TLDR: Courage is not the absence of fear, but the resolution to act in spite of our fears. Esther, an uneducated and submissive Queen, who has less power than minor officials in the court of Persia, steps into the bridge at the risk of her own life because she knows it is her call in life. This is her time to act!
We have finally arrived at the very center of Esther (4:9-17) in our Tuesday Bible Musings study (6:30-8:00pm in the Price Fellowship Hall.) Everything we have studied for the last few months leads to this moment of conflict. Likewise, everything that happens after this section builds or resolves this central conflict. Let me set the context.
The Book of Esther is the only book of the Bible that does not mention God even once. This has made many Christians (and Jews) very uncomfortable with the book. Martin Luther, for example, advocated for the removal of Esther from the Biblical Canon. The book appears to be quite secular: It takes place in Gentile territory, is more concerned with Persian law protocols than it is with faith in a monotheistic God, and it almost never uses religious themes like prayer, Torah, or any of the Covenants. Even when the idea of a fast is presented (4:15-16) there is no mention of prayer or God, which is highly unusual because in Scripture fasts are always accompanied by prayer, and they are always offered to “the Lord” or “God,” or one of God’s names (Elohim, Yahweh, El Shaddai, Adonai, etc.)
In Chapter 4, we see Mordecai, Esther’s cousin, cover himself in sackcloth and ashes and run through the city, shouting his laments at an edict that has just been made law in the city of Susa, the capitol of Persia. The edict calls for the extermination of all the Jews in the province in about a year’s time. Similar edicts have been sent to all other 126 provinces in their local languages, calling for this extermination on the same date. Mordecai arrives at the king’s gate to present his case to the court of public opinion with great sorrow and cries of anguish. The Queen, who is traditionally kept separated from the marketplace and the city’s gates, is notified of Mordecai’s laments, and she chooses to deal with the problem by sending Mordecai clothes to change into, and possibly by asking him to stop his public humiliation. As of now, no one in court knows that Esther is a Jew, and Mordecai’s disclosure of his own Jewishness places the Queen at some danger of exposure. Mordecai refuses to stop his public laments and Esther has no choice but to send her personal Eunuch to inquire about the matter. As of yet, she has no idea of what’s happening under the roof of her own house.
Mordecai tells the Eunuch everything that has happened and instructs him to read the edict to Esther and explain it to her, probably implying that Esther is unable to read and write, and may not be well-versed in Jewish history. Most likely, the message would tell Esther of a confrontation between Mordecai and Haman, the new Secretary of State in the empire. Mordecai refused to pay obeisance, as required of him. He claims his Jewishness prevents him from paying obeisance to anyone but God and King. This may not have been totally accurate, as there are plenty of passages in Scripture of righteous Jews paying obeisance (bowing down to) all sorts of dignitaries. A most likely reason for the refusal is the historical enmity between the historic Israelites and the Amalekites, the people group from whom Haman descends (1 Samuel 15.) In either case, Haman is informed of Mordecai’s Jewishness and he finds the opportunity to claim his revenge against him and his entire ethnic group, by now spread throughout all 127 provinces of the empire. Haman manipulates Xerxes, the King, into giving him his signet ring, and he proceeds to have the edicts written and signed with the royal seal. At this point, lots are cast to determine the date for the mass annihilation, and it falls almost twelve months later, giving all the provinces the time to prepare for such a massive undertaking.
When the Eunuch reports all of this to Esther, he also informs her of Mordecai’s request, “to go to the king to make supplication to him and entreat him for her people.” (4:8b.) What happens after this is a dialogue between Mordecai and Esther through the Eunuch who goes back and forth between the Queen and her cousin at the gate. Esther responds (paraphrase): “Let me remind you of the law, which servants, citizens, and government officials in all the provinces know well. If anyone enters the inner courts of the King without an invitation there can only be one outcome to be expected: death! And to make matters worse, the King has not called me to come to him in thirty days.” In other words, “Sorry, no can do! Ask me for anything else. How about some new clothes?” Could it be that Mordecai expected this reaction, and felt he had to force her hand a bit through some public lamentation? Could it be that he doubted her resolve and courage? We don’t know, because the text does not tell us this.
The response of Mordecai back to Esther could be described as a legal brief that adds argument after argument to convince Esther of the necessity of her involvement. There are three arguments to the brief. The first argument (paraphrased), “Do you think that you will be spared because you are the Queen? Once your Jewishness is discovered, you too will be condemned. Your enemies share the King’s table every day, and seem to be closer to the King than you are (by your own admission.) Haman will orchestrate your demise. Look at what happened to Vashti!” This is a powerful argument, “We are in this together. You too will die!”
The second argument is even stronger than the first: “If you keep silent, you and I (your father’s family) will perish. However, relief and deliverance may come from other sources in Israel. Our nation has a great history of military revolution. We will not just wait for people to kill us. Some young Joshua or Moses-like figure will rise and fight to the bitter end. Who knows? The next Samson or Samuel may already be among us, somewhere in one of these 127 provinces. If this David-like liberator is raised, some of our people will survive. They will find a way to go on. But it will be too late for you and me. We will be among the first to be killed. They will parade our dead bodies around the city to terrorize Jews in hiding. The edict mandates the extermination of ALL Jews, and you, Esther, are a Jew!”
The third argument is the most powerful of all, “Have you forgotten the odds, Esther? There were 400 beautiful girls competing to be Queen, many of them more beautiful than you. Yet, you alone found favor with the King’s Eunuch. He gave you preferential treatment, although you were not a tribute from a wealthy family and you came with no endowment to increase the King’s treasury. You found favor in the King’s eyes for reasons no one can really explain. Now, look at yourself, the Queen of the most powerful empire on earth! Could it be that you were chosen for your current position, against all odds, for a time such as this? Could it be that fate/destiny/luck has vested you with the power you possess, so that you may be another Moses-like figure who will save God’s people?”
It is after these three arguments in Mordecai’s legal brief that Esther orders a fast and resolves to see the king. She says, “if I perish, I perish.” Many who see Mordecai as the true hero of this patriarchal narrative say at this point, “See how our righteous Mordecai uses God-given wisdom to save his people? His wisdom convinced a reluctant Queen to risk her life to save a nation.” Those who spiritualize (and Christianize) Esther say, “See how courageous and bold she was. She must have been filled with God’s Holy Spirit.” The reality is that Esther was terrified and reluctant, but this in no way diminishes her incredible actions. Courage is not the absence of fear, but the resolution to act in spite of our fears. This young, uneducated, and submissive Queen, who in many ways has less power and control than minor officials in the court at Susa, steps into the bridge at the right moment, at the risk of her own life, and terrified of the consequences of her actions. She knows this is her call in life. Everything that has happened up until now has led her to this point in her life, and she must seize the moment. This is her time to act!
We have been prepared for a time such as this! I wonder if there is something God is calling you to do that you feel reluctant and afraid of doing? I wonder if you may not be the right person at this right time to step-up and be counted? May God give you the courage to say “Yes!” And may God’s Son, our Savor and Redeemer, continue to bless you,
Amen!
