Esther 1:20
And when the king’s decree which he shall make shall be published throughout all his empire, (for it is great,) all the wives shall give to their husbands honour, both to great and small. And when the king’s decree which he shall make shall be published throughout all his empire, (for it is great,) all the wives shall give to their husbands honour, both to great and small.
Esther 1:20 records a royal decree of Ahasuerus to be published throughout his empire, intended to cause all wives, whether great or small, to give honor to their husbands. The decree followed Vashti's refusal, made with a pure conscience, to obey the drunken king's command to appear before him and his wine-besotted guests. It was prompted by the claim that Vashti's refusal would lead women throughout the kingdom to despise their husbands.
It was urged by advisers who argued that giving women power would harm them. It arose from rulers acting wrongly on a wine-fueled occasion that did not glorify God, and it produced injustice. Yet God used these events to bring Esther to the Medo-Persian throne and to work for Israel's good. God can direct the purposes of earthly rulers for good even while they continue in wrong practices.