Esther 1:10-12 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, 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. 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.
Genesis 39:12 And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me: and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out.
The scenes before us today are ones that are all too common in life. The key players in one scene are a mighty king and his wife, who was a beautiful queen. The scene is a feast that the king held for those who served in his administration. When the king’s heart was merry with wine (and no doubt his servants were filled with wine also), he requested his beautiful wife to come and display her physical beauty to gratify the sensual longings of the men. Vashti refused to allow herself to be used as a sex object of desire. Vashti did not stoop to the baser standards of this fallen and lewd world system. She stood her ground and just said no.
The key players in the second scene are a young, handsome man named Joseph and a foxy lady, who was a queen who always got what she wanted. This sensual predator had her eyes set on having a sexual encounter with this young stallion. When young Joseph was propositioned by the sexual advances of this beautiful queen, he fled his youthful lusts and just said no. What if Vashti or Joseph caved in to their fleshly lusts? Reader and writer alike are tempted daily by fleshly lusts that war against our souls (1 Peter 2:11). These temptations are very real, and they are common to all men (1 Corinthians 10:13). When you are tempted to compromise sexually, do what Vashti and Joseph did. “Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.” (Proverbs 3:7) Just say no. Selah
