Esther Explained | Salvation Will Ariseনমুনা

Day 4 | Esther 4

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Ever see a movie about the end of the world? The news anchors are trying to remain calm as they announce the inevitable destruction of the planet, and urge their listeners to remain calm. But the film cuts to the images outside, where rioters and looters are destroying cities, and chaos reigns.  What we see here in Esther 4 is the Persian equivalent. The king’s heralds have just read the order from Haman, with the authority of the king, and now the Jews listen as their world is turning upside down. Men, women, children, have all been sentenced to death in 11 months, and the decree comes from the king, and cannot be revoked. Verse 1:

"When Mordecai learned of all that had been done, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the city, wailing loudly and bitterly. But he went only as far as the king’s gate, because no one clothed in sackcloth was allowed to enter it" (Esther 4:1-2).

Mordecai has heard the decree, and he begins to mourn. He tears his clothes and puts on sackcloth, traditional signs of distress in this era. But he does more than just weep and mourn, he tries to get word to Esther.

The entire nation had heard of the decree, but Esther doesn’t know what’s going on. Palace life has isolated her from her people and from the events going on in the city. Verse 4:

"When Esther’s eunuchs and female attendants came and told her about Mordecai, she was in great distress. She sent clothes for him to put on instead of his sackcloth, but he would not accept them. Then Esther summoned Hathak, one of the king’s eunuchs assigned to attend her, and ordered him to find out what was troubling Mordecai and why" (Esther 4:4-5).

So, Hathak goes out and talks to Mordecai, who gives Hathak a full report of Haman’s deal with the king. Mordecai seems to be well connected because he knows even the amount of money that Haman bribed the king with. Verse 8:

"He also gave him a copy of the text of the edict for their annihilation, which had been published in Susa, to show to Esther and explain it to her, and he told him to instruct her to go into the king’s presence to beg for mercy and plead with him for her people" (Esther 4:8).

Speaking through the messenger, Mordecai asks Esther to speak to her husband and beg for mercy for her people. She is the most highly placed Jew in the court; perhaps she can save the nation. Esther receives the full report and sends Hathak back out to Mordecai with a message. Verse 11:

“All the king’s officials and the people of the royal provinces know that for any man or woman who approaches the king in the inner court without being summoned the king has but one law: that they be put to death unless the king extends the gold scepter to them and spares their lives. But thirty days have passed since I was called to go to the king” (Esther 4:11).

Don’t miss out on the irony here. When Esther really wasn’t in danger, Mordecai had asked her to hide her identity to protect herself. But now, when she is in mortal danger, he asks her to go admit to the king that her name should be on the executioner’s list.

And approaching the king was not going to be easy. Five years into her marriage and Esther has not been summoned to the king for a month now. There were only seven men in the King’s court, known as the “Friends” who could enter the inner court without being called for. Haman is one of these men, he can approach the king, but Esther, well, she is scared. For whatever reason, the king has not called for her.  Esther no doubt remembers the unique way she gained her position, Queen Vashti was summoned by the king, and she refused. Would Esther be deposed for appearing before the king without a summons? Or worse, killed?

Mordecai sends poor Hathak back to the queen with another reply. Verse 13:

“Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish” (Esther 4:13-14a).

Whether Mordecai is threatening to reveal her identity, or whether he knows that there is a record of Jewish names somewhere that would reveal her, the text doesn’t make clear. But Mordecai lets Esther know that she is in peril. If she stays silent because of a fear of death, she will perish. Better to risk death now to try and save her people, then guarantee her death along with them all later.

Verse 14 continues, with the most famous line of the book: 

“And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14b).

Despite all of his attempts to solve the problems he is facing, Mordecai’s response to the queen reveals a deep faith in both the faithfulness and providence of God. Even if the name of the Lord is nowhere in this book, his fingerprints are everywhere. Mordecai trusts that God will be faithful to the promises he made to Abraham, to Israel, to King David. A deliverer would come. Yet he doesn’t simply rest in that faith and allow the story to play out, or wait on someone else to step up for the task. He presses Esther to act.

And he believes that Esther was placed in her role as queen for this very reason, to be the deliverer of her people from the madness of Haman.

Esther sends her final reply to Mordecai, no doubt to the relief of her poor messenger. Verse 16:

“Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish” (Esther 4:16).

So, there is more to this woman than beauty, after all. This is the first time Esther takes initiative in the story. Up until now, Mordecai has been telling Esther what to do. Now, Esther herself takes charge. She rises to the occasion and asks Mordecai to organize a three-day fast for the entire nation. She is genuinely worried about her survival and wants the entire nation to be praying for her. Now, her fear is not without basis, the depth of court intrigue in Persia, along with her memory of Queen Vashti gives her good reason to doubt her survival.

This is the defining moment in Esther’s life.  She decides to identify herself with God’s people, and risk her life to attempt to save them. Esther had abandoned God, but now she decides to trust him, with her life. If she were going to go before the king in her own power and might, she would have done everything she could to look her best, and wouldn’t have fasted herself. But she made the decision to fast, meaning she will be weaker and frailer as she approaches the King. We already know that this king judges based on appearance, Esther’s decision would seem foolish, except she is trusting in her God to prepare the way for her.

It’s interesting that still, we do not see that the name of God mentioned here in the book. The author of Esther seems to make a point here, that God can work through the decisions of everyday people, even if they are somewhat morally ambiguous. God is in control, and his plans cannot be thwarted.

What will the king’s response be? And what about Haman’s plots against the Jews? Come back tomorrow as we find out in Esther chapter 5.

Read Esther 4

All verses are quoted from the NIV unless otherwise noted.