"Queen Esther decided to go to the king uninvited to plead for her people"
By official order Haman was to be paid homage as one second only (next) to the king. But Mordecai refused to bow to a mere man, especially to an Amalekite. The fear of God overcame any fear of man. The law of Moses did not forbid showing due respect to those in authority, but it did forbid the worship of any but God. Eastern monarchs often demanded such worship. Instead of dealing with Mordecai alone, Haman set in motion a plan to annihilate all the Jews in the kingdom!
Haman approached the king with an inflammatory report about the Jews, misrepresenting them as a danger to the kingdom. He urged that a decree be issued ordering their extinction. The king sealed the death writ with his signet ring, sentencing thousands of innocent men, women, and children to be sacrificed at the altar of Haman’s pride.
The Jewish population was stunned as the news broke throughout the land. There is always sadness where evil reigns. Mordecai put on mourner’s garb and lamented through the city until he came to the King’s gate.
Esther’s personal servant, came to find out why he continued in mourning. Mordecai told him the whole story. A copy of the written decree was sent back to the queen along with an order to use her position to intercede for her people.
The words of verse 14 should challenge each of us: “For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”
Esther decided to go to the king uninvited to plead for her people. She is fully aware that she could be killed if she goes to the king’s presence uninvited. But her faith in God made her to go to the king with the plea to save her people anyway. She said, “If I perish, I perish”.
Dear reader, God might have placed you like queen Esther, to take a bold step, to share the Gospel to those people perishing without the Word of God.
