We have all seen them. They are called eye candy. Those women who are super beautiful married to the rich guys. They haul them around from party to party showing them off.

Have you ever seen one refuse to be flaunted?

Biblical Ground Work: Read the Book of Esther; Esther 1:1-2:4

The king of Persia named Ahasuerus (in Greek Zerxes) was having a party. He was known for his parties and this one was no different but something that would change the course of history was going to happen at this one. Ahasuerus sent for his wife, Vashti, to come in full queenly gear with her crown. This might be a simple request for him but not so simple for her.

Vashti was also having a party for the female guests. She would be busy entertaining them at the time of his request. Vashti was not going to parade herself as the beauty at his feast so she refused his request. The King was not impressed and neither were his advisors. To avoid this same atrocity happening to all the husbands, who wanted to parade their wives, she was punished. Ironic enough, her punishment was exactly what she wanted, to never come before the king.

Biblical Life Lesson: Our strength to do what is right comes with time.

The first woman we read about in Esther has a bold strength that can only come with time in her knowledge own situation. She knew her husband and his advisors well. She also knew exactly what he was thinking in this situation. The boldness and the strength Vashti utilized, in refusing to be ogled and groped by drunken married men, was evidence she had been in this situation before.

The husbands of the women she entertained were also at her husbands party. Although we don’t know her reasoning for refusing, we can make some educated guesses based on how women are used back in 480 B.C. or even today. She could have refused for her own protection, or for the women’s protection, or it could have been her own pride.

We are going to split this book in three and talk about three very different women from the same story. Read all of Esther each week so you can get a clear picture of these three women (Vashti, Esther & Zeresh).

Join me tomorrow at 2pm EST in The Bible Gals for our first meeting about the Book of Esther.