Sermon Tone Analysis

Background

Following the seventy-year exile period, the Jews were given permission to return to their homeland.

Some had done so under the leadership of Zerubbabel and had begun to rebuild the temple (see Ezra).

Another large group had remained in Persia.

Among them were a beautiful young woman named Esther and her cousin/adopted father, Mordecai.

The plot thickens when a high-ranking official named Haman, angered by Mordecai’s refusal to bow to him, concocted a scheme to eradicate all the Jews in Persia.

When the king agreed to Haman’s murderous plan, the only question remaining was whether Esther could use her position of influence to save her people.

That is the situation in chapter 4.

The plot thickened when a high-ranking official named Haman, angered by Mordecai’s refusal to bow to him, concocted a scheme to eradicate all the Jews in Persia.

When the king agreed to Haman’s murderous plan, the only question remaining was whether Esther could use her position of influence to save her people.

That is the situation in chapter 4.

Read the passage carefully and imagine yourself in Esther’s or Mordecai’s situation.

Let the drama of their crisis wash over you.

Try to appreciate the great pressure they felt.

And let God use this real-life situation from centuries past to change you today.

Let’s start in

As an established official in the king’s own court, Mordecai would have learned of the plot to destroy the Jews almost as soon as it went beyond the private counsel of Haman and the king.

What does it mean to put on sackcloth and ashes?

Compare ; ; ;

This seems to have been the most commonly practiced form of visible mourning in the ancient Near East

Sackcloth is a coarse, uncomfortable cloth made of goat or camel hair.

This seems to have been the most commonly practiced form of visible mourning in the ancient Near East

These actions are characteristic of an appeal to God in response to potential danger and impending calamity (cf.

; ).

Sackcloth is a coarse, uncomfortable cloth made of goat or camel hair.

Another visible sign of mourning (compare ; ; ; ).

This action symbolized complete desolation and probably identification with the dead.

A loss in battle would often end in the burning of a city, homes, or corpses.

Sitting in ashes came to be a visible sign of mourning over a past action or loss, or a sign of distress—both of which probably acted as a reminder to pray (e.g., ; ; ; ; ).

Ashes would naturally get on a person’s face and body in the process; at times, ash may have also been intentionally applied to a person’s skin (compare ).

Mordecai, however, was not dissuaded, and he again exhorted Esther to intercede with words intended both to reprove and to encourage her.

The reproof was that she, though the queen, should not imagine that she can escape any more than all the Jews (v.

13) and, moreover, should she remain silent, the Jews would still be delivered whereas she and her father’s house will perish (v.

14).

The encouragement was that the Lord is sovereign in all circumstances to preserve His people from destruction—as is unquestionably implied by Mordecai’s confident expectation, not mere hope or wish, that relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place.

His confidence can be explained by his faith in God’s promise to bless Israel and preserve them forever as a people before Him (; ).

Also he was certain that God had already been at work by ensuring that she attained royalty for such a time as this.

Esther thus acquiesced and enjoined a preparatory fast (again as a specific appeal to God) on her behalf that was to be undertaken by all the Jews … in Susa … for three days, night or day.

Allowing Mordecai the minimum amount of time necessary to assemble the Jews of Susa for this fast, as well the urgency of the situation, it is reasonable that this fast began on Adar 14 (cf.

).

This was either later that night per biblical-Jewish reckoning in which days began at sunset, or, at the latest on the following morning (dawn was in fact the usual time when public fasts began, according to the Babylonian Talmud, Pesahim 2b)—both possibilities would still have been Adar 14. Esther’s fast was thus observed during the first three days of Passover, an observation that is central to an appreciation of the book’s typology.

According to Greek historian Herodotus, the Persians tore their clothes, wailed loudly, and wept bitterly upon hearing of Xerxes’ defeat at Salamis during his war with the Greeks (according to Greek historian Herodotus, Histories 8.99).

Prayer often accompanied these traditional forms of mourning (see ; ; ).

The narrative fails to mention whether the Jews were praying.

Perhaps in response to this problem, the ancient Greek translation, the Septuagint, adds prayers by Mordecai and Esther to the end of this chapter (compare note on ).

4:1 Since most people of this time period owned very few sets of clothes, this action took on great significance.

Coarse, uncomfortable cloth made of goat or camel hair.

Another visible sign of mourning (compare ; ; ; ).

This action symbolized complete desolation and probably identification with the dead.

A loss in battle would often end in the burning of a city, homes, or corpses.

Sitting in ashes came to be a visible sign of mourning over a past action or loss, or a sign of distress—both of which probably acted as a reminder to pray (e.g., ; ; ; ; ).

Ashes would naturally get on a person’s face and body in the process; at times, ash may have also been intentionally applied to a person’s skin (compare ).

In verse 2, since Mordecai’s appearance shows visible signs of mourning, he cannot enter the area where the king could be present (see ).

In verse 2, since Mordecai’s appearance shows visible signs of mourning, he cannot enter the area where the king could be present (see ).

