“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” (Esther 1:12).
TEXT — Esther 1:10-12
Message
Stonewall Jackson was a Lieutenant General in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. He was influential in most critical military operations. However, unlike most other officers, he was reputed for his abstinence from alcohol. On one occasion, after a long trip, drenched in rain and shivering in the cold, an officer offered him a drink, but he refused. The officer insisted, but Jackson replied, “No, Sir, I cannot do it. I tell you, I am more afraid of King Alcohol than of all the bullets of the enemy.” Saying ‘NO’ to alcohol is the best safeguard against intoxication and regrettable actions.
In contrast to Jackson’s noble stand, today’s text portrays King Ahasuerus acting under the influence of alcohol. On the last day of his public exhibition and feast, the intoxicated king sent for his choice queen, Vashti, to come and display her beauty before the drunken crowd. To her credit, Queen Vashti refused to honour the king’s command, thereby incurring his wrath. It was bad enough that the king became tipsy and made an inconsiderate demand from his queen; he became angry when rebuffed. The king did not know how to say ‘no’ to wine, a substance that impaired his reason and judgment, but the queen knew enough to refuse a command that would place her in the wrong company or cause her to misbehave.
The Scripture says, “…it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink: Lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted” (Proverbs 31:4,5). Intemperance and anger have destroyed many lives and wrecked the careers of many people. You can resolve to never be included in this list of casualties.
Beyond keeping away from strong drinks, we must say NO to anything and anyone that causes us to do wrong and violate our conscience. Even our obedience to human authorities should not be at the cost of disobeying God’s law. It is time to say ‘NO’ when human laws contradict God’s command or at the suggestion of anything that would place us in a questionable circumstance.
Listed among “500 most powerful people on the planet” by the Foreign Policy magazine in 2013, Pastor (Dr.) William F. Kumuyi is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry (DCLM) headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria. DCLM started in 1973 as a 15-member Bible study group right in Kumuyi’s apartment at University of Lagos where he was a lecturer. His revolutionary Bible teaching on personal holiness and commitment to evangelism soon gained so much traction and resulted in a widespread revival.
1 comment
Lord, help me to say no when I need to in Jesus name. Amen!
Lord, help me to say no when I need to in Jesus name. Amen!