Devotional Series: The Crown Within the Cross.

Lessons from the life of Queen Vashti- The boldness to stand Part 1 

 In life have you noticed that the most rewarding experiences are gained through conflict and struggle? Apparent defeat is closely wrapped up in our greatest successes, hope is formed out of pain, faith grows best when all seems dark and dreary. I have often wondered why life has to be this way. Sin of course plays a fair share to do with the sorrows and calamities that befall humanity but when we peel back the layers and seek for the Divine perspective, we can be given the eyes of faith to see the greater lessons. How is it that the crown that fadeth not away (1 Peter 1:4) is found in the cross? Jesus our example has demonstrated the truth of this for it is because of the cross of shame He bore for us, that we can inherit the crown. In these short devotional thoughts lets explore how various women of the bible bore their earthly cross to uphold and reveal the beauty of modesty. I challenge you to ask yourself the question would I be willing to do the same? Being modest in an immodest world, has always been an uphill battle.  Some of us may have experienced the struggle in our own modesty journey. The struggles of today were present in previous generations for there is nothing new under the sun (Ecclesiastes 1:9). The principles of God will forever be contending with the ways of the devil until the close of time for truly, we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers (Ephesians 6:12). When I think of modesty in the bible, my mind lingers in the book of Esther for her wisdom, eloquence, courage, faith, fortitude and reserve. However, few of us think of Queen Vashti who although little is said about her in the book, upon closer study, as women especially we can learn much about the essence and substance of modesty. Few of us will ever pay the price Queen Vashti had to pay for upholding the priceless gem of modesty. Very few of us have ever been called to sacrifice our position/way of life for it like she did but to her, it was something worth sacrificing for.  

Few of us will ever pay the price Queen Vashti had to pay for upholding the priceless gem of modesty.

 Let’s first get a quick overview of who she was! Queen Vashti was the first wife of the then King of Persia, Ahasuerus. We only need to look at the modern Queens of our day and we can get a good understanding of the pressure they face and the influence they exert especially on other women. Already we have a lesson there that we can note for ourselves. Although we aren’t actual titled Queens, we know as individual women we exerting an influence upon one another that we should be aware of. Our one and only encounter we have with Queen Vashti is found in Esther chapter one. As customary in those days, the King held a magnificent feast for his leading men that ended up in him being influenced to order Vashti to appear before him and his guests to “display her beauty”. 

Esther 1: 10- 1210On 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 peopleand the princesher 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.

Now, in certain sources it is believed that in the command to come before the king there was also a great degree of lewdness and nudity associated with that. Either way, what is interesting to me was that from the biblical account we know enough to see that Vashti refused to come before the King to show off her beauty. She was not willing to dress herself in a way to garner attention on her. She clearly had firm principles and standards and was not ignorant of the fact that she was “fair to look on” or “cute” in today’s language. However, she did not seek to use this to her advantage or for another person’s gratification. No doubt she also knew that her refusal would have consequences and probably result in some degree of suffering.  She was bold, principled and knew her identity and value. Modest not just outwardly, but inwardly. She knew her value was not found in what others thought about her, but in who she was as a woman of God. 

Modesty has more to do with your heart. Once the spirit of modesty, which is about seeking to reflect and promote Christ and not ourselves, is our inward motive we will find the outward adjusting to that. As we realise and accept the high value Christ has placed on us, we will not be moved by what others who do not recognise our value, may want from us. We see that principle lived out in Queen Vashti.

In our next thought we will continue exploring the further lessons we can gather from Esther chapter one as it relates to the influence, we all hold and how that ties into modesty.