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Morning Devotion for the Season after Pentecost
September 20, 2024
Invitatory
He who walks in darkness, to whom no light appears, let him trust in the name of Yahweh, let him rely upon his God.
—-ISAIAH 50:10
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Reading: Esther 1:10-12
On the seventh day, when the king was merry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha and Abagtha, Zethar and Carkas, the seven eunuchs who attended him, to bring Queen Vashti before the king, wearing the royal crown, in order to show the peoples and the officials her beauty; for she was fair to behold. But Queen Vashti refused to come at the king’s command conveyed by the eunuchs. At this the king was enraged, and his anger burned within him.
Meditation-Rebecca Northington
A couple of weeks ago Peter asked us all to make a list of our favorite bible stories. I wrote my list down and quickly realized that it included all stories of powerful women in the bible, as I see them: Rebecca, Miriam(Moses’s sister), Zipporah(wife of Moses),Rahab(the prostitute in Jericho), Naomi and Ruth, Hannah(mother of Samuel), Bathsheba(David’s wife), Esther, Elizabeth and Mary. These were all women that played key roles in their stories, and the story of Israel and Christianity. I should have included Queen Vashti, who refused to come into a party of reveling men wearing nothing but her crown. Isn’t this what we would expect of our daughters? Shocking that she commanded the strength and courage to do this in 483 B.C., and it cost her.
One of the exercises we do in RYG is to wonder about the characters in biblical plots. Why was Rebecca so sure that Jacob should be the one? How did Miriam know to show deference to the Lord by cutting off her sons’ foreskin? Why did Rahab protect the Israelite spies? How did Naomi and Ruth have such faith in one another when they should have felt entirely reliant on the male host? How was Hannah able to relinquish her only son whom she had waited for and prayed for, to the Lord? How was Bathsheba able to become an icon for both Jews and Christians after being “taken” by a king and suffering the consequences of his sins? Where did Esther find the courage to approach the King to protect her people? What did Elizabeth think about her son John the Baptist? Was Mary as sure about her role as she expressed in the Magnificat?
As I consider these women and their stories I realize there is a common thread. Their sense of self worth. Perhaps even the Babylonian Vashti, not an Israelite, understood she would be violated further if she exposed herself and was strong enough to face the consequences rather than desecrate herself willingly. This strength is seen again in Esther as she approaches the King without being invited to save her people.
As a young girl, and as a woman today, I value these ancient stories of strong women. But perhaps what I value more is the sense of faith they exhibited. They seemed to understand God’s will better than many of their male counterparts. Maybe as sub characters their egos were not as central to the story, and they were able to discern God’s intentions for them more clearly. They never had the opportunity to pretend they had control; even as Queen- Esther knew by Vashti’s example, how precarious her power was. I see strength, faith and humility as driving characteristics for all of these women; and it inspires me to better understand my purpose as a servant of God with faith, humility and strength.
Prayer
Be thou a bright flame before me,
be thou a guiding star above me,
be thou a smooth path below me,
be thou a kindly shepherd behind me,
today, tonight and forever.
—Attributed to St. Columba (521-597 AD)
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