The Veil Of Vashti

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.