Rise to the Occasion
Esther 4:1-17
"'If you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place... And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?'"
(Esther 4:14)
In the "heroic" story of Esther, the real hero is the One whose name never appears in the entire book: God. The story is set against the backdrop of racial hatred for God's people residing in Persia. And Haman, enemy of the Jews, had convinced the King to kill them.
When Queen Esther put aside her own interests and boldly approached the throne, we're given an "advanced echo" of a greater Hero who laid aside all His own rights and interests, boldly approaching the throne of God for us. Esther asked King Xerxes to spare the Jewish people, but Jesus Christ paid the full debt for us with the precious price of His blood.
There is much we can learn from Esther and Mordecai, neither of whom was paralyzed by fear, but rose to the occasion. Through Christ who strengthens us, we too can take a stand for Him. But we also are comforted by the story of Esther because as believers, we know we are winners. Our Savior who has redeemed us came to earth to live a perfect life for us...all for such a time as this.
INSIGHT
May God plant courage in us in any hour of desperation to speak hope to those around us.
READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
Job 5-6
Psalm 45
Luke 8
Esther 4:1-17
Mordecai Persuades Esther to Help
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. 2 But he went only as far as the king’s gate, because no one clothed in sackcloth was allowed to enter it. 3 In every province to which the edict and order of the king came, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping and wailing. Many lay in sackcloth and ashes.
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. 5 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.
6 So Hathak went out to Mordecai in the open square of the city in front of the king’s gate. 7 Mordecai told him everything that had happened to him, including the exact amount of money Haman had promised to pay into the royal treasury for the destruction of the Jews. 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.
9 Hathak went back and reported to Esther what Mordecai had said. 10 Then she instructed him to say to Mordecai, 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."
12 When Esther’s words were reported to Mordecai, 13 he sent back this answer: "Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. 14 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. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?"
15 Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: 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."
17 So Mordecai went away and carried out all of Esther’s instructions.
Esther 4:1-17
"'If you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place... And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?'"
(Esther 4:14)
In the "heroic" story of Esther, the real hero is the One whose name never appears in the entire book: God. The story is set against the backdrop of racial hatred for God's people residing in Persia. And Haman, enemy of the Jews, had convinced the King to kill them.
When Queen Esther put aside her own interests and boldly approached the throne, we're given an "advanced echo" of a greater Hero who laid aside all His own rights and interests, boldly approaching the throne of God for us. Esther asked King Xerxes to spare the Jewish people, but Jesus Christ paid the full debt for us with the precious price of His blood.
There is much we can learn from Esther and Mordecai, neither of whom was paralyzed by fear, but rose to the occasion. Through Christ who strengthens us, we too can take a stand for Him. But we also are comforted by the story of Esther because as believers, we know we are winners. Our Savior who has redeemed us came to earth to live a perfect life for us...all for such a time as this.
INSIGHT
May God plant courage in us in any hour of desperation to speak hope to those around us.
READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
Job 5-6
Psalm 45
Luke 8
Esther 4:1-17
Mordecai Persuades Esther to Help
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. 2 But he went only as far as the king’s gate, because no one clothed in sackcloth was allowed to enter it. 3 In every province to which the edict and order of the king came, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping and wailing. Many lay in sackcloth and ashes.
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. 5 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.
6 So Hathak went out to Mordecai in the open square of the city in front of the king’s gate. 7 Mordecai told him everything that had happened to him, including the exact amount of money Haman had promised to pay into the royal treasury for the destruction of the Jews. 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.
9 Hathak went back and reported to Esther what Mordecai had said. 10 Then she instructed him to say to Mordecai, 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."
12 When Esther’s words were reported to Mordecai, 13 he sent back this answer: "Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. 14 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. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?"
15 Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: 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."
17 So Mordecai went away and carried out all of Esther’s instructions.
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