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My commentary did an amazing job of analyzing King Xerxes,
filling in a lot of information from secular history. Pride was his primary fault, and it shows up
here in his boastfulness, his drunkenness, and his vindictiveness. The six-month banquet, it said, was likely a
rotating affair, bringing in regional rulers over time, since having all rulers
away from their posts for such a long period would weaken the nation.
Xerxes’ pride caused him to want to impress all of these
regional rulers, for he was wanting to drum up support for an invasion of
Greece to avenge his father’s death while he
was also invading them.
My commentary said, “This mighty monarch could control
everything but himself … he was
master of his empire, but not master
of himself … The king could control
neither his temper nor his thirst.” Had he
been sober, he would never
have asked his wife to display her beauties before his drunken leaders. She was right. He was wrong.
“His anger was only further proof that he was wrong … When the ego is
pricked, it releases a powerful poison that makes people do all sorts of things
they’d never do if they were humble
and submitted to the Lord.”
Xerxes’ advisors didn’t help. Their sole mission was to placate the king in
order to keep their positions of power.
They exaggerated the importance of the event. Had he humbled himself and agreed with his
wife, my commentary said, the other rulers would likely have thought that the king’s marriage was just like their own.
“Still motivated by anger and revenge, and seeking to heal his wounded
pride, the king agreed to their advice and had Vashti deposed … He didn’t
always stop to think about what he was doing.
It was another evidence of his pride.”
Father God, thank You for removing my desire for alcohol,
for that has helped me not to find myself in similar situations as Xerxes’. Please warn me anytime my pride threatens to
overrule my judgment. Help me to ask if
what I’m about to consider doing is honoring of You.
Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford
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