ESTHER
For Such a Time as This
ESTHER 3–4 — THE THREAT AGAINST GOD’S PEOPLE
Read
Esther 3–4
Setting the Scene
Vs 1
Ahasuerus promotes Haman, the Agagite, to be second in command just below the king.
Haman is the villain of this story and is a descendant of Esau, through Agag, the Amalekite king that Saul failed to destroy.
Mordecai & Esther were descendants of Jacob, through Benjamin, through Saul.
This is the same conflict between Jacob & Esau that has been happening since they were in the womb and will continue to happen until the end of the age.
Genesis 25:23 "Two nations are in your womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from your body; one people shall be stronger than the other, and the older shall serve the younger."
Haman is promoted and everyone had to bow before him. However, Mordecai refused. When questioned, he told the others that he was a Jew - and presumably that His God forbade him to bow before anyone other than Himself. The other servants told Haman and waited to see what the consequence would be. Similar to the situation with Vasti; would Mordecai be allowed to get away with this disrespect, or would there be a consequence?
By not bowing, Mordecai was risking his life. By identifying himself as a Jew, he was risking the lives of all of the Jewish people.
Haman of course was furious and started to plot to kill Mordecai, and since Mordecai was a Jew, to go beyond just Mordecai and destroy all of the Jewish people.
Vs 7
Nisan (1st month) in the 12th year of the king - Esther has been queen now for 5 years.
They cast lots to determine what day they would destroy the Jews.
The entire Persian empire was very superstitious and Haman was basing his entire plan on a roll of the dice.
Once he has the plan laid out, Haman goes to the king to complain:
There are people among the king's subjects, but have their own laws and don’t keep the king's laws, so there is no benefit for the king to continue to allow them to live.
Solution: I will pay 10,000 talents of silver to those who carry out the command, which would return to the king's treasury in taxes and plunder- if you allow me to have the Jews killed.
He doesn't mention the Jews specifically. Remember that when the Babylonian empire would conquer a nation, they would disperse the people of that nation throughout the Empire so there were likely many people groups that Haman could have been talking about.
That sounded like a good deal and low risk proposition, so the king didn't bother himself with any of the details. He just handed over his ring (symbol of authority) and allowed Haman to start the process. He also said that whatever plunder was received would go to Haman as prize money.
Haman has the notice drafted and sent out all over the kingdom, that on the 13th day of the 12th month, it would be open season on all Jews. They were "to be killed, destroyed, annihilated and plundered".
The notice went out and Haman sat down to dinner with the king, but the people of the city were confused and unsure what had caused this decree of death to be issued by the king.
CHAPTER 4
Vs 1
The people of the city were confused about this decree, but Mordecai was not. He knew exactly what had triggered this - it was a respond to him. He tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes - signs of deepest mourning. He could not go into the palace area to see Esther personally because no one in mourning clothes was allowed in lest they bother the king with their sorrow and bring him down as well.
We see this in Nehemiah also. Nehemiah was grieving for Jerusalem, and tried to hide it from the king because anything other than smiles and happiness in front of the king was punishable by death if the king chose to do so.
As the word spread throughout the land, there was an outpouring of mourning, weeping, wailing and fasting.
There is no mention of God directly or of prayer specifically, but we can assume they were praying along with the fasting.
Esther was very secluded and didn't understand what was happening. She heard through the servants that Mordecai was in sackcloth outside the gate so she sends one of the servants to talk to him and take him clothes so that he could come in.
Mordecai responds to the servant with the entire story: why he wouldn't bow before Mordecai, the blood money amount that Haman had promised the king, and a copy of the decree in writing to show to Esther. He asks her to intercede with the king for HER people. … She has kept it a secret for more than 5 years, but now the cat is out of the bag and it will spread that she is actually Jewish.
Esther reads the decree and hears the story, but responds that everyone knows that anyone who enters the court without the king summoning them will be put to death unless he chooses for them to live. And she had not been summoned to the king in 30 days so who knew how long it would be before she could speak to him.
Mordecai cuts right to the heart of the issue. He responds that Esther should not think that she would escape this judgement; it would extend all the way to the palace. And not only that, if she failed to speak up, God would raise up another in her place, but she and her father's house (other remaining family) would be wiped out sure. Mordecai then issues the challenge "who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?"
He has faith that God will save them whether he uses Esther or someone else.
Esther replies with instructions to gather, fast (and pray) for 3 days then she will attempt to approach the king. She is also leaving it up to God. What's the worst they can do to me? Kill me?
Chapter 2 ends with Esther and Mordecai both in comfortable, blessed positions. All good… until Chapter 3. In this study we will meet the villain of the story. To understand this villain and the deeper issue, we need to remember a few things from the earlier history of the Bible.
Exodus 17:14 God told Moses to write in a book that He would 'utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.'
1 Samuel 15:3 - God gave instruction to Saul "Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass." That's a pretty clear instruction!
1 Samuel 15:13-21 - Saul and Samuel conversation (my paraphrase):
Saul meets Samuel and says "I have performed the commandment of the Lord."
Samuel … If that's the case, why do I hear sheep and oxen?
Saul responds that they spared the best of the sheep and oxen to sacrifice to the Lord, but have utterly destroyed the rest.
Samuel … The Lord told you to go and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites, why did you not obey?
Saul - I did obey! I destroyed the Amalekites except for the king Agag, and the best of the spoils for sacrifice.
Was that the command?
Keep this event in mind as we read Chapter 3.
Walk Through the Passage
Look Deeper
Why did Esther request the Jews to fast for 3 days? Biblically and spiritually, 3 days is the time between death and life:
To Abraham, Isaac was dead for 3 days before the sacrifice was stopped. (Genesis 22: 1-12)
Jonah in the whale for 3 days before God returned him to life by having the whale vomit him out on the land. (Jonah 1:16)
Christ was in the grave for 3 days before His resurrection. (1 Corinthians 15:4)
Biblical Wisdom
Obedience and faith matter.
Haman was a descendant of Agag, whom Saul failed to destroy. We often cannot see the results of our disobedience to God, but consequences of disobedience can last for years beyond our understanding.
Jesus tells us in John 14:15 "If you love Me, keep My commandments." Obedience is an expression of love, but it is also an act of faith believing that all of God's commands are for our good as well even when we can't see it.
Reflect
Think of a time when you disobeyed something you knew was a direct command from God? We are all sinners, falling short of the glory of God so we all have something! Were there consequences of your disobedience that affected other people beyond just yourself?
What would you do in Mordecai's position? Would you have had the strength and faith to stand or would you bow?
What would you have done in Esther's position? How would you prepare to approach the king?
Apply
Mordecai had great faith that God would save His people and that God had placed Esther in that position for that exact moment in time. If Esther failed to act, God would use someone else. It is the same with us. Wherever we are, we are there because God has a work for us to do. God's plans will not fail, but we can miss out on great blessings if we fail to follow God's leading. He gives us the opportunity to participate in His good works if we have faith to follow Him.
Further Reading
Ephesians 2:10 (NKVJV) "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them."