The Queen Is Banished

The Queen Is Banished

Q: Who lost her position as queen because she refused to show off her beauty to her partying husband and his friends?

• a. Queen Esther
• b. Queen Vashti
• c. Queen Elizabeth

Esther is a book full of drama and stories. Some people have even questioned whether it really belongs in the Bible, because the book never mentions God’s name. But if you read the book of Esther, you can’t miss seeing God working in the events that take place.

The book starts with King Xerxes, also called Ahasuerus, throwing a six-month-long feast. The king decided he wanted to show off his wife. So he called for his servants to bring Queen Vashti to the banquet hall to show off her beauty.

Queen Vashti didn’t want to be shown off before a bunch of partying men, so she refused to go. The king was angry, and he asked his advisers what should be done. The advisers told the king that if Queen Vashti got away with refusing him, soon all the wives in the land would treat their husbands with disrespect. They said that Queen Vashti must be banished and never allowed back in the palace.

The king listened to his advisers and decreed that Queen Vashti would be banished from the palace. Later the king started thinking about Vashti and was sorry he’d made the decree. His men decided he needed a new queen, and they began searching for a replacement.

Vashti was a woman of honor and dignity. She knew it was wrong for her to parade her beauty among the men, and she refused, despite the personal cost. But while the king and his advisers were angry with her, it’s likely that the women looked up to her for her courage.

For You

Vashti stood up for herself to preserve her honor and dignity despite the consequences. She lost her wealth and position, but she kept her dignity and the respect of others. Do you make the same kind of choices in the situations you face today?

Answer: b

When they conveyed the king’s order to Queen Vashti, she refused to come. This made the king furious, and he burned with anger.   Esther 1:12

(The Whole Story: Esther 1:1–2:2)