the barber
-- Author unknown (used with permission by Servant Quarters)
A man went to a barbershop to have his hair cut and his beard trimmed. As the barber began to work, they began to have a good conversation. They talked about so many things and various subjects. When they eventually touched on the subject of God, the barber said: "I don't believe that God exists."
"Why do you say that?" asked the customer.
"Well, you just have to go out in the street to realize that God doesn't exist. Tell me, if God exists, would there be so many sick people? Would there be abandoned children? If God existed, there would be neither suffering nor pain. I can't imagine loving a God who would allow all of these things."
The customer thought for a moment, but didn't respond because he didn't want to start an argument. The barber finished his job and the customer left the shop. Just after he left the barbershop, he saw a man in the street with long, stringy, dirty hair and an untrimmed beard. He looked dirty and un-kept. The customer turned back and entered the barber shop again and he said to the barber: "You know what? Barbers do not exist."
"How can you say that?" asked the surprised barber. "I am here, and I am a barber. And I just worked on you!"
"No!" the customer exclaimed. "Barbers don't exist because if they did, there would be no people with dirty long hair and untrimmed beards, like that man outside."
"Ah, but barbers DO exist! What happens is, people do not come to me."
Esther 1New International Version (NIV)
Queen Vashti Deposed
1 This is what happened during the time of Xerxes,[a] the Xerxes who ruled over 127 provinces stretching from India to Cush[b]: 2 At that time King Xerxes reigned from his royal throne in the citadel of Susa, 3 and in the third year of his reign he gave a banquet for all his nobles and officials. The military leaders of Persia and Media, the princes, and the nobles of the provinces were present.
4 For a full 180 days he displayed the vast wealth of his kingdom and the splendor and glory of his majesty. 5 When these days were over, the king gave a banquet, lasting seven days, in the enclosed gardenof the king’s palace, for all the people from the least to the greatest who were in the citadel of Susa. 6 The garden had hangings of white and blue linen, fastened with cords of white linen and purple material to silver rings on marble pillars. There were couches of gold and silver on a mosaic pavement of porphyry, marble, mother-of-pearl and other costly stones. 7 Wine was served in goblets of gold, each one different from the other, and the royal wine was abundant, in keeping with the king’s liberality. 8 By the king’s command each guest was allowed to drink with no restrictions, for the king instructed all the wine stewards to serve each man what he wished.
9 Queen Vashti also gave a banquet for the women in the royal palace of King Xerxes.
10 On the seventh day, when King Xerxes was in high spirits from wine, he commanded the seven eunuchs who served him—Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar and Karkas—11 to bring before him Queen Vashti, wearing her royal crown, in order to display her beauty to the people and nobles, for she was lovely to look at. 12 But when the attendants delivered the king’s command, Queen Vashti refused to come. Then the king became furious and burned with anger.
13 Since it was customary for the king to consult experts in matters of law and justice, he spoke with the wise men who understood the times 14 and were closest to the king—Karshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena and Memukan, the seven nobles of Persia and Media who had special access to the king and were highest in the kingdom.
15 “According to law, what must be done to Queen Vashti?” he asked. “She has not obeyed the command of King Xerxes that the eunuchs have taken to her.”
16 Then Memukan replied in the presence of the king and the nobles, “Queen Vashti has done wrong, not only against the king but also against all the nobles and the peoples of all the provinces of King Xerxes. 17 For the queen’s conduct will become known to all the women, and so they will despise their husbands and say, ‘King Xerxes commanded Queen Vashti to be brought before him, but she would not come.’ 18 This very day the Persian and Median women of the nobility who have heard about the queen’s conduct will respond to all the king’s nobles in the same way. There will be no end of disrespect and discord.
19 “Therefore, if it pleases the king, let him issue a royal decree and let it be written in the laws of Persia and Media, which cannot be repealed, that Vashti is never again to enter the presence of King Xerxes. Also let the king give her royal position to someone else who is better than she. 20 Then when the king’s edict is proclaimed throughout all his vast realm, all the women will respect their husbands, from the least to the greatest.”
21 The king and his nobles were pleased with this advice, so the king did as Memukan proposed. 22 He sent dispatches to all parts of the kingdom, to each province in its own script and to each people in their own language, proclaiming that every man should be ruler over his own household, using his native tongue.
Esther is the seventeenth book of the bible. The book of Esther is a gem to read and her name means star. Esther was a Jewish maiden who, as Queen of Persia, was used to deliver her people from massacre. The book of Esther can be divided into three parts: 1) Esther was chosen Queen, 2) Esther’s deliverance of her people, the Jews, 3) The Jews’ revenge upon their enemies. The author of this book is unknown. Listed below are questions on the book of Esther. These questions can be used for Sunday school or bible study to help all young converts study the scriptures and may God bless you always.
Esther Chapter 1
1) What is the background of this story in these verses of this book? (Esther 1:1-3)
2) Who attended the king’s banquet in these verses of this book? (Esther 1:3-5)
3) What events preceded the banquet that the king gave in verse four? (Esther 1:4)
4) How is the setting of the banquet described in these verses of this book? (Esther 1:5-8)
5) What motivated the king to summon the queen on the seventh day of the banquet? (Esther 1:10)
6) Why did the king want Queen Vashti to leave her own banquet to come to his in verse eleven? (Esther 1:11)
7) How did Queen Vashti respond to the king’s command in verse twelve of this book? (Esther 1:12)
8) How did King Xerxes react to Vashti’s disobedience in verse twelve? (Esther 1:12)
9) Whom did the king consult about what to do about the queen’s disobedience? (Esther 1:13-14)
10) What advice did the wise men give to King Xerxes in these verses of this book? (Esther 1:16-20)
11) What fear did the wise men have about the ramifications of Queen Vashti’s behavior? (Esther 1:17-18)
12) What impact did the wise men want the king’s decree to have in the kingdom? (Esther 1:19-20)
13) What did the king decide to do about Queen Vashti in these verses? (Esther 1:21-22)
14) How did Vashti’s actions affect all the women in the kingdom of verse twenty-two? (Esther 1:22)
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