Esther 4-5: “Mordecai Convinces Esther To Intercede For The Jews Before The King”
By
1. TIMELINE:
These graphs depict the timeline of the Old Testament, and note that the events in the book of Esther cover a period of history after the Babylonian captivity that most believe occurred during the third year of the reign of king Xerxes, or approx. 484-483 BC.
Graph of Persian kings & Jewish companies sent out by them to Judea:
2. In our last study, we looked at chapters 2-3 of the book.
2.1. We saw how after the king’s anger because Esther had refused his command to come to his drunken party and reveal her beauty had calmed, his advisors moved quickly to encourage him to begin a search for the most eligible bacherlette to replace queen Vashti.
2.2. We began to see God’s providence working in the book of Esther:
2.2.1. It was Esther that was chosen by the king’s eunich to enter the beauty contest.
2.2.1.1.Another young Jewish girl might not have gained the king’s favor nor been willing to risk her own life to intercede for the lives of God’s people.
2.2.2. Mordecai just happened to find out about a plot to assassinate the king, and he reported this and averted the assassination attempt. In this way, Mordecai gained the king’s favor, and this favor will be necessary for what the rest of the book tells us about.
2.3. We talked about how that nothing happens in our lives as a result of coincidence. God has a master plan that He is working out in the world and in our lives, and every single situation that occurs happens for a reason.
3. In our study today, we are going to look at chapters 4-5.
3.1. Because of the news about the decree that the Jews would be killed, we will see that Mordecai and the Jews were deeply grieving and wearing sackcloth and ashes.
3.2. When Mordecai goes to the gate of the king and is wailing there in sackcloth and ashes, we will see that the queen hears about this and sends a messenger what the problem is. When Mordecai relays the message about the coming destruction of the Jews, we will see that Esther is deeply grieving and mourning herself.
3.3. We will see that Mordecai finally asks Esther to consider if the Lord had not placed her there in her position of royalty just for this moment, and to consider that if she does not intercede to the king that she will not escape herself.
3.4. Esther finally decides to do this, but then asks for fasting for her for three days and nights before she appears before the king and intercedes for the Jews.
3.5. At the end of the three days and nights of fasting and praying by all Israel, Esther appears before the king and he extends his scepter towards her which keeps her from being killed. Then, when the king asks what her request might be, she replies that she would like the king and Haman to appear at a banquet that she would hold for them that day.
3.6. At this banquet, the queen asks the king yet again to come the next day with Haman to a banquet and then at that time she would tell him her request.
3.7. We will talk more in this study about God’s providence in allowing this whole evil plot to destroy the Jews be hatched in the first place.
3.8. Again it is interesting also to observe in this story how that such a wicked despot as king Ahasuerus could sign an edict to bring about the genocide of an entire race of tens of thousands of Jews and then sit upon his throne away from all of the turmoil in his kingdom where no one could appear before him without being slain immediately if the king didn’t present his scepter to them. No one was allowed to bring anything but happy and good news to the king, according to decree, and even the outcry that now had gone out after the edict to destroy the Jews, the king would hear not a word.
3.9. In our last study, I asked the question of what could have caused Haman to become so incensed over Mordecai’s not bowing before him as the law required, that he gets the king to issue a decree to have all of the Jews in the entire kingdom slaughtered and even offers to pay the bill himself for getting this done? I then mentioned that only great pride could do this. But, great pride alone could not account for this, there was more:
3.9.1. Only Satan himself could have inspired this and as well as the many other plots and attempts that have been made throughout history to destroy all of the Jews. Satan knew at this time that if all of the Jews were slaughtered that the Messiah could not come and rescue mankind from their sins, and mankind would be doomed for eternity as Satan knew he too was doomed.
3.9.2. Dave R. pointed out to me last week also that Haman may have realized that it was the Jews who had murdered his great grandfather, king Agag of the Amalekites, and all of the rest of the Amalekites during the reign of king Saul. Haman was probably very angry and vengeful against every Jew for this act in history past.
4. VS 4:1-2 - “1 When Mordecai learned all that had been done, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the midst of the city and wailed loudly and bitterly. 2 He went as far as the king’s gate, for no one was to enter the king’s gate clothed in sackcloth.” – Mordecai’s response to the news that all of the Jews were to be killed is that he put on sackcloth and ashes and went into the midst of the city and wailed loudly and bitterly, and because he could not enter the king’s gate in sackcloth he just went to the gate
4.1. All of Israel mourned and grieved over their impending death sentence decree, however in all of Israel no one mourned or grieved more than Mordecai. He knew that it was his refusing to bow before Haman that had brought about this edict, and thus he felt personal responsibility for the decree.