Move on to

In verse 10, we have to go back first to to get an understanding of things

She was unaware of it because of her seclusion in the women’s quarters of the palace () .

He communicated through the eunuch Hathach, who was appointed to attend her.

At the same time Mordecai exhorted her to implore the king’s favor and to plead with him for her people (v.

8).

What was Esther’s initial concern in verse 11?

In seeking Esther’s intervention, Mordecai needed first to inform her (), of Haman’s decree.

She was unaware of it because of her seclusion in the women’s quarters of the palace.

He communicated through the eunuch Hathach, who was appointed to attend her.

At the same time Mordecai exhorted her to implore the king’s favor and to plead with him for her people (v.

8).

Esther was initially recalcitrant—recalling the similar response of Moses in and 4:13, and she sought to excuse herself by pointing out that the king had not summoned her for the past thirty days ().

Though the point of her citing this number was to imply that the king’s interest in her was apparently waning, it also served as yet another subtle testimony to the historical veracity of the book, for 30 days prior to this conversation (which took place on Nisan 13) she would indeed have been in the king’s presence for the royal observance of the important Zoroastrian Farvardigan (welcoming the spirits of the dead) festival, celebrated at that time from Adar (Old Persian Viyahna) 11–15 (mid-April in our calendar).

Esther was initially hesitant—recalling the similar response of Moses in

Esther was initially recalcitrant—recalling the similar response of Moses in

Verse 11: This custom was likely put in place to prevent assassination attempts, to help manage the king’s time, and to set him apart from ordinary people.

She sought to excuse herself by pointing out that the king had not summoned her for the past thirty days ().

What stands out to you in verse 14 about Mordecai?

The encouragement was that the Lord is sovereign in all circumstances to preserve His people from destruction—as is unquestionably implied by Mordecai’s confident expectation, not mere hope or wish, that relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place.

The encouragement was that the Lord is sovereign in all circumstances to preserve His people from destruction—as is unquestionably implied by Mordecai’s confident expectation, not mere hope or wish, that relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place.

His confidence can be explained by his faith in God’s promise to bless Israel and preserve them forever as a people before Him (; ).

Also he was certain that God had already been at work by ensuring that she attained royalty for such a time as this.

Mordecai’s thinking seems to reflect that of Judaism in general—that God would find a way for his people to survive, no matter what (compare ).

Mordecai’s thinking seems to reflect that of Judaism in general—that God would find a way for his people to survive, no matter what (compare ).

Mordecai may see this relief coming from another person, another city, or God in general.

Esther thus acquiesced and enjoined a preparatory fast (again as a specific appeal to God) on her behalf that was to be undertaken by all the Jews … in Susa … for three days, night or day.

Allowing Mordecai the minimum amount of time necessary to assemble the Jews of Susa for this fast, as well the urgency of the situation, it is reasonable that this fast began on Adar 14 (cf.

).

This was either later that night per biblical-Jewish reckoning in which days began at sunset, or, at the latest on the following morning (dawn was in fact the usual time when public fasts began, according to the Babylonian Talmud, Pesahim 2b)—both possibilities would still have been Adar 14. Esther’s fast was thus observed during the first three days of Passover, an observation that is central to an appreciation of the book’s typology.

4:11 Esther responds, via Hathach, by deferring to the regulations of the laws of Persia—with which Mordecai would have already been familiar.

Access to the king was strictly governed.

A symbol of royal authority.

If someone came to the king unsummoned, the king would have to make an exception to the law Esther cites.

Scepter EDB

As queen, it seems that Esther should have more access to the king, but apparently his interest in her had waned during the last four years (compare note on 3:7).

4:12 The Hebrew text uses a plural verb here to reference the carrying of messages back to Mordecai, suggesting that servants other than Hathach were involved.

This could be explained by Esther’s ability to win people’s favor (2:15).

4:13 Haman’s decree called for the death of all Jews (3:13), which meant that if Esther’s lineage was discovered, it would demand her execution.

4:14 This remark of Mordecai’s is one of the most faithful responses in the book, yet it lacks any direct mention of God.

Mordecai’s thinking seems to reflect that of Judaism in general—that God would find a way for his people to survive, no matter what (compare ).

Mordecai may see this relief coming from another person, another city, or God in general.

Mordecai essentially reasoned with Esther this way: “Do you think your becoming queen of Persia was a mere fluke?

Do you think you can now ignore your heritage and opt only to live a comfortable life?

No, there’s a reason you’ve been placed in such an influential position!

You need to take careful stock of this situation and use it to the glory of God.”

Mordecai’s famous final statement in verse 14 offers the positive argument.

What assumptions are at work in this “Who knows …”?

To what is Mordecai turning Esther’s thoughts here?

Think of someone, perhaps a younger Christian, who needs some Mordecai-like encouragement and exhortation.

What can you say or do to stir up that person to “love and good works” ()?

If this is viewed as a statement about divine retribution, then it expresses that it is not just sinful to do something wrong, but it is also sinful to respond to a need with apathy (compare ; ; ).