Men behaving badly.
Verse 1 explains that the upcoming events happened in the days of Ahasuerus (Xerxes 1). He ruled from India (modern day Pakistan) to Ethiopia (modern North Sudan).
Xerxes was on his throne in his Susa palace (north of modern day Persian Gulf), which was the capital of his empire.
In his third year, Xerxes gave a banquet for all of the military and governmental leaders who served under him. He put on a display of his wealth for 6 months. A Ryrie Study Bible footnote mentions that the six months was probably used to plan with the military and civil leadership in regards to the upcoming invasion of Greece. At the end he gave a seven days drinking banquet for everyone in Susa, from the greatest to the least.
Starting in verse 6 the author describes the elaborate decorations, structures, serving materials and all the gold, silver, flowers, and wealth you can think of. Fancy wine was available, but no one was required to drink it. I have questions about the compulsory drinking laws they refer to, but I don't think I really want the answers.
Verse 9 tells us that Queen Vashi also gave a banquet for the palace women.
On the final day of the final banquet, the king gets drunk and commands his seven eunuchs to bring the queen before him decked out in her royal crown so he can show off his beautiful wife. She refused to come to the king when the eunuchs showed up to bring her. This made the king very angry and wrathful.
Xerxes takes the issue to the legal wise men of the time. These were the astrologers and the type of advisors Daniel had been in his time. Interestingly, there were seven of these men named. There had been seven eunuchs. So seven either meant something to the Persians, or the Jewish author of this book is inserting Hebrew signals to the book, which he had to keep subverted to avoid the wrath of the empire government. Ryrie footnote states that these advisors knew the Law of Moses, based on Ezra 7:14.
It's also interesting that the king took the issue to advisors. I can easily see a king taking out his drunk wrath on her right then and there; but maybe she had family ties or some other protection that she felt comfortable refusing him.
One advisor makes the case against the queen:
In the presence of the king and the princes, Memucan said, “Queen Vashti has wronged not only the king but also all the princes and all the peoples who are in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus.
For the queen’s conduct will become known to all the women causing them to look with contempt on their husbands by saying, ‘King Ahasuerus commanded Queen Vashti to be brought in to his presence, but she did not come.’
This day the ladies of Persia and Media who have heard of the queen’s conduct will speak in the same way to all the king’s princes, and there will be plenty of contempt and anger. Esther 1:16–18
- Memucan makes the case that the queens refusal wronged the king and all of the princes because her actions will become known and all the princes' wives will have the same attitude with them.
- This is repugnant. The idea that men better do something to punish a woman who doesn't want to be displayed like a piece of property so that other women will stay in line....makes my blood boil.
- It shows the love and grace of God that the old testament and then the new testament that women will equal in creation, even if their functions are different. Solomon bowed to his mother, even when he was king. David was held accountable for forcing Bathsheba into adultery. Men didn't have unlimited power over women that's being displayed here.
- Gross.
The actual recommendation, based on the rant against her, was that she should never be allowed before the king again and her royal rank be given to someone "more worthy than she". Gross. And, as was common with Persia law, the edict would be revocable.
When the king’s edict which he will make is heard throughout all his kingdom, great as it is, then all women will give honor to their husbands, great and small.” Esther 1:20
Gross.
What small, weak, insecure, and petty men these were who wanted to make a public spectacle of punishing a woman who refused to be put on display for a bunch of drunk and power drunk men. Notice that the women had their own banquet, so none of them were invited to the men's banquet. That makes me think the queen may not have felt safe going in to the banquet with a palace full of drunks. And they were so insecure about the women they had married that they wanted them controlled by fear. If they wanted women to act worthy, they should have been treated as if they were worthy. Having to use fear to control your wife might mean that you've been a bad husband.
Sheesh...I'm all riled up!
Oooohhh...it gets worse:
This word pleased the king and the princes, and the king did as Memucan proposed.
So he sent letters to all the king’s provinces, to each province according to its script and to every people according to their language, that every man should be the master in his own house and the one who speaks in the language of his own people. Esther 1:21–22
They were all so pleased with themselves that they sent out a letter to everyone telling them they should be the master of his own house. The fact that one women tried to advocate for herself led to an entire empire being put on notice that they should crush descent from their women. Just appalling. What a terrible turn of events.
But God.
Part of the edict was that every man was to speak his own language in his house. Weird little add on, but protected the culture of groups within the empire.
And left the Queen's throne open for Esther.
God is sovereign.
Amen.