“And the saying pleased the king and the princes; and the king did according to the word of Memucan” (Esther 1:21).
TEXT — Esther 1:13-22
Message
Sophocles, a famous playwright, once said, “No enemy is worse than bad advice.” He knew the grave consequences of listening to and acting upon the wrong counsel in decision-making.
Today, we are reviewing a classic example of heeding lousy counsel. Following the refusal of Queen Vashti to display her beauty before the crowd at his banquet, King Ahasuerus was enraged and considered punishing the Queen. The king asked guidance from his seven-man advisory council to reach a decision. Memucan and the other special advisers counselled him to depose and replace Vashti as queen. This punishment, they reasoned, would compel all women in the empire to fear and respect their husbands. The idea pleased the king, who rashly signed it into law to enforce it throughout the kingdom. Thus, the great feast of the king, with its enormous cost and pomp, ended up in an anti-climax.
Reflecting on the advice given to King Ahasuerus, we are cautioned against surrounding ourselves with evil counsellors and sycophants. Memucan and his team flattered the king by pushing advice that promoted their biased perspectives and selfish interests. A significant bane of leadership, be it at the family, church, or political level, is the influence of bad advisers. Many well-meaning people have been led astray by wicked advisers. That is one reason the Scripture says, “Take away the wicked from before the king, and his throne shall be established in righteousness” (Proverbs 25:5).
As you ponder over all these, you must ask yourself, who are your advisers? Who are the people you listen to, and who influences your decisions? Are they people who have the Spirit of God and are guided by the Scripture? You must be wary of spiritual advisers who are out of tune with God; neither be misguided by marriage counsellors whose homes are dysfunctional nor sages who exalt tradition above God’s word. Learn from King Ahasuerus’ series of mistakes. Avoid extravagance and careless celebrations; be humble enough to accept your mistakes, and surround yourself with wise and God-fearing influencers. Evaluate every counsel you receive and depend on the Holy Spirit for guidance. Remember that regardless of who counsels you, God will hold you accountable for your decisions now and in eternity.
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.
Amen and Amen