This is a light-hearted thread – not to be taken seriously. I was thinking recently about Queen Vashti and King Ahasuerus, mentioned in Esther chapter 1. The account explains that Ahasuerus rules as King from India to Ethiopia, over 127 jurisdictional districts. In verse 3, Ahasuerus throws a banquet for the "princes, servants, military force of Persia and Media, nobles and princes of the jurisdictional districts." For the next 180 days (6 months), Ahasuerus shows off the "riches of the glorious kingdom and the honour and the beauty of his greatness" – according to verse 4. Well the guy's "on a roll" (obviously in good spirits) so at the end of this time, he throws a party for 7 days for all of the people in Shushan the castle, the small and the great (verse 5). At the same time, Queen Vashti throws a party for all of the gals at the royal house (verse 9). The Shushan castle is rocking! When I get to verses 10 and 11, I have to laugh – Ahasuerus is in a great mood from drinking wine and sends off 7 court officials to go and summon Queen Vashti to appear before him. (Why did he think that he needed 7 men to do the job? Couldn't just 1 man go and summon the Queen? Huh???) So King Ahasuerus wants Queen Vashti to get "dolled up" – powder her nose and put on the royal headdress and appear before the King "to show the peoples and the princes her loveliness; for she was beautiful in appearance." But she refuses to come before the King. I reckon if I was Queen Vashti, I would probably say "no" too (at least on the first request anyway). Goodness me! She's been hanging out with the gals, making sure the gals in the royal house are enjoying themselves. Maybe she just wants to slip off her royal slippers and just unwind with a glass of something or other. Guess she must have been asked more than once, verse 12 says she "kept refusing to come at the king's word." I suppose if I was the Queen, the conversation might go something like this: "What????? He wants me do what???? Can't a gal have a chance to chill out?" "But you've got to come – the King SAID SO!" "I ain't comin'!" (Court officials go away and then come back again.) "You've gotta come – the King SAID that you HAVE to!" "Oh for goodness sake, tell him "not to get himself in a twist" (don't get upset) – I'll be down in a minute, I gotta "put my face on." (rolls eyes ) mutter mutter mutter mutter mutter mutter OK.....I'm gonna go sit back down in the forum chair and behave myself now. Wallflower