One of the best films I have seen in recent months is the latest Batman movie, The Dark Knight. It is fantastically shot and transports us into a different world. It is absorbing, but perhaps a little too long. Each character is played well but the Joker, played by the late Heath Ledger, stands out. The Joker is a scary, unstable and malevolent figure. As usual things in Gotham City get desperate as the Joker plots and plans, yet when all seems lost Batman steps up to the plate!
In this these chapters from the book of Esther we see a malevolent and spiteful villain. This villain plots and plans, and it seems that all is lost for God’s people. Yet a hero steps up to the plate. Let’s have a look at these verses!
God’s promise threatened (2:19-3:15)
Chapter 2 ends with something that we will see a number of times in this book—a seeming coincidence. Mordecai is in the right place at the right time. He is sitting at the king’s gate, probably as an official, where he learns of a plot against the king. Mordecai tells Esther who is able to inform the king. This event will have future consequences—it is more evidence of the unseen hand of God who is directing what goes on in this story.
The next thing we read of is the elevation of Haman. Xerxes gives him a seat of honour higher than that of all the other nobles. We are told a very significant piece of information about Haman, he is an Agagite—that is he was a descendent of King Agag who had been king of the Amalekites. The Amalekites were enemies of God’s people.
It is possible that Haman was claiming some divine status for himself and that this was why Mordecai refused to bow down and pay homage to him. Yet bowing to superiors was a normal part of Persian court etiquette rather than an act of worship. Mordecai probably refused to pay homage to Haman simply because it seemed inappropriate to give honour an Agagite.
Haman the Agagite’s hatred of the Jews is soon exposed. He is enraged at Mordecai’s refusal to kneel down and pay him honour, yet having learned who Mordecai’s people were, he scorned the idea of killing only Mordecai. He is going to try to use his influence to kill all the Jews throughout the kingdom of Xerxes. So he consulted the sacred stones, which were cast in lots, to find out the best day to act. He was unaware of the sovereignty of Mordecai’s and our God: The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD’(Proverbs 16:33).
Haman tells King Xerxes of a certain people dispersed and scattered among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom whose customs are different from those of all other peoples—God had called his people to be different from the societies in which they were scattered. The same is true for us today. While we are not to be attention-seekers we are not simply to go with the flow. So in a sex-obsessed society we stand for purity and sex within marriage. In a drink-mad society we are to practice moderation or abstinence. In a possession-crazy society we are to live for something more meaningful than materialism.
Haman tells King Xerxes of this certain people whose customs are different and who do not obey the king’s laws—an unfair accusation, particularly considering we have seen that Mordecai was a loyal citizen as he demonstrated by revealing the plot against the king. Haman then offers the king a large sum of money. The king takes his signet ring and gives it to Haman, “Keep the money and do with the people as you please.”
The edict went out, the people were bewildered and the king and Haman sat down to drink—they callously celebrate the forthcoming massacre. It would seem that there was now no hope for God’s people. In this kingdom laws could not be repealed, and the edict commanded their slaughter.
In this these chapters from the book of Esther we see a malevolent and spiteful villain. This villain plots and plans, and it seems that all is lost for God’s people. Yet a hero steps up to the plate. Let’s have a look at these verses!
God’s promise threatened (2:19-3:15)
Chapter 2 ends with something that we will see a number of times in this book—a seeming coincidence. Mordecai is in the right place at the right time. He is sitting at the king’s gate, probably as an official, where he learns of a plot against the king. Mordecai tells Esther who is able to inform the king. This event will have future consequences—it is more evidence of the unseen hand of God who is directing what goes on in this story.
The next thing we read of is the elevation of Haman. Xerxes gives him a seat of honour higher than that of all the other nobles. We are told a very significant piece of information about Haman, he is an Agagite—that is he was a descendent of King Agag who had been king of the Amalekites. The Amalekites were enemies of God’s people.
It is possible that Haman was claiming some divine status for himself and that this was why Mordecai refused to bow down and pay homage to him. Yet bowing to superiors was a normal part of Persian court etiquette rather than an act of worship. Mordecai probably refused to pay homage to Haman simply because it seemed inappropriate to give honour an Agagite.
Haman the Agagite’s hatred of the Jews is soon exposed. He is enraged at Mordecai’s refusal to kneel down and pay him honour, yet having learned who Mordecai’s people were, he scorned the idea of killing only Mordecai. He is going to try to use his influence to kill all the Jews throughout the kingdom of Xerxes. So he consulted the sacred stones, which were cast in lots, to find out the best day to act. He was unaware of the sovereignty of Mordecai’s and our God: The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD’(Proverbs 16:33).
Haman tells King Xerxes of a certain people dispersed and scattered among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom whose customs are different from those of all other peoples—God had called his people to be different from the societies in which they were scattered. The same is true for us today. While we are not to be attention-seekers we are not simply to go with the flow. So in a sex-obsessed society we stand for purity and sex within marriage. In a drink-mad society we are to practice moderation or abstinence. In a possession-crazy society we are to live for something more meaningful than materialism.
