"…If it pleases the king, let a royal order go out from him, and let it be written among the laws of the Persians and the Medes so that it may not be altered, that Vashti is never again to come before King Ahasuerus; and let the king give her royal position to another who is better than she. So when the decree made by the king is proclaimed throughout all his kingdom, vast as it is, all women will give honor to their husbands, high and low alike."

This advice pleased the king and the officials, and the king did as Memucan proposed; he sent letters to all the royal provinces, to every province in its own script and to every people in its own language, declaring that every man should be master in his own house.

Esther 1:19-22

Men rise to political and military power, make colossal blunders, and pass from the scene. Even good leaders leave a record that includes mistakes and weaknesses. In the story of Queen Vashti, God used the unusual events to place a Jewish girl in a strategic position to preserve His people from destruction. God's name is not mentioned at all in the entire book of Esther, but the message comes through loud and clear: God can bring good out of everything, even when flawed and mistake-prone humans are involved. He is the real power behind the throne.

The most powerful ruler is but a pawn

in the hand of the King of kings.

Our Daily Bread - March7, 2004