Esther 4
Esther • Sermon • Submitted
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Sackcloth and Ashes
Sackcloth and Ashes
When Mordecai learned all that had happened, he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the midst of the city. He cried out with a loud and bitter cry. He went as far as the front of the king’s gate, for no one might enter the king’s gate clothed with sackcloth. And in every province where the king’s command and decree arrived, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping, and wailing; and many lay in sackcloth and ashes.
Remember from last time, the word had just gone out that on the 13th day of the 12th month of the year (Adar), all the Jews were to be killed, destroyed and annihilated!
Reminds me of an airline safety briefing - do not touch, tamper or disable the smoke detector.
You can imagine Mordecai, and in fact all the Jews, were pretty upset.
Tearing their clothes, putting on sackcloth and ashes was a common way to express dismay or morning.
Jacob tore his clothes and put on sackcloth when he was told Joseph had been killed.
When king David’s daughter Tamar was raped, she tore her rob and put ashes on her head.
This was a way to show everyone that you were in pain emotionally.
Those around the country fasted, wept and wailed.
It reminds me of the stories of Jewish families under Nazi rule.
Mordecai went as far as just outside the king’s gate.
No one went before the king expressing such sadness and grief.
It was common for kings to avoid seeing anything but happy people.
And it came to pass in the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was before him, that I took the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had never been sad in his presence before. Therefore the king said to me, “Why is your face sad, since you are not sick? This is nothing but sorrow of heart.”
So I became dreadfully afraid,
Just looking sad in front of the king made Nehemiah afraid.
Imagine coming into his house in sackcloth!
If coming before the king uninvited got you killed, imagine showing up to his house in sackcloth!
So Esther’s maids and eunuchs came and told her, and the queen was deeply distressed. Then she sent garments to clothe Mordecai and take his sackcloth away from him, but he would not accept them.
Esther hears about Mordecai’s state and what does she do? She send him clothes.
Why would Esther send a change of clothes to Mordecai?
Did she think he was upset because he had nothing to wear?
Could she wish to cover up the obvious pain he was in?
When we see people in pain, our instinct is to do something to comfort them.
Like Esther’s offer of clothing, to often our attempts to comfort miss the point.
You know what she didn’t do at first, ask why Mordecai was in sackcloth.
Then Esther called Hathach, one of the king’s eunuchs whom he had appointed to attend her, and she gave him a command concerning Mordecai, to learn what and why this was. So Hathach went out to Mordecai in the city square that was in front of the king’s gate. And Mordecai told him all that had happened to him, and the sum of money that Haman had promised to pay into the king’s treasuries to destroy the Jews.
Now Esther decides to find out what the problem is with Mordecai.
Have you ever tried to fix a problem before finding out what was really going on?
Esther tries to cover up the problem, only finding out what is going on after her offer is rejected.
Mordecai tells her eunuch about the decree and how Haman was paying the king to kill all the Jews.
He also gave him a copy of the written decree for their destruction, which was given at Shushan, that he might show it to Esther and explain it to her, and that he might command her to go in to the king to make supplication to him and plead before him for her people. So Hathach returned and told Esther the words of Mordecai.
Mordecai also gives Esther a copy of the decree.
This is not just rumor, here’s the proof.
Mordecai is not exaggerating or making outrageous claims.
He has proof.
Mordecai hopes to convince Esther to go to the king and plead for her people.
Then Esther spoke to Hathach, and gave him a command for Mordecai: “All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that any man or woman who goes into the inner court to the king, who has not been called, he has but one law: put all to death, except the one to whom the king holds out the golden scepter, that he may live. Yet I myself have not been called to go in to the king these thirty days.” So they told Mordecai Esther’s words.
Esther has Hathach tell Mordecai the bad news.
You know that if someone goes into the king uninvited they will most likely be killed.
I haven’t been called into the king for a month.
I don’t know if I’m going to get a chance to help you, sorry.
Isn’t that how we react when someone asks something difficult?
Sure, few of us will be asked to risk our lives to help a family member.
But how many of us have made excuses rather than helping a friend or family member?
What about those brothers and sisters in Christ whose lives are threatened?
Do we life a finger to help them or do we tell them we can’t because it would be dangerous, or simply inconvenient?
And Mordecai told them to answer Esther: “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?”
Don’t think you’re getting off just because you live in the palace missy.
How many times have we seen someone’s life, health or lively hood threatened and we’ve done nothing?
It doesn’t effect me, so I shouldn’t get involved?
Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?”
He said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?”
my brother’s keeper?
Well are you?
The New King James Version. (1982). (). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
If you don’t stand up for God’s people, He will find someone who will.
Esther, if you don’t stand up for God’s people, He will find someone who will.
Do we look at what needs to be done and expect someone else will do it?
Do we stand aside, trusting that God will provide for them?
But he said, “O my Lord, please send by the hand of whomever else You may send.”
Yes, God may send someone else to save the day,
But what have you lost by not following God’s command?
But, you and your whole family will die.
Think about that missy!
Who knows, maybe you are where you are for just this reason.
Ever wonder why things happen to you?
We don’t seem to wonder why good things happen to us.
Esther, ever wonder why you were taken from you home to be paraded before the king?
But let things go wrong or plans fall through as we start asking God why!
Maybe those things are putting in you the right place for such a time as this.
The king gets rid of his queen and looks for another.
Esther gets picked up for the royal beauty pageant.
Esther gets chosen as queen.
Coincidence?
I don’t think so, and neither does Mordecai!
Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai: “Go, gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me; neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will fast likewise. And so I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!”
So Mordecai went his way and did according to all that Esther commanded him.
Jewish mothers may be known for guilting their sons into doing things, but they have nothing on Mordecai.
Esther agrees to go see the king.
But first, get all the Jews together and pray and fast for me.
She and her maids will also pray and fast.
I’ve heard it said that there will be prayer in the classroom as long as there are tests.
I’m reminded of a story about a WWI soldier.
Before Esther risks her life, she wants some serious prayer on her side.
“If I perish, I perish!”
What will you risk to do what is right?
Do we trust God will take care of us, whether we live or die?
This is quite a leap from covering up Moredcai’s pain and telling him she can’t help.
It reminds me of Daniel’s friends:
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.”
What will you stand up for?
What will you defend, even with your life?
All of us have, or will, find ourselves in a serious, even dangerous situation.
It may be the consequence of our own actions, or we may be completely innocent, like Job.
It may be that we are the one in trouble or we may be asked to help someone who is.
The question we should ask ourselves is, what will we do?
Will we express our grief like Mordecai did?
Will we look for help from others?
Are we willing to help those who are in trouble?
Even though it may cost us greatly.
Will we stand up for what is right, or will we make excuses?
Will we fast a pray for God’s guidance and protection or just go it on our own?
Do we believe that God will do what is best for us, even when things look bad?
Will we trust God or our own lying eyes?