THE VEIL OF VASHTI
TEXT: Esther 1:10-12
Esther 1:10-12 KJV On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, and Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas, the seven chamberlains that served in the presence of Ahasuerus the king, [11] To bring Vashti the queen before the king with the crown royal, to shew the people and the princes her beauty: for she was fair to look on. [12] But the queen Vashti refused to come at the king’s commandment by his chamberlains: therefore was the king very wroth, and his anger burned in him.
I. VASHTI AND HER VEIL
A. The Setting for the Story of Vashti
-A huge banquet, if it could be called that, was called by the King of Persia. It was to last for 180 days and would culminate with a solid seven day period of drunken partying. The King and all the dignitaries of the world were to take part in this massive celebration.
-When the heart of the King had been sogged by the wily wine, he made a demand.
-The mind of the King had been so inflamed by the wine over the week, that he had lost all sense of reason and dignity. He had displayed his vast wealth and power of his Kingdom.
The princes had flattered him, for that was what they were supposed to do.
They had “oohed” and “aahed” at his possessions, for that was what they were supposed to do.
They had smothered him with false praise over his valor in battle, for that was what they were supposed to do.
They had laughed at his corny jokes, for that was what they were supposed to do.
They had taken part in his bold immorality, for that was what they were supposed to do.
-But there was still one thing left that he had not displayed to them. It was his most valuable possession and it was his most lovely possession. He wanted his intoxicated rulers to feast their eyes on the Queen.
B. The King’s Demand
-He commanded that Vashti, his Queen, be brought in to entertain all of the stuporous dignitaries. Vashti lived up to the very meaning of her name. The significance of her name did not falter, it meant “beautiful woman.”
-However, Ahasuerus’ demand was not limited just to an appearance by the queen. There were some specific instructions that had been conveyed to her. The message brought by the chamberlains was politically correct, full of diplomacy, and sweet sounding yet the request was fully of deadly danger.
-The Request was this: She was to dress in the fashion of the Queen but she was to appear before the king and all of his drunken revelers with her face unveiled. This was tantamount to her throwing away every bit of her self-respect.
-Had the King been sober he would not have even considered such a drastic demand. It was an incredible breach of custom. The custom was that Eastern women were to live in modesty and dignity, almost to the extent of seclusion.
-The request made in his drunken condition amounted to one of the most ridiculous insults that a woman could have made of her.
She would appear in her costly royal robes from the province of Cashmir.
She would have about her the finely woven silks of the Medians.
She would be graced in pearls from the Persian Gulf and they would flash a myriad of colors.
Rich jewels would endorse her splendor, gold from distant lands would belie the vast resources of the king’s wealth.
The oil of myrrh and sweet spices would attend her appearance.
She would have the crown on her head. . . . . . . but there was a very un-kingly command for her to appear without her veil.
-Frankly Ahasuerus was demanding that Vashti surrender her honor to a horde of drunken, clamorous men.
-Two Questions faced Vashti:
Shall I lose my dignity and remain the Queen?
Or, Shall I lose my royalty and maintain my dignity?
-If Vashti would have been tainted by vanity she would have wanted to show her beauty to the guests of the King. She would have been motivated to remove the veil.
-I am sad to say that in our times there are numerous women who would have complied with such a demand and would have betrayed their modesty for such a deviant opportunity. Still further there are many men who fall into this category and would sacrificed everything merely to have the applause of that gathering of people.
-The matter of this veil was entirely the responsibility of Vashti’s. It was not the responsibility of someone else to take care of it. The same is true of God’s glory. It is not His job to take care of it, it is the responsibility of the individual to take care of.
-She was willing to sacrifice her place in the Kingdom simply to refuse appearing without her veil. But all in all, she refused to go because of her sense of modesty. She was willing to brave the worst of consequences rather than to violate the higher calling of life.
Despite the fact that her husband ruled from India to Ethiopia and was over 127 provinces, her own self-respect and sense of honor was higher and meant more than the whole of the Kingdom.
Instead of catering to the vanity and the animal instincts of the drunken guests, she courageously sacrificed a kingdom.
Rather than lower the magnificent white banner of her own modesty, Vashti was willing to accept disgrace and dismissal.
-Because of her decision she made a statement. There would be no reasoning to come from the drunken dictator. No amount of reasoning with this world will ever convince them of the need for righteous and upright living.
1. The Kings of “Time”
-The kings of “time” are very cruel to their favorites. At first the king will lavish attention and seeming great gifts upon the person of their favor, but time has a way of changing that relationship.