4.2. Weeping and wailing were typical ways in the Orient of expressing sorrow and grief in the biblical days.
5. VS 4:3 - “3 In each and every province where the command and decree of the king came, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping and wailing; and many lay on sackcloth and ashes.” – In every province where the decree to destroy the Jews came, there was great mourning among the Jews along with fasting, weeping, and wailing
5.1. Because everyone in the entire kingdom of Persia was going to be responsible for the destruction of the Jews, copies of the edicts had been placed in the most obvious and visible places in every province.
5.2. Every single one of the tens of thousands of Jewish families in every province of Persia was weeping and wailing, fasting, and many were laying on sackcloth and ashes. Dread was everywhere among God’s people, and this led them to pray and fast for their salvation.
6. VS 4:4-8 - “4 Then Esther’s maidens and her eunuchs came and told her, and the queen writhed in great anguish. And she sent garments to clothe Mordecai that he might remove his sackcloth from him, but he did not accept them. 5 Then Esther summoned Hathach from the king’s eunuchs, whom the king had appointed to attend her, and ordered him to go to Mordecai to learn what this was and why it was. 6 So Hathach went out to Mordecai to the city square in front of the king’s gate. 7 Mordecai told him all that had happened to him, and the exact amount of money that Haman had promised to pay to the king’s treasuries for the destruction of the Jews. 8 He also gave him a copy of the text of the edict which had been issued in Susa for their destruction, that he might show Esther and inform her, and to order her to go in to the king to implore his favor and to plead with him for her people.” – Queen Esther grieved at the news of the impending genocide of the Jews, and then when she heard about Mordecai wailing at the gate and wearing sackcloth and ashes, she sent garments to clothe him with and remove his sackcloth and ashes, but he refused them, then, Esther sent Hathach, one of the king’s eunuchs, and order him to go and to learn why Mordecai was mourning and grieving, and Mordecai told him all that Haman had done in order to get this decree approved by the king to murder all of the Jews
6.1. Esther at this time was deeply grieved concerning the destruction of the Jews that had been decreed, however she probably thought that being the queen of Persia that she personally didn’t have to worry about being killed.
6.2. It is moving seeing the empathy and sympathy that Queen Esther has for her uncle, Mordecai. She is not concerned only with her own anguish of heart, she considers what others are going through and seeks to remediate their suffering.
6.2.1. Hebrews 4:15 tells us that Jesus sympathizes with us: “For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.”
6.2.2. The scriptures tell us in Philippians 2:4 that we Christians should be like Esther was on this day: “do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.” God wants us as His people to have compassion for people in their difficulties just as He has compassion upon us.
6.3. Queen Esther sent one of her aides to determine why Mordecai was in such grief and sorrow, and Mordecai sends word to Esther of the whole story about how the edict came about.
6.4. Notice here that Mordecai knew exactly how the decree to kill the Jews had occurred because of Haman appealing to the king for this after he (Mordecai) had refused to bow down before Haman, and even about Haman offering to pay for the slaughter of all of the Jews.
6.5. Mordecai sent a copy of the king’s edict to be sent to Esther, and then he also ‘implored’ her that she intercede to the king on behalf of the Jews. Mordecai told Esther basically that she as queen had to take a stand for her people and what was right and go and intercede for the Jews to the king.
7. VS 4:9-11 - “9 Hathach came back and related Mordecai’s words to Esther. 10 Then Esther spoke to Hathach and ordered him to reply to Mordecai: 11 “All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that for any man or woman who comes to the king to the inner court who is not summoned, he has but one law, that he be put to death, unless the king holds out to him the golden scepter so that he may live. And I have not been summoned to come to the king for these thirty days.”” – Hathach came and related to Esther Mordecai’s words, and Esther sent a reply to Mordecai telling him that if anyone comes into the king’s presence unannounced and the king doesn’t hold out the scepter to them that he/she shall be killed, and she wasn’t supposed to be summoned to the king for 30 days
7.1. Queen Esther’s response to uncle Mordecai’s charge to intercede to the king for the Jews was initially to make up lots of excuses as to why she could not comply.
