Scripture Verses that Caught My Attention Today: Esther 1:17-18 For this deed of the queen will be made known to all women, causing them to look with contempt on their husbands, since they will say, ‘King Ahasuerus commanded Queen Vashti to be brought before him, and she did not come.’ 18 This very day the noble ladies of Persia and Media who have heard of the queen’s behavior will rebel against the king’s officials, and there will be no end of contempt and wrath!
Observation: Fear of what things will lead to has been the cause of many a foolish rule.
Application: I get a kick out of this passage. Earlier King Ahasuerus wanted to more or less exploit his wife and her beauty by having her parade before the other nobles. She had the audacity to refuse; and so suddenly the King was in an embarrassing situation. Unable to face the possibility that his request might have been unloving and self-serving in the first place, he instead opted to find a way to punish her for what he considered wrong. In fact, the king’s men encouraged such thinking, jointly fearful that if something wasn’t done soon, their own wives might follow suit. It’s a case study in male insecurity.
For her part, once these two chapters in Esther are completed, Queen Vashti is never heard from again. Esther eventually rises to replace her and ends up being a heroine (sp?) for God’s chosen people. Nevertheless, Queen Vashti was far ahead of her time, leaving a lasting example of courage in the face of the unreasonable.
Prayer: Lord, thanks for the example of Queen Vashti. Although she doesn’t overtly speak in term so faith, she nevertheless demonstrated the kind of courage and common sense that is only possible when one recognizes the intense value that all people ultimately have in your sight. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
(Scripture readings today included: Esther 1-2, Psalm 150, and Luke 17)
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