Queen Vashti Refuses the King’s Request On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he said to Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas, seven of the eunuchs attending King Ahasuerus, 11 to bring Queen Vashti before the king ?with her royal crown? to show the people and the officials her beauty, ?for she was very attractive?. 12 But Queen Vashti refused to come at the word of the king that was ?conveyed by? the eunuchs. And the king became very angry, and his anger burned in him…
+ DAILY PRAYER +
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Hear my prayer, O Lord; give ear to my pleas for mercy!
In your faithfulness answer me, in your righteousness!
Evening and morning and at noon I utter my complaint and moan,
and he hears my voice.
Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you;
He will never permit the righteous to be moved.
Psalm 48:1-8
Psa 48:1 Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised
in the city of our God! His holy mountain,
Psa 48:2 beautiful in elevation, is the joy of all the earth,
Mount Zion, in the far north, the city of the great King.
Psa 48:3 Within her citadels
God has made himself known as a fortress.
Psa 48:4 For behold, the kings assembled;
they came on together.
Psa 48:5 As soon as they saw it, they were astounded;
they were in panic; they took to flight.
Psa 48:6 Trembling took hold of them there,
anguish as of a woman in labor.
Psa 48:7 By the east wind you shattered the ships of Tarshish.
Psa 48:8 As we have heard,
so have we seen in the city of the LORD of hosts,
in the city of our God, which God will establish forever. Selah
Reading for Thursday August 28th Esther 1:10-22
Queen Vashti Refuses the King’s Request
10 On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he said to Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas, seven of the eunuchs attending King Ahasuerus, 11 to bring Queen Vashti before the king ?with her royal crown? to show the people and the officials her beauty, ?for she was very attractive?. 12 But Queen Vashti refused to come at the word of the king that was ?conveyed by? the eunuchs. And the king became very angry, and his anger burned in him.
13 And the king said to the wise men, ?the ones who know the times?—for it was the procedure of the king before all those who knew [law and rights]; 14 and those next to him were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, Memucan, the seven officials of Persia and Media who ?had access to the king? and sat first in the kingdom— 15 “According to the law, what is to be done with Queen Vashti, because she has not done the command of King Ahasuerus ?conveyed by? the eunuchs? 16 And Memucan said before the king and the officials, “Not only has Queen Vashti done wrong to the king, but to all the officials and all of the people who are in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus. 17 For this deed of the queen ?will be known? to all the women, causing them ?to look with contempt on their husbands?, as they will say, ‘King Ahasuerus commanded Queen Vashti to be brought before him but she did not come!’ 18 This day the women of nobility from Persia and Media who have heard this deed of the queen will respond the same way to all the officials of the king and there will be no end to contempt and anger. 19 ?If it pleases? the king, let ?a royal edict? go out from him, and let it be written among the laws of Persia and Media so that it will not be altered, that Vashti cannot come before King Ahasuerus; and let the king give her royal position to her neighbor who is better than she. 20 And let the king’s decree that he will make be proclaimed in all his kingdom, because it is vast and all the women will honor their husbands, great and small.”
21 ?This advice pleased the king? and the officials, and the king acted according to the word of Memucan. 22 And he sent letters to all the provinces of the king, to each province according to its own script, and to every people in their own ?language?, that every man should be the master of his house and who speaks in the ?language? of his people.
Lord’s Prayer
Daily Prayer
O Lord God, the light of the minds that know You, the life of the souls that love You, and the strength of the hearts that serve You, give us strength to follow the example of Your servant Augustine of Hippo, so that knowing You we may truly love You and loving You we may fully serve You—for to serve You is perfect freedom; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Concluding Prayer
Heavenly Father, send Your Holy Spirit into our hearts to direct and rule us to do Your will, to comfort us in all our afflictions, to defend us from all error, and to lead us into all truth; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
