以斯帖記 第四章 Esther 4
- 馬克牧師
- May 15
- 9 min read
Updated: May 19
各位弟兄姊妹平安，我們今天繼續來讀《以斯帖記》第四章的故事。
昨天第三章的結尾是個非常強烈的高潮——哈曼得勢，帶著世代的仇恨，藉著一己私怨，打算將整個猶太民族滅絕。全國上下的猶太人突然陷入前所未有的危機，滅族的命令已經發出，大難臨頭。
那接下來怎麼辦呢？
第四章一開始，我們看到全城的猶太人陷入驚慌與悲傷中。每個人都在哀哭、禁食，因為他們知道自己的命運岌岌可危。
尤其是末底改——他撕裂衣服，披上麻衣，走在城中痛哭哀號。他大概沒想到，原本只是他個人對信仰的堅持，不向哈曼下拜，竟然引發這麼大的風暴，波及整個民族。他此刻的心情，是懊悔、難過，還是責任感油然而生，我們不得而知，但可以想像那是極度沉重的時刻。
消息傳到王宮裡，以斯帖知道了，也聽說了末底改的舉動，於是趕緊送衣服去給他，想讓他脫下麻衣，可是末底改拒絕了。這不是單純的悲傷，而是一場信仰與生死交織的呼喊。
以斯帖便派人出宮，親自與末底改聯繫，想搞清楚整件事的來龍去脈。她才知道，哈曼不只要殺末底改，而是打算徹底消滅所有猶太人。這件事，是整個民族面對的最大危機。
末底改於是對她說：「你要去見王，為我們的百姓求情！」
但以斯帖立刻就感受到壓力，因為她知道——任何人不能隨意進入王的內院。如果沒有被召見就擅自闖入，是要被處死的，除非王伸出金杖赦免你。
這可不是誇張。畢竟，我們都知道這位皇帝的脾氣，連王后瓦實提都可以因為不聽話而被廢掉，以斯帖很清楚，這個人一時不爽，她也可能沒命。
而這時候，末底改講出那句震撼人心的話（第四章13-14節）：
「不要以為你在王宮裡就比其他猶太人安全。如果你現在閉口不言，猶太人必從別處得著解救，但你和你父家必滅亡。焉知你得了王后的位分，不正是為了這個時候嗎？」
這句話太有力量了——簡直就像一個信仰的雷聲，打在以斯帖的心上。
這讓人想起《創世記》裡，約瑟對他的哥哥們說的話：「你們的意思是要害我，但神的意思原是好的，要保全許多人的性命。」神能把人的壞事轉為祝福。那麼今天以斯帖被選為皇后，會不會就是為了這個時刻？為了拯救她的民族？
末底改在這裡所做的，是信仰中的提醒。他的意思很清楚：神會拯救猶太人，但你是否願意成為這拯救的器皿？今天以斯帖在王后的位置上，看似是命運的偶然，其實可能正是神安排的時刻。她必須決定——要不要挺身而出。她的心要承受整個民族的存亡壓力，不可謂不深刻。
以斯帖聽了末底改的話之後，也做出了一個極關鍵的回應。
她派人回覆末底改說：「那你就去召集書珊城所有的猶太人，為我禁食三天三夜，不吃不喝。我和我的宮女也會這樣禁食。然後，我就要進去見王。即使違例，也要進去——我若死，就死吧。」
這句話，不只是順服，更是勇氣與信仰的結晶。
但這段經文也有一個非常有趣的現象。你有沒有注意到，末底改在呼籲以斯帖的時候，說的是：「如果你不出聲，猶太人必從別處得解救。」——但他完全沒有提到「上帝」這個詞。他沒說「神會拯救我們」，也沒說「上帝放你在王位上是為了這個時刻」。
整本《以斯帖記》，從頭到尾，上帝的名字一次也沒有被寫出來。但每一個轉折，每一個看似偶然的安排，背後都充滿了神的引導與安排。
這正是《以斯帖記》的獨特之處。表面上看來，好像是一連串的「巧合」：以斯帖被選為皇后、哈曼抽籤抽到的日期剛好晚了一年、國王那晚失眠，剛好翻到記載末底改救駕的卷宗……但這一切真的只是巧合嗎？
對我們信主的人來說，答案當然是否定的。基督徒相信，世界上沒有真正的「巧合」，只有上帝的預備與容許。
這對於非信徒、或者是剛接觸信仰的人來說，是一個很大的挑戰。未信者習慣把一些事情用「命運」「天意」「剛好」或「運氣好」來解釋。但對信主的人而言，我們明白——即使是最難解釋的苦難、最看不懂的逆境，上帝依然還在掌權。
當災難臨到、當上帝似乎沉默不語，我們能不能仍然相信：祂正在工作？
這是一個很深的信仰功課。
所以，《以斯帖記》不單單是一本古代猶太人的歷史記錄，而是一卷講述「看不見的神，依然掌權」的信仰見證。它提醒我們：即使沒有神蹟、即使沒有天開地裂、即使沒有上帝出場的台詞——祂還在。
當以斯帖說出「我若死，就死吧」這句話時，她是在最人性的恐懼裡，做出一個極有信心的決定。
也許今天你也正站在人生的某個抉擇點上，看不到神，感覺祂很遠。但也許，祂就在你現在的位置上安放你，就是為了「這個時候」。
其實，這樣的信心故事，在聖經中並不是第一次出現。
