Esther (#4)

If you have not read the three posts before this, please do! They’re very interesting. This one is super duper wonderful though, just so you know.

The Book of Esther, Chapter 4

    When Mordecai learned all that had been done, he tore his clothes (During this time and for many, many years after this, people would tear their clothing and run through the streets as a sign of great mourning. It may sound like a big pity party or pout session going down, but in reality, it was very similar to someone thinking suicidal thoughts and entering deep, real depression in today’s world.), put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out in the midst of the city and wailed loudly and bitterly. He went as far as the king’s gate, for no one was to enter the king’s gate clothed in sackcloth.

    In each and every province where the king’s command and decree came, there was great mourning among the Jews, with much fasting (People do this today, but it usually is not referred to as fasting. The people were starving themselves because the knowledge of being attacked and killed soon was given to them, causing this sorrow.), weeping, and wailing. Many lay on sackcloth (rough cloth of camel’s hair, goat hair, hemp, cotton, or flax) and ashes. When Esther’s maidens and eunuchs came to tell her, the queen writhed in great anguish. Then she sent garments to clothe Mordecai, that he might remove his sackcloth from himself. But he did not accept them.

    Then Esther summoned Hathach from the king’s eunuchs, whom the king had appointed to attend her, and she ordered him to go to Mordecai to find out what this was for and why this was. So Hathach went out to Mordecai to the city square in front of the king’s gate. Mordecai told him all that had happened to him and the exact amount of money that Haman had promised to pay to the king’s treasuries for the destruction of the Jews. He also gave him a copy of the text of the edict which had been issued in Susa for their murder, so that he would show Esther and tell her and then order her to go in to the king to implore his favor and to plead with him for her people’s lives.

    So Hathach came back and relayed Mordecai’s words to Esther. Then Esther spoke to Hathach and ordered him to reply to Mordecai: “All of the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that for any man or woman who comes to the inner court where the king is without being summoned is to be put to death. This is unless the king holds out to him the golden scepter so that he may live. And I have not been summoned to come to the king for thirty days.”

    Mordecai’s reply to Esther was this: “Do not think that you, being in the king’s palace, can escape this any more than the other Jews can. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance with arise for the Jews from another place and you and your family will perish. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?”

    Esther responded to Mordecai. “Go; assemble all the Jews who are found in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maidens will do the same, and thus I will go to the king, which is not according to the law. And if I perish, I perish.” So Mordecai went away and did just as Esther had commanded him.