A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES

                                    BORN FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS PART XII

"I, Esther, the wife of king Xerxes, had such a shock today... The day had started so well.... My maids and I had had breakfast together when we had discussed our plans for today.... But we were then interrupted by my servant Hathach.... He had been to see my cousin Mordecai....From the expression on his face I knew that what he had to tell me was serious.... I braced myself for what was to come.... On the inside I wished I did not have to hear it.... Things had been so good recently.... No major upheavals... Everything was just pleasant..... I had gotten used to life at Court... I had even gotten to like it.... But I sensed things were about to change.... And I could not stop it.....I knew I could no longer delay learning about my cousin Mordecai's news so I invited Hathach to speak.... The news was worse than I could have ever imagined.... My people, the Jews, are in danger of being killed.... But I cannot do anything for them... I may be queen.... But I am still a nobody.... Moreover, the king has been too busy with other things to see me.... Does my cousin want to have me put to death?".... Please read the typed out attachment when Ester's servant Hathach tells Esther about the predicament her people are in....


              ATTACHMENT A PURPOSEFLUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES

                                BORN FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS PART XII

Esther knows that she cannot do what Mordecai asks of her; to go before the king and plead for mercy for her people. So she instructs her servant Hathach to clearly explain to her counsin Mordecai why she cannot go before the king. And she is convinced that her words will make sense to her cousin as you can read in Esther 4:10-11

Then she instructed him (Hathach) 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 he be put to death. The only exception to this is for the king to extend the gold sceptre to him and spare his life. But thirty days have passed since I was called to go to the king."

Esther is fully confident that her words of explanation will make Mordecai change his mind about her going to the king unannounced for surely he loves her so much that he does not want her life to be endangered.