我們若把《以斯帖記》的這個時刻，放到新約中與耶穌的十字架相比，會發現一樣震撼的平行。
當耶穌被釘十字架的時候，門徒們原本以為——如果祂真的是上帝的兒子，上帝一定會出手救祂，會有神蹟出現。但事實是——沒有。耶穌真的死了，真的被埋葬，真的完全離開了人世。
從人的角度來看，這好像是終點，是失敗，是不可能理解的事：為什麼上帝的兒子要這麼受苦？為什麼會任由祂死去？
但三天後的復活，就是那個徹底打破自然邏輯的答案——證明了當上帝掌權、祂的旨意一定會成就。
這樣的信心，其實在舊約裡也曾經出現過——就是亞伯拉罕。
當亞伯拉罕獻上以撒的那一刻，他並不是做做樣子。他是真的準備要親手獻上自己最愛的兒子。他相信，就算兒子死了，上帝也有能力讓他復活。這樣的信心，是徹底的、完全的。連最疼愛的孩子，他都願意交出來，不為自己留下一絲退路。
所以為什麼亞伯拉罕被稱為「信心之父」？因為他真正地「看穿了世界」，把一切的依靠放在神的手中。
今天，我們在以斯帖的這句話裡，也看到相同的信心：「我若死，就死吧。」這不是一種絕望，而是一種超越生死的決心。她願意為了她的民族、為了公義、為了神的計畫，把生命都放下來。
感謝各位的聆聽，這一章的劇情就在以斯帖決定要獻身去為猶太民族見皇帝結束了。這一場危機的後續又會怎麼發展呢？我們明天繼續分享以斯帖記第五章。感謝各位的聆聽，願上帝祝福各位。
Peace to you, brothers and sisters. Today we continue our reading of Esther Chapter 4.
Yesterday, Chapter 3 ended on a dramatic and intense note—Haman had risen to power, carrying with him generations of hatred. Driven by personal vengeance, he planned to exterminate the entire Jewish people. Suddenly, the Jews across the empire were plunged into unprecedented crisis. A decree of genocide had been issued. Disaster was at their doorstep.
So what now?
At the beginning of Chapter 4, we see the Jewish people in Susa overwhelmed by fear and sorrow. Everyone is mourning, fasting, and weeping, because they know their lives are hanging by a thread.
Especially Mordecai—he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and walked through the city crying loudly and bitterly. He likely didn’t expect that his personal act of faith—refusing to bow to Haman—would spark such a storm and put his entire nation at risk. What was he feeling in that moment? Regret? Grief? A crushing sense of responsibility? We don’t know for sure, but we can imagine the emotional weight was immense.
When the news reached the palace, Esther heard about Mordecai’s actions and immediately sent him clothes, hoping he would take off the sackcloth. But Mordecai refused. This wasn’t mere grief—it was a cry of faith in the face of life and death.
