Esther 4 — Take the Risk | You Were Positioned for This

This is the turning point.

In Esther chapter 4, the threat becomes real—and Esther must decide whether she will stay safe or step into her purpose.

We explore:

•  Fear vs obedience 
•  The cost of staying silent 
•  Why playing it safe won’t actually keep you safe 
•  The importance of community and counsel 
•  Fasting, prayer, and spiritual preparation 
•  “For such a time as this” 

Esther is faced with a decision:

Stay comfortable—or take the risk.

And her choice changes everything.

This episode will challenge you to ask:
 What risk have I been avoiding?

Because someone else’s breakthrough may be on the other side of your obedience.

Transcript

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You're listening to Resilient and Called, hosted by Eleanor Hawk Finney. Eleanor is a pastoral counselor, author, and faith-based communicator who is deeply committed to helping people understand who they are, why they're here, and how to walk confidently in their calling. Through teaching that is both practical and spirit-led, she bridges the gap between scripture and everyday life. Walking through the Bible in a real, honest, and transformative way. Let's get into it.

SPEAKER_01 0:32

Welcome back to Resilient and Called, and we are deep diving right now through the book of Esther. Take the risk. And I think it's important that we start right here with a little bit of honesty. Aren't you glad that Esther and Mordecai's story did not end in chapter three? Because if it did, that would be it. A decree, a decision, a destruction set in motion. And no interruption. But it doesn't end there. And that matters because some of you are in chapters of your life right now that feel like chapter three, where something has already been set in motion. Where something has shifted. And now you're trying to figure out what do I do with this? Because everything felt fine until it wasn't. Everything felt stable until it shifted. Everything felt safe until you realized it actually isn't. And now you're in that space, the in-between space, where something has happened, but nothing has been resolved yet. And the question is no longer, what is going on? The question becomes, what am I going to do? Because chapter four is where everything becomes personal. See, up until now, Esther has been positioned. She has been selected. She has been elevated. She's in the palace. She's safe. She has access. She has influence. But now her people are in danger. And this is where the tension shifts. Because it's one thing to be positioned. It's another thing to be responsible. And chapter four is where positioning turns into responsibility. And if we're honest, that's the part we don't always want. We want the platform. We want the opportunity. We want the access. But we don't always want what comes with it. The weight, the responsibility, the cost, because calling comes with expectation. And purpose will always require something from you. And this is the moment where Esther has to decide: Am I just going to stay safe? Or am I going to step into why I'm here? I need you to hear this because this is going to carry us through this entire episode. Playing it safe today will not keep you safe tomorrow. Esther four one through three. When Mordecai learned all that had occurred, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, went into the middle of the city, and cried loudly and bitterly. He only went as far as the king's gate, since the law prohibited anyone wearing sackcloth from entering the king's gate. There was great mourning among the Jewish people in every province where the king's command and edict reached. They fasted, wept, and lamented, and many lay in sackcloth and ashes. When Mordecai learns, everything changes. This is no longer distant. This is no longer theoretical. This is real. And his response is immediate. He tears his clothes he puts on sackcloth, ashes, and he goes into the middle of the city and he cries out loudly, bitterly. He does not hide it. He does not pretend. He brings full attention to what is actually happening. Because this is where we often struggle. Because when things hit us, when something is wrong, when something is heavy, when something is breaking in our lives, our instinct is not always to confront it. Sometimes our instinct is to cover it, to manage it, to make it look okay. And we see that tension immediately because when Esther hears about Mordecai, her first response is to send clothes, not to ask questions first, not to sit in the reality of what is happening, but to cover it, to fix the appearance, to make it look better, to say, pull yourself together. And if we're honest, we do the same thing. We try to manage what people see instead of dealing with what is real. We hide grief. We suppress trauma. We silence struggle. We carry things privately while presenting something completely different publicly. And if it feels easier that way, it feels more controlled that way. It feels more acceptable. But here's the truth: this problem will not be fixed by covering it up because some things are too real to pretend away. Some things require attention, some things require acknowledgement. Some things require us to stop and say, this is not okay. And Mordecai refuses the clothes. He refuses to cover. This cannot be ignored. And I need you to hear this. What you won't deal with will eventually deal with you. And some of you have been trying to manage something that needs to be confronted. You've been trying to cover something that needs to be acknowledged. You've been trying to move past something that God is asking you to face. Because pretending does not produce healing. Avoidance does not solve reality. And Mordecai teaches us something right here. The most spiritual thing that you can do is to tell the truth about what's happening, just to stop minimizing it, to stop dressing it up, to stop hiding it, and to say this is real. And this is where the story shifts again. Because now the reality has been exposed. And once something is exposed, it demands a response. Esther four, four through nine says this. Esther's female servants and her eunuchs came and reported the news to her. And the queen was overcome with fear. She sent clothes for Mordecai to wear so that he could take off his sackcloth, but he did not accept them. Esther summoned Hathach, one of the king's eunuchs, assigned to her and dispatched him to Mordecai to learn what he was doing and why. So Hathak went out to Mordecai in the city square in front of the king's gate. Mordecai told him everything