Esther - Chapter 4

The reluctant, encouraged.

Esther – Chapter 4

Review

1. History Review
1. When : Time – Some say 486-465 B.C or 464-415 B.C.  Few say 135-104 B.C., during Maccabean period, but that disclaims/discredits the historical value of the story and assumes it’s a allegorical story.
2. When : Relative to Daniel – After.  Daniel was Babylonian to the start of Persian Empires. Esther is entirely within Persian Empire.
3. Who : about – Esther.  A Jewish girl.
4. Who: wrote it – Unknown.  A palace slave?  Mordacai?  Nehemiah?  Jew or Gentile?  Probably Jewish.  Probably Nehemiah.
2. Chapter 1
1. Potential sympathy for Vashti
2. No deep OBVIOUS theological message in Chapter 1 (yet).
3. Chapter 2
1. More character traits of King X.  See Esther move into the scene.
2. No deep OBVIOUS theological message in Chapter 2 (yet).  But maybe there’s a lesson about God works even when it’s not obvious to us that He’s working – like in Esther.
4. Chapter 3
1. Mort rebels against bowing to Haman and the other gate-visitors turn Mort in.
2. Death sentence for Jews
3. King X still a dope.

Introduction

1. How did you all do this week reading Esther?
2. What’s your opinion of Esther (thus far)?  Easy, hard, straightforward, confusing, basic, advanced, etc?  Compare it to Daniel or Romans, etc as well as your impression of it on its own.
1. Chapter 4 is a more intricate chapter than we’ve seen thus far.
3. What is your opinion of this chapter?  Easy or lots of questions, difficult and convoluted?
1. As above.
4. Can you group any of these chapters together?

Lesson

1. vv. 1-3 [READ – Est 4:1-3] Mort (and his bretheren) mourns
1. Flashback: What are they mourning?

                                                               i.      Haman’s edict that all Jews are to be destroyed.

2. Note the process of “mourning”.  It’s quite elaborate, no?

                                                               i.      Tore his clothes (v 1)

                                                             ii.      Put on sackcloth (v 1)

                                                            iii.      Applied ashes (v 1)

                                                            iv.      Publicly wailed (v 1)

                                                             v.      Loudly wailed (v 1)

                                                            vi.      Fasting (v 3)

3. What’s the purpose of the public mourning?         

                                                               i.       

4. Why couldn’t anyone enter the King’s gate in sackcloth?

                                                               i.      Probably to insulate the King from “negativity”.  Ie, don’t “bother” the King with things that might lower his mood.

5. Interesting Study: Reasons to fast:

                                                               i.      Mourning – 1 Sam 31:12-13

                                                             ii.      Trouble; emphasize national despair; gravity of situation – Daniel 9:1-5

                                                            iii.      Repentance – Jonah 3:4-6

                                                            iv.      Days of Atonement – Leviticus 16:29-31

2. vv. 4-14 [READ – Est 4:4-14] Esther hears the news...
1. What did Esther “writhe” in anguish about?  The sentence against the Jews or Mort’s behavior?

                                                               i.      Possibly both, but there are different arguments for either.

1.       Jews’ sentence: Certainly, she couldn’t have been happy to hear of it, as it would mean her family, Mort, friends, etc would be killed.  Even, possibly, herself, even though Mort says she wouldn’t be safe, she may have originally thought so.  Also, note she doesn’t find out about the details of the edict until v 7.

2.       Mort’s behavior: Previous chapters indicated that folks knew they were related.  The King likely didn’t.  Haman knew Mort (now), so it might not take long for him to find out.  Esther may very well have been concerned that Mort was attracting attention causing him and especially her, problems.

3.       Thoughts?  Based that she sent garments for him and that she did that before she heard the details of the reason, I tend to think the latter, whether it’s for his wellbeing or hers.

2. Mort explains the details to Esther (via her eunuch), gives her a copy of the edict, but also asks for her intervention.  Is that a reasonable request?

                                                               i.      From Mort’s perspective, sure.  He’s desperate.  He thinks his people, his race, will be wiped out.  He’s willing to take chances, if it’ll help his people.

                                                             ii.      From Esther’s position, she knows (and explains) that she can’t just waltz into the King’s presence without some risk.  She probably feared for her life by doing such a thing.  Perhaps Mort doesn’t know this???  Or again, maybe he doesn’t care in light of the destruction coming.

3. Mort says that Esther shouldn’t expect that she’d be safe in the palace.  Do you agree?  Certainly, Esther knew she was Jewish, but she seems to have thought that she’d be spared (since she was initially reluctant to go to the King).
4. v 14 – Mort says a mouthful here:

                                                               i.      “relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews” – Mort EXPECTS that the Jews won’t actually be destroyed.  So why the mourning production? 

1.       Mourning is a pleading with God, more than the public.  It’s an act of humbling oneself in front of God when asking for intervention.

                                                             ii.      “from another place” – if not Esther, than who?  We don’t know, but Mort is confident that person would show up.  Why does he think this?  How sure is he?

1.       Pretty sure.  Make no mistake, Mort is a practicing Jew and knows that his people are God’s chosen and will be preserved.  Sure, some may die, but a remnant will remain.

                                                            iii.      “you and your father’s house will perish” – This is a bold statement.  What is it?  Is he suggesting that her reluctance might destroy her family line?  Is he playing her (since she is probably sensitive about her parents)?  Is he implying that other lines may not perish?

                                                            iv.      “attained royalty for such a time as this” – Mort is connecting some dots.  He believes that Esther was put in her position for a reason.  This sounds like Mort thinks God was behind it.  He doesn’t say that though.  Thoughts?

3. vv. 15-17 [READ – Est 4:15-17] No soup for you!
1. Esther says that all Jews should fast (associated with mourning) for 3 days as she and her maidens would.  Then, she’ll approach the king.

                                                               i.      Why fasting?

1.       Again, part of sacrificing oneself before God in prayer.

                                                             ii.      Why just the Jews in Susa?

1.       Probably due to the inability to communicate to all the Jews across the many provinces in a short amount of time.

                                                            iii.      Why 3 days?

1.       Don’t know.

                                                            iv.      Are her maidens Jewish?

1.       Don’t know, but perhaps not.  Why would they have fasted?  Perhaps because if their Queen is slain, they may as well.

                                                             v.      She clearly says she’s willing to die – “if I perish, I perish”.

Summary

1. What’s your key verse? V 14
2. Describe your thoughts on the relationship between Esther and Mort.  How did you see that relationship differently now than before?  Do you think better or worse of either of them than you previously did?
3. Do you still think Mort and Esther were non-practicing Jews?  Why or why not?
4. Try keeping a list of where God is acting in this story.  What can you add to that list?  Where do you see God in Ch. 4?
5. What is the deep theological message of this chapter?
1. We (and Mort and Esther) are starting to see the chain of events where God made things happen to get them where they are.  Mort specifically says this in V. 14.
2. Mort recognizes that God will keep His promise to His people.  He counts on it.

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