7.2. Esther first relays to uncle Mordecai that the Persian law was such that if anyone appeared before the king without first being called, that this meant instant death for that person if the king did not extend to him/her his scepter of acceptance.
7.3. Esther also relayed to uncle Mordecai the fact that she was not supposed to be summoned again to the king for another thirty days. The point here was that if she was to appear again it would have to be at the risk of her own life, and right now she was considering what it might cost if she appeared before the king unannounced.
7.4. King Ahasuerus apparently had so many other wives that after initially bedding Esther his lust and love for her has cooled off considerably so that now he is not going to summons her for another month.
8. VS 4:12-14 - “12 They related Esther’s words to Mordecai. 13 Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, “Do not imagine that you in the king’s palace can escape any more than all the Jews. 14 “For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place and you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?”” – When Mordecai was told Esther’s reply, he sent a reply back to her that she should not imagine that she would be able to escape this decree, plus if she was silent at this time that someone else would be the deliverer of Israel but then she and her house would perish, besides who knows that she had not attained her royalty for such a time as this
8.1. In this passage, we come to what I believe is the key truth to concentrate upon in the book. Esther’s story is an encouragement to all of God’s people to realize that they have been put here on the earth and in their present circumstances for a calling that God has for them. Each person has a certain station in life, certain friends and family members, and a certain influence over others. This is where God wants to use them if they will simply be willing to allow Him to work in and through them. This is a calling that every Christian must take to heart and be faithful to fulfill.
8.2. God sovereignly directs all of the things that come into our life, and we have to believe that He leads things into our lives for a purpose. In each of our lives as Christians, we then ought to consider that the needs that appear before us we may very well have been put in our station and position in life to meet. With each need that is presented to us we ought to ask if it was for filling this need that the Lord has placed us here. For instance, we meet someone who does not know Christ and we must ask ourselves if it was for witnessing to this person about salvation through Christ that we have been placed here in this word.
8.3. I would ask you to consider for a moment what your station in life is. What influence do you have over others? Who looks to you for advice? Who feels comfortable with you? Who listens when you speak? Who do you think you could have an influence for Christ? Could it be that the Lord has placed you in this position for such a time as this? God has placed you where you are at to use you.
8.4. Mordecai was a man of real faith and this is seen in that he recognized that if Esther was not used to deliver the Jews at this time that God would raise up someone else. He believed that God had to fulfill His promises to His people regardless of any person’s flakiness. We often discuss what might happen if a person does not fulfill the calling that the Lord has for him/her, yet we see that Mordecai believed that God’s plans will not be thwarted, even if one person rejects or fails in their calling He raises up someone else who from all eternity was destined to be used by Him.
8.4.1. In our lives as Christians, we need to realize that if we put off doing the things that the Lord has called us to perform, that God’s plans and purposes will not be thwarted. God will fulfill His plans, we will just miss out on them and the blessing of being part of His plans.
8.4.2. If we reject the things that the Lord has placed us here for, He might just take us home, and no matter what we will miss great blessings if we miss that calling.
8.5. Though Mordecai declares that if Esther does not intercede to the king that the Lord will raise up deliverance for the Jews from a different source, nonetheless it is a very serious thing for a person not to fulfill their calling, and thus note the prophetic word of judgment that Mordecai proclaims over Esther if she does not fulfill her calling: ‘you and your father’s house will perish.’
9. VS 4:15-17 - “15 Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai, 16 “Go, assemble all the Jews who are found in Susa, and fast for me; do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maidens also will fast in the same way. And thus I will go in to the king, which is not according to the law; and if I perish, I perish.” 17 So Mordecai went away and did just as Esther had commanded him.” – Esther told her attendants to tell Mordecai to have the Jews in Susa fast for her for three days and nights, and to tell him that she and her maidens would fast in the same way, and, at the end she will go in to the king not according to the law, and if she perishes she perishes, so Mordecai went away and did as Esther commanded him
9.1. Of all of the many translations of the Bible I have on my computer, only the Today’s English Bible includes the word ‘pray’ in the book of Esther, and it is here in verse 16. The original Hebrew evidently doesn’t include the word prayer in the book of Esther.
9.2. I find it interesting that it was after three days and nights that Esther appeared before the king in regard to her salvation, and the salvation of her people. There are so many places in the scripture where there is a three day and three night period that is a symbol for salvation.