that had happened, including the exact amount of money that Haman had promised to pay the royal treasury for the destruction of the Jews. Mordecai also gave him a copy of the written decree decree issued in Susa, ordering their destruction so that Hathaq might show it to Esther, explain it to her, and command her to approach the king, implore his favor, and plead with him personally for her people. Hathaq came and repeated Mordecai's response to Esther. Esther hears, and she is shaken, overcome with fear, and that matters because before we talk about courage, we have to acknowledge fear. Because fear is real. This is not small. This is not exaggerated. This is not emotional overreaction. This really is life and death. And her first response is still to cover it. She sends clothes again, trying to fix the appearance instead of facing the reality, but Mordecai refuses. Because this is not something that can be just up. And eventually, Esther shifts. She stops trying to manage it. She starts trying to understand it. She sends Hathock, and this matters more than we think. Because Hathock is trusted. He is assigned to her. And he knows how to move between spaces, between Esther and Mordecai, between the palace and the city, carrying information that cannot be mishandled. So hear this. As you walk in purpose, as you step into responsibility, you need people like Haythawk. People who can carry the weight without adding confusion. People who can handle information without distorting it. People who can move between spaces without creating more tension. Because not everyone can handle what you're carrying. Not everyone should have access to what you're navigating and who you trust. It matters. Hatok goes to Mordecai, and Mordecai does not soften it. He tells him everything, the full weight of it, the decree, the money, the plan, the reality. Because Esther, she needs to see it clearly. Not partially, not filtered and not softened, but clearly. Guys, my friends, you cannot respond correctly. You can't respond correctly to what you refuse to fully see. And some of us delay obedience because we avoid clarity. We don't want all the details. We don't want the full picture because once we see it clearly, we have to decide. And that is where Esther is now. She has the information, she has the truth, she understands the weight, and now she has to respond because clarity creates responsibility. Esther 4, 10 through 12. Esther spoke to Hatho and commanded him to tell Mordecai, all the royal officials and the people of the royal provinces know that one law applies to every man or woman who approaches the king in the enter courtyard, in the inner courtyard, and who has not been summoned, the death penalty, unless the king extends the golden scepter, allowing that person to live. I have not been summoned to appear before the king for the last thirty days. Esther's response was reported to Mordecai. And here it is. Esther finally speaks. And what comes out is not boldness, it's hesitation, it's fear, it's reality. She says, There's a law. Not a suggestion, not a preference, a law. If I go without being called, I could die. Unless the king chooses to extend the scepter. And she adds, I haven't even been called in thirty days. Which means, even though she is queen, she does not have access. Even though she has position, she still has limitations. Even though she's in the palace, she is still navigating a system that she does not control. So I want you to see this. Position does not eliminate pressure. Platform does not remove risk. Access does not guarantee ease. And sometimes we think, if I could just get there, if I could just reach that level, if I could just be in that room, then everything would be easier. But Esther shows us you can be in position and still have to fight. You can be elevated and still have and still feel restricted. You can be chosen and still be afraid. And this is where we have to be honest. Doing the right thing is not always easy. Choosing obedience is not always comfortable. Standing for what's right will not always feel safe because there is risk attached to anything necessary. And Esther knows it. This is not theoretical for her. This is not abstract. This is her life. And in this moment, she is trying to stay safe. She is trying to avoid the risk. She's trying to protect what she has. And if we're honest, we understand that. Because how many times have we done the exact same thing? We know what's right. We feel the pull. We sense the responsibility, but we hesitate. We delay. We calculate the risk. We ask, what will this cost me? What could I lose? What if this doesn't go well? And instead of moving, we pause. We stay where it's comfortable. We stay where it feels safe. But here's the tension. What feels safe is not always safe. And Esther is about to be confronted with that reality because her hesitation is real. But it's not the end of the story. Esther 4, 13 through 14 says this: Mordecai told the messenger to reply to Esther, don't you think you will escape the fate of all the Jews because you are in the king's palace? If you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will come to the Jewish people from another place, but you and your father's family will be destroyed. Who knows? Perhaps you have come to your royal position for such a time as this. Friends, Mordecai responds, and he does not comfort her. He confronts her. He says, Don't think that because you are in the palace, you are safe. Don't let your position fool you into thinking you are exempt. And this is where everything shifts. Because Esther is trying to protect her position, and Mordecai is reminding her that your position was never meant to protect you. It was meant to position you. And I need you to understand that playing it safe today will not keep you safe tomorrow. Because the very thing you are trying to avoid will eventually find you. See, Mordecai tells her, if you stay silent, deliverance will come from somewhere else. Because God will always accomplish his will, with you or without you. Then he makes it personal. But you and your father's house. You will not escape it. And this is the tension. You have a choice. You can step in to what you've been called to do, or you can step back. Because stepping back does not remove the responsibility. It only delays the consequence. And then he says the line that defines this entire book. Who knows if you have come to your royal position for such a time as this. Not randomly, not accidentally, not just because, but intentionally, strategically, purposefully, and I need you to truly grasp this