Esther

Esther had already lost both parents when her cousin Mordecai took her into his household as his own daughter. She was also called Hadassah, a Jewish woman living in Susa within the Persian Empire.

When women were gathered for King Ahasuerus, Esther was taken into the royal household under the care of Hegai, keeper of the women. The king chose her as queen. Following Mordecai’s instruction, she did not reveal her Jewish identity. Royal favour had changed her position, but it had not given her unrestricted freedom or security. (Esther 2:5-17)

A threat beyond the palace

Haman, whom the king had promoted, became furious when Mordecai refused to bow before him. On learning that Mordecai was Jewish, he sought the destruction of his entire people.

Haman portrayed the Jews as a threat to the king’s interests. With royal authority, he arranged a decree ordering their destruction throughout the empire on an appointed day. The king and Haman sat down to drink while Susa was thrown into confusion.

Mourning spread among the Jews. Mordecai sent Esther a copy of the decree and urged her to appeal to the king for her people. The crisis outside the palace now required a response from within it. (Esther 3:1-15; 4:1-8)

The decision to approach

Esther explained the danger. Anyone who entered the inner court uninvited could be put to death unless the king extended his golden sceptre. She had not been summoned for thirty days.

Mordecai warned that palace life would not protect her from the threat against the Jews. He expressed confidence that deliverance would arise elsewhere if she remained silent, and asked whether she had reached her position for this moment.

Esther asked him to gather the Jews in Susa to fast for her for three days. She and her attendants would fast too. Then she would approach the king, accepting that she might die. The text records her decision and the communal support she requested without promising her safety. (Esther 4:9-17)

Two banquets and an exposed enemy

On the third day, Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court. The king extended his sceptre. She invited him and Haman to a banquet, then invited them both to another the following day.

Between the banquets, the sleepless king heard a record of how Mordecai had exposed a plot against his life. Haman, arriving to seek Mordecai’s execution, instead received orders to honour him publicly. (Esther 5:1-8; 6:1-11)

At the second banquet, Esther asked for her own life and the lives of her people. She identified Haman as their enemy. The king ordered his execution using the structure Haman had prepared for Mordecai. Esther had made the hidden danger personal and visible to the king. (Esther 7)

The decree that still remained

Haman’s death did not cancel his decree. Esther appealed again, weeping for her people. The king said that an order sealed with his ring could not be revoked, but authorised a further decree.

Mordecai issued it in the king’s name, allowing the Jews to assemble and defend their lives. Couriers carried the news throughout the empire. When the appointed day came, the Jews prevailed over their enemies. The fighting brought many deaths; Esther also requested a second day of action in Susa.

The story records both survival and the violence surrounding it. Afterwards, Purim was established to remember the reversal from mourning to joy through feasting, sharing food and giving to people in need. (Esther 8:3-14; 9:1-22)

What Esther’s story asks of us

One lesson we can draw from Esther is that influence carries responsibility towards people beyond our immediate protection. She sought support, spoke truthfully about the threat and continued asking for action after Haman’s fall.

The Hebrew narrative does not explicitly name God. For readers of faith, the unexpected openings through which deliverance came offer a way to reflect on His providence amid events no one person could control.

Her courage invites us to use our voice with wisdom and support. It does not guarantee a safe outcome or require someone facing abuse to remain in danger. Responsible action includes seeking help and protecting those whose lives are at risk.