Esther 1:10-12 - 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 Carcas-- 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. But when the attendants delivered the king's
command, Queen Vashti refused to come. Then the king became furious and burned
with anger.
The king had been celebrating…for days. All of his high officials….army officers….aides
had come to help him show off to the world how wealthy and important he was….for
an entire month. The last few days of the party… the king opened his
celebration to the servants in his own palace…becoming so drunk he sent for the
queen…to show off her beauty.
The queen refused to come…and the king burning with anger
sought the wisdom of his circle of advisors. He took their advice… to put away
this woman …who dared disobey the king…so the entire kingdom of women would not
start acting like her. Queen Vashti banned forever from the kingdom…accompanied
by a letter of decree…that she was never to be in his presence again.
It’s a sad story…of what happens in a relationship when there
is no mutual respect. The king thought
he could control the queen. Maybe the
excessive wine he had partaken of gave him a false sense of control…but he went
just a little too far in the queen’s eyes…and she refused to be a spectacle of beauty
for his drunken pleasure. Her disobedience cost her a home in the palace….banned
forever….because she stood up for herself.
It reminds me that a marriage blessed by God will have so
much love that this scenario would never happen. Titus 2:11-12 says… “ For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all
men. It teaches us to say
"No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live
self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this
present age,” It teaches us to always allow God to control our actions….so that
we never compromise the character of the one he has helped us choose as a
helpmeet.
Perhaps if Paul had already written chapter 13 of 1
Corinthians….king Xerxes would have understood that a marriage should be based
on love…not how many beautiful women he could collect in his harem. Verses 4-7
sum up the wishes of God for all marriages… be kind…be patient….do not boast or
be proud…seek the other first…and keep no record of wrongs…or let anger
overcome your demeanor. Rejoice with all things good and true….believe in each
other…trust…hope and never give up on the promise you made to each other. And
Paul did not limit these directions to our marriage relationships. We should
have mutual respect for everyone we know.
Father…thank you for this reminder
that love is not a possession…but a gift that helps us release the selfishness
in our hearts. Help me to cling to the
wise words of Paul…and love in its true sense…the way you loved me so much that
you sent your son to die for my sins. Show me how to love all the people you
place in my path…so they can know your unconditional love. Amen.
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