Esther 1:10-15 – Ahasuerus Shows the Cracks

The beauty of the surroundings is in stark contrast to the sleaziness of the revellers. Perhaps you can imagine the bravado at the top table: guests boasting over the size of their houses, boasting over the clothes in their wardrobes, even boasting over the women in their beds.

Of course, Ahasuerus isn’t one to be outdone. You can almost imagine him saying, “You think that’s impressive? Wait until you see who sleeps in my bed!” It’s grubby and it’s sleazy; it’s also the world we live in.

So, the rather tipsy Ahasuerus makes a fateful decision. He summons his wife, the beautiful Vashti, to parade herself for the party guests. She is to come, without asking questions, in order to be ogled by the king’s slobbering pals. It doesn’t matter what Vashti thinks of this sleazy show; what the king wants, the king gets. In order to reinforce the point, he sends 7 of his finest men to make sure Vashti complies.

Cue the first big surprise: Vashti says NO! This was a humiliation for Ahasuerus: the man who controls 127 provinces can’t even control his own wife! Moments ago he was dazzling senior officials with the food on the table; now he has egg on his face.

Vashti wasn’t a believer, yet by this simple act of defiance, she teaches God’s followers a vital lesson. It is possible to say no. It is possible to resist. Those who rebel against God may hold all the cards, but they can never compel us to join them in their rebellion. Faithfulness to God IS possible.

It’s early days in the Book of Esther. Yet already God is inviting us to look at the kingdom of Satan and see that it’s full of cracks. Things aren’t as hopeless as they seem.

Questions
1. The Book of Esther can sometimes make our skin crawl. Why is that an encouraging thing for us when we read it?
2. Vashti was able to say no to the king’s demand. Why should believers be even more able than she was to say no to the world?

Prayer Points
1. Pray that God would give you the courage and determination to be faithful to him and say no to the demands of the world.
2. Use prayer points from your congregation.
3. Pray for family matters.