If I Perish

"What if I perish? Mordecai could not possibly understand what he is asking me to do," Esther thought. The king's edict, in fact the law of the land, forbid anyone to go before the king unless the king had called him or her. However, if the king extended his golden scepter to the person, he or she would be saved from death.

10 Then Esther spoke to Hathach, and gave him a command for Mordecai: 11 “All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that any man or woman who goes into the inner court to the king, who has not been called, he has but one law: put all to death, except the one to whom the king holds out the golden scepter, that he may live. Yet I myself have not been called to go in to the king these thirty days.” 12 So they told Mordecai Esther’s words.13 And Mordecai told them to answer Esther: “Do not think in your heart that you will escape in the king’s palace any more than all the other Jews. 14 For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

15 Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai: 16 “Go, gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me; neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will fast likewise. And so I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!”17 So Mordecai went his way and did according to all that Esther commanded him.

(Esther 4:10-17, New King James Version)

If I Perish, I Perish!

"What if I perish? Mordecai could not possibly understand what he is asking me to do," Esther thought.The king's edict, in fact the law of the land, forbid anyone to go before the king unless the king had called him or her. However, if the king extended his golden scepter to the person, he or she would be saved from death.Mordecai wanted Esther to go before the king, but she risked her life in doing so. What was she to do? How did Mordecai respond when he heard of Esther's hesitation?

“Do not think in your heart that you will escape in the king’s palace any more than all the other Jews. For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”His answer was in three parts. 1st, You are a Jew; you will perish as well. 2nd, If you do not help the Jews right now, God will deliver them another way and you and your father's house will perish. 3rd, Who knows? Perhaps this is exactly why God has made you the Queen.

Did his answer persuade Esther? Yes, it did! She needed, however, to come up with a plan. She asked Mordecai to have all of the Jews in Shushan pray and fast for 3 days, and then she would go before the king, responding, "If I perish, I perish!"

What happened to our Cinderella story? What happened to the, "And they lived happily ever after," part. On this earth, there is no happily ever after; not for Esther, and not for us. This is perhaps one of the hardest lessons in life to learn.No one else can make you happy! Furthermore, no else has the responsibility of making you happy--not your friends, parents, pastors, boyfriends, girlfriends, or even your spouse, if you are married.

Where does happiness come from, then? Happiness, believe it or not, has nothing to do with our circumstances. I have seen people in the worst imaginable circumstances happily praising the Lord for His goodness, and I have seen people who seemingly have everything, and yet they complain continually and are utterly miserable.Living the Christian life, walking faithfully with Christ, reading and studying His Word, spending personal times of prayer and fellowship with Him, are not options or choices that are viable to make! Walking with Christ is a moment by moment experience involving our thoughts, our words, and our actions.Both Mordecai and Esther knew that the answer to their difficulties could only come from the Lord, and as such also understood that their happiness could only come from the Lord.How about you? Where do you seek your happiness? Can you say with Esther, "Even if I perish, I will serve the Lord?

Next: Esther Queen of Persia