Thoughts

Introduction

Esther is the final book of history in the Bible. King Ahasuerus is better known as Xerxes to students of history, and he was the son of Darius I, whom we read about in the books of Ezra, Daniel and Haggai. The ruins of Ahasuerus’ palace, in which the events of this book took place, have been unearthed by archeologists.

As the events of Esther take place, Ahasuerus’ is the largest empire, the Persian Empire, the world had ever seen, spanning modern Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, Jordan, Lebanon, Israel, and parts of Egypt, Sudan, Libya and Arabia. Ezra had returned to Jerusalem and thirty years before, the Temple had been rebuilt. Forty years later, under Ahazuerus’ successor, Artaxerxes I, Nehemiah would return to Jerusalem to rebuild the walls.

A Prideful King

Out of pride, Ahasuerus held two different banquets. First there was a six month long banquet for all of his officials and servants. He was ruler of the largest empire in the world, and he wanted to show off. In all likelihood, this lavish celebration was paid for from the taxes he collected. The second banquet was for all the residents of the capital city, Shushan. This celebration was much more modest, lasting only seven days. Drink was abundant at both banquets, but at the second, it was not compulsory.

Ahasuerus’ wife, Queen Vashti also held a banquet for the women at the palace.

A Lousy Husband

On the seventh day of the second banquet, Ahasuerus was drunk, and he ordered that Vashti should come to him at the banquet, because he wanted to display her beauty. Commentators believe that it is implied that the king wanted her to appear without her clothes, which is the reason she refused to go. In his drunken condition, the king became enraged, and he asked his advisors what he should do in response to this insubordination. They said he should remove her as queen because she was a bad example to all the other women in the kingdom. Find a replacement, they said, or wives everywhere will disrespect their husbands.

What Kind of Respect?

In Ephesians 5, Paul says that wives should respect their husbands. I’m going to go out on a limb and say that I agree with Paul. Respect is the greatest gift a wife can give to her husband. However, a husband cannot demand respect. Well, that is not entirely true, thought, is it? A husband can demand respect, and many husbands have cruel ways to do so. But respect given as a result of mistreatment is not true respect.

Let’s look at what exactly Paul said there in Ephesians. It’s in verse 33 of chapter five: “…each one of you is to love his wife as himself, and the wife is to respect her husband.” So that brings a bit more perspective into the equation, doesn’t it? Earlier in the chapter, in verse 25, Paul made it even more clear: “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her…” That really drives it home. A husband that loves his wife just a Christ loved the church will, in almost every case, be rewarded with respect and love from his wife.

Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda

Had Ahasuerus loved Vashti with this kind of love, first of all, he would have never made such a request of her, and she would have respected him.

But then we would not have the rest of the story with Esther, would we?

Today’s Bible Translation

Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 1 NET, Ch. 2-4 NKJV, Ch. 5 GWT

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