9.3. We cannot question Esther’s commitment to the Lord as we see her willingness to even die if her people might be spared.
9.4. Esther ought to be an encouragement to us as Christians to be courageous and allow the Lord to use us even though to do so may contain great risks to us. We as Christians must never shrink from being a witness for the Lord because we may be persecuted.
10. VS 5:1-2 - “1 Now it came about on the third day that Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the king’s palace in front of the king’s rooms, and the king was sitting on his royal throne in the throne room, opposite the entrance to the palace. 2 When the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, she obtained favor in his sight; and the king extended to Esther the golden scepter which was in his hand. So Esther came near and touched the top of the scepter.” – After three days and nights of fasting and praying, Esther finally appears before the king, and he extends to her his scepter, and she touches the top of his scepter
10.1. When the king notices that queen Esther has appeared unannounced before him he extends his scepter to her sparing her life. God has worked providentially in this situation preparing the king’s heart for Esther to appear before him.
10.2. Notice also that when Esther appears before the king she touches the top of his scepter, which is an odd detail, but following what we know from the scriptures concerning the nature of salvation for the believer in Christ this is an illustration of the fact that we who are saved will also rule with Him.
10.3. It is interesting to consider that the fulfillment of God’s plans in redeeming mankind through the sending of His Son, Jesus Christ, is dependent upon the faithfulness of one young Jewish woman in being completing that for which she had been called from all eternity to perform. Whatever obscure beginnings Esther may have had in being raised in a family in which her parents had died when she was at a young age, she has now become a woman of the greatest prominence and importance, and an example to all of God’s people for all time.
10.4. This story reminds us of the sacred duty of interceding for someone else. This week as I was preparing for this study, I picked up a commentary to begin reading and even before I read a word I began weeping as I thought about the fact that I am saved and even able to pastor today because a preacher’s daughter named Harmony prayed for me every day for five years. Then, as soon as I began reading I realized that I was reading about intercession in the story of Esther. That moment was sort of an epiphany for me. How important it is for us as Christians to take to heart the importance of interceding for others in prayer. Each one of us who are Christians had someone who first interceded to the Lord in prayer for us.
10.5. Paul’s statement is amazing in Romans 9:1-5: “1 I am telling the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience testifies with me in the Holy Spirit, 2 that I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh, 4 who are Israelites, to whom belongs the adoption as sons, and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the Law and the temple service and the promises, 5 whose are the fathers, and from whom is the Christ according to the flesh, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen.”. I don’t think I have ever truly wished that I could go to hell for eternity that someone else might be able to be saved. A great burden for souls to be saved ought to be in the heart of every believer though. God help us to be willing to do whatever it takes that others might come to salvation!
10.6. Because Esther had gained the king’s favor, and he felt that he knew her and her motives well enough to know that there had to be a very good reason for her to appear before him, he extended his scepter out to her.
10.7. The Lord reigns in a way completely different from King Ahasuerus. We ought to consider the fact that the King of Kings sits upon His throne and as often as we need we are promised that we may come before Him and find the grace that we need. Instead of Him possibly rejecting us as could have happened to Esther with the king, the only thing that we as Christians shall ever be chided for by the Lord is for not appearing enough before His throne.
11. VS 5:3-5 - “3 Then the king said to her, “What is troubling you, Queen Esther? And what is your request? Even to half of the kingdom it shall be given to you.” 4 Esther said, “If it pleases the king, may the king and Haman come this day to the banquet that I have prepared for him.” 5 Then the king said, “Bring Haman quickly that we may do as Esther desires.” So the king and Haman came to the banquet which Esther had prepared.” – The king asks Esther what is troubling her and what is her request, and he offers to give her up to half of his kingdom, and Esther asks the king if he and Haman will come to a banquet this day that she had prepared for him, and the king sent for Haman to come at once to this banquet
11.1. The king immediately asks the queen what is troubling her and what her request is, and then as was typical of oriental dynasties of that day, he promises to grant her request whatever it may be, even before he hears it.
11.2. Esther doesn’t immediately make a request to the king, instead she invites him and ask that Haman also come, and join her that day for a banquet which she has prepared for him. The king immediately accepts her request.
