquet for all his nobles and officials. The military leaders of Persia and Media, the princes, and the nobles of the provinces were present.
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.
9 Queen Vashti also gave a banquet for the women in the royal palace of King Xerxes.
10 On the seventh day, when King Xerxes was in high spirits from wine, he commanded the seven eunuchs who served him – Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar and Karkas – 11 to bring before him Queen Vashti, wearing her royal crown, in order to display her beauty to the people and nobles, for she was lovely to look at. 12 But when the attendants delivered the king’s command, Queen Vashti refused to come. Then the king became furious and burned with anger.
13 Since it was customary for the king to consult experts in matters of law and justice, he spoke with the wise men who understood the times 14 and were closest to the king – Karshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena and Memukan, the seven nobles of Persia and Media who had special access to the king and were highest in the kingdom.
15 ‘According to law, what must be done to Queen Vashti?’ he asked. ‘She has not obeyed the command of King Xerxes that the eunuchs have taken to her.’
16 Then Memukan replied in the presence of the king and the nobles, ‘Queen Vashti has done wrong, not only against the king but also against all the nobles and the peoples of all the provinces of King Xerxes. 17 For the queen’s conduct will become known to all the women, and so they will despise their husbands and say, “King Xerxes commanded Queen Vashti to be brought before him, but she would not come.” 18 This very day the Persian and Median women of the nobility who have heard about the queen’s conduct will respond to all the king’s nobles in the same way. There will be no end of disrespect and discord.
19 ‘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. 20 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.’
21 The king and his nobles were pleased with this advice, so the king did as Memukan proposed. 22 He sent dispatches to all parts of the kingdom, to each province in its own script and to each people in their own language, proclaiming that every man should be ruler over his own household, using his native tongue.
Explore
This chapter details the opening scene for the story that’s played out in the subsequent chapters. Even if the author of the book of Esther was exaggerating for effect, the scope of this banquet and the wealth displayed are quite staggering (vs 4–8). Together they give us a picture of King Xerxes (or ‘Ahasuerus’, ESV, NRSV): he is boastful in the extreme (v 4), liberal with his abundance (vs 7,8), and arrogant towards his queen (vs 10,11). He is of course the king of Persia with a huge empire, so doubtless it is to be expected that he behaves in the way he does.
Into the story steps Queen Vashti – or rather, she doesn’t. She refuses to obey the king’s command to parade in front of his guests (v 12). From a 21st-century perspective, this certainly strikes a blow for early feminists; but in that time and place, with its social mores and expectations, her behaviour is utterly unthinkable (vs 16–18). It cannot be countenanced, and she is promptly deposed from her position (v 21). Further, male dominance is reinforced throughout the kingdom, and the way is paved for a new queen (v 22).
Respond
Think about those for whom, and to whom, you are responsible. What characterises the way you are treated, or treat others? Pray that the grace of God will permeate your attitudes and relationships, especially if you have to cope with ill treatment.
Deeper Bible study
‘Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always. Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced.’1
If you are looking for spiritual refreshment, teaching about God or even joy or encouragement in reading about human communities, then the book of Esther, in particular this chapter, is not the place to start! Elsewhere in Scripture (eg in Ezra, Isaiah and Daniel) we learn that Persian rulers like Cyrus and later Darius showed at times very positive skills in diplomacy and strategy, but there is no indication of any such wisdom here. There are things to learn, of course, but they are mostly related to the way societies decay and how leadership which is based on self-interest, self-indulgence, pride, the accumulation of wealth and power and excessive consumption of alcohol in no way reflects the pattern set out for either Israel or the other nations!
Ahasuerus (Xerxes in Greek) thought that spending six months showing everyone in the nation how rich and glorious he was – and then giving a huge banquet lasting seven days with luxurious food and unlimited alcohol consumption – would gain him national and worldwide respect. In fact, most readers, ancient and modern, reading this chapter would see only economic wastefulness and diplomatic stupidity! The only positive element is the fact that Vashti, the queen, stood up to Ahasuerus and refused to be presented to his very drunk guests as a sign of his cleverness in finding a beautiful wife. His further action in following the advice of his counsellors to issue a decree that all women must respect their husbands – as if respect could be demanded rather than earned – only adds to the negative picture of this king and his government. It seems hard to see why a fairly sizeable group of Jews who had been given the opportunity to return to Israel made the decision to stay as part of the society pictured here.
Lord, help us never to make the mistake of thinking that excessive displays of wealth or the ownership of beautiful things should be seen as evidence of real greatness.
Bible in a year
Read the Bible in a year: Jeremiah 7,8; Psalms 114,115
Pray for Scripture Union
This week SU Development Worker Chris Eales is planning to run a Go Wild! non-residential camp for children being homeschooled. Pray that all the planning will bear fruit and that this event will reach those outside the church.
