For those who may wish to ‘study’ this chapter, the following simple resources are provided for you. Each passage has a four-Part approach to help you take in and think further about what you have read.

Passage: Esther 4:1-8

1 When Mordecai learned of all that had been done, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the city, wailing loudly and bitterly. 2 But he went only as far as the king’s gate, because no one clothed in sackcloth was allowed to enter it. 3 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.

4 When Esther’s eunuchs and female attendants came and told her about Mordecai, she was in great distress. She sent clothes for him to put on instead of his sackcloth, but he would not accept them. 5 Then Esther summoned Hathak, one of the king’s eunuchs assigned to attend her, and ordered him to find out what was troubling Mordecai and why.

6 So Hathak went out to Mordecai in the open square of the city in front of the king’s gate. 7 Mordecai told him everything that had happened to him, including the exact amount of money Haman had promised to pay into the royal treasury for the destruction of the Jews. 8 He also gave him a copy of the text of the edict for their annihilation, which had been published in Susa, to show to Esther and explain it to her, and he told him to instruct her to go into the king’s presence to beg for mercy and plead with him for her people.

A. Find Out

1. What did Mordecai do and why? v.1
2. Why didn’t he enter the king’s gate? v.2
3. What happened across the kingdom? v.3
4. What did Esther do when told about Mordecai? v.4,5
5. What did that person find out? v.6-7
6. What did Mordecai ask of Esther? v.8

B. Think:

1. How would you describe Mordecai’s response to the news?
2. Why do you think Esther was in ‘great distress’?
3. What do their communications indicate?

C. Comment:

     It is obvious that there was fairly easy communication between Esther and Mordecai. She was able to use servants to find out about how he was and then to communicate between them.

     This part of the story opens with Mordecai moving into a major mourning mode! He puts on sackcloth and rubbed ashes into his hair, as the typical expression of one in deep mourning. You might have expected him to keep to his own home, but he doesn’t; he goes out into the streets even as far as his usual meeting place at the Kings Gate, a structure, as we’ve noted before, where the local dignitaries would meet.

But he can’t enter for protocol forbids that in his state. Esther’s servants who usually made contact with him return to Esther and tell her what he is doing. At this stage she doesn’t seem to know about the edict but she knows something is desperately wrong for Mordecai and is, herself, deeply distressed at the plight of her cousin-carer. She sends the servants to find out what is the cause of this. Mordecai tells of the edict and what has brought it about – in great detail. It is obviously no secret what Haman has been up to. With this news comes a plea from Mordecai to Esther to use her influence with the king, and to go to him to plead for the Jews. However, it isn’t that simple as we shall see in the next study.

D. Application:

1. Mordecai wasn’t afraid of his emotions. Are we free to express our emotions of grief?
2. Mordecai wasn’t ashamed to be who he was. Are we?

Passage: Esther 4:9-17

9 Hathak went back and reported to Esther what Mordecai had said. 10 Then she instructed him to say to Mordecai, 11 ‘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 the king has but one law: that they be put to death unless the king extends the gold sceptre to them and spares their lives. But thirty days have passed since I was called to go to the king.’

12 When Esther’s words were reported to Mordecai, 13 he sent back this answer: ‘Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. 14 For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?’

15 Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: 16 ‘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 attendants 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.’

17 So Mordecai went away and carried out all of Esther’s instructions.

A. Find Out

1. Why was it difficult to see the king? v.11a,b
2. What was Esther’s difficulty over this? v.11c
3. What did Mordecai warn her? v.12,13
4. Of what was he sure? v.14a
5. What did he wonder? v.14b
6. What strategy did Esther put forward? v.15-17

B. Think:

1. What was the solution for the Jews but why did it seem impossible?
2. How is Mordecai shown to be a man of faith?
3. How is Esther shown to be a woman of faith?

C. Comment:

     The communication between Mordecai and Esther continues via the servants. As far as Esther sees it initially, she can’t help. Mordecai has asked that she go into the king and plead on behalf of the Jews, but there is a problem in that. The rule in this palace is that NO ONE go in to see the king unless he first sends for them. Anyone barging into his presence without being called will be immediately executed. If the king sees the entry is legitimate he may stretch forth the royal sceptre and spare that person’s life, but otherwise they will be automatically killed. The problem for Esther is that she hasn’t been called into the king’s presence for the past month. If she takes it upon herself to go in, he is quite likely to see this as another example of a defiant woman like his previous queen and have her killed.

     Mordecai isn’t put off. They are all going to die unless help comes from some quarter – and he is sure help will come – but unless Esther takes her responsibility as a Jew she will die anyway. Verse 14 is his famous suggestion – is this time the reason why she is queen, to act as a saviour for the Jews? Her response is noble and full of faith. She will go into the king’s presence but only after she and all the Jews of Susa have prayed and fasted for three days. Here is an indication of the spiritual measure of this girl.

D. Application:

1. When the future seems black, seek God.
2. Don’t be afraid to bear testimony, even in the face of threats.