When Mordecai learned what was happening, he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes. That was a common sign of mourning and even repentance, although Mordecai had nothing to repent of in these circumstances but certainly mourning for his fellow Jews. His mourning was public, a loud and bitter cry in the midst of the city as far as the king’s gate. No-one was allowed to enter through the gates in sackcloth. The mourning was widespread, in fact, in every province. With the mourning, there was fasting, weeping, wailing and many lay in sackcloth and ashes (1-3).
Mordecai had escaped the sword so far, but he publicly mourned for his compatriots’ loss. It was probably only a matter of time as far as Haman was concerned.
Queen Esther’s maids and eunuchs reported to her what was happening, and she was deeply distressed. She sent clothes to Mordecai to replace his sackcloth, but he refused them. She called Hathach, one of the king’s eunuchs and ordered him to find out why Mordecai was mourning. He went and Mordecai told him what was happening (v4-7). Evidently, she did not know the reason for Mordecai’s mourning, and she was told the whole story including Haman’s plot and bribery. Mordecai also gave him a copy of the decree to show to Esther with a plea for her to speak to the king. She replied by telling him that no-one could go in to the king without being invited (v8-12) and if the king did not hold out the sceptre of invitation they would be put to death. Hathach took the message back to him. She had not been in to the king for around a month.
Mordecai replied and told them to tell Esther with one of the most well-known passages in this book – “Do not think in your heart that you will escape in the king’s palace any more than all the other Jews. For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (V13,14)
I believe the phrase, ‘deliverance will arise from another place’ is indicating Mordecai’s trust that God would deliver them, even if Esther did not do something about it. She would not be immune from the threat, even though she was in the king’s palace. Mordecai believed that God had put her there for a purpose, but she must be brave enough to fulfil it.
God puts us in particular places to carry out His will, but often, it takes great courage to do it, even to the cost of our own lives. He has promised never to leave us, nor forsake us, so, we can have courage in Him, and even if we may lose our lives in doing it, we are not forsaken by God.
What would Esther do? She had a choice – to be faithful to her God, or to ‘chicken out’, but either way, she might lose her life with the other Jews. It would take great courage. Esther rose to the occasion (v15-17) and sent a reply to Mordecai that he should gather all the Jews in Shushan and fast for three days for her. She and her maids would also fast, and she would go into the king and, “If I perish, I perish”. Mordecai did as she asked.
It is clear that we must be courageous and trust in God. Sometimes, even always, it is not enough to act but to support it by prayer and fasting. This was often said by Jesus (see Matthew 17:21 and 10:28). To go out and do something without prayer is unwise. Fasting may also be required.
