3 Lessons from Queen Vashti to Remember When God Seems Absent
Have you ever made a simple decision that impacted a huge part of your life? A decision that had consequences far beyond what you ever imagined?
Queen Vashti did.
I can almost hear you wondering… who in the world is Queen Vashti?! So let me back up several centuries.
Queen Vashti in History
In 483 BC, King Xerxes sat on the throne of Persia. He ruled over 127 provinces of an area that is now known as the Middle Eastern region of the world, along with parts of Africa. Xerxes’ empire was vast and mighty. Vashti was his queen.
History records that the king developed a passionate hunger to conquer Greece. In Esther chapter 1, Xerxes hosted a six-month-long banquet to flaunt his power and possessions, to glorify himself and his majesty. His aim was to garner support for his scheme.
Part of exhibiting his splendor, wealth, possessions, and grandeur—in the king’s mind at least—was showing off his queen. Vashti was among his most beautiful possessions.
But when the king called for Queen Vashti to parade her beauty to the people and the officials, she refused him. For a king attempting to put his power on display, his wife’s refusal served as an embarrassing and humiliating blow to his ego. That decision by Queen Vashti had far-reaching implications that are still recognized in modern times through the annual Jewish celebration of Purim.
Why Did Vashti Refuse?
Scripture doesn’t record Vashti’s motivation for ignoring the king’s summons, but there are several schools of thought on the matter:
- A common belief among Bible commentators is that when the king commanded the eunuchs to “bring Queen Vashti before him with her royal crown” (Esther 1:11), he intended that she come wearing only the crown and nothing else. Perhaps Vashti’s modesty kept her away.
- Queen Vashti gave birth to her son, Artaxerxes (who succeeded Xerxes on the throne) during the same year as the banquet. It’s likely that Vashti was an exhausted and hormonal mother who had no energy for a royal show.
- Some believe Vashti was rebellious and didn’t submit to orders.
While we can’t be sure of her reason, the king and his advisors acted swiftly. The King banished Queen Vashti and vowed to give her royal position to someone “more worthy” (Esther 2:4).
From a Heavenly Kingdom perspective, we discern that the queen refused the king’s summons to fulfill God’s purpose. Just a few Scriptures later, we see God unfold His plan to protect millions of Jews from utter annihilation at the hand of King Xerxes and his evil prime minister, Haman. To accomplish His plan, the Lord appointed a different queen in the palace—the most unlikely queen of all—a young orphan of Jewish heritage named Esther.
I authored an in-depth Bible study on the book of Esther. If you’d like to learn more, click here.
3 Lessons Gleaned from Vashti, a Woman of Influence
The Bible records Vashti in one of the worst seasons of her life, which echoes powerful lessons for us today. From the queen’s perspective, God may have seemed absent but a close look at Scripture will prove otherwise.
The Lord uses our difficulties.
Vashti surely didn’t foresee her banishment from the palace, yet the Lord used it in miraculous ways. It impacted generations of people. On days when the unexpected happens in our own lives, we can trust that God is up to something mighty. He is active and involved in every situation and will work out each detail for our good and His glory.
As we personally face awful events, we learn that we can trust in God’s plan. We all encounter things like a loved one’s cancer, poor decisions by our kids (and ourselves too), broken relationships, and financial stress among many others. Gazing back on Vashti’s example helps us cling to Romans 8:28. It says, “We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose” (HCSB). God has proven this verse to us time and time again.
As we personally face awful events, we learn that we can trust in God’s plan. Gazing back on Vashti’s example helps us cling to Romans 8:28. It says, “We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those… Click To TweetGod’s ways are best.
It’s not always easy to do what we believe is the right thing. Though there were severe consequences to her decision, I admire Vashti’s stand. When I face a difficult choice, Vashti reminds me to follow a path of morality. For me (unlike Vashti—since the Bible doesn’t imply that she followed God), the moral path is set by the Lord and the direction He provides in His Word.
After nearly a decade of service in a particular ministry, the Lord recently led our family to make the unpopular decision to step away. We bathed the matter in fervent prayer. The Lord repeatedly confirmed His direction through His Word as well as through our circumstances. We faced pain, ridicule, and rejection through our decision but knew that it was the right thing to do. Nearly a year later, we continue to see that the fruit of our obedience blossoms more beautifully than the original discomfort. Isaiah 1:19 encourages us in this, stating, “If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good things of the land” (HCSB).
God is always at work.
The most valuable lesson we learn from Vashti’s story is that God is never absent. He works through every situation we encounter. The queen may have never considered God at all. However, He used her as a valuable instrument and powerfully displayed His providence and sovereignty.
One of my favorite definitions of providence is this: “God’s attention concentrated everywhere” (Dr. Augustus Hopkins Strong). Not only does God give us His attention, He concentrates that attention on every part of our lives. There is not one thing that escapes His watchful care. God filters every trial we face through His loving fingers as He holds us in the palm of His hand. Vashti was no exception. God’s providence was evident in her life.
Sovereignty means that God rules and possesses all power over all things. He sometimes allows that which is unpleasant and even painful. We can trust God fearlessly, however, knowing that He works through His unfailing love for us. When we make mistakes, we tend to think we’ve “ruined” something. God shows us through Vashti that His perfect plan cannot be thwarted by the sins and mistakes of men and women. He always accomplishes His purpose.
