Esther (3)—Sad Results of Bad Examples - All The LORD is near Daily Devotionals for 2024

Queen Vashti has not only wronged the king, but also all the princes, and all the people who are in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus. For the queen’s behavior will become known to all women, so that they will despise their husbands in their eyes, when they report, “King Ahasuerus commanded Queen Vashti to be brought in before him, but she did not come” … Thus there will be excessive contempt and wrath.
Esther 1:16–18 NKJV

Esther (3)—Sad Results of Bad Examples
On the seventh day of the feast, when the king’s heart “was merry with wine”—a dangerous time to make decisions—he sent for his wife, Queen Vashti, to come to him wearing her royal crown. He wanted to display her beauty to his people and officials, for she was beautiful to behold! But she refused to come. Her beauty was merely outward. A wife’s true incorruptible beauty, precious in the sight of God, according to 1 Peter 3:1–6, is shown by her gentle and quiet spirit of submission to her husband.

King Ahasuerus was furious. His anger burned within him. Vashti had publicly defied him. He asked his seven wise men what he should legally do to her. One of them pointed out the effects Vashti’s act would have upon other women throughout the kingdom, emboldening them to defy their husbands too. Vashti must be publicly removed from being queen, and her royal position given to someone better than she was. The king concurred and issued a decree accordingly. His alcohol-influenced demand and his wife’s refusal to submit brought loss to both. We do well to learn from this report if we want happy marriages with God’s rich blessing.

The Church is the bride of Christ. Observing her, angelic beings are to learn God’s manifold wisdom. The professing Church, however, has not obeyed the teaching of the Word. Soon the Lord will take up all His own to be with Him. Disowning what remains, He will again deal with Israel, His earthly people. Faintly foreshadowed here in the book of Esther is the professing Church’s failure.

-- Eugene P. Vedder, Jr.