In his accusations against the Jews, Haman had told the king that there was a people scattered throughout his kingdom whose custoths were diverse from all people. This was then, and is still, the cause of the world’s enmity against the people of God. The Lord told His disciples: “If ye were of the world, the world would love his own; but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.” John 15:19. It is possible for a Christian to slip through this world and to experience little of its enmity and persecutions, by conforming himself to its ways. But such a one loses the unspeakable privilege and joy of sharing the reproach of Christ, “who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Heb. 12:2. The Apostle tells us in 2 Tim. 3:12, that “all that will live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.” It is written of Moses, when he was still a young man, that he “refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward.” Heb. 11:24-26.
Haman also had said that this people had their own laws and did not keep the laws of the king. This was true in part, for there were no laws like those given by the Lord God Himself to His people. But on the other hand, the Lord had told them by the mouth of Jeremiah to seek the peace of the city where He had caused them to be carried captive. They were to pray to Him for it, for in the peace of the land were they to have peace. Therefore part of Haman’s charges were false, and this is one of the ways in which Satan works. He mixes up both truth and falsehood together in order to make his deceptions more subtle.
When Mordecai heard of the king’s commandment to destroy all the Jews, he rent his clothes and put on sackcloth with ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, and cried with a loud and bitter cry. He even came before the king’s gate, but not within it, for none might enter the gate clothed with sackcloth. Also in every province there was great mourning, and weeping and wailing, and fasting among the Jews. And well they might, humanly speaking, for their doom was sealed, and nothing could possibly save them; so it appeared. But if God’s name does not appear here, His ear nonetheless heard the cries of His people.
Queen Esther was not aware of the king’s commandment, but she did hear Mordecai’s cries outside the gate, and she was exceedingly grieved. She sent clothes out to Mordecai, who refused them. Then she sent Hatach, one of the king’s servants to Mordecai, who told him of all that had happened, of the great sum that Haman had promised to pay, and of the destruction that awaited the Jews. He also gave him a copy of the king’s decree that he might show it to Esther, and he charged her to go in and make supplication unto the king for her people. It would seem that through it all Mordecai had faith that God’s purposes were such that He would not allow the Jews to be slain.
ML 11/15/1959