Esther Study: Week 1

Esther Study: Week 1

Reading: Chapter 1
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Commentaries (Optional):

v1: Ahasuerus = Xerxes (creepy, tall Persian dude with waaay too much eyeliner and bling in the movie 300)
Genealogy: Cyrus (Ezra 1) -> Darius -> Xerxes

v3-7: This was a politically important event in preparation for the Persian invasion of Greece later that same year in 483 B.C. (again, as seen in 300). Xerxes was trying to muster the support of his nobles and allies by throwing this extravagant party.

v8: In other words, it was an open bar event. This went against Persian traditions and was a controversial move, Xerxes was trying to please the crowd. Take away point, EVERYONE was likely very drunk. (see Proverbs 31:4-5)

v10-11: This was towards the ending climax of the feast, and the intoxicated Xerxes decided to displaying his trophy wife, the crown jewel of his massive wealth, hoping to inspire patriotism and loyalty.

v12: There are several possible reasons for this rejection. The queen may have not felt comfortable being exposed to public scrutiny from a hall full of drunken men; according to Persian culture, married women were not to be put on display like this; lastly, some scholars believe the command to appear wearing her crown meant to appear wearing only her crown (yes, nekkid). Whatever the reason, the king was piiiissed off.

Note how quickly the king's mood swings between v10 and v12. As one commentator says, "he finds himself powerless to show off the beauty of his own wife: that comes with a person and requires human relations skill that he sadly and conspicuously lacks. What is still worse, he compounds the problem by treating his personal deficiency through official means, promoting an embarrassment into a state crisis and his problem with Queen Vashti into a problem of all men with their wives. The ludicrous outcome is that the man who cannot rule his wife becomes the all-powerful emperor who formally enjoins all his male subjects to rule their wives."

v18: Around that time period, defiance against husbands was becoming a trendy thing among wives of that era. A popular, contemporary Greek comedy titled Lysistrata was written and circulated throughout the civilized world that centered on a group of women banding together and going on a strike against their husbands. Vashti's refusal came at a time of very insecure husbands.

v19: It is profoundly ironic that Vashti's refusal to come before the king led to her never allowed in the king's presence again, and her effort to hold onto her own dignity and rights effectively led to the loss of rights for all Persian wives.

v22: This is more than a royal affirmation of patriarchy, the king was essentially giving Persian husbands sovereign authority in every household. It gave men the same kind of authority (kings are pretty specific when they use the word "ruler") that Xerxes employed in casting aside his own wife over an embarrassing event. In the words of one commentator, this entire episode "reveals a society easily destabilized. It shows that beneath the jovial and trivial surface reside some dangerously tender egos. It introduces men whose need for honor can make them provoke the king into setting in motion the inexorable machinery of the empire. It shows us people who try to impose their will on others and who identify strength with rigidity... Rigidity of this sort will place severe barriers before the book's heroes, who will be forced to work around them in a way that Vashti could not or would not."
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Reflection:

The original text placed a greater emphasis on Vashti's beauty than those of Esther's. In other words, Esther was effectively trying to replace a woman who not only had a better pedigree (a literal princess), the strong will to refuse the king's command, but even a greater beauty. Can you imagine trying to fill those shoes? On top of our own tendencies to find worth in topping each other, our society does much to foster a culture of comparison driven insecurities. Do/have you ever find yourself around another woman who makes you feel insecure or see such women in the media? If so, how? Do not think only in terms of beauty, although that might be a good place to start.

Xerxes did not see Vashti as a woman with a will of her own, but as a trophy to be displayed. Is this a trend you've seen in past/present relationships (with men)? Does this affect your sense of worth? If so, how? How does this contrast with Jesus' view of women (see John 4:1-30, especially note v27).

Vashti was in a tragic dilemma and needed to choose between her "loyalty to the authority system at whose center stood her demanding husband, and loyalty to her own dignity." what would you do in her situation?

Can you think of instances where dignity/pride led to more trouble than its worth?

According to Memucan, who did Vashti offend and what were the supposed repercussions of her actions? Do you agree with his assertions? What did Memucan mean by someone "better than she?" (v19)

What is the difference between commanded/forced respect versus respect freely given to one who's deserving of it? How does the respect the Persian wives were forced to give their husbands differ from the respect Eph 5:22-30 asks of Christian wives? Contrast how submission works in the two different contexts and dynamics.