Faithfulness

Daily Devotional • September 20

1 This happened in the days of Ahasuerus, the same Ahasuerus who ruled over one hundred twenty-seven provinces from India to Cush. 2 In those days when King Ahasuerus sat on his royal throne in the citadel of Susa, 3 in the third year of his reign, he gave a banquet for all his officials and ministers. The army of Persia and Media, the nobles, and the governors of the provinces were present, 4 while he displayed the great wealth of his kingdom and the splendor and pomp of his majesty for many days, one hundred eighty days in all.

10 On the seventh day, when the king was merry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha and Abagtha, Zethar and Carkas, the seven eunuchs who attended him, 11 to bring Queen Vashti before the king wearing the royal crown, in order to show the peoples and the officials her beauty, for she was fair to behold. 12 But Queen Vashti refused to come at the king’s command conveyed by the eunuchs. At this the king was enraged, and his anger burned within him.

13 Then the king consulted the sages who knew the laws (for this was the king’s procedure toward all who were versed in law and custom, 14 and those next to him were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven officials of Persia and Media who had access to the king and sat first in the kingdom): 15 “According to the law, what is to be done with Queen Vashti because she has not performed the command of King Ahasuerus conveyed by the eunuchs?” 16 Then Memucan said in the presence of the king and the officials, “Queen Vashti has done wrong not only to the king but also to all the officials and all the peoples who are in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus. 17 For this deed of the queen will be made known to all women, causing them to look with contempt on their husbands, since they will say, ‘King Ahasuerus commanded Queen Vashti to be brought before him, and she did not come.’ 18 This very day the noble ladies of Persia and Media who have heard of the queen’s behavior will rebel against the king’s officials, and there will be no end of contempt and wrath! 19 If it pleases the king, let a royal order go out from him, and let it be written among the laws of the Persians and the Medes so that it may not be altered, that Vashti is never again to come before King Ahasuerus, and let the king give her royal position to another who is better than she.

Meditation

Esther doesn’t mention God. No prayer, no ritual, no narration, nothing in the book is explicitly theological. I find this deeply encouraging. Esther is about salvation. The Jews are at risk of mass extermination and, as luck would have it, the emperor of Persia needs a new wife (see text above) and he happens to choose a Jew. This Jew, Queen Esther, became the means of salvation for her people, all without a single invocation of the Lord God of Israel.

I am encouraged because God doesn’t need prompting to save, he just does it. And don’t we know that to be true. It’s always the least deserving who end up getting the most grace. The lazy person gets the promotion, the troubled child gets the most attention, the ones who never even pray get wrapped up in the love of God so tight they can’t let go. 

Esther tells us that God is faithful simply because he’s faithful, particularly to the undeserving who are in trouble. We are unfaithful people, often in trouble, and yet it is our father’s good pleasure to give us the kingdom. Not because of our faith, no, because of his.

Chase Benefiel is a friend, Tennesseean, preacher, and student (in that order) currently finishing his M.Div. at Duke Divinity School.

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Daily Devotional Cycle of Prayer
Today we pray for:

The Diocese of Isiala Ngwa – The Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion)
St. James’ Church, Texarkana, Texas