Nehemiah 4
Esther 4 covers the moment when Esther and Mordecai make an important decision amid crisis. When Haman's plot puts the Jews in danger of being destroyed, Mordecai informs Esther of the news and asks her to go before the king and request help. The chapter's main contents include the conversation between Esther and Mordecai, Esther's hesitation and resolve, and the request for a fast.
1verseBut when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was angry, and was very indignant, and mocked the Jews.
2verseHe spoke before his brothers and the army of Samaria, and said, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they fortify themselves? Will they sacrifice? Will they finish in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, since they are burned?”
3verseNow Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, “What they are building, if a fox climbed up it, he would break down their stone wall.”
4verse“Hear, our God, for we are despised. Turn back their reproach on their own head. Give them up for a plunder in a land of captivity.
5verseDon’t cover their iniquity. Don’t let their sin be blotted out from before you; for they have insulted the builders.”
6verseSo we built the wall; and all the wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.
7verseBut when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabians, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the repairing of the walls of Jerusalem went forward, and that the breaches began to be filled, they were very angry;
8verseand they all conspired together to come and fight against Jerusalem, and to cause confusion among us.
9verseBut we made our prayer to our God, and set a watch against them day and night because of them.
10verseJudah said, “The strength of the bearers of burdens is fading and there is much rubble, so that we are not able to build the wall.”
11verseOur adversaries said, “They will not know or see, until we come in among them and kill them, and cause the work to cease.”
12verseWhen the Jews who lived by them came, they said to us ten times from all places, “Wherever you turn, they will attack us.”
13verseTherefore I set guards in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, in the open places. I set the people by family groups with their swords, their spears, and their bows.
14verseI looked, and rose up, and said to the nobles, to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, “Don’t be afraid of them! Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses.”
15verseWhen our enemies heard that it was known to us, and God had brought their counsel to nothing, all of us returned to the wall, everyone to his work.
16verseFrom that time forth, half of my servants did the work, and half of them held the spears, the shields, the bows, and the coats of mail; and the rulers were behind all the house of Judah.
17verseThose who built the wall, and those who bore burdens loaded themselves; everyone with one of his hands did the work, and with the other held his weapon.
18verseAmong the builders, everyone wore his sword at his side, and so built. He who sounded the trumpet was by me.
19verseI said to the nobles, and to the rulers and to the rest of the people, “The work is great and widely spread out, and we are separated on the wall, far from one another.
20verseWherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally there to us. Our God will fight for us.”
21verseSo we did the work. Half of the people held the spears from the rising of the morning until the stars appeared.
22verseLikewise at the same time I said to the people, “Let everyone with his servant lodge within Jerusalem, that in the night they may be a guard to us, and may labor in the day.”
23verseSo neither I, nor my brothers, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard who followed me took off our clothes. Everyone took his weapon to the water.
Flow and Structure of the Text
- Verses 1-3: Grief and mourning of Mordecai and the Jews - When Mordecai hears Haman's command, he puts on sackcloth, cries out within the city, and the Jews in every province also fast and mourn.
- Verses 4-9: Esther's response and the passing along of Mordecai's message - After Esther hears of Mordecai's actions and becomes worried, she sends a messenger, and Mordecai explains the crisis facing the Jews.
- Verses 10-12: Esther's fear - Esther says that if she goes before the king, she may lose her life, and she expresses her fear.
- Verses 13-17: Mordecai's faith and Esther's decision - Mordecai urges Esther to consider whether this is the time for just such a situation, and Esther decides that after fasting for three days, she will go before the king, prepared to face death.
The Overall Meaning and Message
Esther 4 shows how human fear and responsibility, along with trust and decision, can be displayed. In the midst of crisis, Mordecai places his trust in providence and encourages Esther with courage. Esther also becomes aware of her position and role, declares a fast together with the community, and shows how she intends to overcome hardship through unity and prayer. This chapter demonstrates what kind of attitude we should have to safeguard faith and a sense of calling in times of crisis.
Points for Reflection
- In a crisis, I reflect on what role and responsibility I can take on.
- Even in fear, when decisions are needed for conviction and for the community, I reflect on what kind of choice I can make.
- I revisit the meaning of prayer and fasting, and the solidarity of the community.
Applying to Myself
- In my place in life, I reflect on what attitude I have between fear and responsibility.
- I apply how I respond to the problems and pain of the community, and what kind of decision I can make before God.
- I think about whether I have found the meaning of "this time" and my calling in my life right now, and how I am responding to that call.
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