Vashti's Downfall

Good looks are an advantage in life…or so I’ve been told. Research study after research study confirms this. Ah, you want evidence? Google it, and I’m sure you’ll speedily find tons of studies validating the importance of appearance. Even without reading scientific studies, a casual perusal of popular magazines cites instances of people getting their noses straightened, eyes “fixed,” and teeth whitened. Sometimes it’s vanity, and sometimes it’s the ever increasing pressure to look GOOD. All of us aren’t born with Angelina Jolie’s stunning good looks. Then too, there’s the ageism thing that forces many middle aged adults to erase wrinkles and tighten loose skin in order to better compete in the job market with the younger set.

Let’s get back to Angelina. She’s a looker, no doubt about it. But then, isn’t there something else appealing about her? I know a lot of people don’t like her, but even they have to admit that the woman can act. She also seems to be a good mother and a philanthropist. If Brad decides to leave her for a younger model, she won’t crumble and fall. She might falter, but she’ll get up, brush herself off, and rely on some of her many abilities and gifts. While looks are important to her, she hasn’t put all of her eggs in one basket. Have you?

You might wonder where I’m going with this. I’m still stuck on Queen Vashti. We know she was beautiful, so beautiful that the king wanted her to come out wearing her crown so that he could show her off to the other men. They’d all been drinking and were “merry with wine.” Why would he ask his life partner, his companion, his bride to come out and parade around in front of a bunch of inebriated guys? Some Bible scholars have even suggested that he wanted her to wear only her crown.

Remember how the story ends? She refuses. He gets angry, “very wroth, and his anger burned in him.” (Esther 1:12) After conferring with his “wise men,” Ahasuerus decides to divorce Vashti. After all, what if her example is followed by the other wives in the kingdom?

I might be looking at this wrong, but it finally hit me that Vashti had put all of her eggs in one basket, the beauty basket. That’s all she had…or that’s all we know about anyway. She didn’t reason with the king or use any other talents to dissuade him from his behest. She just said no. While I understand that Ahasuerus divorcing Vashti had to happen in order for Queen Esther to inherit the throne, I still think there’s an interesting and somewhat disturbing lesson here.

What happens to a beautiful woman who’s developed no other attributes other than her appearance? What if her hair loses its gloss or her skin its elasticity? What if the king in your life wants to talk about politics, philosophy, or even pottery, and you can’t hold up your end of the conversation? What if someone more glamorous comes on the scene, and all you have to offer are your face and figure? Don’t you think it’s about time to diversify? Don’t you think it’s in your best interest to cultivate a few interests of your own? Don’t you KNOW that while appearance counts, you need a little more than that to be successful?