Esther 1:13-22 – Ahasuerus Shows Who’s Boss

Ahasuerus (or Xerxes as he’s also known) has to do something. He has been humiliated in front of the most influential people in the empire. He has been publicly defied and he cannot risk others following in Vashti’s footsteps. So what does he do? He convenes the cabinet of course!

I wonder if the long list of names in v14 is supposed to make us laugh. Ahasuerus has been disrespected by one individual woman and so he responds by gathering 7 of his finest nobles to dream up their master strategy for responding to this problem. It’s a laughable overreaction!

Even more laughable is the grand scheme they come up with. Imagine being a fly on the palace wall: “Let’s send messengers to every corner of the empire, to Europe, to Africa, to Asia, and let’s tell every single subject that the king is to be respected! More than that, let’s tell every single wife that she is to respect her husband!”

For one thing, it’s counterproductive; it guarantees that everybody will hear about Vashti’s snub and the King’s weakness. For another thing, it’s completely unenforceable; if Ahasuerus can’t compel his own wife to obey him, he’ll have his work cut out forcing others’ wives to do the same.

Yet, he has to do something. The great “King of Kings” can’t just sit back and be disrespected. And so, he rants and he raves and he goes red in the face like a teacher who has lost control of the classroom. He might as well be shaking his fist at the sun and ordering it not to shine.

There’s a great irony in this passage. Ahasuerus is desperate to show who’s boss, and that’s exactly what he does – but not in the way he planned. We will soon see that God uses this drama to deliver his people and punish his enemies.

Ahasuerus may have lost control; the real King of Kings is calm, silent, and on the throne.

Questions
1. How did the king’s show of strength actually demonstrate his weakness?
2. Why do we sometimes forget that Jesus is on the throne? What can help us to remember?

Prayer Points
1. Pray that God would convince you of the fact that Jesus Christ is on the throne. Pray that none of the events you hear about will shake you from that conviction.
2. Use prayer points from your congregation.
3. Pray for family matters.