Esther Reading Plan – W6D2
Esther Reading Plan | Week 6 | Day 2
Prayer
Take thirty seconds to be silent. Be still and listen to yourself breathing. This will help you to be present to hear from God. Thank God that He is good and that you can always trust Him.
Bible Reading: Esther 4:5-14
Read these verses three times slowly.
Then Esther summoned Hathak, one of the king’s eunuchs assigned to attend her, and ordered him to find out what was troubling Mordecai and why.
So Hathak went out to Mordecai in the open square of the city in front of the king’s gate. Mordecai told him everything that had happened to him, including the exact amount of money Haman had promised to pay into the royal treasury for the destruction of the Jews. He also gave him a copy of the text of the edict for their annihilation, which had been published in Susa, to show to Esther and explain it to her, and he told him to instruct her to go into the king’s presence to beg for mercy and plead with him for her people.
Hathak went back and reported to Esther what Mordecai had said. Then she instructed him to say to Mordecai, “All the king’s officials and the people of the royal provinces know that for any man or woman who approaches the king in the inner court without being summoned the king has but one law: that they be put to death unless the king extends the gold scepter to them and spares their lives. But thirty days have passed since I was called to go to the king.”
When Esther’s words were reported to Mordecai, he sent back this answer: “Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”
Reflection & Questions
Today, Esther learns why Mordecai is in sackcloth and ashes. But Mordecai’s instructions aren’t to join him, but to go to the king to beg for mercy. This wasn’t a simple task, but one that might cost Esther her very life.
Mordecai wasn’t backing down though. This wasn’t a time to shy away, but to rise up. In Mordecai’s mind, it is “for such a time as this” that God had brought Esther to her position as queen.
Mordecai’s confidence in God is clear. He knows “relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise”. The question is does Esther have the same confidence? This is the moment when her faith is tested. There’s no doubt that this is scary for her. Would she be quiet and try to save herself, or would she trust God and speak up on behalf of her people?
We often face situations where we have to decide whether to act in faith or shrink back in fear. Will we share our faith? Will we speak up for the vulnerable? Will we follow God’s lead and make that decision he’s been putting on our heart? This is where our faith goes from being something we say we believe, to being something we show we believe. Will we shrink back or will we act?
- Have you experienced a time where you had to step out in faith? How did it go? How did God show up?
- Is there a situation where God is leading you to step out in faith right now? Are you stepping up or shrinking back? How might Mordecai speak to you?
Prayer
Pray in response to today’s reading.
Worship Song
You might use this song today to worship Jesus today:
Prepare to Meet with Jesus
Go to your quiet place. When there are no devices around that will distract you, take a deep breath. Blow it out slowly. Do that again. And do it one last time. Ask God for His help to read and understand.
Bible Reading: Esther 4:4-6
Read these verses three times slowly.
Esther’s male and female attendants came to her. They told her about Mordecai. So she became very troubled. She wanted him to take off his rough clothing. So she sent him other clothes to wear. But he wouldn’t accept them. Then Esther sent for Hathak. He was one of the king’s officials. He had been appointed to take care of her. She ordered him to find out what was troubling Mordecai. She wanted to know why he was so upset.
So Hathak went out to see Mordecai. He was in the open area in front of the palace gate.
Reflection & Questions
Have your family members ever done anything that embarrassed you? Maybe they wore clothes that seemed weird to you, participated in an activity you did not like, or made noises or said uncomfortable things. Esther was embarrassed about Mordecai acting so sad in public. She did not know about Haman’s law and did not understand why Mordecai acted so sad.
At first, Esther seemed more worried about what people would think of Mordecai in his sackcloth (rough clothes) and ashes. She did not try to find out what was wrong. She sent clothes to try and get him to change out of his sackcloth clothes. However, when he wouldn’t take the nice clothes, she realized that something must be wrong and sent Hathak to check with Mordecai and find out what it was.
Sometimes we need to see things from someone else’s point of view. We might not understand why they are sad or upset about something. At times, it can be because they know something that we do not. Parents often know about problems that we have not thought of or are not old enough to understand. It helps to trust that they know why they do what they do. We can also ask a parent or friend what makes them sad or upset. We might be surprised to find out that there are reasons we have not thought about.
- Do your parents ever tell you to do something that you believe is not that important? Could it be more important than you know?
- What about your friends or brothers and sisters? Do they ever get sad for what seems like no reason?
- What can you do to support friends and family when they are having a hard time?
Pray
Thank God He gave you parents who know things you do not. Ask Him to help you trust them. Thank Him for friends, brothers, and sisters. Ask God to help you understand other people and be supportive of your family and friends.
Check out more Bible Reading Plans here.
Questions?
Ed Applegate
