What I have said, that I will bring about; what I have planned, that I will do.

Isaiah 46:11 NIV

I had the delight of going to probate court to obtain a new car title.

Before my dad went home to be with the Lord, all was in order except for his car. What a process! Have you ever had to work through the complicated paperwork? I had done little to care for his car while he was failing, so not only did it remain in his name at his death, the tags were also expired. Off I went to probate court, which I did not take care of right away. Though I was working through the paperwork, one day I was pulled over for expired tags. The law required the tags to be up to date. I knew this, yet the process through court delayed obtaining new tags. No title, no tags. Still, the law said I could not drive with expired tags. I knew this. It was the law.

Even a queen was under the law. The book of Esther begins with King Ahasuerus giving a feast showing the riches of his kingdom. As the feast came to an end, the drunken king requested Queen Vashti to come before the men to display her beauty. Had he been sober, King Ahasuerus never would have made this foolish request. Queen Vashti knew obeying his request would bring upon her the disrespect of the Persian nation as well as the king himself. She would not go. “But Queen Vashti refused to come at the king’s command delivered by the eunuchs. At this the king became enraged, and his anger burned within him” (Esther 1:12).

Upon her refusal, she lost her position as queen. Disobedience to the king’s commands was known to be against the law. Queen Vashti was used as an example to the women in their land that it was not okay to refuse their husbands, even in unfair requests. Women were to obey. How sad this was for her, yet God was making the way for His plan and the salvation of His people.

Isaiah describes God’s providence in the lives of mankind:

I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, “My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.” From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose. What I have said, that I will bring about; what I have planned, that I will do. (Isaiah 46:9–11 )

All seems so unfair for Queen Vashti. In disobeying the king’s commands, she was going against the law, but she did what she had to do. God uses her story to help us better understand the future risk Esther would take. Her story helps us see the king, his heart, and what Esther would be up against. Queen Vashti’s story helps us see God’s providential hand working with what Vashti knows to bring about what He needs.

Sometimes situations occur in our lives that seem so unfair to us. We have chosen to follow the wise path, doing everything God asks us to do, but the result is pain and difficulty. Everything leads to heartache and hurt with no good to be seen. Based on everything we knew, we thought our wise choices would make the situation better. However, although we may know the path, this does not guarantee the journey will be easy. We can be assured God will use the information He has given us to lead us through what needs to take place for His purpose to be fulfilled.

When the known becomes unknown, do you trust God, who has always known?

¹ Susan N. Perelka, Trust in Every Moment: A Journey toward God, (Enumclaw, Washington:  Redemption Press, 2023), 43-45.