courage

Esther 4:10&11

"10 Again Esther spake unto Hatach, and gave him commandment unto Mordecai;

11 All the king's servants, and the people of the king's provinces, do know, that whosoever, whether man or woman, shall come unto the king into the inner court, who is not called, there is one law of his to put him to death, except such to whom the king shall hold out the golden sceptre, that he may live: but I have not been called to come in unto the king these thirty days."

Though God did not appear to Esther in dramatic fashion, His sovereign hand was clearly at work. Haman, the king’s highest official, had secured a decree to annihilate all Jews throughout the empire (Esther 3:8–10). When Mordecai learned of the genocidal plot, he mourned publicly in sackcloth and ashes outside the king’s gate.

Queen Esther, seeing his distress, sent her servant Hathach to discover the cause. Mordecai gave Hathach a copy of the decree and charged him to urge Esther to go before the king and plead for her people.

This exchange marks the pivotal moment when Esther fully grasps the crisis and realizes she is uniquely positioned to act.

Esther’s reply reveals the extreme danger she faces. She explains the ironclad Persian law: anyone—man or woman—who enters the king’s inner court uninvited is put to death, unless the king extends his golden scepter. She adds that she herself has not been summoned by the king for thirty days, underscoring how risky an uninvited approach would be.

Her response reflects a sober assessment of the peril, not a lack of faith or courage.