Esther 1:12 (ESV)

But Queen Vashti refused to come at the king’s command delivered by the eunuchs. At this the king became enraged, and his anger burned within him.

The king threw a six-month extravaganza to show off his greatness. The culmination of this event was a seven-day feast. The feast ended with the king divorcing his queen. Three things contributed to this decision. First was alcohol. “When the heart of the king was merry with wine” (Es 1:10) he called for his queen to present herself. Proverbs 31:4-5 warns,

[4] It is not for kings, O Lemuel,

it is not for kings to drink wine,

or for rulers to take strong drink,

[5] lest they drink and forget what has been decreed

and pervert the rights of all the afflicted.

Alcohol affected the king’s judgment.

Second, is anger. “the king became enraged, and his anger burned within him” (Es 1:12). Proverbs 14:29 gives this insight, “Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly.” Alcohol and anger are a deadly combination, but there was a third element that led to the king’s decision. Fear led to foolishness. The king asked his counselors what the law said about the queen’s actions. They responded, not with a legal decision, but with a fear based judgment. They were afraid that if word got out that the queen ignored a command from the king then every woman would be emboldened to show the same contempt for their husbands. This was not a legal decision, but a power decision. For fear of losing power Queen Vashti needed to be made an example. Alcohol fueling anger and fear is a lethal combination when it comes to making wise decisions.

Granted, we see God’s sovereignty in the story. God uses a foolish king to provide protection for his people. God uses a debauched party to lay the foundation for his deliverance. But the fact that God uses people for his own purposes despite their foolishness does not make the king’s decision any wiser. How many of our own choices, decisions, and actions are fueled by a lack of clear thinking combined with anger and/or fear? By contrast, Paul encourages Timothy with these words, “The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith” (1 Timothy 1:5 ESV). What a difference it would make in our lives if we lived more like Paul and Timothy, and less like King Ahasuerus. Never let anger and fear drive your choices in life. God has something better in mind.