Lessons from Esther 4
Are you listening for God's voice in the midst of crisis? Sometimes it's not thundering from a pulpit—it's coming through the broken heart of someone who loves you enough to tell you the truth you need to hear.
The Comfort of the Palace vs. the Crisis Outside
In Esther chapter 4, we find Queen Esther secluded in her comfortable palace while her people face genocide. She's completely unaware of the decree that went forth against the Jews. Sometimes we don't know what's going on because it's easy to stay comfortable in our own "palace"—our comfort zones where urgent news struggles to reach us.
"So Esther's maids and her chamberlains came and told it her" (Esther 4:4). God provided messengers to break through Esther's isolation, just as He provides messengers for us today.
You Can't Dress Up a Broken Heart
When Esther learned that Mordecai was mourning in sackcloth and ashes, her first instinct was to send him royal clothes. "Then was the queen exceedingly grieved, and she sent raiment to clothe Mordecai, and to take away his sackcloth from him: but he received it not" (Esther 4:4).
This reveals an important truth: you can't dress up a broken heart. Physical provision, while nice, doesn't address spiritual needs. Mordecai wasn't looking for new clothes—he was grieving over his people who were marked for death.
The prophet Joel reminds us: "And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil" (Joel 2:13). God wants our hearts to be contrite, not just our external appearance to look religious.
The Importance of Faithful Messengers
Enter Hatach—a name often overlooked in this story, but crucial to God's plan. "Then called Esther for Hatach, one of the king's chamberlains, whom he had appointed to attend upon her, and gave him a commandment to Mordecai, to know what it was, and why it was" (Esther 4:5).
Hatach wasn't just any servant—he was trustworthy, and Esther gave him a royal commission to gather intelligence. The kings and queens of this world are often useless without their "Hatachers"—faithful messengers who gather information and bring it back to leaders so they can make good decisions.
Why Details Matter in Crisis
"And Mordecai told him of all that had happened unto him, and of the sum of the money that Haman had promised to pay to the king's treasuries for the Jews, to destroy them" (Esther 4:7).
Notice what Mordecai didn't do—he didn't give vague generalities. He provided specific, detailed information because details matter in crisis situations. When someone tells you "I'm in trouble," you need to know what type of trouble, who did what, and who said what.
Mordecai gave Hatach three types of crucial information:
Personal impact - what was happening to him
Financial details - the sum of money involved (10,000 pieces of silver)
The enemy's strategy - Haman's plan to destroy the Jews
If you want to find out the motive, follow the money trail. The devil always has a price tag, and corruption in government, churches, and personal lives often comes down to greed and the love of money.
The Power of Documentation
"Also he gave him the copy of the writing of the decree that was given at Shushan to destroy them, to shew it unto Esther, and to declare it unto her, and to charge her that she should go in unto the king" (Esther 4:8).
Mordecai was strategic. He knew that personal testimony could be questioned, but documentation matters. Emotions don't hold up in court—evidence does. He provided:
Visual evidence - the actual decree for Esther to see
Intellectual understanding - verbal explanation of the implications
Moral compulsion - a charge for her to take action
This breaks down to three actions: show, tell, and charge. If you're going to be an effective advocate for someone in crisis, you need to present information in this manner so people feel compelled to act, not just do nothing.
The Balance of Humility and Boldness
When Esther would approach the king, Mordecai wanted her to do two things: "to make supplication unto him, and to make request before him for her people" (Esther 4:8).
These are different approaches:
Supplication = humble plea
Request = demanding action
Sometimes you have to be humble enough to make a supplication while also being bold enough to stand up and make a request. Go in there humbly, but don't go in there humbly at the expense of not making a request for action.
Taking Personal Ownership
Notice it says "for her people," not "for the Jews." Mordecai wanted Esther to personally identify that it was her responsibility. The most trustworthy people are those who have skin in the game.
When you say "my church family" instead of "the church I attend," you're taking personal ownership. If the ship has a hole in it, you're going to figure out a way to plug it rather than abandoning ship.
The Faithful Messenger's Commitment
"And Hatach came and told Esther the words of Mordecai" (Esther 4:9).
Hatach didn't adlib, edit, or soften the message. He delivered the exact words, making him a faithful messenger. When you tell the actual words, that makes you a faithful messenger.
This world needs some "Hatachers"—people who will deliver God's unadulterated message without editing out the hard parts. When God sends you a messenger, don't shoot the messenger—listen to the message.
Why This Matters Today
We're not in Persia—we're in America in 2025. Did God give you a message? Does He want you to edit it, change it, or soften it? He doesn't. He wants us to give the unadulterated message of the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
There's a decree of death for everyone, and souls are important. When someone tells you about a crisis, sometimes the best solution isn't to send them clothes to cover it up—sometimes the best solution is your commitment to stand up.
The Call to Action
If we're not willing to commit to standing up when a crisis happens, we become hypocritical Christians. God often isn't speaking the loudest from a pulpit—He's speaking through a faithful messenger who loves you enough to disturb your peace in the palace because the people on the outside are perishing.
Are you willing to be a "Hatacher"? Are you willing to be disturbed from your comfort so you can save your people?
Your Response
The question isn't whether crisis will come—it's whether you'll be ready to respond as a faithful messenger when it does. Will you deliver the complete message, even when it's uncomfortable? Will you take personal ownership of your church family and community?
God is looking for faithful messengers who will love people enough to tell them the truth they need to hear, even when they don't want to hear it.
🎧 📖 Want to dive deeper into this powerful message? I encourage you to listen to the entire expository preaching of Esther 4, where you'll discover even more insights through this verse-by-verse bible teaching. There's so much richness in this sermon that can only be fully appreciated by hearing it in its complete context.
[Listen to the full message here] - you won't regret taking the time to let God's Word speak to your heart through faithful, biblical exposition.