On the seventh day, when King Xerxes was in high spirits from wine,
He commanded the seven eunuchs who served him
Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar and Carcas
To bring before him Queen Vashti, wearing her royal crown,
In order to display her beauty to the people and nobles,
For she was lovely to look at.
Esther 1:10-11

Drama, power, romance, intrigue-- this is the stuff of which best-selling novels are made,  But far from a modern piece of fiction, those words describe a true story, lived and written centuries ago.  More than entertaining reading, it is a story of the profound interplay of God’s sovereignty and human will.

But when the attendants delivered the king’s command,
Queen Vashti refused to come.
Esther 1:12
 

The book of Esther begins with Queen Vashti refusing to obey an order from her husband, King Xerxes.  She was subsequently banished, and the search began for a new queen.

  Olivia Cameo Lewis
July 1999