Esther 4

So last week, we ended on a bit of a cliffhanger. We saw that the king and Haman were living it up, and the city was in turmoil. Not only that, but our chief characters, namely Esther and Mordecai, are in mortal danger. This is gripping stuff, and I hope that you see that the book of Esther is written with this tension in mind. There is this intent to the writing to build that tension.

Esther 4 ESV

1 When Mordecai learned all that had been done, Mordecai tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, and he cried out with a loud and bitter cry. 2 He went up to the entrance of the king’s gate, for no one was allowed to enter the king’s gate clothed in sackcloth. 3 And in every province, wherever the king’s command and his decree reached, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting and weeping and lamenting, and many of them lay in sackcloth and ashes. 4 When Esther’s young women and her eunuchs came and told her, the queen was deeply distressed. She sent garments to clothe Mordecai, so that he might take off his sackcloth, but he would not accept them. 5 Then Esther called for Hathach, one of the king’s eunuchs, who had been appointed to attend her, and ordered him to go to Mordecai to learn what this was and why it was. 6 Hathach went out to Mordecai in the open square of the city in front of the king’s gate, 7 and Mordecai told him all that had happened to him, and the exact sum of money that Haman had promised to pay into the king’s treasuries for the destruction of the Jews. 8 Mordecai also gave him a copy of the written decree issued in Susa for their destruction, that he might show it to Esther and explain it to her and command her to go to the king to beg his favor and plead with him on behalf of her people. 9 And Hathach went and told Esther what Mordecai had said. 10 Then Esther spoke to Hathach and commanded him to go to Mordecai and say, 11 “All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that if any man or woman goes to the king inside the inner court without being called, there is but one law—to be put to death, except the one to whom the king holds out the golden scepter so that he may live. But as for me, I have not been called to come in to the king these thirty days.” 12 And they told Mordecai what Esther had said. 13 Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, “Do not think to yourself that in the king’s palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. 14 For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” 15 Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai, 16 “Go, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my behalf, and do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my young women will also fast as you do. Then I will go to the king, though it is against the law, and if I perish, I perish.” 17 Mordecai then went away and did everything as Esther had ordered him.

There is some heavy stuff here. Let’s dive in.

Esther 4:1–3 ESV

1 When Mordecai learned all that had been done, Mordecai tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, and he cried out with a loud and bitter cry. 2 He went up to the entrance of the king’s gate, for no one was allowed to enter the king’s gate clothed in sackcloth. 3 And in every province, wherever the king’s command and his decree reached, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting and weeping and lamenting, and many of them lay in sackcloth and ashes.

We see Mordecai’s response to the decree here. This is very much in keeping with other illustrations of distress in the Old Testament, this picture of torn clothes and ashes. This idea of sackcloth and ashes is a visible way to show that you were in distress.

This was dangerous behavior. You may say, how do you figure that? Well, the text tells us: “no one was allowed to enter the king’s gate clothed in sackcloth.” Mordecai went to the middle of the city, and wailed. This may seem like an overreaction, but we have to understand both the gravity of the decree and the cultural expressions and expectations.

For us, this would be like posting a depressing status update on Facebook, “woe is me, anything that can go wrong has gone wrong.” And some people will look at that and shake their head in frustration wondering why you are airing your dirty laundry, and some will rush to your aid, seeking to help.

The same sort of thing is set to happen here. But not just in Sousa. Because all over the kingdom, we see in verse 3, Jews are doing the same.

I am not going to suggest that when we are at the end of our rope, we should make this kind of scene, but I also want to suggest that people cannot help if they don’t know.

So we kinda get that he would make the ruckus. But why? Why all the theatrics?

Because this is certain death. This isn’t, “Hey, someone bumped their cart into your car at Kroger, and now you’ve got a little ding in your door.”

This is, “The test results are back. There’s nothing we can do.” This is a decree of certain death for Mordecai and his people.

And so he goes as close as he can to the palace, and he wails. He mourns. He lets his lament out.

Obviously, this doesn’t go unnoticed. Look at the next section:

Esther 4:4–7 ESV

4 When Esther’s young women and her eunuchs came and told her, the queen was deeply distressed. She sent garments to clothe Mordecai, so that he might take off his sackcloth, but he would not accept them. 5 Then Esther called for Hathach, one of the king’s eunuchs, who had been appointed to attend her, and ordered him to go to Mordecai to learn what this was and why it was. 6 Hathach went out to Mordecai in the open square of the city in front of the king’s gate, 7 and Mordecai told him all that had happened to him, and the exact sum of money that Haman had promised to pay into the king’s treasuries for the destruction of the Jews.

Remember, Esther has been queen for like 5 years now. We know from the end of chapter 2 that Esther still listens to and obeys Mordecai as if he were her father, but I don’t know if she sees him regularly now that she lives in the palace. I am sure they keep in contact, but she has a pretty charmed life at this point. Certainly better than any Jewish girl in exile could hope for.

But, as we said, Mordecai is making some noise, and it does not go unnoticed. The queen’s staff (her young women and eunuchs) hear the commotion, figure out what is going on, and report it back to Esther.

These are the queen’s servants and handlers. They are with her all the time. I am sure they were well aware of who Mordecai was, because he was always checking in on his adopted daughter. When they see him making a ruckus, they let Esther know.