11.3. Even for a head of state, it was an honor for Haman to be invited by the queen to dine with the king.
11.4. God’s providence is seen in the fact that Haman has not realized or been told that Mordecai, the Jew, is Esther’s uncle, and that she is a Jew as well. Had he known that fact, Haman would never have asked the king to issue the decree to destroy all of the Jews in the kingdom. He would have realized that to do so he would be on a collision course with the king and his new highly favored queen. I believe that it was part of God’s plan to have Haman get this edict issued, then have Esther intercede, and then have the Jews destroy their enemies who had been tormenting and mistreating them for decades, including wicked Haman and his ten sons, the last of the Amalekites. This evil plot came about completely for good purposes.
12. VS 5:6-8 - “6 As they drank their wine at the banquet, the king said to Esther, “What is your petition, for it shall be granted to you. And what is your request? Even to half of the kingdom it shall be done.” 7 So Esther replied, “My petition and my request is: 8 if I have found favor in the sight of the king, and if it pleases the king to grant my petition and do what I request, may the king and Haman come to the banquet which I will prepare for them, and tomorrow I will do as the king says.”” – At the banquet that day, the king asked Esther what her request was, again offering her up to half of his kingdom, and Esther requested that the king and Haman come the next day to another banquet, and at that time she would give him her request
12.1. We aren’t really sure why it was that Esther did not tell the king at this banquet her request, but asked him to come with Haman to another banquet on the next day, and then she would tell him her request, but I don’t think it was because she was afraid or too shy to tell him at this time:
12.1.1. She probably felt that the Lord needed to work in the king’s heart another day.
12.1.2. She probably felt that she and the Jews need to pray another day.
12.1.3. She probably wanted to pray more about exactly what to say.
12.1.4. After feeding the king to two beautiful banquet dinners she probably felt that he would be even more indebted to her and thus feel more obligated to grant her request.
13. VS 5:9-14 - “9 Then Haman went out that day glad and pleased of heart; but when Haman saw Mordecai in the king’s gate and that he did not stand up or tremble before him, Haman was filled with anger against Mordecai. 10 Haman controlled himself, however, went to his house and sent for his friends and his wife Zeresh. 11 Then Haman recounted to them the glory of his riches, and the number of his sons, and every instance where the king had magnified him and how he had promoted him above the princes and servants of the king. 12 Haman also said, “Even Esther the queen let no one but me come with the king to the banquet which she had prepared; and tomorrow also I am invited by her with the king. 13 “Yet all of this does not satisfy me every time I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king’s gate.” 14 Then Zeresh his wife and all his friends said to him, “Have a gallows fifty cubits high made and in the morning ask the king to have Mordecai hanged on it; then go joyfully with the king to the banquet.” And the advice pleased Haman, so he had the gallows made.” – Haman went out from the king’s and Esther’s presence feeling really good about himself, however when he passed by Mordecai and he did not bow before him, he was filled with anger at Mordecai, then he went to his house and bragged about dining with the king and queen that day, and that he would dine with them the next day, and then when he told them about Mordecai not bowing before him, his wife and friends convinced him to build a gallows by his house to hang Mordecai upon
13.1. Mordecai could have given in to the pressure upon him at this point and maybe even sought to ameliorate the situation by compromising his principles and bowing before Haman now in hopes Haman might show mercy to the Jews, but notice how Mordecai stayed true to his convictions to the end: ‘he did not stand up or tremble before him.’
13.2. Mordecai knew further that wicked Haman was the enemy of all Jews.
13.3. It is disgusting to see this wicked Haman going out from the presence of the king and queen after dining and gloating in his special honor above everyone else in the kingdom in being invited. He even gloats over his riches, the number of sons he has, and the many times that the king has honored. Yet when he sees Mordecai not bow before him, he gets enraged and makes plans to have Mordecai hanged even before the edict for the destruction of all of the Jews is acted upon. Haman is obsessed about killing Mordecai.
13.4. Haman’s wife and friends encourage him to make a gallows and find a way to cause Mordecai to be falsely accused and hanged, and out of his anger and incensed pride he makes this gallows 80 feet tall. The gallows were so big that the next day even the king in his palace knew about this gallows that was built by Haman’s house.
14. CONCLUSIONS:
14.1. Remember to keep take to heart the sacred calling of being an intercessor for others in prayer.
14.2. Remember that when people cross your path, needs emerge, etc. that you should consider that the Lord might have put you in your station and position in life for such a time as this.