Lesson One: A Providential Divorce
DAY THREE: Problems Sin Produces
Please carefully read Esther 1:9–12 and answer the following questions.
1. What was Queen Vashti doing during this feast (v. 9)?
NOTE: Her feast could have been given for all the wives of those in attendance, or maybe the concubines.[x]
2. On the last day of the feast, what condition had developed (v. 10a)?
NOTE: We’ll see here and in other places in the Book of Esther that the translators have been very genteel in describing the events in the original Hebrew text. However, the nlt isn’t quite so genteel; it correctly states that the king was “half drunk.”
3. In this “merry” state, what foolish command did the king give, and why (vv. 10b, 11)?
4. It is agreed by most commentators that Vashti was being commanded to come to them wearing only her crown, or being asked to do some lewd act publicly, or possibly she had just given birth to or was still pregnant with Artaxerxes, as mentioned already. For whatever reason, what was Vashti’s response to this, and how did Ahasuerus react to it (v. 12)?
5. Vashti knew that her refusal might mean her own death. Yet in her courage she was able to stand against her husband’s orders. It is clear from the phrase in order to show her beauty that Ahasuerus only wanted to make the people understand she was another one of his possessions, to show her as if she was a piece of property. Vashti lost her crown because of her refusal, but kept her dignity. There may come a time where we have to make a decision like Vashti did that may cost us if we refuse. How did the apostles set the example of making such a decision (Acts 4:19–20; 5:29)?
Scripture Memory: Try to fill in the missing words in the blanks below, by memory if at all possible, and then review the passage several times today.
Do not _______________ the world or the _________________________ in the world. If anyone loves the ____________________, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world — the lust of the ________________________, the lust of the ____________________, and the pride of life — is not of the ___________________ but is of the world.
1 John 2:15–16 (nkjv)
Click here for Day Four
© 2004 by Harvest Christian Fellowship. All rights reserved. Written by Thomas Klock for Men’s Bible Fellowship, 2004-2005. www.Harvest.org
