When reading the book of Esther, who do you view as the heroine of the story? Certainly, Esther for whom the book is titled is a heroine, but upon rereading the first chapter of Esther, I am struck also with the heroic role Vashti plays.
I recall once again my Sunday school flannel graph stories and coming away with the idea that Queen Vashti did something terribly wrong, disobeying her husband the king and therefore deserved to lose her crown, but I no longer think this to be the case upon deeper research. There is much feminist tainted opinion and commentary on the book of Esther, championing both ladies as feminist role models. There are various interpretations regarding what Queen Vashti was expected to be wearing or not wearing when brought before the king. “…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” (Esther 1:11). Some commentators believe she was told to appear “wearing only her crown” to be ogled by the men who had been drinking without restraint for a week. Other interpretations don’t take that phrase as meaning naked, but rather the act of putting a royal princess on display was disrespectful, against the cultural norm for modesty in dress and decorum, and humiliating to Vashti. However one might read the passage, Queen Vashti had to count the cost of keeping her dignity intact while also being willing to give up her position as Queen and perhaps even her life, by refusing to do the king’s bidding.
Once again, we see God behind the scenes in this situation. Whether one believes Queen Vashti was wrong in defying King Ahasuerus’ order or that she was courageous in her actions, God had His divine plan to raise up Esther for such a time as this, to save His people from annihilation. There needed to be a vacancy on the throne for Esther to be raised up to that position. It also accentuates the courage that Esther had to have, knowing that King Ahasuerus “became extremely angry, and his rage consumed him” after Vashti refused his demand.
The king’s rage resulted in a permanent Persian edict, “let a royal edict go forth from him, and let it be written in the laws of Persia and Media that cannot be repealed, that Vashti may not come into the presence of King Ahasuerus, and let the king convey her royalty to another who is more deserving than she. And let the king’s decision which he will enact be disseminated throughout all his kingdom, vast though it is. Then all the women will give honor to their husbands, from the most prominent to the lowly” (Esther 1:19-20).
Esther’s courage, I believe, began long before she had to enter the court of the king to ask for the salvation of her Jewish countrymen. Knowing that an edict had been enacted by King Ahasuerus against Vashti, which also required that all women give honor to their husbands, with punishment being exacted if not obeyed, Esther stepped into her role as Queen courageously. The penalty for disobeying Persian law many times resulted in death, as one can see in the book of Daniel, from fiery furnaces and lion’s dens. Esther’s step into courage began when she was taken into the king’s court to become the potential next queen. God prepared every step of her journey, from the watchful care she was given by her uncle Mordecai, to Him creating a vacancy on the throne, and of all the women in the land, being chosen as the Queen. Every step was prepared in God’s way and in His perfect timing.
Vashti may have been vanquished from the king’s court, but God used her to prepare the way for the salvation of His people through Esther. How have you been strong in courageous when faced with a daunting task?