The festivities are in full
swing as the seven days of feasting in the palace court of Shushan
have continued with drinking the royal wine from chalices of gold. As
Ahasuerus the king was merry in his heart with wine, he gathered his
seven chamberlains to make a request of them. In chapter one and
verse eleven we read what that request was, and we keep in mind that
all of these events lead us to see the sovereignty and providence of
God Almighty. We read:
To bring Vashti the
queen before the king with the crown royal, to show the people and
the princes her beauty: for she [was] fair to look on.
Let us
use our mind's eye to see the scene here. The partying is going on,
and the wine is flowing. There is a spirit of festivity everywhere,
and loud song and dance fill the courtyard floor. In the midst of
this seventh day, the heart of Ahasuerus is merry and he calls
together his chamberlains before everyone to make his special
request. He tells them “to bring Vashti the queen before the
king with the crown royal,...”. Ahasuerus is tipsy, and we can
almost hear the drunken request flowing from his lips. He gets a
brainstorm and decides to show off his wife. We may recall that he
has already shown everyone his riches and glory, the next step is to
boast about his wife. Let us notice too that she is to be presented
with her “crown royal” or her royal crown upon her head.
This was no doubt an extravagant piece that would also add to the
ostentatious display.
The
verse continues, “to show the people and the princes her beauty:
for she [was] fair to look on.” This gives us a little insight
into Ahasuerus's life and character. Ahasuerus desired to show off
his queen to those in attendance of his party. We recall that Vashti
the queen had a separate party for the women in an apartment in the
palace, so those attending Ahasuerus' feast were all men. Ahasuerus
decided that it would be a great idea to brandish his wife before
this crowd of men because “she was fair to look on.” It
was as if she was his “trophy wife”, and he wanted everyone to
see his trophy. This beautiful woman named Vashti was just another
accomplishment which Ahasuerus thought should be on display as he
partied with his friends. If we think about this long enough, it is
almost laughable, and we can hear the resounding voice of the liquor
coursing through his request.
Brilliant
ideas are often pontificated by those who indulge in mind altering
chemicals, and Ahasuerus was no different. The interesting part of
this display is that God Almighty is weaving it into his plan. As we
continue to learn more about this story and the deliberate and
willful acts of Ahasuerus, let us be mindful of and look for the plan
of God as He is invisibly attending the scene. May we all be
conscious that God was watching over these affairs, and He is
watching over ours as well.
Next time we will look at Vashti's response to Ahasuerus' request, 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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