Esther’s Coronation

Chapter 1 - The Dethroning of Vashti

Ahasuerus is the King’s Hebrew name, and it comes over in the Greek as Xerxes.

His father was Darius I and his grandfather was Cyrus the Great; so he came from an illustrious family.

Ahasuerus ruled over the Persian Empire from 486 to 465 B.C.

The empire was divided into twenty “satrapies,” which in turn were subdivided into “provinces”; and the king was in absolute control.

Like most monarchs of that day, Ahasuerus was a proud man; and in this chapter, we see three evidences of his pride.

His Boastfulness (v. 1-9)

It was common for Eastern rulers to host lavish banquets, as it gave them the opportunity to impress their guests with their royal power and wealth.

Three banquets are mentioned:

One 6-month feast for his officials and servants (v. 1-4)

It is not likely that everyone was together for 6-months, but that over a period of six months, Ahasuerus brought the officers in on a rotating schedule.

One 7-day feast for the people of Susa, which was the winter capital of the Persian Empire (v. 5-8)

One for the women of Susa, presided over by Queen Vashti (v. 9)

These banquets took place, according to the Greek historian, Herodotus, so that Ahasuerus could confer with his leaders about a possible invasion of Greece.

His father, Darius I, had invaded Greece but had been shamefully defeated at Marathon in 490.

The banquets would have been used to break down any resistance to his plan for invasion by appealing to the pride of his officials.

His Drunkenness (v. 10-12)

While he was merry with wine (i.e. drunk; v. 10), Ahasuerus ordered his queen to display her beauty to the assembled guests; but she refused to obey.

Her response was a triple offense on her part:

A woman challenging the authority of a man

A wife disobeying the orders of her husband

A subject defying the command of the king

This would have been a great embarrassment to the king, given the leaders who were present. The sin nature won out when he was filled with rage and acted accordingly.

NOTE: alcohol and anger commonly go hand in hand

It is best to avoid alcohol, rather than give it opportunity

A Japanese proverb warns, “First the man takes a drink, then the drink takes a drink, and then the drink takes the man.”

His Vindictiveness (v. 13-22)

When the ego is pricked, it releases a powerful poison that makes people do all sorts of things they’d never do if they were humble and submitted to the Lord.

The king had seven counselors who advised him in matters of state and had the right to approach his throne.

They also knew well how to flatter the king to secure their positions and get from him what they wanted.

The phrase knew the times (v. 13) suggests that they were astrologers who consulted the stars and used other forms of divination.

Concerned about the repercussions of Vashti’s disobedience, the king asked his seven counselors what he should do.

Chapter 2 - The Crowning of Esther