Haman tells King Xerxes of this certain people whose customs are different and who do not obey the king’s laws—an unfair accusation, particularly considering we have seen that Mordecai was a loyal citizen as he demonstrated by revealing the plot against the king. Haman then offers the king a large sum of money. The king takes his signet ring and gives it to Haman, “Keep the money and do with the people as you please.”
The edict went out, the people were bewildered and the king and Haman sat down to drink—they callously celebrate the forthcoming massacre. It would seem that there was now no hope for God’s people. In this kingdom laws could not be repealed, and the edict commanded their slaughter.
Satan endorsed, if not prompted, Haman in his actions. After all the Messiah was to come from the Jews. Exterminate all the Jews and there would be no more people in the line that would bring the Saviour! There would be no Bethlehem story if this plan was to be carried out. If there was no Bethlehem story there would be no Calvary. A rescue was needed not just for the Jews of that day but also so that the promise of God could be fulfilled.
God will deliver on his promise (4:1-17)
When Mordecai learned of all that had been done, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes and went into the city, wailing loudly and bitterly. Sackcloth and ashes was the traditional way of expressing grief. By going to the king’s gate he may have been trying to get Esther’s attention. Mordecai wasn’t the only Jew who was mourning. 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.
Esther hears of Mordecai’s actions and is greatly distressed. She sends clothes for him to put on instead of his sackcloth but he would not accept them. She then sends one of the king’s eunuchs to find out what was troubling Mordecai. Mordecai explained everything to the eunuch and gave him a copy of the edict to show Esther. Mordecai told the eunuch to urge her to go into the king’s presence to beg for mercy and plead with him for her people.
On hearing this Esther told Hathach, the eunuch, to remind Mordecai of the danger of the task that he was asking her to undertake. “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 by the king has but one law: that they are to be put to death. The only exception to this is for the king to extend the gold sceptre to him and spare his life. But thirty days have passed since I was called to go to the king”—it seems that the king’s love for Esther has begun to wane, making her task all the more difficult.
Mordecai sent back this answer, “Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to a royal position for such a time as this.”
Mordecai’s words are a call to fear God not people. If she remains silent God will still deliver his people but Esther and her family will perish. It is so easy to be intimidated by classmates/workmates and even family/friends. It is so tempting to keep our mouths shut when we need to speak out. Remember that it is far more important to stand in awe of God than simply seeking to please people. God is far more powerful than any opposition that we will face.
Mordecai’s words are a great expression of faith. He knows with certainty that God will rescue his people. He knows that even if Esther remains silent God will send deliverance from somewhere else. He knows that God will be faithful to his promises. God had promised to make Abraham’s descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and that the Messiah would come from the Jews. God will not let his promises be shattered. We know that Jesus has promised to build his church (Matthew 16:18) and will return again to reign victorious. So no matter how Christians are ignored, maligned and harassed remember that God is with us and his purposes are being fulfilled.
Mordecai’s words are an acknowledgement of the sovereign workings of God: who knows but that you have come to a royal position for such a time as this. He can see the God whose hand has been directing all that has happened so far in this story. Who knows but that we have been placed in this church, amongst our friends and family, in our classroom or workplace for such a time as this! God has prepared works in advance for us to do (Eph. 2:10), his works involve every aspect of our lives.
Esther responds to Mordecai’s words with faith of her own: “Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maids will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.” Here is an expression of dependence upon God. Although prayer is not mentioned prayer was always the accompaniment of fasting in the Old Testament. Esther is asking for support from the people in terms of fasting and earnest prayer. She herself will fast and pray for she knows that success is not in her hands but in God’s hands. Every forward move in the Christian life must be accompanied by prayer. Spiritual growth doesn’t happen without prayer. Fellowship without prayer will be shallow. Mission with out prayer will be fruitless. In all these things we are dependant upon God. Let’s be a people of prayer and fasting because we recognise our dependence upon God.
Conclusion
Remember that the book of Esther, like the whole of the Old Testament, points us to Jesus (Luke 24:27). We have already seen that the events of this book are of massive significance in the fulfilment of God’s promises. If Haman gets his way and exterminates the Jews then there will be no Messiah—for the Messiah was to come from the Jews! In this book God is working events to rescue his people and deliver on his promise.
Then think of Esther at this stage in the story. At the end of these chapters she is preparing to risk her life and face Xerxes. She is facing the possibility of death in an attempt to rescue God’s people. Does that sound familiar? Surely, in this, Esther pre-figures Jesus who was willing to lay down his life to rescue a people for God. We end these chapters with Esther looking like a hero but her attitude points forward to a greater hero—our Saviour Jesus Christ!
Finally, I want to end by letting these verses challenge us. May we see, and worship, the sovereign God who delivers on his promises. May we see, and worship, the hero that Esther’s heroism points towards—Jesus Christ. May we step up to the mark, as Esther did, and take the opportunities he has given us to serve him—remember that if Esther had remained silent God would have brought deliverance from another place. ‘Opportunities for accomplishing God’s will are given to us, but if we reject or neglect them, others will be given the privilege, to their profit and our loss’ (Derek Prime).
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