Esther 1:10 On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, and Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas, the seven chamberlains that served in the presence of Ahasuerus the king, 11 To bring Vashti the queen before the king with the crown royal, to shew the people and the princes her beauty: for she was fair to look on. 12 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.
This chapter in the life of Vashti has great instruction and implication for men and women the world over, as it pertains to the dignity and reserve that should be maintained between husbands and wives. The passage of scripture tells us that one of the contributing factors to Ahaseurus' poor decision was liquor, a substance that is well-known to impair a person's better judgement, and it is often the case that decisions and behaviors that are enacted under it's influence, would not otherwise have taken place, had the person been clothe in their right mind. It was when Herod had become drunk that he succumbed to the temptation to execute John the Baptist, and the list goes on and on and on.
Ahaseurus did himself and his wife a very great disservice by requiring her to display her beauty before his servants and the leading men of the nation. The marriage institution is sacred, and a man should never seek to parade his wife's beauty before anyone, especially those of the opposite sex, for covetousness and adulterous thoughts will inevitably arise in the minds of those before whom she is thus put on display. The same principle should govern women also, for the tendency to indulge love of display and pride of external appearance sits at the root of many broken marriages and homes. Furthermore, the Bible makes a very profound statement pertaining to the overwhelming majority of men. Let's read:
Proverbs 27:20 Hell and destruction are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied.
This proverb pertains to Christian men as well as to unbelievers, for we should never be deluded into thinking that a spiritual man is immune from the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes. This is a misleading conclusion to come to, for both sacred and secular history show that none are invulnerable, except as we stay very close to Christ. David, Solomon, Abraham, and Jacob were all very spiritual men, yet they were taken down through the lust of the eyes, and therefore we in our day should take heed lest we fall also.
The refusal of Vashti to indulge the carnal nature of Ahaseurus is worthy of note, and goes down in sacred history as a very noble deed. By refusing to act in a disgraceful manner, she maintained her dignity, and even though she was later removed from her position as queen, yet God who is the rightful judge will render to her according as He sees best. Let us therefore take a page out of her life and maintain our dignity at all times and in all places, for God has not called us to parade our physical beauty to anyone, but rather to walk humbly with Him in all things. We therefore end with a passage of scripture that contains the principle which should govern all of our thoughts, motives, and actions. Let's read:
1st Corinthians 6:19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
May the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit enable us to make choices that are in harmony with His revealed will. God bless!