June 25, 2024

Ahasuerus, also known as Artaxerxes, was king over many provinces, but we know him as King of Persia. He decided to show off all his riches and hold a feast for the many princes in his kingdom. The merrymaking lasted 180 days, with him entertaining the men and Queen Vashti entertaining the women. One day, when the king was drunk, he called for the Queen to come to him so he could show off her beauty. She refused because it was forbidden by the law of the Persians for the wife to be seen by strangers. After several attempts to get her to come, he became angry, ended the party, and ordered that his counselors inform him of what he could lawfully do to her. It seemed he loved her and didn’t want to divorce her, but she embarrassed him and set a precedent for a wife to disobey her husband. His counselors pushed the issue of divorce so that the other wives wouldn’t follow her example of disobedience. We know this had to happen as bad as it may seem for Queen Vashti because God needed to usher in a new queen that He could use to further His will to advance His people. King Artaxerxes sent out a decree to all the people that the wives of all men should honor their husbands. Vashti was following the law, so they needed to make a new law that would override the old one. 

This kind of thing is happening in our government today; if one law isn’t working for them, they have to make new ones! This first chapter of Esther gives us a little insight into how laws are made. Men call their boys together for a bit of fun, get drunk, and make new, ridiculous laws when things don’t go their way. God will rescue us from the hands of evil in due time. Wait for it; it will surely come.

And when the king's decree which he shall make shall be published throughout all his empire, (for it is great,) all the wives shall give to their husbands honour, both to great and small. Esther 1:20