concept. God is not mentioned in this entire book. He is not speaking out loud. There are no miracles recorded, and yet God is working. Three people through positioning three moments like this. Because when God wants Something done in the earth, he uses his people. And so many of us are waiting for God to move in some dramatic way while ignoring the people and the opportunities he has already placed in front of us. Mordecai becomes the voice that Esther needs. Not soft, not passive, but clear, direct, and rigid in truth, and this is what we all need. People will remind us who we are when fear tries to make us forget. People who will call us higher when we want to stay comfortable. People who will say this is why you're here because Esther is not just a queen. Esther is positioned. And I need you to hear this. There is no platform without purpose. There is no access without assignment. There is no promotion without responsibility. And some of you have been asking God, why am I here? Why did you place me in this space? Why did you give me this opportunity? And what if the answer is for this? For this moment, for this responsibility, for this assignment. Because you are not where you are by accident, my friend. You are positioned, and now you have to decide what you're gonna do with it. Esther chapter four verses fifteen through seventeen. Esther sent this reply to Mordecai. Go and assemble all of the Jews who can be found in Susa and fast for me. Don't eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my female servants will also fast in the same way. After that I will go to the king, even if it is against the law. If I perish, I perish. So Mordecai went and did everything Esther had commanded him. And this is the moment. Everything shifts right here because Esther, who was hesitant, who was afraid, who was calculating the risk now, now she responds differently. She doesn't deny the risk. She doesn't minimize it. She doesn't pretend it's not real. She accepts it. And then she makes a decision. Before she moves, she gathers. She says, go assemble the people. Call them together. Bring them in. Because what I'm about to step into, I cannot do alone. Before Esther takes action, she builds community. Before she steps into risk, she surrounds herself with support. Before she moves publicly, she strengthens herself spiritually. Fast for me. Three days, no food, no water, day and night. This is that casual. This is intentional. This is serious. Because Esther understands something. What she's about to do requires more than her. And what says where so many of us struggle? We want to step into purpose without strengthening ourselves first. We want to take action without being grounded. We want to move forward without being supported. But Esther shows us if you're going to take the risk. You need God and you need people. You need consecration and you need community because the weight of purpose is too heavy to carry alone. And then she says it, the line that defines her. If I perish, I perish. So understand this, my friend. This is not recklessness. This is resolve. This is not her saying, I don't care what happens. This is her saying I understand what could happen, and I am choosing to move anyway. Because here's the truth. She was already in a situation where danger existed. She was already in a system that could turn on her. She was already in a position that could ultimately harm her. So this becomes a moment of clarity. Do I die later, trying to stay safe? Or do I risk everything now and step into purpose? And she chooses purpose. She chooses responsibility. She chooses obedience. And friend, at some point, you will have to decide. Am I going to stay comfortable or am I going to be faithful? Because calling will always require something from you. Purpose will always stretch you, and obedience will always involve risk. But here's the beauty of this moment. She does not move alone. She moves covered. She moves supported. She moves strengthened. And some of you are trying to take risks without covering, without community, without grounding yourself in God. And that's why it feels so incredibly overwhelming because this was never meant to be carried alone. And then Mordecai responds, not with hesitation, not with doubt, but with action. He goes, he does everything she says because when clarity meets obedience, movement follows. And this chapter ends with a decision. Not a victory yet. Not a breakthrough yet. Just a decision. But that decision changes everything. Because Esther is no longer avoiding. She is aligned. She is no longer hesitating. She is resolved. And this is the moment where fear loses its control. And purpose takes its place. So sit with this. What risk have you been avoiding? Where have you been trying to play it safe? And where is God asking you to step forward even though it's uncomfortable? Friend, who is your community? Who is covering you? Who is standing with you? Because you were never meant to do this alone. And if you are walking it alone, come join our community. Let us cover you. Let us stand with you. Let us be there for you. Because playing it safe today will not keep you safe tomorrow. But obedience will always align you with purpose. Join me in prayer. God, give my friends the courage to step into what you have called them to do. Even when it's uncomfortable, even when it's risky, even when they just don't fully understand. Help them to trust you in the moments that require faith. Surround us with the right people. Let us be those people for each other. Give us, all of us, more people who will support us and cover us and stand with us. And give my friends the strength to say yes to your will. Oh God. It doesn't matter the cost, your will is worth it. Amen. Friends, if this spoke to you, if you know that you are in a season of hesitation, a season of avoiding, a season of trying to stay safe, I want to invite you to not walk through that alone. That's exactly why I created the resilience room. It is a safe space. It's a place where we go deeper, where we process things just like this, and we walk it out together. You can find out more, and you can join us at www.elinorfinny.com. And in the next episode, we're going to begin to see what happens when courage meets action because the risk has been decided. Now it has to be taken.

SPEAKER_00 33:49

Thanks for listening to Resilient and Called with Eleanor Hawkfinny. If this episode encouraged you, be sure to subscribe and share it with someone who needs it. Join the Resilience Room by visiting www.elinorfinny.com, and we will see you in the next episode.