As we study the Bible it is
a wonderful privilege to ask the Holy Spirit of God to help us to
know what He is sharing with us through the written words. When we do
this our imaginations will run wild and and we are able to picture
the events that occur on the page. We have been exploring the setting
during the reign of Xerxes I or Ahasuerus of Persia, and we have
watched as he has provided a feast for the dignitaries and their
servants of his one hundred and twenty-seven provinces. He has also
held a seven day feast for the men small and great within his palace,
and has requested that the queen, Vashti, appear before them that he
might show off her beauty. Her refusal to come angered King
Ahasuerus, and he has called for the princes who know the law of
Persia for advice. One of his princes, Memucan, began to tell
Ahasuerus the long range affect Vashti's refusal would have on the
kingdom, and in chapter one and verse seventeen Memucan continues his
answer. We read:
For [this] deed of the
queen shall come abroad unto all women, so that they shall despise
their husbands in their eyes, when it shall be reported, The king
Ahasuerus commanded Vashti the queen to be brought in before him, but
she came not.
He
continued, “For [this] deed of the queen shall come abroad unto
all women, so that they shall despise their husbands in their
eyes,...” Isn't is a marvel how widespread this decision of
Vashti's will become? Memucan projects into the future and surmises
that “all women” will despise their husbands “in their
eyes” because of Vashti's response. Memucan may or may not have
been correct, but the idea of every married household in the kingdom
being affected by this action must have been a powerful argument. We
can almost picture the ciaos that would occur in homes as any request
of husbands might be refused because of Vashti's deed.
The
verse continues, “when it shall be reported, The king
Ahasuerus commanded Vashti the queen to be brought in before him, but
she came not.” There is a key
phrase in this part of the verse, “when it shall be
reported,...” In chapter three
and verse five of his book James
the apostle wrote, “Even so the tongue is a little
member, and boasts great things. Behold, how great a matter a little
fire kindles!”, and this event in Persia would no doubt be a
matter that would spread like wildfire. Memucan could picture woman
after woman hearing about the queen's refusal to comply to her
husband the king's request, and they would follow suit as well. Even
if women were to abide by their husband's request, the fact that when
they heard this message they “shall despise their husbands in
their eyes” would be difficult. Memucan put Vashti's decision
in perspective, and his summation was the entire kingdom of Persia
would be affected by it.
We have noted in past verses
how one decision affects so many lives. Like a stone thrown into body
of water, rippling occurs long after the initial impact. James the
apostle also wrote, “Behold how great a matter a little fire
kindles” and as we meditate upon this verse, perhaps we should
keep in mind how often our choices affect others. There may or may
not be a kingdom of people who will be affected, but nonetheless,
others are impacted by our decisions. As we think on these things,
let us keep in mind that God Almighty is always at work using
decisions both bad and good for His divine purposes, and with Him at
the helm, nothing will escape the mighty direction of God.
Next time we shall discover the affect Vashti's decision will have
upon all women in the 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” and the new marriage book “So, You Want to Be
Married” 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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