In our study of Esther chapter one, we look at how God takes care of his people even when they are disobedient. God has always preserved his people and this book gives us an example of how he does that through some ordinary people. Jerusalem fell to Babylon (modern Iraq) and God's people were taken into exile. Later, Persia (modern Iran) defeated the Babylonians and the king allowed the Israelites to return to Jerusalem to rebuild. (see the books of Ezra and Nehemiah) A minority of the Jewish people went back to Jerusalem. This book tells us of the people that disobeyed God and stayed in Persia. Even though God's name is never mentioned in this book, it is easy to see the hand of God at work behind the scenes to preserve his people.
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These events took place in the time of Achashverosh, the Achashverosh who ruled over 127 provinces from India to Ethiopia.
We see here that this book is a historical record of actual events that can be verified. We also see that the Persian empire was quite huge as it stretched from India to Ethiopia.
It was in those days, when King Achashverosh sat on his royal throne in Shushan the capital, in the third year of his reign, that he gave a banquet for all his officials and courtiers. The army of Persia and Media, the nobles and the provincial officials were in attendance. He displayed the dazzling wealth of his kingdom and his great splendor for a long time, 180 days.
The king threw a massive party and anyone who was anyone was there. This banquet was held to get support for the king's plans to attack Greece and expand his kingdom. This party was a way to show the people that the kingdom had the money to pay for the planned war. The party lasted for a full six months in which the king tried to show how great he was.
At the end of that time, the king gave a seven-day banquet in the courtyard of the royal palace garden for all the people, both great and small, there in Shushan the capital.
After the big party for the rich folks, the King threw another shorter party for everyone in the city. He opened his garden to show everyone how great he was.
There were white cotton curtains and blue hangings fastened to silver rods, with cords of fine linen and purple; the columns were marble; the couches [for reclining at table] were of gold and silver on a mosaic flooring of malachite, marble, mother-of-pearl and onyx. Drinks were served in gold goblets, with each goblet different from the others. There was royal wine in abundance, as befits royal bounty. The drinking was not according to any fixed rule, for the king had ordered the stewards to serve each man what he wanted.
This wasn't your ordinary garden or your average party. The king allowed the common folks to come in and see his greatness and wealth as sort of a pep talk for the coming war. He gave them as much to drink as they wanted.
Also Vashti the queen gave a banquet for the women in the royal house belonging to King Achashverosh.
The women were even involved in the party although their party was separate from the men.
On the seventh day, when the king was in high spirits from the wine, he ordered Mehuman, Bizta, Harvona, Bigta, Avagta, Zetar and Karkas, the seven officers who attended him, to bring Queen Vashti before the king with the royal crown, in order to show the people and the officials her beauty, for she was indeed a good-looking woman. But Queen Vashti refused to come at the order of the king, which he had sent through his officers. This enraged the king - his anger blazed inside him.
So, at the second party, the king got drunk and decided to show off his wife. When the king's servants told her what the king wanted, she refused to obey and the king became mad.
As was the king's custom, he consulted sages well-versed in matters of law and justice. With him were Karshna, Shetar, Admata, Tarshish, Meres, Marsna and Memukhan, the seven vice-regents of Persia and Media, who were part of the king's inner circle and were the most important officials in the kingdom. [The king asked the sages,] "According to the law, what should we do to Queen Vashti, since she didn't obey the order of King Achashverosh conveyed by the officers?"
So, King Xerxes had to consult the experts to see what he could do about the queen's refusal to obey his command. The experts not only knew the law but they also "understood the times" meaning they knew that the queen was popular with the people. Therefore, they would adjust the law to fit the situation. Men are always trying to bend if not break the rules to suit their own needs but we cannot change the Word of God. Xerxes did not know God's laws so he relied on the laws of man but we, as Christians, are to follow the Word so that we can bring glory to God.
Memukhan presented the king and vice-regents this answer: "Vashti the queen has wronged not only the king, but also all the officials and all the peoples in all the provinces of King Achashverosh; because this act of the queen's will become known to all the women, who will then start showing disrespect toward their own husbands; they will say, 'King Achashverosh ordered Vashti the queen to be brought before him, but she wouldn't come.' Moreover, the noble ladies of Persia and Media who hear of the queen's conduct will mention it to all the king's officials, which will bring about no end of disrespect and discord.
So, the king's expert doesn't quote any law that the queen broke but points out the fact that all of the men in the kingdom will lose control of their wives. The expert also points out that it is going to start immediately so they have to act promptly.
If it pleases his majesty, let him issue a royal decree - and let it be written as one of the laws of the Persians and Medes, which are irrevocable - that Vashti is never again to be admitted into the presence of King Achashverosh, and that the king give her royal position to someone better than she.
Memucan continues to counsel the king by giving him an answer to his problem. That answer is for the king to replace the queen with another. Up to this point, it doesn't seem like these events have anything to do with God or His people. But, you can almost feel God at work behind the scenes putting His people in place. The same thing is true in our lives today as we may not see all that God is doing but we can be assured that He is at work looking out for His children.
When the edict made by the king is proclaimed throughout the length and breadth of the kingdom, then all wives will honor their husbands, whether great or small."
Memucan must have had problems at home with his own marriage as that is the focus of his reasoning. These men (who do not know of God) are preparing a law to protect marriages which were designed by God. They do not know that, without God at the center, a marriage cannot be successful as only God has the wisdom to unite two people.
This advice pleased the king and the officials, so the king did what Memukhan had suggested - he sent letters to all the royal provinces, to each province in its own script and to each people in their own language, that every man should be master in his own house and speak the language of his own people.
The king issued the proclamation and we will see how God used that to protect His people. We must stop here and contrast this pagan idea of the man being the "ruler" of the house with what God says about the husband. This concept of being the ruler is not exactly what God wants for the Christian home. As we see in Ephesians 5, the husband is the head just like Christ is the head of the church. Christ rules over His church with love instead of harsh decrees.
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