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Esther
Continued from Page 1

References:
Esther 1:3, 9-11,12, 16,17 - 2:1--7;17; 3:6; 8:16,17
1 Peter 3:1-5

In the third year of [King Ahasuerus'] reign, he made a feast ... (he was always making feasts). Also Vashti the queen made a feast for the women in the royal house which belonged to the king. (In the Oriental Culture the sexes did not intermingle in society) On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he commanded ... seven chamberlains ... to bring Vashti the queen before the king with the crown royal, to show the people and the princes her beauty: for she was fair to look upon.
Esther 1:3, 9-11

Actually, the king should not have asked her to reveal herself, but it is amazing what too much strong drink will do. Anyway,

But the queen Vashti refused to come at the king's commandment by his chamberlains: therefore was the king very wroth, and his anger burned in him ... [They said] For this deed of the queen shall come abroad unto all women, so that they shall despise their husbands in their eyes, when it shall be reported, the king Ahasuerus commanded Vashti the queen to be brought in before him, but she came not.
Esther 1:12, 17

A lack of submissiveness can backfire on the wife of any great man, king or not. But the queen Vashti was not in the mood to fall for the whims of a husband who was in a drunken stupor seeking to have his wife show off her sexual characteristics and be put on display for the king’s people and his princes. She made a decision that went against the king’s demands. Venture to say, she probably was well aware that her refusal to obey would be the end of her as queen. Important note: God wants us to be submissive to our husbands, but not unto sin.

After conferring with his wise men about what to do, the king was told in verse 16 that Vashti wronged not only him, but all the princes as well and the people in the provinces.

And Memucan answered before the king and the princes, Vashti the queen hath not done wrong to the king only, but also to all the princes, and to all the people that are in all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus.
Esther 1:16

The wise men told the king not to allow Vashti to come before him any more but to give her royal estate to another. So the king dumped the queen. In other words, she got "de-throned".

After these things, when the wrath of king Ahasuerus was appeased, he remembered Vashti, and what she had done, and what was decreed against her. Then said the king's servants that ministered unto him, Let there be fair young virgins sought for the king: And let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom, that they may gather together all the fair young virgins unto Shushan the palace, to the house of the women, unto the custody of Hege the king's chamberlain, keeper of the women; and let their things for purification be given them: And let the maiden which pleaseth the king be queen instead of Vashti. And the thing pleased the king; and he did so.
Esther 2:1-4

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