The Queen of the Persians #2

Introduction

In the first message, we considered the broad context and setting. As we come to treat the first chapter of Esther, we are looking at particular events that begin to drive a very intricate plot. Details that you might assume are extraneous turn out to be not extraneous at all.

The Text

“Now it came to pass in the days of Ahasuerus, (this is Ahasuerus which reigned, from India even unto Ethiopia, over an hundred and seven and twenty provinces:) That in those days, when the king Ahasuerus sat on the throne of his kingdom, which was in Shushan the palace, in the third year of his reign, he made a feast unto all his princes and his servants; the power of Persia and Media, the nobles and princes of the provinces, being before him: When he shewed the riches of his glorious kingdom and the honour of his excellent majesty many days, even an hundred and fourscore days . . .” (Esther 1:1–22).

Summary of the Text

Ahasuerus was an emperor who reigned over 127 provinces, from India to Ethiopia (v. 1). The seat of his power was Susa (or Shushan), the location of his palace (v. 2). In his third year, the king established a feast for his princes, nobles, and functionaries, a feast that lasted 180 days, and which displayed the wealth, might and power of both Media and Persia (vv. 3-4). When that feast was over, he threw a shorter 7-day feast for all the people in Susa at the king’s palace, for both small and great (v. 5). This short feast was a come-one-come-all event. Then we see the most colorful verse in the Bible (v. 6), describing the decorations, the furniture, and the flooring. There was an open bar, and everyone drank from vessels of gold (v. 7). Contrary to a common Persian custom of compulsory drinking at feasts, the king gave liberty either way (v. 8). Vashti held a parallel feast for women (v. 9). On the last day of the feast, when the king was merry with wine, he told his 7 chamberlains to go and fetch Vashti out, to show off her beauty and her crown (vv. 10-11). As mentioned last week, this meant she would need to come out unveiled. Vashti refused which angered the king greatly (v. 12). The king appealed to a council of wise men, and to the 7 princes of Persia and Media, who are described as first in the kingdom (vv. 13-14). What is to be done with Vashti (v. 15)? Memucan spoke up—Vashti not only wronged the king, but also the princes and all the people in the empire (v. 16). The queen has set a terrible example for all the women in the empire, including the wives of princes, which would result in much contention (v. 17-18). So, the advice ran, let the king issue an unalterable decree (of the Medes and Persians) that Vashti be banished from the king’s presence, and that her royal estate be given to a replacement (v. 19). Publish this throughout the empire so that all wives everywhere might be respectful (v. 20). The king and the princes were pleased, and the king commanded that the plan of Memucan be followed (v. 21). The decree was published in every province, and translated into every language, that every man should bear rule in his own house (v. 22).

The Problem of Vashti

We do not know for sure what Vashti’s motives were . . . conservative and reticent, on the one hand, or feminist and uppity? Did she refuse because the request was wildly improper, or did she refuse because Ahasuerus was trying to be the boss of her? I am inclined to think that she was not being rebellious—the king was the one violating the custom. The one hint that she was not being a rebel is seen in the fact that she was fully willing to host a feast for the women of the city (v. 9).

But the counsel of Memucan turned the occasion into an opportunity to institute some anti-feminist regulations across the empire. There may have been a real problem there, and a real feminist movement needed to be quashed, or it may have simply been a ploy to hide the king’s humiliation. 

Multitude of Counselors

Now Scripture teaches us that broad input is a good thing. “Where no counsel is, the people fall: But in the multitude of counsellers there is safety” (Proverbs 11:14). This was a principle that the Persians followed, at least at the time when this book opens. We have seven named chamberlains, and seven named princes, who sat in the principal seats. Moreover, we see the king working through them, deferring to them.  

The chamberlains were Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, and Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas.

The princes were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan.

There are two notable things about these lists of names. One is that one of these chamberlains (Bigtha) was almost certainly one of the conspirators involved in trying to assassinate the king (Esther 2:21). This is a difference spelling of the same name. The second thing is that Haman, soon to be vice-gerent of the whole empire is not even named as part of this inner circle. In chapter one, Haman is a nobody.

Insecurity at the Top

This king is radically insecure, and he acts that way. He begins with a grand display of his power and opulence. But . . . “Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; A stranger, and not thine own lips” (Prov. 27:2). Boasting in this way is as hollow as a jug—but it is something that tinpot jitney dictators need to do. They do it a lot.

And life at the actual palace clanks when it runs into the lofty decree that was sent out to the whole empire. “That every man should bear rule in his own house”? The fact remains that Ahasuerus had to punish Vashti after she had dared to defy him, in front of everybody. And then, as we are just about to discover in the next chapter, the king had a household that was harboring a couple of assassins in it. “Bear rule?” It sure looked like the household of Ahasuerus was actually out of control. It sure didn’t look like Ahasuerus was bearing rule.

God Uses Man’s Devices

Man proposes, God disposes. Ahasuerus takes some radical and pretty foolish steps to protect himself, and the unseen hand of God uses those same foolish steps to protect Ahasuerus, who does not deserve it.

He replaces Vashti with Esther, while God has a completely different intention in that replacement. He removed Vashti to show her she wasn’t all that important, and God replaced her with Esther, who demonstrated to the king how important a queen can be.

He buffers himself with the likes of Haman, which God uses to elevate Mordecai. The king promotes a man who was far too ambitious for glory to be safe near a king (Esther 6:6-8), and God uses that promotion as an occasion to replace the snake with a man who sought the king’s true good.  

Ahasuerus sets a chain of events in motion which aim at eradication of the Jews, and God uses those same events to save and deliver the Jews.

God is good, all the time. God is sovereign, all the time. But never forget . . . God is God of the twists and turns. He not only saves Esther, and Mordecai, and the Jews . . . but He also saves Ahasuerus.