Real Hope: The Book of EstherSample

Speak And Influence

The story of Esther is one of deep inspiration. We admire Esther for risking her life to go before the king and pleading with him to save her people. She is truly one of the great women of faith. But she almost wasn’t. When we look at the book of Esther, we can be so dazzled by everything she did to save her people, that we miss the fact she might never have known about the decree Haman had issued to destroy the Jews in the first place. Despite being married to the king, Esther was not always privy to his work as it was not her place. Haman’s plot could have easily happened right under her nose, if it were not for Mordecai.

Mordecai’s act of putting on sackcloth and ashes is the turning point in this story. It’s what mobilises Esther. He knew Esther would understand the gravity of this behaviour and the urgency behind his request to go before the king. He knew what he was asking of her was dangerous, but someone needed to do something or they all would die. Mordecai models for us the importance of speaking up. He shows us that for evil to succeed it truly does take good people to do nothing. Mordecai, in his role as scribe, could do nothing to stop the plot, but he took what he had – his voice and a cultural custom – and got the attention of someone who could influence the outcome. And it worked.

What injustices might you be remaining silent over because you think that who you are, and where you are, is not enough to make a difference? 

written by NERI MORRIS