A Queen Says No Series

For Such a Time as This: A Queen Says No

Esther 1:9-21

Pastor Jefferson M. Williams

Chenoa Baptist Church

07-19-2020

Party Animal

Last week, we began our study of the book of Esther and found ourselves looking in on not one but two huge parties. Xerxes, the king, held a banquet of feasting for six months to display “the vast wealth of his kingdom and the splendor and glory of his majesty.” (Esther 1:4)

This doesn’t necessarily mean that the party went on every day for 180 days but it was a time of celebration, basically like a world’s fair.

Notice who was there - the military leaders. Xerxes father had tried to invade Greece multiple times and was defeated each time. Xerxes wanted to finish what his daddy started and used this feast to plan his next war campaign against Greece.

After that banquet was over, Xerxes held another party for the common people that last seven days “in the enclosed garden of the king’s palace at Susa.” (Esther 1:5)

The narrator of the book describes in lavish detail the beauty of this garden and the liberality of the king when it came to the serving of wine.

Remember the movie “Animal House?”

This seven day party would have an open bar policy. More on that in a minute.

Although God is never once mentioned in the book of Esther, His fingerprints are all over the story. In fact, in many ways, He’s the main character.

The theological term for this is the providence of God, coming from two words meaning to see ahead.

Remember our theme for this series:

“God is always doing 10,000 things in your life, and you may be aware of three of them.” - John Piper

In Esther, we will learn that God is at work in spite of appearances. Often it is behind the scenes, quietly weaving circumstances together in order to bring about His will for our good and His glory.

Mike Cosper, in his book “Faith Among the Faithless: Learning from Esther How to Live in a World Gone Mad” writes that Ester is

“less Veggie Tales and more Game of Thrones, with a lot more sex, murder, and impaling” than was we remember from Sunday school.

So let’s say hello, and goodbye, to Queen Vashti.

A Queen Says No

“Queen Vashti also gave a banquet for the women in the royal palace of King Xerxes.

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 Karkas— 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.” (Esther 1:9-12)

The Queen was having girl’s night out with her friends in another part of the palace complex.

Her name was Vashti, when means “best” or “beloved.” We don’t know how long she had been queen but we have a sense that she won’t be queen much longer.

On the seventh day of the feast, with an open bar, the king was in “high spirits with wine.” In other words, he was smashed.

He ordered seven, count them, seven of the eunuch’s to fetch Vashti.

Why? “…in order to display her beauty to the people and nobles, for she was lovely to look at.”

She had supermodel looks but also had opinions of her own, which is dangerous in Persia.

Vashti was ordered to come, in her royal crown, and probably just in her royal crown, to parade up and down in front of Xerxes and his drunk friends.

The queen said no. What? Really? Yep! She said she would not be a party to Xerxes’ disrespect of her.

The Queen’s refusal to come to the banquet sends Xerxes into orbit. The text says that he “became furious and burned with anger.” These words can also be translated “to kindle or to ignite.” Xerxes was hot!

Xerxes anger was legendary. Once while on a campaign against Greece, a bridge was built across a body of water. A storm came and destroyed the bridge. Xerxes had his attendants beat the water 300 times with a whip and throw a set of chains into the water that dare defy him. Oh yeah, and he had the builders of thee bridge

beheaded.

Xerxes might have been “all-powerful,” but he couldn’t even control his own queen. And, as we will see going forward in the story, he is easily manipulated by his advisors.

There is No More Queen!

Incapable of making his own decisions, the king asked the wise men what to do:

“Since it was customary for the king to consult experts in matters of law and justice, he spoke with the wise men who understood the times and were closest to the king—Karshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena and Memukan, the seven nobles of Persia and Media who had special access to the king and were highest in the kingdom. According to law, what must be done to Queen Vashti?” he asked. “She has not obeyed the command of King Xerxes that the eunuchs have taken to her.” (Esther 1:13-15)