My books are finally here. I'm starting the study of Esther, with the guide, "Esther: Character Under Pressure" by Patty Pell. I'm also using some of the background information from the Kay Arthur book, "Overcoming Fear and Discouragement--Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther".
The book of Esther is set in the time frame of the Old Testament, after the exile, while the Jewish people have already begun their return. The Temple has been rebuilt, but the walls have not. It is before Nehemiah's return.
In chapter one we see the King Xerxes giving a banquet. The celebration lasted six months. At the end, he gave a banquet for another week. It is during this banquet where King Xerxes who is drunk requests the presence of his queen. Queen Vashti was also giving a banquet for the women of the palace at the same time. I believe it was custom for the genders to be separated during the celebration. This leads to some interesting questions about why the king would even summon the queen. But if you remember his drunken state, the mind is not in full function...so anything goes. The queen refuses the command and encouraged by his advisers the king is forced to depose of her. The advisers tell the king, that if he doesn't 'discipline' the queen then all the women of the empire would begin to treat their husbands in the same way. HMMMMMMMMMMMMMM..........
This leads to some interesting application questions. When is it right,if ever to disrespect someone's request of us? What if someone asks something that is immoral, impolite, or illegal of someone else, how should we reply? I know if its something immoral, illegal, we would probably decline the request. But what if its a 'gray area' and some do it, and some don't, type of thing? How are we to respect our husbands in today's society of woman's rights, and feministic theology? How are we to respect God? Are we in the habit of showing others respect? What about those whose skin color differs from us, or whose income is higher or lower than ours? How is respect expected in the culture you live in?...especially if you live in another country outside of the U.S.?
Just some questions to mull over. Feel free to comment here or on your own blog, but let me know in the comments below. Read Esther Chapter 1...interesting stuff!
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2 comments:
Very interesting perspective. You added some of the historical details that are important.
I think the answer to all those questions is that we are ultimately responsible for our own behavior and decisions. We can't blame it on our spouse, we can't blame circumstances, we can't blame it on God, etc.
I think that this passage is difficult in some ways, because we cannot tell if Queen Vashti was morally in the right or in the wrong by refusing the King's order. For example, there is speculation that she refused because she was to be "shown off" in a very immodest and sinful way. However, she could have just been disobeying for no good reason and since he was the King, it was illegal to do so. But I think this story shows that God used these events, good or bad, to bring Esther into a position of influence so that SHE could do God's work.
I had also been taught the version that Vashti was asked to show up nude or demi-nude to show off for the king - in which case her refusal was Godly and even set the stage for God to save the Jewish people.
We, of course, won't know the details this side of heaven.
You ask about cultural respect in your post.
The major difference between society's conventions of respect and God's seems to be how God gives respect to the most vulnerable and society gives respect to those people fear, envy or admire.
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