-One need to look no further than to the kings of Israel and you will find their examples who were kings of time and not kings of eternity. Each one of these monarchs were marked by something disastrous that led the Northern Kingdom into a pit of chaos:
Jeroboam -- A man who perverted worship. He would be instrumental in building altars to other gods to Bethel and Dan.
Ahab -- A man of unholy alliances. He married Jezebel and introduced the worship of Baal into Israel. He also had a spirit that refused to listen to the prophet (Elijah) in his life.
Jehu -- A man who lived a double-life. He was used as an executioner to purge Israel of Jezebel, her priests of Baal, but the problem was that he kept on worshiping the golden calves set up by Jeroboam and died lost.
-There are many others that we could also mention. . . . . . They were literally kings of “time” and could see no further than the next day, next week, and so on. We must live our lives with an eye on eternity.
-Vashti refused to lower herself and give up her veil for her drunken husband. She walked into history because of her stance.
-She was ready to brave death at this entirely and unreasonable command. Obedience is due to those who are in authority however the calling of the conscience is a much higher calling.
-There were some things that her decision set into motion:
It provoked the wrath of the King and greatly angered him until he went into a rage.
None of the princes or great ladies of the Kingdom came to her aid and stood with her.
Weakness appeared to be crushed by the sheer will of strength from the King. She lost her crown and was banished from the palace.
-However, one must understand that we are not seeking crowns and palaces from this side of heaven but from the other side.
-History would have forgotten Vashti had she not made her stand for what was right. We should be ashamed of ourselves, who believe in persecuted apostles, slain reformers, and a crucified Lord, when we look with disdain at those whom this world has cast off and banished.
Stephen – Stoned for speaking truth in an unpalatable way.
Paul – Unpopular because his bodily presence was very weak.
Vashti – Because she is accuse of being arrogant and unwise in her refusal.
-There are some treasures in the heart that far outweigh the excesses and luxuries of this world.
-Every Vashti will have to be willing to endure some accusations, some critics, and even some depreciation in the eyes of the world. This is the reward for adhering to a strong conscience and a hearty obedience to the commandments of God. This is what happens down here to those who are full of spiritual nobility, and righteousness, and virtue.
-Yet in all of this, there was a strong consecration. Time is on my side. Why??? Because there is coming a day that God will crown such sincerity, such action, and such carefully guarded strength.
-The wine, the Bible states, is a mocker. This wine turned the King into a clown. An honest poor man that knows how to govern his life, and understand choices in his home, and maintain his conscience to God is more royal than this drunken clown of a king.
-Vashti chose a loss of position over her own dishonor. Had her husband been sober he would have never made such a request.
-There is an encouragement in the New Testament to be “sober-minded” and “full of gravity.”
The great poet, Lord Alfred Tennyson, penned these words about Vashti:
Self-reverence, self-knowledge, self-control,
These three alone lead life to sovereign power.
Yet not for power (power by herself would come uncalled for),
But to live by Law,
Acting the Law we live without fear;
And because, right is right, to follow right,
Were wisdom in the scorn of consequence.
-Vashti was regarding the dignity and holiness of her soul.
-Fashion and popularity are a poor price to pay for the loss of your testimony.
-Godly principles, modesty, and holiness may be deemed old-fashioned and in conflict with the trend of the times, but God’s favor rests on those who have the courage to be ridiculed by high values.
II. STANDING ALONE
Richard Exley relates a story in his book, Deliver Me. He grew up in a very similar church as to what this one is now. In fact, the church that he is from, in years past, held the same convictions that we still hold today. In the past, you could not tell a difference between how they looked and worshiped and how we looked and worshiped. Sad to say, they have drifted and if we continue to drift in that same direction given 10 years, maybe a little sooner or a little longer, our movement will endure the same kinds of things.
He relates that one Saturday afternoon, in Texas City, Texas, he had to face a series of choices. He was a member of the eighth-grade basketball team, and they were playing in an out-of-town tournament. After winning the first two games, they had a Saturday afternoon open before playing for the tournament championship that evening. Coach Johnson decided that a movie was the best way to keep the boys out of trouble until game time. The team greeted the announcement with loud cheers, but he did not join in. For him it was a moment of truth. Would he remain true to his spiritual convictions or would he give in to peer pressure?
To fully appreciate his situation, one must realize that his church of his youth was very staunchly conservative. Liquor and cigarettes were deadly sins, but so was dancing and going to movies. To his way of thinking, stepping inside a movie theater was tantamount to denying Christ.
All the way across town to the theater he was in mortal agony. Attending the movie with the team was not an option, but he dreaded the ridicule and rejection that he was sure to have to endure that would follow his stand. At last the bus turned into the parking lot and came to a stop. Around Richard, the team was talking noisily and pushing forward to the front of the bus.
