13 Then the king consulted the wise men who knew the times, for it was customary for him to confer with the experts in law and justice. 14 His closest advisors were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media who had personal access to the king and ranked highest in the kingdom.

15 “According to law,” he asked, “what should be done with Queen Vashti, since she refused to obey the command of King Xerxes delivered by the eunuchs?”

16 And in the presence of the king and his princes, Memucan replied, “Queen Vashti has wronged not only the king, but all the princes and the peoples in all the provinces of King Xerxes. 17 For the conduct of the queen will become known to all women, causing them to despise their husbands and say, ‘King Xerxes ordered Queen Vashti to be brought before him, but she did not come.’

18 This very day the noble women of Persia and Media who have heard about the queen’s conduct will say the same thing to all the king’s officials, resulting in much contempt and wrath.

19 So if it pleases the king, let him issue a royal decree, and let it be recorded in the laws of Persia and Media so that it cannot be repealed, that Vashti shall never again enter the presence of King Xerxes, and that her royal position shall be given to a woman better than she. 20 The edict the king issues will be heard throughout his vast kingdom—and so all women, from the least to the greatest, will honor their husbands.”

21 The king and his princes were pleased with this counsel; so the king did as Memucan had advised. 22 He sent letters to all the provinces of the kingdom, to each province in its own script and to each people in their own language, proclaiming that every man should be master of his own household.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Vincent Chan

Today’s passage continues to set the scene for the rest of the book. Although we get a range of characters so far, only King Xerxes will play a significant role in the following chapters. Unfortunately for Queen Vashti, this will be the end of us seeing her.

One thing that stood out for me was the dynamic of the King and Queen. It’s a side point of today’s passage, but I was struck by how difficult it is for women in many cultures. The wisemen think this is the best move to act decisively and heavy handedly so that wives will learn to honour their husband (vs. 20). Sadly, what we see in today’s chapter was perfectly normal back then and in many parts of the world today. The way that men ‘ruled’ their wives was through power and might.

The Christian marriage is called to something radically different. Because ultimately the true picture of marriage is of Jesus (the groom) and his church (the bride). Jesus loves his church and the way that he serves his church is by laying down his life for her. No wonder why in the Christian marriage, husbands are called to lead their wives, by service and laying down their lives (Ephesians 5:25). May we be reminded to look through our relationships today through the lens of Jesus.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Vinno is an Assistant Minister with our Fairfield congregations.