Now, I know some of you look at this and say, why didn’t she go down and talk to him? why did she send a servant?

Because she is the queen. She can’t be seen with a guy wearing sackcloth and ashes, wailing in the street. She has to maintain decorum. Look at verse 4: she sent clothes for him.

Maybe she’s thinking he got himself in trouble and he doesn’t have good clothes now. She is trying to bandaid the symptoms instead of treat the disease.

We see that Mordecai is inconsolable. And the queen is distressed. When her effort to cheer him up with new clothes fails, she sends Hathach, who is one of the eunuchs that is to serve her, to see what is going on.

Hathach goes down and has a chat with Mordecai, and Mordecai gives him the news.

We almost get the sense here that Esther and her crew didn’t know about the decree. Sounds like government, right? The press know about the laws before the government officials.

Anyway, Mordecai tells Hathach all the details, and gives him a copy of the decree. We see that next:

Esther 4:8–11 ESV

8 Mordecai also gave him a copy of the written decree issued in Susa for their destruction, that he might show it to Esther and explain it to her and command her to go to the king to beg his favor and plead with him on behalf of her people. 9 And Hathach went and told Esther what Mordecai had said. 10 Then Esther spoke to Hathach and commanded him to go to Mordecai and say, 11 “All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that if any man or woman goes to the king inside the inner court without being called, there is but one law—to be put to death, except the one to whom the king holds out the golden scepter so that he may live. But as for me, I have not been called to come in to the king these thirty days.”

And we have this sitcom back and forth through a messenger: you tell her…you tell him…and so on. I kinda feel sorry for Hathach here. There is a lot of back and forth!

Anyway, let’s simplify it.

Mordecai lets Esther know about the decree. To refresh, we are told that this decree is for the destruction - literally, the word there means annihilation or extermination - of the Jews.

Mordecai sends the decree so that Esther would know what is going on, and, as we see in verse 8, so that she might persuade the king to stop it.

Mordecai wants her to plead for her people.

Esther, it seems, is taken aback by this. Because her response is incredulity. She basically tells Mordecai, “What? Go into the king? Are you crazy? Anyone who goes in before him unannounced ends up dead. You know how he can be, because Vashti is gone and I am here. Go in unannounced? That’s suicide!”

She even throws in a little self pity: “I haven’t been called before him in a month!” You get this feeling that she is a little frustrated that the king hasn’t wanted to see her in a month, and Mordecai is asking her to put her life on the line as if she has some power over the king. Esther seems to think she is useless. “I can’t help, he doesn’t want to see me.”

We do see this glimmer of hope, though. This 1 in a million, “So, you’re telling me there’s a chance!” shot: If you go before the king unannounced and he holds out the scepter, you don’t die.

And let me tell you why I love this exchange. You have real people represented here. Mordecai, who is desperate and has lost hope. Esther, who is a little depressed and afraid. Mordecai is willing to die to try to save his people. Esther is struggling to see her place in all of this. Real people with real emotions. No sugar coating.

And we see the paternal instincts of Mordecai. He is stern but loving to her. And this is one of the most beautiful passages in all of scripture, and the one that most people know from Esther.

Esther 4:12–14 ESV

12 And they told Mordecai what Esther had said. 13 Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, “Do not think to yourself that in the king’s palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. 14 For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

Mordecai lays it out: “You’re a Jew, Esther. Don’t think you get out of this. You are subject to this decree as well. And let’s be honest: you wouldn’t be the first queen the king has to replace. We’re all expendable.”

Mordecai goes on, too: “Look, if you keep silent, if you run and hide, know that God will bring someone up to save His people, but don’t think that you will survive this.”

Then, Mordecai delivers the payoff line: “Who knows, maybe this is your purpose. Who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

Sometimes, we don’t have easy, good choices. Sometimes, we have to suffer, because it is a fallen world. But sometimes, that suffering is because God has something greater in store. Maybe this is the thing that God is preparing you for!

Esther 4:15–17 ESV

15 Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai, 16 “Go, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my behalf, and do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my young women will also fast as you do. Then I will go to the king, though it is against the law, and if I perish, I perish.” 17 Mordecai then went away and did everything as Esther had ordered him.

Esther responds to one of the greatest pep talks of all time with action.

She tells him to gather the Jews, to fast, and (although unwritten, it would be understood), to pray. Fast for 3 days. Full fast, night and day, don’t eat. Pray.

And she puts her money where her mouth is: “I and my young women will also fast as you do.” She is going to do the same thing she is asking them to do.

Sometimes, we say that we believe God is going to do something great, or we say we want Him to work; most of the time, though, we are not willing to put in the effort to pray for it. Esther, the Queen of Persia, is fasting and praying for three days before she goes to see the king unannounced, knowing that it might mean death.

I read this quote today, in fairness looking for another quote that I never did find:

Some missionaries bound for Africa were laughed at by the boat captain. “You’ll only die over there,” he said. But a missionary replied, “Captain, we died before we started.”

-Vance Havner

So what changed for Esther? We see that in verse 11, she is scared that she might die. Now, in verse 16, we see her resolved: “And if I perish, I perish.” That is a change. It can only come about from God doing a work in you. I don’t think she has any more confidence that she will survive; only that she must be obedient to Him.

Esther is now determined to go before the king. And Mordecai is ready to follow her instructions.

Now, we must wait and see how it all plays out!