Reflections on Esther 1

 Esther 01 (Contemporary English Version)

1. King Xerxes of Persia lived in his capital city of Susa and ruled one hundred twenty-seven provinces from India to Ethiopia.
2. (SEE 1:1)
3. During the third year of his rule, Xerxes gave a big dinner for all his officials and officers. The governors and leaders of the provinces were also invited, and even the commanders of the Persian and Median armies came.
4. For one hundred eighty days he showed off his wealth and spent a lot of money to impress his guests with the greatness of his kingdom.
5. King Xerxes soon gave another dinner and invited everyone in the city of Susa, no matter who they were. The eating and drinking lasted seven days in the beautiful palace gardens.
6. The area was decorated with blue and white cotton curtains tied back with purple linen cords that ran through silver rings fastened to marble columns. Couches of gold and silver rested on pavement that had all kinds of designs made from costly bright-colored stones and marble and mother-of-pearl.
7. The guests drank from gold cups, and each cup had a different design. The king was generous
8. and said to them, "Drink all you want!" Then he told his servants, "Keep their cups full."
9. While the men were enjoying themselves, Queen Vashti gave the women a big dinner inside the royal palace.
10. By the seventh day, King Xerxes was feeling happy because of so much wine. And he asked his seven personal servants, Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Carkas,
11. to bring Queen Vashti to him. The king wanted her to wear her crown and let his people and his officials see how beautiful she was.
12. The king's servants told Queen Vashti what he had said, but she refused to go to him, and this made him terribly angry.
13. The king called in the seven highest officials of Persia and Media. They were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan. These men were very wise and understood all the laws and customs of the country, and the king always asked them what they thought about such matters.
14. (SEE 1:13)
15. The king said to them, "Queen Vashti refused to come to me when I sent my servants for her. What does the law say I should do about that?"
16. Then Memucan told the king and the officials: Your Majesty, Queen Vashti has not only embarrassed you, but she has insulted your officials and everyone else in all the provinces.
17. The women in the kingdom will hear about this, and they will refuse to respect their husbands. They will say, "If Queen Vashti doesn't obey her husband, why should we?"
18. Before this day is over, the wives of the officials of Persia and Media will find out what Queen Vashti has done, and they will refuse to obey their husbands. They won't respect their husbands, and their husbands will be angry with them.
19. Your Majesty, if you agree, you should write for the Medes and Persians a law that can never be changed. This law would keep Queen Vashti from ever seeing you again. Then you could let someone who respects you be queen in her place.
20. When the women in your great kingdom hear about this new law, they will respect their husbands, no matter if they are rich or poor.
21. King Xerxes and his officials liked what Memucan had said,
22. and he sent letters to all of his provinces. Each letter was written in the language of the province to which it was sent, and it said that husbands should have complete control over their wives and children.

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This first chapter of Esther sets the stage for crucial events that took place during Israel's exile in which Esther played a key role. The events of chapter 1 that led to the placement of Esther as queen of Persia were no accident but were God's preparation for saving Israel from annihilation. Before Israel was even in danger, God had a plan to deliver her from the danger that was coming.

God's plan began with a royal banquet at which the wine flowed freely and the king became rather inebriated. It may have been due to his inebriation that he decided to show off the beauty of his queen. After all, part of the motivation behind the banquet was to display the wealth and power of the king and his beautiful queen was further display of his holdings. No indication is given in the account as to why the queen refused the king's request for her to come to him at the men's banquet hall. Although there is no suggestion that the king planned anything indecent for her, some suggest that he was asking her to appear unveiled which to do so publicly would have been degrading for her. This, of course, is only conjecture.

The queen's refusal of the king's command left the king with a dilemma. He could not ignore her refusal. He was trapped by his status. The king was free to do as he pleased except to break the law. And if he were wise, he also did not want to set a bad precedent. Verse 13 explains that, "The king consulted the wise men who understood the times, for it was his normal procedure to confer with experts in law and justice." Setting a bad precedent seems to have been their primary concern. They reasoned that when it became public knowledge that the queen refused the king's order, all the women of the kingdom would "despise their husbands." (1:17) Evidently they assumed the queen held sway over whether or not women of the kingdom respected their husbands.

It was concluded that a non-revokable edict should be decreed declaring that, "Vashti is not to enter King Ahasuerus' presence, and her royal position is to be given to another woman who is more worthy than she." (1:19) This decree was to be sent throughout the kingdom along with a letter stating that "every man should be master of his own house." (1:22)

The stage was then set for Esther to arrive on the scene, for the king would be looking for a new queen.