He hung back hoping for a chance to talk to Coach Johnson privately, but it was not to be. Ordering everyone back to their seats, Coach begin to give some last minute instructions. Finally he asked if anyone had any questions. Reluctantly, Richard raised his hand.
Nodding in his direction, Coach said, “What is it, Exely?”
Now every eye was on him and he swallowed hard past the fear that had formed a fist-sized lump in my throat. In a voice that was hardly more than a whisper, he said, “Coach, it is against my religion to go to movies?”
“What did you say?” he demanded. “Speak up so I can hear you.”
Clearing his throat, he blurted out, “I’m not going to any movie. It’s against my religion.”
Instantly the bus erupted with excited chatter as his teammates bombarded him with questions and comments: “You’ve got to be kidding me.” “What kind of church do you go to anyway?” “What’s wrong with going to a movie?”
He said the embarrassment painted his face bright red, but he didn’t back down. Finally the coach ordered the rest of the team off the bus. When they were gone he made his way back to seat in front of where Richard was sitting. Putting his arm on the back of the seat he looked at Richard for a long time without speaking.
“Exley,” he asked at last, “if I let you stay on the bus will you give me your word that you won’t set one foot off of it?”
Without a moment’s hesitation, he said, “Yes, sir!”
“We’re going to be gone two hours,” he said. “That’s a long time with nothing to do.”
“I’ll be fine, sir,” I told him. “You can trust me.”
He gave me on final look before making his way down the aisle and stepping outside where the rest of the team waited impatiently. He watched until they turned the corner and disappeared from sight, then he settled down to await their return.
Exley, continues to write: How, you may be wondering, could a timid fourteen-year-old boy remain true to his convictions, while the man he became, a minister and a writer, caved in at a rental car counter? (Earlier in the book, he relates how that he had been dishonest about the mileage and gas when he turned in the car.) What did that teenage boy have that his middle-aged counterpart lacked?
The idealism of youth played a part to be sure, but the difference goes deeper than that. As a young man, I had no confidence in myself. I knew that my only hope was in Jesus. If I ever hoped to overcome temptation and live a victorious life I knew that I would have to wholly depend on Him. That afternoon, I prayed desperately for the courage to do what was right. Without His help I knew I would succumb to peer pressure. I had no doubt I would be a goner if I ever opened my life to the smallest compromise. Consequently, I studiously avoided the very appearance of evil (1 Thess. 5:22). As a middle-aged man I was more confident of my own powers. I was a man of the world. I had been around. I could take care of myself, or so I thought.
As a mid-life male I must return to the faith of my childhood. Like that fourteen-year-old boy I must take a stand against all evil. It is my only hope. I dare not open my heart to the smallest temptation, for once the door is open it is almost impossible to close. And I must not stand in my own strength, or I will surely fail. Like a child I must put my whole trust in Jesus, for only He knows how to deliver the godly out of temptation. (Deliver Me, pp. 166-168).
III. THE DANGER OF REMOVING THE VEIL
-If you want some examples of those who removed the veil, then I give the following examples:
A. Judas
-If you want to know exactly and just how possible it is for someone to discard their veil and to experience the anointing and to genuinely experience the presence but to escape the transforming impact of God, then you need to look no further than the one tragic figure who towered over the New Testament.
Chosen after a night of prayer.
Trafficking in the Lord’s presence with the Twelve.
Throughout three years of ministry witnessing the majesty of the miraculous.
-But you get a glimpse of Judas when Mary breaks the Alabaster Box of ointment and pours it out over the head of Jesus Christ. You get a good look at Judas and see how incensed he is and you will realize who he really was.
All of the manifestations and all the miracles and all the might and all the glory had failed to change him. He did not value the veil.
-Did he really feel it? Of course, the Lord sent him out with the other twelve. He was sent out with the seventy. He was one of the one’s who came back to Jesus and said, “Devils are subject to us.”
-When the Lord broke the bread, He put it in Judas’ hands. Judas passed out miraculous bread. If you want to know just how easy it is to move in and out of the anointing and to experience the presence and not be permanently impacted by it all that you have to do is follow Judas.
Watch him at the betrayal,
Watch him bartering with the priests for the money,
Watch him finally die at his own hand and his bowels gush out on the ground and his thirty lousy pieces of silver buy a graveyard for paupers.
-All that you have to do is to follow Judas to find out how to discard the veil.
B. Samson
-No one can deny that Samson knew what it was like to experience God’s power. There were these miraculous feats and legendary accomplishments that find their way into the records of the Judges and the Spirit did come upon Samson.
-He performed incredible things with superhuman strength and in a measure he even pursued the pleasure of Jehovah but the haunting reality is that what may manifest itself on us in time is not necessarily the mirror of the man.