The prayer of David in 1 Chronicles 29:10-13 is one of my favorites and beautifully expresses the Lord’s providence and sovereignty. It says,
“May You be praised, LORD God of our father Israel, from eternity to eternity. Yours, LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the splendor and the majesty for everything in the heavens and on earth belongs to You. Yours, LORD, is the kingdom, and You are exalted as head over all. Riches and honor come from You, and You are the ruler of everything. Power and might are in Your hand, and it is in Your hand to make great and to give strength to all. Now, therefore, our God, we give You thanks and praise Your glorious name” (HCSB).
A Biblical Woman of Influence
Throughout the book of Esther, we see the hand of God move with stealth and precision as He protected the Jews. Vashti’s defiance toward her husband sparked a series of events that devout Jews still celebrate today. She is an influential woman of the Bible who had a tremendous impact on the life and testimony of Esther, and the overwhelming victory of the Jewish nation living under the reign of King Xerxes.
We know that God works all things together for our good. Vashti’s story forces us to consider that our difficult circumstances are meeting needs in the lives of others as well as our own. The trials we face can impact people we may never meet in ways that we cannot imagine. Queen Vashti helps us broaden our own perspective and consider God’s plans which are far greater than our own. Vashti’s subtle influence prompts us to view our lives from a Heavenly Kingdom perspective and expand our focus beyond our personal hurts, motivations, and desired outcomes.
Your Turn:
You may have never considered Queen Vashti to be among the Biblical women of influence. Has this post caused that perception to change?
How does the understanding of God’s activity in Vashti’s story help you find peace in the trials you’re facing today?
In what ways does the story encourage your heart?
Consider journaling about the ways that Vashti’s story inspires you to watch for God’s victory in your current circumstance.
May God’s Word strengthen you today.
She Acted Arrogantly and paid the Price. Humility and Submission are a womans Crown. Not her Beauty. God used this to the Favour of His People. The Book of Corinthians states a Woman was made for Man. Theres nothing wrong or Sinful for man to show off his Womans Beauty. Queen Vashti paid the Price of Her Arrogance
Thanks for this amazing write up very insightful.
Queen Vashti was freed from being under her husband’s expectations to parade herself as if she was a possession instead of a respected human, She was free to be herself no matter how it came about, similar to how Joseph journeyed to becoming Ruler second in command. Riches and castle living means less when your dignity is crushed and you are not valued as a person but a possession to be displayed like a trophy wife.
God created Vashti just like you and me and whatever decision we make like she made HE always Love and takes care of us as we allow HIM just like she did, and her decision made the way for Esther and the Jewish people. AMAZING GOD
My name is Vashti and most Christian shun me or say to me you are a disobedient queen, but I ask God to lead me in Vashti life let me see what she had been through, most of all I just wants to say queen Esther had to do all that queen Vashti did, and she also said if I perish I perish, but queen Vashti rule was different she took a stand for women in those days they had no rights, she knew what pride she was going to pay, but as women we must say no when it come to our body, she just got fed up of the humiliation infront of her husband being the king and being drunk that other men grab at her, but one woman had to go to bring in the other, the lord heard Queen cry, and help her by giving her the courage to leave, and give Queen Esther the opportunity to save her people, well I plan to be both queen, and go into India and get some soul saved, pray for me, and thank you for this wonderful article
Ok. God used Vashti in His plan to save the Jewish people, but what of Vashti? How did her terrible circumstance turn out for her good? I don’t see, honestly, how Romans 8:28 applies here. Can you help me to understand?
I enjoyed reading some of the valuable lessons to learn from the life of Vashti, who many look at in a different way. Thank you for this beautiful insight.
Angel, this is really good. I just started Beth Moore’s Bible study at church about Esther and we were discussing Vashti last time we met. Thank you for sharing this! I got a lot out of the perspectives here!
What an eye-opening perspective on a familiar story. I’ve read this story in the book of Esther several times but have never looked through vashti’s eyes in this manner. Indeed, God’s plan is always bigger and broader than we can see!
I love deep dives like this. Very informative. I am always fascinated by history. Always knew about xerxes the king but not his wife very well written. Thanks for this
Thank you!! I love historical and cultural insights with the Bible. This was so encouraging. I’ll have to look more into the book of Esther now
Thanks for this guest post. Vashti doesn’t often get much of a mention, so it’s great to see her discussed here and the lessons we can learn from her and how God used her situation.
I love the book of Esther and the way it showcases God’s sovereignty over all things. Hadn’t thought about it from Vashti’s perspective before, but I can see that her trial had the purpose of greater good for many others – this is something I can consider when going through my own trials, that possibly it is for the benefit of somebody else. Always encouraged by bible based posts, so thank you 🙂
Hannah
Wow … I always wondered what happened to Queen Vashti, whether she was killed or not, and felt bad for her. Her punishment seemed extreme. But God did use Esther to save His people. It’s so cool how you chose to write about Vashti and wrote such an amazing post on her! Thank you for sharing this! ❤