Ahasuerus has a seven day
feast going on for the great and small who were in the Shushan
palace. They are drinking royal wine out of special vessels of gold,
and they are not being limited in their consumption. These are men in
attendance, and the women are not to be found. We know this from not
only cultural traits, but also as we read chapter one and verse nine
it says:
Also Vashti the queen
made a feast for the women [in] the royal house which [belonged] to
king Ahasuerus.
We begin
with, “Also Vashti the queen...” As we read and think
about these words, we may have more questions than answers to
discover. Her name “Vashti” means “queen”. How did she
receive her name? When did she become queen, and what was that
ceremony like? Was she chosen and pre-arranged for Ahasuerus when it
was time to marry her? What was she like, and are their any traits
that we might deem beneficial to the role she had as queen of Persia?
We may learn a few answers to these questions as we read ahead,
however let us keep in mind as we meet her in the story that God
knows all of these things. His providential care for the affairs of
His people are measured well in advance of the time to initiate them.
Our
verse continues, “...made a feast for the women in the royal
house which belonged to king Ahasuerus.” As Ahasuerus' feast
commenced for his male guest, Vashti was holding another feast for
the women. Because the women and men of that day did not commingle at
parties such as this one, there was a separate one offered by Vashti
in one of the apartments or separate rooms within the house. Let us
note too that there is a special emphasis upon who owned the house,
“belonged to king Ahasuerus.” Our common law practice of
house owner ship by husband and wife was not the case in this
situation. Vashti was using Ahasuerus' resources, and the women were
the beneficiaries of his abundance.
So how
does all this matter in the grand scheme of things? Once again let us
consider that God is all-knowing in this situation. He knows
Ahasuerus, and he knows Vashti. Long before the events of this
feasting began, God knew what would occur. He also knew the events
which take place throughout the entire book of Esther, and He knows
the proper people to have in place to make His will be theirs. As we
ponder these things, let us keep in mind that God Almighty has our
affairs before His eyes as well. The characters He places within our
lives may be meant to make His will known, and those who are wise
enough to realize that the natural may be used by the Supernatural to
implement His plan will be measures ahead when His plan is carried
out.
Next time we will see a set up to a major change in Ahasuerus'
kingdom, so read ahead, and let us join together then.
Until
tomorrow...there is more...
Look for
the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation
to Generation” in all major
bookstore
sites, www.amazon.com ; www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to
e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore
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