Scripture
Mordecai Requests Esther’s Help
1When Mordecai learned about all that had been done, he tore his clothes, put on burlap and ashes, and went out into the city, crying with a loud and bitter wail. 2He went as far as the gate of the palace, for no one was allowed to enter the palace gate while wearing clothes of mourning. 3And as news of the king’s decree reached all the provinces, there was great mourning among the Jews. They fasted, wept, and wailed, and many people lay in burlap and ashes.
4When Queen Esther’s maids and eunuchs came and told her about Mordecai, she was deeply distressed. She sent clothing to him to replace the burlap, but he refused it. 5Then Esther sent for Hathach, one of the king’s eunuchs who had been appointed as her attendant. She ordered him to go to Mordecai and find out what was troubling him and why he was in mourning. 6So Hathach went out to Mordecai in the square in front of the palace gate.
7Mordecai told him the whole story, including the exact amount of money Haman had promised to pay into the royal treasury for the destruction of the Jews. 8Mordecai gave Hathach a copy of the decree issued in Susa that called for the death of all Jews. He asked Hathach to show it to Esther and explain the situation to her. He also asked Hathach to direct her to go to the king to beg for mercy and plead for her people. 9So Hathach returned to Esther with Mordecai’s message.
10Then Esther told Hathach to go back and relay this message to Mordecai: 11“All the king’s officials and even the people in the provinces know that anyone who appears before the king in his inner court without being invited is doomed to die unless the king holds out his gold scepter. And the king has not called for me to come to him for thirty days.” 12So Hathach[1] gave Esther’s message to Mordecai.
13Mordecai sent this reply to Esther: “Don’t think for a moment that because you’re in the palace you will escape when all other Jews are killed. 14If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?”
Translation notes (1)
- 4:12 As in Greek version; Hebrew reads they.
"Mordecai gave Hathach a copy of the decree issued in Susa that called for the death of all Jews. He asked Hathach to show it to Esther and explain the situation to her. He also asked Hathach to direct her to go to the king to beg for mercy and plead for her people."
We all see needs around us every day. Each person we encounter is facing a difficult circumstance, whether they are facing health struggles, financial struggles, relationship struggles, or struggles of some other kind. But do we have the eyes to see it and the compassion to do something about it?
Queen Esther was asked to let her compassion turn into action in Esther chapter 4. She learned through her cousin Mordecai about a plot against her Jewish people to destroy all of the Jews in Persia. Now, she was in an interesting position. She had just become the queen of Persia, and her Jewish identity had been concealed. No one knew she was Jewish, so she would be safe even if this plot went through. Yet, here she was, living in the palace, experiencing a comfortable life, and at the same time, one of the Jews with the most power in Persia to help her Jewish people. After explaining this plot against the Jews, Mordecai asked her "to go to the king to beg for mercy and plead for her people (verse 8).
Esther had a decision to make after hearing this instruction from Mordechai. Would she put her compassion into action and beg the king to help, or stay silent? To go to the king was risky. Even though Esther was the queen, she was not allowed to go to the king unless she had been called for. He gave an incredible pep talk when she explained the risk. He said, "If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die" (verse 14). Then, he added, "Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?" (verse 14). Perhaps this, my friends, is why Esther had been made queen. She had been put in this position to help rescue her Jewish people. The question is, would she let her compassion for the Jewish people urge her to do something about it by going to the king?
It is time for us to put our compassion into action. We must step out of our routines and comfort and do something to help the people around us. May we all look for needs today, and when we see them, may we act and help meet them.
Moving toward action
Take a few minutes to pray. Ask God to give you extraordinary compassion to see needs and meet them. Ask Him for compassion that motivates you to act and help out however you can. Then, as you go throughout your day, look for people in need and opportunities to turn your compassion into action as you help meet needs.
Going Deeper
Esther 4:1-14 (NLT)
Loading saved progress…
Your place is saved in this browser. It will not follow you to another device, and clearing browser data removes it.