A tale of two wives…
Photo by Nathan Mcgregor on Unsplash
Rise and Shine, sweet friends!
I hope you are having a wonderful week with this gorgeous Spring weather.
God’s Creation is truly unmatched! The birds singing, the flowers blooming…
Every morning, I whisper as I hold my hot cup of coffee…”let everything that has breath praise the Lord!” Psalm 150:6
For the last several weeks, I have been really pondering the book of Esther.
Are you familiar with Esther?
Many of us know one of the most quoted verses in that book of The Bible…
“Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?” Esther 4:14
In the book of Esther, Mordecai, her older cousin, is the one that said this most quoted scripture.
Mordecai raised Esther from a young age, due to her parents deaths.
In this passage, he is encouraging her to inform her husband the King, about a dire plan of one of the King’s men to annihilate the Jewish people.
Since Esther was Jewish, these were her people.
There is much to say about all of this, but I want to focus on The King’s first wife, Queen Vashti.
We do not know a whole lot about Vashti, but what we do know gives us plenty to learn.
Vashti was banished from the Kingdom because she did not show up in the King’s Presence during a party they were hosting.
The King was hanging out with the fellas and wanted to show off his most lovely bride.
So, he summoned her to come and parade herself to his more than likely very drunk friends.
When Vashti got the message, she refused to come.
Whew.
Ok, let’s stop right here.
There is a lot to learn in this passage as women.
Vashti was probably entertaining her friends…you know probably playing a game of MahJong, canasta, or gin rummy. (just kidding)
But, who knows?
Either way, she did not want to be bothered by the King.
Well, this did not sit well with the King.
In fact, he was humiliated and infuriated.
Hence, her banishment.
Vashti was rebellious.
Vashti was defiant.
Vashti was stubborn.
Vashti was prideful.
Vashti was not submissive.
I can guarantee you that every woman in the Kingdom would have given their right arm to be in Vashti’s position.
She had it made!
Yet, she threw it all away with her bad decision to defy the King…her husband.
This hits home to me in more ways than I can count.
How many times have I been like Vashti?
Rebellious, stubborn, prideful, demanding of my own way, defiant….
Too many to count.
Her rebellious and prideful spirit was her downfall.
Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. Proverbs 16:18
Esther, the Kings second wife, was the exact opposite.
Esther had a big life changing decision to make.
Would she keep her mouth shut and stay in her cozy palace?
Or, would she have the courage to approach the King and tell him of the evil plan of one of his most trusted advisors.
In these days, queens had to wait to be summoned by the King before they could approach them.
Crazy, right?
However, these were the times and just the way it was.
Esther prayed and fasted before approaching the King unsummoned.
Esther was courageous.
Esther was others focused.
Esther was humble.
Esther had the wisdom to wait…and pray…before approaching the King.
Esther had patience and good timing.
Esther respected her husband greatly.
Esther willingly submitted to authority.
Esther listened to the advice and wisdom of her older cousin.
Esther risked comfort and an easy life to save and help others.
Wow!
This Bible story is so applicable to us in these days and times.
Our culture teaches us to be like Vashti.
Doesn’t it?
Yet, Esther teaches us God’s way.
It is never too late to start being an Esther in our homes and communities.
This world, our children, our grand children…need Esther’s as role models.
There are enough Vashti’s in the world…
Let’s raise up Esther’s!
Starting with ourselves.
be like Esther,
jill
