以斯帖記是一卷十分獨特的書；除它以外，聖經中只有另一卷書《路得記》記述女性。路得是一位嫁給猶太人的外邦女子；以斯帖則是嫁給外邦人的猶太女子，並因此救了她的民族。但故事並不是由以斯帖開始，而是從王后瓦實提開始的，她的丈夫就是波斯王亞哈隨魯，在公元前485至465年間統治當地。綜觀全書雖然沒有出現神的名字，但在發生的各種事件背後，卻清楚看見神的手掌管。

試想像這慶典是如何盛況空前！慶典的第一部分，是為來自波斯國各地所有的官員設筵六個月，當時的波斯地域從印度遠伸至埃及，這些官員們前來，可能是參加「議會會議」。然後，在他們離開前，王在冬宮御園宴客七天，王「用金器皿賜酒，器皿各有不同」，賓客可以任意醉酒。在這期間，王后也為官員的夫人們擺設筵席。

故事就在此時發生。滿是醉意的亞哈隨魯王突然興起一個瘋狂的念頭。他要王后前來，在這群醉酒之徒面前炫耀她的美貌。經文沒有明確說出他究竟想怎樣，他是否要王后當眾脫衣，好讓一眾男士一睹她身體的美麗？他究竟想怎樣？我們不知道，但顯然王后瓦實提卻清楚如果走進這縱酒狂歡的氛圍中，她會遭遇甚麼。於是，她拒絕前往那裡。

亞哈隨魯王被告知「王后不來」，便完全失去控制。他去問場中那些所謂「明哲人」，他該怎樣懲罰悖逆的王后。他們提議王永遠不准她到王面前，而且還不單如此，他們擔心其他婦女也不順從丈夫，因此要求王傳令，要國中婦人必須完全遵行丈夫的命令。王后瓦實提因而被廢，永遠不得再見她的丈夫；但她卻保住自己的貞潔。她損失了很多，但保住了尊嚴。這事對我們有何啟發呢？

Day 22

THE QUEEN WHO LOST HER THRONE

Esther 1:1-12

1 Now it came to pass in the days of Ahasuerus (this was the Ahasuerus who reigned over one hundred and twenty-seven provinces, from India to Ethiopia),

2 in those days when King Ahasuerus sat on the throne of his kingdom, which was in Shushan the citadel,

3 that in the third year of his reign he made a feast for all his officials and servants—the powers of Persia and Media, the nobles, and the princes of the provinces being before him—

4 when he showed the riches of his glorious kingdom and the splendor of his excellent majesty for many days, one hundred and eighty days in all.

5 And when these days were completed, the king made a feast lasting seven days for all the people who were present in Shushan the citadel, from great to small, in the court of the garden of the king’s palace.

6 There were white and blue linen curtains fastened with cords of fine linen and purple on silver rods and marble pillars; and the couches were of gold and silver on a mosaic pavement of alabaster, turquoise, and white and black marble.

7 And they served drinks in golden vessels, each vessel being different from the other, with royal wine in abundance, according to the generosity of the king.

8 In accordance with the law, the drinking was not compulsory; for so the king had ordered all the officers of his household, that they should do according to each man’s pleasure.

9 Queen Vashti also made a feast for the women in the royal palace which belonged to King Ahasuerus.

10 On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas, seven eunuchs who served in the presence of King Ahasuerus,

11 to bring Queen Vashti before the king, wearing her royal crown, in order to show her beauty to the people and the officials, for she was beautiful to behold.

12 But Queen Vashti refused to come at the king’s command brought by his eunuchs; therefore the king was furious, and his anger burned within him.

Message

The book of Esther is unique. Only one other book in the Bible is about a woman (Ruth). Ruth was a Gentile who married a Jew. Esther was a Jew who married a Gentile and saved her own nation. But the story did not begin with Esther. It began with Queen Vashti. Her husband was Xerxes, King of Persia who reigned from about 485 BC to 465 BC. The name of God is not found in this book, but the hand of God was clearly seen in the events which took place.

Imagine the scene of this incredible celebration. The first part lasted six months, during which all the officials of the vast Persian Empire, stretching from India to Egypt, were present, possibly for “council meetings”. Then before they left, there was a seven day feast in the royal gardens of the king’s winter palace. “Wine was served in golden goblets, each one different from the other” and the guests could drink to excess. While this was going on, Queen Vashti was giving a banquet for the officials’ wives.

Then it happened. King Xerxes had a mad thought in his drunken state. He would bring in his Queen and show her off in front of this drunken mob. What he intended to do, was not really told. Did he think that she should strip so that these men could see the beauty of her body? What were his intentions? We do not know but apparently Queen Vashti had a good idea of what going into the atmosphere of that orgy would mean to her and she refused to go anywhere near it.

When Xerxes was told “she’s not coming”, he lost his temper completely. He turned to his so-called “wise men” and asked how he should punish this rebellious wife. They suggested that she should be banished from his presence forever. But they didn’t stop there. They were afraid that other men’s wives might also refuse to obey their husbands, so they recommended that a decree be made that every wife in the whole kingdom must do whatever their husbands’ demanded. Queen Vashti lost her throne and never saw her husband again but she kept her integrity. She suffered loss, but her honour was intact. What does that say to us today?