Deliverance

Haman the Agagite who was the prime minister did not like Mordecai together with his fellow exiles from Jerusalem. Due to his rage, he was eager to call for the cleansing of the Jews by completely wiping them out of the Persian Empire. The cleanup was to take place at the end of the year, and a message was sent out to the land through the king’s approval for people to be ready for the massacre. It was shocking to the city of Susa. The first response was that Mordecai put on sack clothes in protests and wanted to talk with the king. He had learned about the plan to destroy his people and decided to make a calculated move by going round the city crying and shouting, it defied the decree of the king. He took his protests to the palace’s gate, and his actions called for the deliverance of his people from the killings.

 “Do not think to yourself that in the king’s palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. ¹⁴ For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” The word ‘deliverance’ is about saving the Jews from Haman’s wrath. The only person who could intercede on behalf of the Jews was Esther because she was the queen. This story is a reflection of how Jesus interceded on our behalf and had to die in the cross. The ultimate sacrifice for Esther was to approach the king despite the laws that discouraged anyone from approaching the court. This story is a beautiful illustration of how deliverance is key in the Christian community. The people of God survive on the grace that comes with deliverance. With deliverance, there needs to be a plea and intercession before God. 

Position

The second word that stands out in chapter is-position. While the book never put down any record of God, several illustrations show God’s providence and his position as a supreme being. As such, the Jews faced the confrontation of death, and it was also their time to turn to God in those circumstances. For that reason, Esther told Mordechai to gather the rest of the Jews and she said, Esther 4:16 “Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which [is] not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish.”

Verses 7-8: That Mordecai possessed this specific knowledge and a copy of the declaration further evidences his prominent position in Persia. However, he had to humble enough to speak on behalf of his people by wearing sack clothes. Mordecai’s position as a big man did not exclude him from the proclamation that called for the killing of all Jews. At that time, he could not use his position to fight but instead, ask for Esther’s help to plead with the King. It demonstrates that Christians should not put so much importance into position as they should with their relationship with God. For instance, Esther was the queen, but when it came to approaching the King, her position did not matter. It is critical to understand that when it comes to God’s grace, we are all equal no matter the position. Therefore, when going before God, what is essential is the humility to understand that with God we are all the same and deserve the same grace.