A Higher Standard

Daily Reading: Esther 1

And when these days were completed, the king gave for all the people present in Susa the citadel, both great and small, a feast lasting for seven days in the court of the garden of the king's palace. (Esther 1:5)

Devotional Thought: The book of Esther is set in the city of Susa, the capital of Persia.  The Hebrew people had been overrun and transported to a foreign land where they were in exile.  The book begins by introducing us to King Xerxes.  Given that his kingdom extended across the entirety of the known world, he was a man of immense power.  But instead of being a responsible leader who sought to do justice and create a flourishing society, he had given himself to looking impressive and experiencing pleasure while following the path of least resistance.  He was preoccupied with showing off his greatness and using his vast resources in a way that would cause the people around him to defer to him.

So, he decided to throw a lavish banquet for all his officials.  One evening, while drunk, he intended to show off his ultimate possession—his wife Vashti.  The implication of the passage is that she was to display herself in an immodest way.

Though not a follower of God, Vashti had enough self-respect and wisdom to know this was something she didn’t want to do.  When her husband sent for her, she said “No!”—something women in that day simply didn’t do.  She brings to mind Rosa Parks who refused to get up from her seat on a city bus in Montgomery, Alabama.

Vashti’s actions remind us, as followers of Jesus, of the need to embrace our identity in Him and our allegiance to a higher standard.  While the Bible says we’re to be mutually submissive to our spouse, it is also conditioned by our higher obligation to obey God.  Vashti stood her ground and, while there were consequences that came with her act of defiance, I feel sure she never regretted her choice.

 John Whitsett

Prayer: Heavenly Father—grant me the courage to, when necessary, make a stand like Vashti and say “no” to things that do not please you.  I don’t want to be a legalist, but I don’t want to live in such a way to where there’s nothing distinctive about my life either.  Give me the discernment to choose wisely and rightly.  Amen.

Psalm of the Day: Psalm 116:10-14

10 I believed, even when I spoke, "I am greatly afflicted";

11 I said in my alarm, "All mankind are liars."

12 What shall I render to the LORD for all his benefits to me?

13 I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD,

14 I will pay my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people.