But
when the attendants delivered the king’s command, Queen Vashti refused to come.
Then the king became furious and burned with anger.
Since it was customary for the king to consult experts in matters of law and justice, he spoke with the wise men who understood the times and were closest to the king—Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena and Memucan, the seven nobles of Persia and Media who had special access to the king and were highest in the kingdom. “According to law, what must be done to Queen Vashti?” he asked. “She has not obeyed the command of King Xerxes that the eunuchs have taken to her.”
Then Memucan replied in the presence of the king and the nobles, “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.’
“This very day the Persian and Median women of the nobility who have heard about the queen’s conduct will respond to all the king’s nobles in the same way. There will be no end of disrespect and discord. Therefore, if it pleases the king, let him issue a royal decree and let it be written in the laws of Persia and Media, which cannot be repealed, that Vashti is never again to enter the presence of King Xerxes. Also let the king give her royal position to someone else who is better than she. Then when the king’s edict is proclaimed throughout all his vast realm, all the women will respect their husbands, from the least to the greatest.”
The king and his nobles were pleased with this advice, so the king did as Memucan proposed. He sent dispatches to all parts of the kingdom, to each province in its own script and to each people in its own language, proclaiming in each people’s tongue that every man should be ruler over his own household. (Esther 1:10-22)
If you’re on social media at all, you’ve probably seen something like this. Someone has done something another person thinks is reprehensible (like slut-shaming), and they’ve been foolish enough to do it on camera. Suddenly, it’s all over social media with a request that we make this go viral so others will join in shaming the shamer because shaming is wrong. Similar is the person who runs to social media bewailing some upset in his/her life, asking for others to join them in their pity party and/or attack the monster who so devastated his/her life. Well, yes, it was taking place in the fifth century BC, too. It just happened face to face.
The guys all got together, got drunk, probably got rowdy, and the king decided to share how beautiful his wife, Vashti was. Lacking the Internet, he sent an instant message via his servants calling for her to make an appearance. Some suggested that the demand that she wear her royal crown was a demand that she wear nothing but her royal crown.
Her response was one of those gifs that repeat, of her shaking a finger, and saying, “Uh, no, I don’t think so.”
The instant messenger raced back down the hall, trying to figure out how to keep his head on his shoulders. He delivers his message, and the king calls his peeps together. Memucan, one of his wing men, said that if the king didn’t do something to publicly shame Vashti, pretty soon all their wives would be saying, “Uh, no, I don’t think so.” Before her response goes viral, your response has to go viral. You need to put that _____ down. Pass a law that will protect us because we’re afraid we don’t have the authority to deal with this in our own households unless we have the government’s authority behind us.
Sounds ridiculous? Flash forward nearly three thousand years and consider how many groups are seeking government protection from “hate speech” and for protection of their right to tell society how they should be treated. I have to admire Vashti, not because she was a woman, but because she was willing to say, “Uh, no, I don’t think so.” One final note, I don’t recall, but check out the list of the king’s peeps – see how long they last.
Since it was customary for the king to consult experts in matters of law and justice, he spoke with the wise men who understood the times and were closest to the king—Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena and Memucan, the seven nobles of Persia and Media who had special access to the king and were highest in the kingdom. “According to law, what must be done to Queen Vashti?” he asked. “She has not obeyed the command of King Xerxes that the eunuchs have taken to her.”
Then Memucan replied in the presence of the king and the nobles, “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.’
“This very day the Persian and Median women of the nobility who have heard about the queen’s conduct will respond to all the king’s nobles in the same way. There will be no end of disrespect and discord. Therefore, if it pleases the king, let him issue a royal decree and let it be written in the laws of Persia and Media, which cannot be repealed, that Vashti is never again to enter the presence of King Xerxes. Also let the king give her royal position to someone else who is better than she. Then when the king’s edict is proclaimed throughout all his vast realm, all the women will respect their husbands, from the least to the greatest.”
The king and his nobles were pleased with this advice, so the king did as Memucan proposed. He sent dispatches to all parts of the kingdom, to each province in its own script and to each people in its own language, proclaiming in each people’s tongue that every man should be ruler over his own household. (Esther 1:10-22)
If you’re on social media at all, you’ve probably seen something like this. Someone has done something another person thinks is reprehensible (like slut-shaming), and they’ve been foolish enough to do it on camera. Suddenly, it’s all over social media with a request that we make this go viral so others will join in shaming the shamer because shaming is wrong. Similar is the person who runs to social media bewailing some upset in his/her life, asking for others to join them in their pity party and/or attack the monster who so devastated his/her life. Well, yes, it was taking place in the fifth century BC, too. It just happened face to face.
The guys all got together, got drunk, probably got rowdy, and the king decided to share how beautiful his wife, Vashti was. Lacking the Internet, he sent an instant message via his servants calling for her to make an appearance. Some suggested that the demand that she wear her royal crown was a demand that she wear nothing but her royal crown.
Her response was one of those gifs that repeat, of her shaking a finger, and saying, “Uh, no, I don’t think so.”
The instant messenger raced back down the hall, trying to figure out how to keep his head on his shoulders. He delivers his message, and the king calls his peeps together. Memucan, one of his wing men, said that if the king didn’t do something to publicly shame Vashti, pretty soon all their wives would be saying, “Uh, no, I don’t think so.” Before her response goes viral, your response has to go viral. You need to put that _____ down. Pass a law that will protect us because we’re afraid we don’t have the authority to deal with this in our own households unless we have the government’s authority behind us.
Sounds ridiculous? Flash forward nearly three thousand years and consider how many groups are seeking government protection from “hate speech” and for protection of their right to tell society how they should be treated. I have to admire Vashti, not because she was a woman, but because she was willing to say, “Uh, no, I don’t think so.” One final note, I don’t recall, but check out the list of the king’s peeps – see how long they last.
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