ChangeMakers: Unsung Women of the Bible (Part 1)Sample

Queen Vashti

Imagine a king who, after three years of a prosperous reign, holds a six-month celebration to honor his own wealth and opulence. The end of this celebration is marked by a seven-day banquet with overflowing wine in golden goblets. The king and all his men are drunk with wine and power, with no restriction on drink or desire.

The king then demands that the queen join them. He had flaunted his wealth and wine for six months and was now ready to flaunt his queen's beauty. Scholars agree that the text implies he wished for her to be naked, displaying her raw beauty for the onlookers.

Queen Vashti refuses.

Understanding that refusing the king could result in death, she would rather die with dignity than be paraded and dehumanized. Although furious, the king listened to his advisors and banished Vashti rather than killing her. Her absence sets the stage for Esther later.

It’s hard to believe this is a story in the Bible. It doesn’t seem as redemptive as so many other stories we read in Scripture. But Vashti’s refusal to obey the king’s dehumanizing request paved the way for future justice.

Later in the story, we see Esther defying the king as well, something she could not have done without help from her cousin Mordecai, and a clear trail blazed before her.

Queen Vashti and Queen Esther put their positions and lives at risk by refusing to accept things as they were. Vashti first confronted the king, and in doing so "added new glory to [her] day and generation...by her disobedience; for 'Resistance to tyrants is obedience to God.'" as was written by women’s rights activist Elizabeth Cady Stanton in her book The Woman's Bible: A Classic Feminist Perspective. She gave Esther an example to follow: that risky justice is more important than blind submission. As a result of her actions, the entire Jewish community was saved, and today, they continue to celebrate Purim, a Jewish holiday that remembers and celebrates God's protection and deliverance from the Persian Empire.

Prayer & Meditation

Written by Hannah Rowen Fry

Photo Credit: Queen Vashti by Ann Manry Kenyon