Esther 4
Pastor Mark Hudson

This chapter changes the course of events in this narrative. Chapter 3 ends with the king and Haman sending out an edict (from India to Ethiopia) to kill all the Jews. They celebrate their genocidal plans with a drink (or two). Meanwhile, Mordecai learns of this and he ‘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 a bitter cry.’ He is serious about his grief. And so are the Jews throughout the kingdom. This is the worst news possible for all Jews. Mordecai is mourning to get Esther’s attention. Notice how he mourns and where.

Esther appears to know nothing about this. She wants to cover Mordecai’s sackcloth up. After refusing her offer, she needs to find out what the fuss is about. Mordecai give Esther’s eunuch’s all the details and copy of the edict with instructions (commanded her to go to the king) to help save the life of the Jews.

The passive active theme has been and will be prominent in the first few chapters and will continue to be teased out in the later chapters. Up to this point, Esther has been acted upon. She is made an orphan, Mordecai raises her and is directing her until the end of this chapter, she was taken into the king’s palace, the eunuchs prepared her to meet the king, she ‘asked for nothing except what Hegai the king’s eunuch . . . advised’ when she met the king. Esther is acted upon . . . until Mordecai’s challenge. By her cunning, beauty, intelligence, patience, and timing, she ascended the throne as Queen, defeats Haman and elevates Mordecai over Haman’s property. Passive no more!

Upon hearing of Esther’s refusal where she claims to have been almost relegated to almost isolation and asserts that there is nothing she can do, Mordecai utters the words in vs. 13-14 that this book is known for. Mordecai is certain that the Jews will be protected and provided deliverance but if Esther does not act, she too will perish. And he reminds her, that while she may be a queen, she really is still Hadassah, an orphan her cousin raised. Both of them were not wealthy or important people in and of themselves. But Esther should consider the miraculous way she was given this place and consider that this very edict may be why she is queen. And remember, this is genocide. For all the Jews in this wide-ranging kingdom, this is death and destruction.

The other part of this communique Mordecai sent to Esther is the phrase, ‘but you and your father’s house will perish.’ First, Mordecai is saying, ‘You might die if you appear before the king without being summoned. But if you do not act, you will most certainly die when this edict is enacted.’ This raises the question of Esther’s Jewishness. In 2:10, we are told, “Esther had not made known her people or kindred, for Mordecai had commanded her (passive/active theme) her not to make it known.” There is never a time she explicitly tells others she is Jewish until 7:3ff. So, is Mordecai ‘outing’ her in this note? Did people already figure it out knowing she was related to Mordecai? Mordecai must be afraid of some form of anti-Semitism since he tells Esther to hide her faith. We do not know if others know Esther is a Jew at this point. We know that Mordecai told his associates that he is a Jew in 3:4.

This also raises the question, which the author leaves unanswered: Did Esther practice her faith – keeping kosher, obeying the 10 commandments, observing the Sabbath? The author could have commented on Esther’s apparent disregard of these things. We clearly are not told. But she does hide her Jewish identity and may have experienced cognitive dissonance over this. She is the only person in the book that has two names. We do know that so much of what we know about Esther changes after this chapter.

Mordecai succeeds in getting the Queen’s attention and his last command to Esther is in v. 8. This chapter ends with Esther ‘ordering’ Mordecai. The center of this chapter are the harshest words these two have probably ever had in vs. 8-14. Mordecai, in his wisdom and persuasiveness, goes for her juggler . . . or maybe her heart in vs. 13-14. Where she first demurred in v. 11 , now in vs. 15-17, Esther practically leaps into action. For the rest of the book (her life?) she is a daring, wise, courageous leader.

We just do not know about her faith up to this point. She does say that “my young women will also fast as you do” in v. 16. Was she leading women to faith? Are there other Jews in the palace? We only know that she is being transformed into someone who saves the Jewish people from certain death. Her personal practice of the faith is not the author’s point. Does he intentionally leave that out? Are we to be reminded that God uses imperfect people? Does this book mirror the ambiguities of life. The reality that people are often an enigma is reflected in this book because that is how life is. God uses imperfect people because those are the only people there are.

Esther changes into someone fully committed to the mission. She asks all the Jews in Susa, and she joins in fasting for 3 days. Her plan is to be fully committed. “If I perish, I perish.” What Mordecai said had the effect of Esther being no longer passive, but as the most active, intelligent, wise, persuasive, and powerful as one can be. She outshines them all.

This chapter is where the great reversal begins. While Haman and Ahasuerus drink in 3:15, Mordecai and Esther refrain from drinking anything. Where Susa was thrown into confusion in 3:15, the Jews are fasting in hope of deliverance. Where Mordecai wanted to enlist Esther in his cause, by the end of this chapter, Esther is committed unto death. But ironically by the disregard of her own life, she saves not only her life but all the Jews and kills the enemies of the Jews.

Dear God most high, we come to You who gave His life for His people. Yet, unlike any human, You never sinned and died in the place of others so in Your death, we might have life and have it for eternity. You are the rightful King who is neither capricious nor passive. When you enter a life, Your transform that life into one who love God supremely. Help us to always have hope that You can change our lives quickly and by the most common of life’s events. May Your people trust You deeply and love and obey You. For the sake of Christ, Amen.