Today in God’s Word

Today in God's Word—May 2023

East Tallassee Church of Christ

May 4, Esther 4

”Do not think to yourself that in the king's palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. 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?" - Esther 4:13-14

When desperate threats to a nation arise, the people of that nation need a hero. The history of our country's origins and development was driven by heroes who risked death and loss to take a stand out of patriotic zeal for their country. On a more personal scale, how often have we read about a house fire or boating accident where a hero ventured into a dangerous situation, risking his life to save other lives? When heroes survive, they are worthy of the honor and accolades we give them.

News of Haman's diabolical plan to exterminate the Jews spread quickly across the provinces of the Persian empire. The scattered Jews reacted to the decree with widespread mourning and fasting. Other ethnic groups in the melting pot of Persia may also have been disturbed by the news. Who knew whether or not their people could be the next group targeted for genocide?

Mordecai’s demonstration of distress was not really so different from the other Jews across the empire. But the location where he mourned was significant. Mordecai went to the public square of the city, just outside the gates of the king's palace compound. He ripped his clothes, dressed in sackcloth and ashes and wept with loud cries. Mordecai couldn't get into the palace in such a state, but the servants who saw Mordecai's demonstration got word to Esther inside the palace, which was his objective for the loud, public expressions of distress. She sent a change of clothes out to Mordecai, but he refused them, probably to underscore the seriousness of the crisis. Esther probably had no prior knowledge of the plan to destroy the

Jews. So Esther sent a servant, one of the king's eunuchs named Hathach, to find out why Mordecai behaved in such a way.

Hathach went out and Mordecai told him about the deal Haman made with Ahasuerus. He sent his cousin the queen a copy of the decree. Mordecai wanted her to go to the king and intercede for the Jews. Esther responded (through Hathach) that what he was asking would likely end her life for entering the king’s court un-summoned. Mordecai's reply was blunt, but true. Esther was going to die anyway if this plan wasn't stopped. Mordecai asked her if it might be why she was in the place she was, to be able to deliver her people from this awful threat. She replied that she would go and told her cousin to organize a fast and prayer time for her before she went. She resigned herself to the possibility that she would die, and accepted the mission. So Esther and her people inside, along with Mordecai and the Jews outside engaged in prayer and fasting for three days.

Isn't it interesting to know that the high drama of the exchange between Mordecai and Esther did not play out face to face, but by means of an intermediary messenger? Most people don't know who Hathach was, but now you do, even if you didn’t recognize his name before. He played a critical role in the plan to save the Jews from Haman's intended mayhem.

Esther accepted the challenge because she loved her people. She was patriotic, and she was courageous. She accepted the risk of going to the king out of respect for Mordecai, and the opportunity to save her people from destruction.

It's true that God is not named in this book. But his covenant with these people and the promises he had made to them shaped them and their response to the crisis.

Being a hero is dangerous business. Esther accepted the risk and prepared to do what she could where she was to intervene and save her people from danger. She emerges as the title

and main character of this story. It even shows in the role reversal we see in the last verse. Esther had been respectful and obedient to Mordecai, doing whatever he instructed her to do before this time. But now she was the one who sent the instructions, and Mordecai did all that his young royal cousin ordered him to do.

You and I may never be in a position to be a hero on such a scale as the opportunity Esther had here. But in smaller ways, in lesser crises, maybe her story will inspire us to act on behalf of others without regard for our own welfare. Maybe Esther can inspire us to do something heroic because of where God put us and the opportunities to make a difference he puts in our path.

Copyright © 2023 by Michael B. McElroy. Used by permission. All rights reserved.