A Dumb Request and a Defiant Answer

Introduction:

It’s almost baseball season. If everything goes according to plan, we’ll have 4 boys playing on 3 different teams. If I’ve learned anything watching my kids play ball over the last few years, it’s that parents can ruin the game for everyone. It is painful to watch parents push their kids in wildly overreaching ways as they appear to live through their kids. Instead of letting kids enjoy the game, they coach over the coach and want everyone to know how great their kid is. It often appears that the parent is really trying to push their kid so people glorify them and their ability to produce a stellar athlete. It’s all about the parent and not the kid. The kid is a means for the parent to get the attention they want.

We started our study of Esther two weeks ago by reading the entire book. We began walking through the text last week and we say the pride displayed by King Ahasuerus in his two parties and all of the pomp and circumstance celebrating himself.

I hoped that as we came to the Lord’s Table together we might find our affection turned toward Jesus as we recognize that he’s hosting a better party at a more glorious table. I hope that you got the sense that committing to anything less than God’s kingdom for God’s glory was going to be less than satisfying. I hope you already got the sense that God’s kingdom was a better way.

We ended our time with verse 9 that indicated Queen Vashti was throwing her own party. We’re going to pick up the story there as the king decides he wants her to come to his party.

Bottom Line: The way we treat others communicates a lot about what we value and where we place our trust.

Read Passage: Esther 1:10-22

Esther 1:10–22 CSB

On the seventh day, when the king was feeling good from the wine, Ahasuerus commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Carkas—the seven eunuchs who personally served him— to bring Queen Vashti before him with her royal crown. He wanted to show off her beauty to the people and the officials, because she was very beautiful. But Queen Vashti refused to come at the king’s command that was delivered by his eunuchs. The king became furious and his anger burned within him. The king consulted the wise men who understood the times, for it was his normal procedure to confer with experts in law and justice. The most trusted ones were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan. They were the seven officials of Persia and Media who had personal access to the king and occupied the highest positions in the kingdom. The king asked, “According to the law, what should be done with Queen Vashti, since she refused to obey King Ahasuerus’s command that was delivered by the eunuchs?” Memucan said in the presence of the king and his officials, “Queen Vashti has wronged not only the king, but all the officials and the peoples who are in every one of King Ahasuerus’s provinces. For the queen’s action will become public knowledge to all the women and cause them to despise their husbands and say, ‘King Ahasuerus ordered Queen Vashti brought before him, but she did not come.’ Before this day is over, the noble women of Persia and Media who hear about the queen’s act will say the same thing to all the king’s officials, resulting in more contempt and fury. “If it meets the king’s approval, he should personally issue a royal decree. Let it be recorded in the laws of the Persians and the Medes, so that it cannot be revoked: Vashti is not to enter King Ahasuerus’s presence, and her royal position is to be given to another woman who is more worthy than she. The decree the king issues will be heard throughout his vast kingdom, so all women will honor their husbands, from the greatest to the least.” The king and his counselors approved the proposal, and he followed Memucan’s advice. He sent letters to all the royal provinces, to each province in its own script and to each ethnic group in its own language, that every man should be master of his own house and speak in the language of his own people.

The Passage:

The king aims to use Vashti for his own glory (v. 10-12)

The king orders his seven eunuchs to go and get Vashti from her party and have her come to his party, so that he can show everyone present how beautiful his wife was.

There’s no indication that this was for Vashti’s good, but rather to cement in the eyes of all watching that the king was indeed the greatest man to ever live.

He’s commanded respect and obedience from everyone and displayed his power through his partying, but that’s all about to change.

Vashti refuses to come to the party.

We’re not told exactly what the king wanted her to do, so it’s best not to speculate, but for whatever reason, she declines to come.

But this makes the king, who is already drunk, very angry.

So the drunken king gets his advisors around him and shares his frustration and anger.

The king’s advisors want to use Vashti as an example (v. 13-20)

The king issues a decree against Vashti (v. 21-22)

The king agrees with Memucan and decides to follow his advice.

This means Vashti is banned from the kingdom and the decree is sent through the entire kingdom in each local language.

The irony of this is, in an effort to keep the women in check, they just told everyone what Vashti did, where they otherwise wouldn’t have known.

Application

Jesus is a better king.

King Ahasuerus wanted every person to be subject to him for his own power, pleasure and glory-for selfish gain.

Jesus certainly wants every person in subjection to him for his own glory.

But he is holy. He’s not selfish. He’s not using people and casting them to the side when they don’t produce.

He is worthy of our worship because he is God.

We know from a few weeks ago that he loves his sheep and he laid down his life to care for and protect them.

Living in submission to Jesus does bring glory to him, but it’s also the best thing we can do for ourselves.

Question: Do you really trust Jesus to lead your life?

We should surround ourselves with people who love Jesus and will provide godly, biblical advice.

When we are angry, we need those people to help us not sin.

This will rarely be received by the popular culture around us.

We need people who will help us think biblically about the decisions we make, so that we might honor God in as many decisions as possible and at the same time save ourselves from the heartbreak of the consequences of our unwise decisions.

In Persian culture, they believed alcohol helped them be more spiritual and aided in the decision making process. They’d often drink before making strategic military decisions. This in fact, is not a wise decision.

Sneak peak to next week-the no longer drunken, angry king figures out he made a mistake.

Question: Who are the primary influences in your life?

The decisions we make may have a significant impact on the people we love.

Husbands love your wives.

Make it easy for them to submit to your leadership.

Don’t demand they do things that make you appear to be better than you are.

Don’t ask them to sin for your power or pleasure.

Again, get counsel from people who are going to help you count the cost in the decision making so you don’t hurt the people you love.

When you do things that honor the Lord, you can trust him with the results.

Jesus came to serve, not to be served. We would all do well to live with that posture.

Every person’s worth is really found in God since they’re created in his image.

This changes how we view ourselves.

This changes how we view others.

This is also one of our greatest gospel tools. The way we treat others demonstrates our what we really love.

Our sacrificial care for others, especially those we say we love, communicates a different way of living to those around us and offers us opportunities to point people to Jesus.

Question: How are you tempted to use those entrusted to your care for your own pleasure and power instead of sacrificially serving them?

Challenge: View your interactions with others as an opportunity to serve instead of being served.

As you sign your kids up for sports or watch your kids in theater, serve them.

As you have opportunities to honor your spouse, serve them and celebrate them publicly.