“When the heart of the king was merry with wine, he commanded … seven eunuchs who served in the presence of King Ahasuerus, to bring Queen Vashti before the king, wearing her royal crown, in order to show her beauty to the people and the officials, for she was beautiful to behold” (Esther 1:10, 11).
In more than 20 percent of American marriages, one spouse or the other is a heavy drinker—or they both are. Many times, this leads to lower satisfaction with the relationship, and it often leads to psychological or physical aggression or violence. People are twice as likely to become verbally abusive if they’ve consumed alcohol within the last four hours, and they’re up to four times more likely to become physically aggressive.
It’s no wonder, then, that alcohol is a key source of marital trouble and one of the most common factors contributing to divorce. In marriages where one spouse regularly drinks to excess, about half end in divorce.
As a prime example, alcohol played a major role in the breakup of King Ahasuerus and Queen Vashti. After a 180-day feast during which Ahasuerus showed off the magnificent splendour of his majestic kingdom, he threw a lavish banquet, and there’s no doubt the wine was flowing freely.
The king was inebriated—the Bible says “merry with wine”—when he sent eunuchs to fetch his queen. Vashti was very beautiful to look at, and since she was probably the only possession left that he hadn’t shown off, he wanted her to come and stand before his guests so they could gaze at her beauty.
The queen knew what was going on. She knew her husband was intoxicated or he wouldn’t have asked this of her. She refused, believing he would agree with her once he sobered up. Unfortunately for their marriage, he took bad advice from his counsellors and basically divorced her.
The Bible says alcohol only adds to life’s problems, and “whoever is led astray by it is not wise” (Proverbs 20:1). With all the troubles alcohol brings to relationships, it’s just another powerful reason to steer clear of it.
Dear Lord, I’m grateful for the warnings You’ve given me in Scripture to bless my relationships and my life.
