Est 1:10 | KingComments | STEP | While Ahasuerus is keeping his meal, Queen Vashti is also addressing a meal ( ). She addresses it “to the women in the royal house that belonged to King Ahasuerus”. It is a meal of her own and in the area that belongs to the king. Here we see an example that man uses for himself what has been made available to him by God. Vashti gives a banquet without the king. It is reminiscent of the eldest son in the parable of the prodigal son. That son also wants to enjoy a meal, but only with his friends, without his father ( ). This is how sin came into the world, because Eve wanted to enjoy something without God. Later we see that Esther does make a banquet for the king ( ). That Queen Vashti does not take her husband King Ahasuerus into account is shown by what follows. “On the seventh day” ( ), the last day of the banquet, when the heart of Ahasuerus is happy because of the wine, he orders seven eunuchs to bring his wife to the banquet. These eunuchs “served in the presence of king Ahasuerus”. They are in his immediate vicinity to obey his command immediately. The fact that there are seven of them indicates their full ability to carry out the mission. Their mission is to bring Queen Vashti to the king and to do so in a manner befitting the dignity of the king. Therefore, Vashti must come “with [her] royal crown” on her head. The crown will give her outer beauty even more shine. Ahasuerus sends this completely – seven servants – competent company with this command to Vashti because he wants to “in order to display her beauty to the people and the princes”. Queen Vashti, however, refuses to come. She resists “the king’s command delivered by the eunuchs”. This refusal is, in the first place, disobedience to the king’s command. The command of the king means his authority. As the king’s consort, her refusal is also an outright insult to him. He justifiably becomes “very angry” and about this “his wrath burned within him”. What should have been a climax becomes an anticlimax. In several commentaries the refusal of Vashti to comply with the king’s request is discussed in an understanding manner. Vashti would be the victim of a capricious, drunken king who would expose her to the abuse of a drunken company. Such a thought would then be sufficiently grounded by what one knows of the relationships and practices at that time. Sometimes background information is useful, but it is doubtful whether this kind of information helps to understand what is happening in this case. In any case, it does not say that Ahasuerus is drunk and surrounded by drunken people and in that state gives an excessive command. In the prophetic and practical application, we can draw a parallel between Vashti on the one hand and Israel and Christianity on the other hand. Both Israel and Christianity have failed in their duty to reveal God’s glory. Israel has refused to acknowledge God’s authority and has not made His Name great with respect to the nations. That is why God finally had to reject His people. The same, and perhaps even more so, applies to Christianity. The church has failed to show her glory, which is that of God, in the world. It has not stuck to the “simplicity … to Christ” ( ), but has committed herself to the world. The church, or Christianity, has moderately glorified herself. We see this fully expressed in Babylon, in which we recognize the roman-catholic church. Babylon imagines that she “sits as a queen” ( ), by which she boasts of her own authority, without the recognition of God’s authority over her. She has enriched and praised herself and will be judged by God. God knows how to use these events for His purpose: 1. By judging apostate Israel, He is paving the way for the true Israel, of whom Esther is a picture. 2. By judging the false bride, the apostate church, He opens the way for the true bride of the Lamb, that is the church.

‏ Esther 1:10

Queen Vashti

While Ahasuerus is keeping his meal, Queen Vashti is also addressing a meal (Est 1:9). She addresses it “to the women in the royal house that belonged to King Ahasuerus”. It is a meal of her own and in the area that belongs to the king. Here we see an example that man uses for himself what has been made available to him by God.

Vashti gives a banquet without the king. It is reminiscent of the eldest son in the parable of the prodigal son. That son also wants to enjoy a meal, but only with his friends, without his father (Lk 15:29). This is how sin came into the world, because Eve wanted to enjoy something without God. Later we see that Esther does make a banquet for the king (Est 5:4).

That Queen Vashti does not take her husband King Ahasuerus into account is shown by what follows. “On the seventh day” (Est 1:10), the last day of the banquet, when the heart of Ahasuerus is happy because of the wine, he orders seven eunuchs to bring his wife to the banquet. These eunuchs “served in the presence of king Ahasuerus”. They are in his immediate vicinity to obey his command immediately. The fact that there are seven of them indicates their full ability to carry out the mission.

Their mission is to bring Queen Vashti to the king and to do so in a manner befitting the dignity of the king. Therefore, Vashti must come “with [her] royal crown” on her head. The crown will give her outer beauty even more shine. Ahasuerus sends this completely – seven servants – competent company with this command to Vashti because he wants to “in order to display her beauty to the people and the princes”.

Queen Vashti, however, refuses to come. She resists “the king’s command delivered by the eunuchs”. This refusal is, in the first place, disobedience to the king’s command. The command of the king means his authority. As the king’s consort, her refusal is also an outright insult to him. He justifiably becomes “very angry” and about this “his wrath burned within him”. What should have been a climax becomes an anticlimax.

In several commentaries the refusal of Vashti to comply with the king’s request is discussed in an understanding manner. Vashti would be the victim of a capricious, drunken king who would expose her to the abuse of a drunken company. Such a thought would then be sufficiently grounded by what one knows of the relationships and practices at that time. Sometimes background information is useful, but it is doubtful whether this kind of information helps to understand what is happening in this case. In any case, it does not say that Ahasuerus is drunk and surrounded by drunken people and in that state gives an excessive command.

In the prophetic and practical application, we can draw a parallel between Vashti on the one hand and Israel and Christianity on the other hand. Both Israel and Christianity have failed in their duty to reveal God’s glory. Israel has refused to acknowledge God’s authority and has not made His Name great with respect to the nations. That is why God finally had to reject His people.

The same, and perhaps even more so, applies to Christianity. The church has failed to show her glory, which is that of God, in the world. It has not stuck to the “simplicity … to Christ” (2Cor 11:3), but has committed herself to the world. The church, or Christianity, has moderately glorified herself. We see this fully expressed in Babylon, in which we recognize the roman-catholic church. Babylon imagines that she “sits as a queen” (Rev 18:7), by which she boasts of her own authority, without the recognition of God’s authority over her. She has enriched and praised herself and will be judged by God.

God knows how to use these events for His purpose:

1. By judging apostate Israel, He is paving the way for the true Israel, of whom Esther is a picture.

2. By judging the false bride, the apostate church, He opens the way for the true bride of the Lamb, that is the church.