Cornerstone Class: Esther 1:13-22

Cornerstone Class Outline for 4/7/19

·         Announcements, praises and prayer requests—Joe Kerns

·         Introduction:

o   Good morning!

o   We’re going to start off with a really cool 9-minute video that summarizes the book of Esther using sketch art. An organization called the Bible Project has put together these nice summaries for every book of the Bible: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JydNSlufRIs#action=share

o   [Hand out Esther overview sheets to those who didn’t get one last week.]

·         Quick review:

o   Last week we started chapter one which began with king Xerxes hosting a huge 180-day festival culminating with a lavish 7-day banquet.

o   At the end of the banquet Xerxes commanded his eunuchs to bring out Queen Vashti to display her beauty before the huge gathering of drunken men.

o   Vashti refused to comply, resulting in fury and anger from Xerxes. 

·         Let’s read Esther 1:13-18 NIV:

13 Since it was customary for the king to consult experts in matters of law and justice, he spoke with the wise men who understood the times 14 and were closest to the king—Karshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena and Memukan, the seven nobles of Persia and Media who had special access to the king and were highest in the kingdom.

15 “According to law, what must be done to Queen Vashti?” he asked. “She has not obeyed the command of King Xerxes that the eunuchs have taken to her.”

16 Then Memukan replied in the presence of the king and the nobles, “Queen Vashti has done wrong, not only against the king but also against all the nobles and the peoples of all the provinces of King Xerxes. 17 For the queen’s conduct will become known to all the women, and so they will despise their husbands and say, ‘King Xerxes commanded Queen Vashti to be brought before him, but she would not come.’ 18 This very day the Persian and Median women of the nobility who have heard about the queen’s conduct will respond to all the king’s nobles in the same way. There will be no end of disrespect and discord.

·         QUESTIONS on verses 13-18:

o   The noble Memukan was certain that Vashti’s refusal had not only wronged the king, but “all the nobles and peoples” of the entire empire. How true or false was Memukan’s assertion that Vashti had wronged everyone in the empire?

§  I think Memukan is assuming too much. Vashti was simply refusing the king’s unjust request. It’s unlikely she was trying to wrong the entire empire.

o   Do you think Memukan’s assessment was made in part because of his own insecurities about controlling his own wife?

§  It’s unlikely he had a respectful, loving relationship with his wife, so he may have had a desire to force her respect

§  However his motive may simply have been to gain the king’s favor by saying what the king wanted to hear.

o   Was Memukan correct in saying that “the queen’s conduct will become known to all the women, and so they will despise their husbands….”?

§  It’s unlikely that the news of Vashti’s refusal would ever become more than a vague rumor throughout the empire.

§  The relationships among husbands and wives would likely have remained unchanged by Vashti’s refusal. 

·         Let’s read Esther 1:19-22 NIV, as Memukan continues:

19 “Therefore, if it pleases the king, let him issue a royal decree and let it be written in the laws of Persia and Media, which cannot be repealed, that Vashti is never again to enter the presence of King Xerxes. Also let the king give her royal position to someone else who is better than she. 20 Then when the king’s edict is proclaimed throughout all his vast realm, all the women will respect their husbands, from the least to the greatest.”

21 The king and his nobles were pleased with this advice, so the king did as Memukan proposed. 22 He sent dispatches to all parts of the kingdom, to each province in its own script and to each people in their own language, proclaiming that every man should be ruler over his own household, using his native tongue. 

·         QUESTIONS on Esther 1:19-22:

o   Xerxes makes it the law of the land that wives must submit to the rule of their husbands. What do you think is really going on in the psyches of Xerxes and his nobles that they feel they must legislate respect from their wives?

§  They are insecure, prideful and desirous to maintain power at the expense of others.

o   Fast forward to present-day under the new covenant. Do husbands have the right to demand that their wives respect them?

§  No. Though the Bible exhorts women to respect their husbands, scripture doesn’t tell husbands to order their wives to respect them.

o   What can a husband do nowadays to earn the respect of his wife?

§  Husbands are told in scripture to love their wives. Ephesians 5:25. A wife is more likely to respect a husband who loves her in word and deed.

§  Heartfelt respect isn’t something that can be demanded or forced.

o   At the end of verse 19, the noble Memukan advised the king to give Vashti’s “royal position to someone better than she.” This opens the door for Esther to enter the story and become queen. In essence, God in His sovereign providence, is turning all this evil done in the Persian palace around for the good. In your own life today, how has God turned evil around for your good?

§  Romans 8:28 ESV says, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” 

·         Application/Conclusion 

·         Closing prayer