So Esther sent someone out of the palace to speak with Mordecai directly and find out what was really going on. That’s when she learned that Haman wasn’t just targeting Mordecai—he was planning to annihilate all the Jews. This was the greatest crisis their people had ever faced.
Mordecai urged her: “You must go to the king and plead for your people!”
But Esther immediately felt the pressure. She knew that no one could just walk into the inner court to see the king. If you entered uninvited, the punishment was death—unless the king extended his golden scepter.
And this wasn’t an exaggeration. We all know how unpredictable this king was. He had already dismissed Queen Vashti over a minor issue. Esther understood: if she angered the king, she could be killed on the spot.
At this moment, Mordecai speaks a powerful, unforgettable line (Esther 4:13–14):
“Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”
What a thunderous statement of faith—like lightning striking Esther’s heart.
It reminds us of Joseph’s words in Genesis to his brothers: “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done—the saving of many lives.” God can turn human evil into blessing. So perhaps Esther’s rise to royalty wasn’t coincidence after all, but God’s setup for this very moment—to save her people.
Mordecai’s words are a deep faith-filled reminder. He doesn’t question whether God will deliver the Jews—he believes that will happen. The question is: will Esther be part of that plan? She must decide whether to rise up. And she now bears the weight of her people’s fate on her shoulders.
Esther responds with a crucial decision.
She sends word back to Mordecai:
“Go, gather all the Jews in Susa and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maids will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king—even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.”
This is more than obedience. It’s courage. It’s faith.
But there’s something curious in this chapter. Did you notice? When Mordecai urges Esther to act, he says, “deliverance will arise from another place”—yet he never mentions God by name. He doesn’t say, “God will save us.” He doesn’t say, “God put you in this royal position.”
In fact, God’s name never appears in the entire Book of Esther. Not even once. Yet at every turn, in every twist of the story, you can sense His presence. His hand. His timing.
That’s one of the most fascinating things about this book.
On the surface, it looks like a series of coincidences: Esther becoming queen, Haman’s lot falling nearly a year later, the king’s insomnia leading him to rediscover Mordecai’s act of loyalty…
But are they really coincidences?
For those of us who believe, the answer is no. Christians believe there are no real coincidences—only God’s preparation and permission.
That idea can be hard to accept, especially for people who don’t yet believe. The world calls it “fate,” “luck,” “just happened,” or “random.” But as believers, we know—even in pain, even in suffering, even when we can’t explain what’s happening—God is still in control.
When disaster strikes, when God seems silent—can we still believe that He is working?
That’s a deep challenge of faith.
So the Book of Esther isn’t just a Jewish historical account. It’s a powerful testimony that even when God is unseen, He is still sovereign. No miracles, no parted seas, no divine voice—yet God is everywhere in this story.
When Esther says, “If I perish, I perish,” she isn’t giving up—she’s placing faith above fear. She’s making a bold, human decision with divine courage.
Maybe you’re standing at a crossroads in life, feeling like God is far away. But what if He has placed you right where you are, for such a time as this?
This kind of faith isn’t new.
We see a parallel in the New Testament—at the cross.
When Jesus was crucified, His disciples thought, “If He truly is the Son of God, surely God will rescue Him.” But He wasn’t rescued. He died. He was buried. From a human view, it looked like failure. The end.
But on the third day, resurrection shattered that logic. God was never absent. His plan was being fulfilled.
We can find similar story in the Old Testament —in Abraham.
When Abraham offered Isaac, he wasn’t pretending. He was genuinely ready to sacrifice the son he loved most. He believed that even if Isaac died, God could raise him from the dead. That is complete faith. He held back nothing—not even what he loved most.
That’s why Abraham is called the father of faith—because he truly saw through this world, and placed everything in God’s hands.
And now, we see that same faith in Esther’s words: “If I perish, I perish.”
It’s not despair. It’s a decision to put God’s plan above her own life—for her people, for justice, for the Kingdom.
Thank you for listening. Chapter 4 ends with Esther’s resolve to risk everything and go before the king. What will happen next in this crisis?
We’ll continue tomorrow with Chapter 5 of Esther. Thank you again for listening, and may God bless you.
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