Esther 1
This week we will be reading the book of Esther. Chapter 1 sets the context. Xerxes is the king of Persia. He is an incredibly powerful man who throws a huge party. Two ideas about their culture come forth in dramatic fashion. The first is no one should say "no" to the king. When the Queen turns down his command to display her beauty he is enraged. The second idea is that wives are to be submissive to their husbands. To reinforce the idea, Xerxes has that proclaimed all over the land.
Reading a passage like this focus attention on how different our culture is than many of the ancient cultures. It is good to look at those differences. Sometimes, as in this situation, I am glad that our culture is vastly different. Other times, I see the weaknesses in our culture and how it needs to change. I do believe it is good to look at our culture with a critical eye. While this is a great place to live, it is far from perfect.
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The book of Esther is one that certainly makes me grateful to live now instead of then - and in that nation! The sad thing is that many women in the Mid-East are still treated with such disrespect and "lowliness." I agree with Ken that our culture is not perfect but we have come a long way from times like those in which Esther lived. I praise God daily for living in this free country - even with its imperfections! I also thank God for the ways that our church has begun "changing the world!"
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