HealingStrong's Around the Word

Episode 50 - The Esther Series: Between Duty and Death (Esther 4:1-11 NIV)

• HealingStrong • Episode 50

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We delve into a crucial turning point in the Book of Esther where Mordecai discovers Haman's plot to annihilate the Jewish people and urgently communicates with Queen Esther through palace intermediaries to intervene.

• Mordecai publicly mourns in sackcloth and ashes when he learns about the edict to destroy all Jews
• Jewish people throughout all 127 Persian provinces join in mourning, fasting and weeping
• Esther initially doesn't understand what's happening, showing her isolation within the palace
• Communication challenges exist as Mordecai can't enter the palace in mourning clothes and Esther can't leave
• Mordecai urges Esther to approach the king and reveal her Jewish identity to save her people
• Esther faces a dangerous dilemma – approaching the king unsummoned could result in her death
• Palace protocol requires the king to extend his golden scepter to spare anyone who approaches uninvited
• Esther hasn't been called to the king's presence in thirty days, adding to her predicament
• The narrative shows ordinary people facing extraordinary pressure in critical moments
• Esther must choose between personal safety and responsibility to save her people

Suggested Resources:

BIBLE PLAN - Trusting God's Plan When You Don't See Him: Lessons From the Book of Esther

PODCAST - Genesis to Revelation Bible Reading

TOOLS - Refresh Your Spirit through God's Word


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Speaker 1:

It seems to me, in a short period of time she has to get her act together. She doesn't even know the edict has happened.

Speaker 2:

Well, hello, my name is Cheryl and you're listening to Healing Strongs Around the Word. We're friends sitting around a table who love the Lord and we love digging deep into His Word. Each day I'll read a Bible passage and then we'll chat about what we're learning from it. Today's passage is Esther, chapter 4, verses 1 through 11, from the NIV version of the Bible. So join us Around the Word. Esther, chapter 4, verses 1 through 11.

Speaker 2:

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. But he went only as far as the king's gate because no one clothed in sackcloth was allowed to enter it. 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. 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. Then Esther summoned Hathik, one of the king's eunuchs assigned to attend her, and ordered him to find out what was troubling Mordecai and why. So Hathik went out to Mordecai. In the open square of the city, in front of the king's gate. 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. 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.

Speaker 2:

Hathik went back and reported to Esther what Mordecai had said. Then she instructed him to say to Mordecai 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 30 days have passed since I was called to go to the king. That was our Bible passage for the day. Now let's see what Susie, jeff, angie and myself were discovering in God's word. This is the point in our story where there's a lot of wailing and crying in the kingdom because the Jews have now heard that there's an edict that they are all to be destroyed on a certain date. So, it said, many of them are actually laying in sackcloth and ashes right now, which is an external sign of extreme duress and sadness for Jews. So what are you all seeing here? What stood out in the very beginning for you?

Speaker 3:

What are you all seeing here? What stood out in the very beginning for you? When Mordecai realized what was going on, he realized that once the king's edict was proclaimed by the signet ring, that was it. There was no changing this. This was a destiny of an event and time and all of the annihilation of the Jewish people in all the 127 provinces. And there where he was located, he tore his clothes and in that culture that meant, you know, he was wailing every day in front of the gate, and so he was very distraught because he saw I mean, it's like an imminent knowing you are going to die and there's nothing you can do about it. Provinces were wailing and fasting and crying and putting themselves in sackcloth because they realized doomsday for them was approaching.

Speaker 2:

Another thing, too, is he's also he's clearly wearing sackcloth. At this point, he is now truly identified as a Jew. If for some reason beforehand he was wearing Persian clothes and hiding the fact that he was a Jew, we don't know, but now for certain, everybody knows that he is demonstrating Jewish custom in what he's doing and he's basically making a scene because he's so sad and tormented.

Speaker 1:

And I think it's interesting that Esther doesn't even know what's going on. Oh, she's clueless, yeah, clueless. So that's how hidden these women were, and it seems to me in a short period of time she has to get her act together. She doesn't even know. The edict has happened.

Speaker 2:

And it's not like she can just go out and go see him.

Speaker 3:

No, it was her people that realized that Mordecai was doing this and they went to her first, and that just shows that they still loved her, she still had favor. So they still respected her, they honored her and they cared about her and her family, realizing that he was an important part of her life. So, out of their honor to her, they let her know what's going on and she was mortified by that as well.

Speaker 2:

I think it's also interesting too. I saw this when I was reading that he can't go up to where he normally goes to hang out because he's in this kind of sackcloth and clothes right now. So he's not permitted to go up to the king's gate because of that. So she can't come to him, he can't go to her unless he's going to get out of the sackcloth. And then that's like his way of saying my morning's over, and we all know that's not the case for him. So they're kind of in a weird pickle where neither can come to each other. So then they have to play like that telephone game of you know, passing the word to each other on what's going on.

Speaker 1:

Well, it's extraordinary too that, like Jeff said, it's Esther's maids and eunuchs that tell her and and their employees, so to speak, of the king, so they're kind of sticking their necks out by going. Esther Mordecai is in sackcloth and ashes, as are a whole bunch of other people.

Speaker 2:

Something's going on and we think you need to know about it and remember Mordecai too, had told her don't say anything about your nationality, keep that quiet. She's done this all this time. But suddenly I think it's in verse eight he's going around with a copy of the edict, so he's got it in hand and he's like he also knew the details of the edict. He knew that you know, the guy Haman was going to pay into the treasury this amount, so he even knew some of the backstory. Oh yeah, that's right. That wasn't probably in the actual edict.

Speaker 3:

It wasn't in the edict yeah, no.

Speaker 2:

but it says that he's at this point in verse 8 telling go show this edict to Esther and explain it to her. Explain it to her so she knows everything about this edict. And he told him to urge her to go into the king's presence to beg for mercy and plead with him for her people. So at this point he's now saying okay, it's time to take the mask off. You got to let people know who you really are, because time is of the essence.

Speaker 3:

And that's where you know when we're faced with a troubling situation. It's I love his courage to say okay, god has shown you favor and put you in a place. You need to be aware, because you have an opportunity to do something, and immediately she comes back. What am I supposed to do? Wait a minute. There are rules and regulations that I have to follow and I can't just go up to the king.

Speaker 2:

That could cost me my life, and so we'll see what happens next and I like how you'd said in an earlier episode, she's a regular person, Regular person.

Speaker 1:

She's not a hero. She's living her life the best she can and she goes from knowing nothing about this to learning about it, even seeing it in writing and I'm sure she saw the signet, the king's signet, stamp on it. And now Mordecai, who she's respected, you know he's raised her, she's respected him throughout this story is telling her you have the king's ear. You're going to have to go before the king and plead for not only yourself, but our whole people, the whole Jewish nation in 127 provinces. You're going to have to plead for them. What are you asking me to do? So if we try to put ourselves in her position, that was another extraordinary request of her.

Speaker 2:

That's a ton of pressure on Queen Esther. A ton of pressure. She has to reveal who she is. She's got to save her people and she could possibly be killed doing it. Wow, this story is so amazing. Thank you so much for joining us for Healing Strong's Around the Word podcast. I hope you're encouraged to go crack your Bible or open up your Bible app and read his word, because it's amazing. And if you have some time, please visit us at healingstrongorg where you'll find out more about our mission and our community groups. Until next time, remember, faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.