Women with a Story to Tell. Esther 8. "Who Knows?"

 King David’s downfall was his illicit affair with Bathsheba. David’s power met his lust and in his self-serving the woman became pregnant and the husband was killed to cover it up. 

 “The thing that David had done displeased the LORD.” Bathsheba then gave birth to their son, but the child “became very ill.” David fasted and prayed; he even lay all night on the cold floor, to the dismay of his counselors. The child died anyway.

David then rose up, washed, changed his clothes, and sat down to eat. His servants were surprised at this reversal of behavior. David answered, 

“While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, ‘Who knows? The LORD may be gracious to me, and the child may live. But now he is dead; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me” (II Samuel 12: 1,16-23).

 In another era, years later, Joel the prophet warned Judah to lament and repent because otherwise the Day of the Lord was coming that would bring invasion, fire, and destruction. After a chapter and a half, Joel suddenly switches gears. 

“Yet even now, says the LORD, return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; rend your hearts and not your clothing. Return to the LORD, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and relents from punishing. Who knows whether he will not turn and relent…” (Joel 2: 12-14). 

At another time, after Jonah preached destruction in the city of Nineveh, the pagan king actually repented and commanded all the citizens to fast and “cry out mightily to God” and “turn from their evil ways.” The king said, “Who knows? God may relent and change his mind; he may turn from his fierce anger, so that we do not perish” (Jonah 3: 6-9). 

This, in fact, is what made Jonah angry because he preferred that his enemy perish rather than repent, an attitude that would be sinful for any nation. Jonah said, 

“O LORD! Is this not what I said…. That is why I fled to Tarshish at the beginning; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and ready to relent from punishing” (Jonah 4: 2). 

All of these events were recorded long before the story that we have been exploring about Esther and Mordecai. So, it is no surprise that Mordecai says, “Who knows?” and that Esther sees the wisdom of his words. They are Jewish after all, they have heard the stories of the kings and the prophets. 

What they do know is the theology that is repeated in all three of these otherwise unrelated stories. In the ancient Jewish understanding, God is sovereign. Only God knows what he is doing and God does whatever he wants to do. God has self-described as gracious and thus liable at any moment to relent from punishment. So, what are we to do in our sinfulness?

Fast and pray; and remain faithful in our daily walk. Who knows but that God may relent, forgive us, and even bless us?  

 And so it is in this framework that Mordecai and Esther understand the current events that have put their people in jeopardy. Why has this happened? Who knows? Will the rumored plans for the destruction of all the Jews turn out to be true? Who knows? Will God let such a thing happen? Who knows?

 Esther and Mordecai decide to act on what they do know rather than what they do not know. According to Exodus 34: 6, as well as the quotes at the beginning of this devotional, God is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love, and ready to relent from punishment. A person can count on that.

 In addition, there is God’s covenant with Abraham that his descendants will survive to bless all the other nations of the world. God can do anything that he wants, but he has promised to bless the Jews and through them to bless all the Gentile nations (Americans, Germans, Palestinians, Chinese, Indians, Peruvians, etc.). Let it be so. 

 The best response to impending danger is to fast and pray, and then to be faithful in our actions so that the opening is there for God to intervene at such a time that seems good to God.