Est 4:16 | KingComments | STEP | Esther is convinced of the importance of Mordecai’s command. She recognizes its necessity and answers Mordecai ( ). Now she takes the initiative and instructs Mordecai to do something ( ). He has to gather all the Jews in Susa and call for a fast for her. She does not call for games and entertainment to be organized to forget the danger. That is what the people of the world do. They have to fast for three days, night or day. This means that they fast during the time of the Passover, for it is the thirteenth day of the first month ( ). The Passover is eaten at night ( ), which may explain why Esther speaks of fasting night or day. The feast of the exodus is therefore celebrated in this twelfth year of Ahasuerus in a way that is contrary to the way it is prescribed. Instead of eating and drinking, there is no eating and no drinking. She will also fast herself, with her maidens, to prepare for the crucial meeting with the king. Once again she says that her passage to the king is “not according to the law”. Vashti has been disobedient by not coming; Esther is disobedient by coming uninvited. However, Esther’s disobedience is related to the appeal to grace. Grace is always above the law. There has been talk of fasting before in this chapter ( ). There it is a spontaneous fast as a direct reaction to the announcement of the annihilation of all Jews. The fasting that Esther proclaims here is a command. What we miss is the mentioning of the prayer. In several Scriptures where fasting is spoken of, we see that fasting goes hand in hand with prayer ( ; ; ; ). Fasting is not an end in itself, but is meant to be completely dedicated to a particular cause in prayer, without thinking of bodily needs. The lack of mention of prayer is consistent with God’s hidden place in this book. Mordecai told her that she would die if she remained in deep silence. This leads her to consider that she may stay alive and then save the lives of her people if she goes into the presence of the king. She takes the risk of a sure death and speaks the proverbial words: “If I perish, I perish.” She says this not in despair or passion, but in a holy, firm intention to do her duty. The consideration is that doing nothing will certainty bring death. Then it is better to risk it, for there is nothing to lose. This means that she delivers herself to mercy. Death she deserves, grace she can receive. She dares to go, not on the basis of the law, but on the basis of grace alone. This is also the reasoning of the four lepers when the city of Samaria is besieged and starving. Those four men, because of their leprosy, have death in their bodies and because of the encirclement by the enemy also starvation in mind. The only possibility they see for survival is to go to the enemy. If he kills them, their lives are finished, but if he is merciful, they can continue to live (cf. ). In the same way, we have nothing to lose. If we want to keep our life, we will lose it. But if we lose our life for the sake of the Lord Jesus, that is, if we deliver ourselves to Him and give up every right to it, we will keep it ( ). We will lose our lives anyway. Then it is better to voluntarily lose it now, so that we can stay alive. Just as Esther obeyed Mordecai ( ), so Mordecai obeys Esther and does what she commanded him to do ( ). Mordecai does what Esther says, because Esther does what he has said. The Lord Jesus will also do what we ask if we do what He asks of us.

‏ Esther 4:16

Esther’s Answer

Esther is convinced of the importance of Mordecai’s command. She recognizes its necessity and answers Mordecai (Est 4:15). Now she takes the initiative and instructs Mordecai to do something (Est 4:16). He has to gather all the Jews in Susa and call for a fast for her. She does not call for games and entertainment to be organized to forget the danger. That is what the people of the world do.

They have to fast for three days, night or day. This means that they fast during the time of the Passover, for it is the thirteenth day of the first month (Est 3:12). The Passover is eaten at night (Exo 12:8-10), which may explain why Esther speaks of fasting night or day. The feast of the exodus is therefore celebrated in this twelfth year of Ahasuerus in a way that is contrary to the way it is prescribed. Instead of eating and drinking, there is no eating and no drinking.

She will also fast herself, with her maidens, to prepare for the crucial meeting with the king. Once again she says that her passage to the king is “not according to the law”. Vashti has been disobedient by not coming; Esther is disobedient by coming uninvited. However, Esther’s disobedience is related to the appeal to grace. Grace is always above the law.

There has been talk of fasting before in this chapter (Est 4:3). There it is a spontaneous fast as a direct reaction to the announcement of the annihilation of all Jews. The fasting that Esther proclaims here is a command. What we miss is the mentioning of the prayer. In several Scriptures where fasting is spoken of, we see that fasting goes hand in hand with prayer (1Sam 7:6; Jer 14:12; Joel 1:14; Ezra 8:21 ; 23). Fasting is not an end in itself, but is meant to be completely dedicated to a particular cause in prayer, without thinking of bodily needs. The lack of mention of prayer is consistent with God’s hidden place in this book.

Mordecai told her that she would die if she remained in deep silence. This leads her to consider that she may stay alive and then save the lives of her people if she goes into the presence of the king. She takes the risk of a sure death and speaks the proverbial words: “If I perish, I perish.” She says this not in despair or passion, but in a holy, firm intention to do her duty.

The consideration is that doing nothing will certainty bring death. Then it is better to risk it, for there is nothing to lose. This means that she delivers herself to mercy. Death she deserves, grace she can receive. She dares to go, not on the basis of the law, but on the basis of grace alone.

This is also the reasoning of the four lepers when the city of Samaria is besieged and starving. Those four men, because of their leprosy, have death in their bodies and because of the encirclement by the enemy also starvation in mind. The only possibility they see for survival is to go to the enemy. If he kills them, their lives are finished, but if he is merciful, they can continue to live (cf. 2Kgs 7:3-4).

In the same way, we have nothing to lose. If we want to keep our life, we will lose it. But if we lose our life for the sake of the Lord Jesus, that is, if we deliver ourselves to Him and give up every right to it, we will keep it (Lk 9:24). We will lose our lives anyway. Then it is better to voluntarily lose it now, so that we can stay alive.

Just as Esther obeyed Mordecai (Est 2:10 ; 20), so Mordecai obeys Esther and does what she commanded him to do (Est 4:17). Mordecai does what Esther says, because Esther does what he has said. The Lord Jesus will also do what we ask if we do what He asks of us.