God has lead me to read the Book of Esther. Esther is one of the "low-key" books in the bible. It rarely gets attention and people usually glance over this book. I believe that God has called me to this Book because He wants me to fully understand how to be a Godly woman and to draw near Him through the reading of His word. I believe that as a woman of God, the Book of Esther is a vital book to read because it shows the courage that Queen Esther had that changed the lives of the Jewish, and thus Christian, people.
*I encourage you to read the Book of Esther to get a full understanding of this blog*
As I read chapter 1, I noticed some key components that lead to the fall of Queen Vashti:
- She PUBLICLY refused to go to her king when she was summoned, which showed humiliation toward King Xerxes and disrespect toward him and the other men of his kingdom. (Esther 1:12)
- She did NOT apologize to the king for her disrespect nor did she ask for mercy.
In a sense, Vashti BROUGHT DOWN HER HOUSE (and her king's territory)!
I know you may be thinking, "But Esther disobeyed the king too! Why was she shown favor?"
Well, Esther's "disrespect" was different from Vashti's:
- She FASTED and PRAYED for 3 days before she approached the king. (Esther 4:16)
- She had others FAST and PRAY with her (Esther 4:16)... "For where 2 or 3 are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them." (Matthew 18:20)
- She was humble in her approach. (Esther 5:4, Esther 5:7-8, Esther 7:3)
- She "disobeyed" the king PRIVATELY. (Esther 5:1-3)
When I think of the differences between Esther and Vashti, this scripture comes to mind: Proverbs 14:1 - Every wise women buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands.
"Building a house" — to bring order to the place where family life is centered (taken from the article, "Every Wise Woman Buildeth Her House" by Lynn Pyles Bruce).
Queen Vashti showed NO submission when dealing with her king. A wife is called to be submissive - yielding or submitting to the judgment of a recognized superior out of respect or reverence (Ephesians 5:22, Colossians 3:18, 1 Peter 3:1). WE ARE CALLED TO RESPECT AND HONOR OUR HUSBAND!
The thing that stuck out the most to me was the differences between the two Queens: Vashti's blantant defiance (a mean without a real cause) vs. Esther's humble "disobedience" (which lead to the conservation of the Jews). Vashti publicly defied Xerxes. She humiliated him in front of everyone in the citadel of Susa. One of the King Xerxes nobles stated, "Queen Vashti has done wrong, not only against the king but also against all the nobles and the peoples of all the provinces of King Xerxes. For the queen's conduct will become known to all the women and so they will despise their husbands and say, 'King Xerxes commanded Queen Vashti to be brought before him, but she would not come.' (Esther 1:16-17).
In Proverbs 12:4, it states "A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband: but she that maketh ashamed is as rottenness in his bones." The women of King Xerxes provinces respected her and her public defiance (if gone unpunished) would have caused chaos in the homes of all of the provinces which in turn would have cause chaos in his kingdom. Why would the wives in the provinces obey their husbands if the queen was allowed to disobey the king?! Xerxes had no other choice but to make an example out of Queen Vashti either by death or by exile. Strangely enough, he chose the latter and she was made to live outside of the king's territory.
Ladies, we are designed to be a man's helper (Genesis 2:18, 21-24), a crown to his head (Proverbs 12:4). If we don't respect our husbands, how can we expect anyone else (our children, our family, our friends, etc.) to respect him?! If we want the best for our husbands, we need to make sure that we submit to him fully thus equipping him to be a leader, a provider, and give him what he needs so he can love us unconditionally. We have to make sure that we do not humiliate our men but to bring good toward him (Proverbs 31:12). If we have an issue with our husbands, we need to fast [fasting doesn't always mean abstaining from food... it could mean abstaining from talking to other people about the matter] and pray, SEEK THE LORD, and do what He tells us to do so we can receive favor from our husbands just as Esther did (Esther 4:15-16). We need to be humble and show our men unconditional reverence just as Esther did (Esther 5:1-4). Don't believe the hype of the world, submission is a vital key to a happy and LASTING marriage.
Please look at this clip on the importance of submission and respect in the marriage.
*This is not just for black people, this is for ALL men and women*
I pray that this blessing you and keeps you on track to being the submissive helpmeet that God has called you to be. Stay blessed and encourage!
