SUMMARY
After King Ahasuerus follows Haman’s advice and issues an order to have all of the Jewish people killed, Mordecai sends a message urging Esther to risk her own death and to go unbidden before the king to speak on behalf of her people. Without mentioning God directly, he tells her that even if she keeps silence, help will rise from another quarter. He says, “Who knows? Perhaps you have come to royal dignity for just such a time as this.”
ANALYSIS
Much of the action and theology of the book of Esther hinges on this crucial passage. The die has been cast, and the Jewish community is under the worst kind of threat. Though Mordecai never speaks directly about God, his message to Esther contains two significant theological insights. First, accepting the role of a leader who aids the salvationSalvation can mean saved from something (deliverance) or for something (redemption). Paul preached that salvation comes through the death of Christ on the cross which redeemed sinners from death and for a grace-filled life. More of one’s people is a choice that can be accepted or rejected. This choice involves great risk and has personal consequences. But, second, this choice cannot block the ultimate fulfillment of the divine promise to save. God’s promises will be fulfilled, one way or another. Esther has a choice. Once she accepts her role, her character is transformed in the book. She takes risks, and she takes control. Her courage, ingenuity, and wisdomWisdom encompasses the qualities of experience, knowledge, and good judgment. The Old Testament book of Proverbs, which sometimes invokes a Woman as the personification of Wisdom, is a collection of aphorisms and moral teachings. Along with other biblical passages, it teaches, "The fear of the... More define her leadership and make her an able instrument of God’s saving work.
