http://www.bing.com/videos/watch/video/one-night-with-the-king-one-night-with-the-king/c8c1001a620e5cf18372c8c1001a620e5cf18372-235684758839?q=one%20night%20with%20the%20king&FORM=VIRE1
This is a current day map of Persia.
http://maps.google.com/?q=34.798311,48.514966+(Persia)&ie=UTF8&ll=34.777716,48.515625&spn=20.190082,39.506836&z=5
Map is copied from Tyndale Handbook of Bible Charts and Maps
Some background and facts about Esther. Esther and Ruth are the only two books in the bible named for women. The name of God is never used in this book. But God's presence is in this book.
Key people in this book - Esther, Mordecai, King Xerxes I, and Haman.
Location: Persia - primarily the Kings Palace - in the city of Susa.
Date written: Approx 470 BC
Author: unknown - could have been written by Mordicai, or Ezra or Nehemiah.
Lets begin and open our bibles to Chapter 1
Verse 1 This gives the background concerning King Xerxes and his kingdom. He reigned in 127 Providences from India to Ethiopia. "At this time, the Persian Empire was the largest the world had ever seen. It covered what we call today Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, Jordan, Lebanon, and Israel; and also parts of modern day Egypt, Sudan, Libya, and Arabia." This was copied from: http://www.enduringword.com/commentaries/1701.htm
I wanted to share how large King Xerxes empire was.
Verses 2-9 3 feasts occur in these verses. The first festival begins 3 years after Xerxes takes the throne. He throws a party for180 days! That's a half a year! The people invited are nobles and princes from his land. This party shows how much wealth Xerxes had. When the 180 day festivities was over, he throws another party for all the people who lived in Susa, from the poorest to the wealthiest, for 7 days. The party is held at the palace garden and is beautifully decorated. The garden had couches made of gold and silver. Drinks were served in golden goblets, and people could drink as much as they wanted - the wine flowed freely. And the last party was a banquet that Queen Vashti held for the royal women in the palace.
Verses 10-11 On the 7th day of the feast, when King Xerxes was "high on spirits" he asks for his beautiful wife, Queen Vashti to come to the feast so that all the other men could gaze at her beauty. So, he sends 7 eunichs to go get her. The bible isn't specific but it is assumed that she is requested to come to the feast immodestly dressed. When people have had too much to drink they make foolish decisions. Can you hear all these drunken men bragging they have the most beautiful wife and King Xerxes says my Queen is the most beautiful of all - so he sends for her to come so all may "look" at her. Doesn't sound like a good situation does it? The king sends 7 euniches to get the queen - a eunuch is a man who has been castrated. This a common practice done - so the officials couldn't have children and then want to overthrow the King.
Verse 12 Queen Vashti refuses to go parade in front of all the men. The bible says women are to submit themselves to God. However, if the husband's request would cause you to sin, you should respectfully refuse his request. And of course a godly husband wouldn't even ask his wife to do something as sinful as strutting in front of all his drunken peers so they can all lustfully look at her. Some speculate she was pregnant and didn't want to parade in front of the men in her condition. And of course King Xerxes is furious with the queen for disobeying him.
Verses 13-22 King Xerxes seeks the counsel of his staff for advisement regarding his wife the queen disobeying him. They decide that Queen Vashti be banished from the palace and be replace with another Queen. Then the king issues a decree stating that husbands should be the ruler in their own household. He feared that wives would see what the queen had done, and they too would not honor their husband's wishes.While in theory this sounds like a good decree, the intent was foolish. He asked her to do something immoral and she refused. Even a fool could see through this.
Father God, today we read about a King who throws a temper tantrum because his wife, for whatever reason, refuses to honor his request. We know that you orchestrated this event, and made it clear that his request was foolish. We ask this day that when someone wants us to sin, whether it be a family member or someone in the workplace, that you give us the courage to say no. We ask that you give us the words to say no, and be brave enough to stand up for our convictions. And we ask for mercy from punishment that may be given from them. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.
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