It may be the event of a moment instead of the experience of a lifetime.
-So in Samson we see how vulnerable is the vessel. There is so much potential but it is absolutely lost. How close we can come to greatness but then absent a willingness to allow the encounter to be assimilated into our lives. We can go away and be the same and remain unchanged.
-There is enough power in this place to save us and this entire city. But the greatest prayer is that we not come into this place and brush up against power but to experience transformation.
C. Peter
-His garment was a glistening white, there was a resurrected dead man on either side of Him and there was a voice that spoke from Heaven, “This is my beloved Son, hear Him.” There was a cloud that enveloped them and Peter, James, and John slept through all of that. The Bible says that when they awoke, they saw His glory.
Did they experience something? Yes!
-Peter said, “It is good for us to be here.” Then he spoke to the Lord, “I tell you what Lord, let’s build three tabernacles right here. One for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah and let’s never leave this place.”
-Peter experienced God’s glory but those disciples came right down the mountain and before their feet had did hit the valley floor good, a father cast a son at the feet of Jesus and said, “My son is demon possessed. This demon throws him into the fire and tries to burn him and cast him into the waters and tries to drown him. He bites, he foams at the mouth, and he gnashes his teeth.” Then this man says, “I brought him to Your disciples and they could do nothing.”
-They had experienced His glory but they had not incorporated that experience into their lives so that they could impart it to anybody else. They may have gone to the mountain and may have glowed in the glory but when they came down, they were the same worthless humans they had been when they had walked up the hill.
What are you trying to tell us Jesus?
What are you trying to say on this Sunday night?
-I am telling you that we have to translate that touch into transformation, we have to make the event of the moment an experience of a lifetime. We must have not only a form of godliness but we must make sure that God is a force in our lives as well. We must know that relationship is everything.
IV. FIVE WISE AND FIVE FOOLISH VIRGINS
-When the cry went out, there was very little obvious difference between those ten virgins, but when the cry went out, “Behold the Bridegroom cometh, go ye out to meet Him” and they went out to light their lamps, the foolish virgins figured out very quickly that they were out of oil.
-Imagining that they could live off of somebody else’s light, they were caught with no oil in their lamps.
Virgins.
In the same company with the others.
Waiting for the Bridegroom.
But they had no oil in their lamps. They had previously had oil in the past but now there was none left. In all of those times of experience they did not refill their lamps.
-If we move that parable into our day, they were in the middle of all the glory, the power was falling, the sick were being healed, the lost were being forgiven, the souls were being baptized in the water and the Spirit and they saw it all, they felt it, they got “goose-bumps”. . . but they never translated that touch into a transformation, never allowed the event of a moment to become the experience of a lifetime. . . . . . .So they experienced God virtually. . . . . They experienced God in the congregation, but they did not experience Him in the power of a transformed life.
-We call him slow, we call him doubter, but when word came in John 11 that Lazarus had died and Jesus Christ said, “Lazarus is dead, let us go to him.” It was Thomas who said back to the Lord and the disciples, “Let’s go with Him, that we die also.” The power that Thomas had experienced had produced relationship and there was more to him than what met the eye. It was more than just the experience of a moment, it was not just a touch, it was a transformation, he was different man.
-I am longing to tell everyone in this place that if you are going to survive this world, if you are going to survive spiritually in this world, God is going to have be more than just a form to you, He is going to have to be a force.
-You are going to have to do more than just feel good when you come into this Church, you are going to have to encounter him for yourself and that there is change that is going on in your life.
Do you ever ask yourself the question, “What is going on in me spiritually?”
Do you every go home after a great outpouring of the Spirit and ask, “What part did I play in that?”
-Paul affirmed, “I know in whom I have believed and I know that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day.”
-He is not the only guy that God knocked down and arrested but it took with him, it changed him, it altered his direction, it reversed his course in so much that at the end of his journey, he could say, “I have fought a good fight, I have kept the faith, I have finished my course. . .” Why? Because of what happened to me changed me.
-I wonder if everyone in this place would give God five minutes of your time, uninterrupted, and would stand face to face with your Savior and tell him honestly that what happens in this Church collectively, I am thankful, but please never let me mistake that for my personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
-I wonder if everyone in this place would be kind enough to stand and fill a place in this altar and would lift your voice to heaven and that is what I want you to say to Him. I am not going to let what happens in this church corporately to deceive me into faking that something has happened to me. Individually, I want to experience God for myself.
Holy Ghost power, rain on me. . . . .
Holy Ghost power, breathe on me. . . .
Holy Ghost power, burn in me. . . .
Philip Harrelson
