Intercede at the Throne of Grace

In the book of Esther, when word reached Mordecai of the decree that all the Jews would be killed and plundered he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, went to the gate of the king and wailed bitterly in grief.  Mordecai did not venture within the gate wearing sackcloth because this was forbidden by the law.  

Esther 4:4-5 reads, "So Esther's maids and eunuchs came and told her, and the queen was deeply distressed. Then she sent garments to clothe Mordecai and take his sackcloth away from him, but he would not accept them. ⁵ Then Esther called Hathach, one of the king's eunuchs whom he had appointed to attend her, and she gave him a command concerning Mordecai, to learn what and why this was."

When Esther heard her cousin mourned in public, Esther was deeply distressed.  She sent clothes to Mordecai with desire to take away his sackcloth, but Mordecai refused.  Perhaps she wanted him to be properly clothed so he could enter the gate of the king and speak with her personally or to show she cared about him.  The problem was greater than Esther imagined, for the decree which had been signed impacted Mordecai, queen Esther and all the Jews in the realm because it condemned them to be executed and plundered on a set day.  Esther would initially have been glad and comforted if Mordecai received the clothing and stopped wailing, yet that would only be treating a symptom rather than the source of his grief.  We can be like Esther:  we can be distressed people are upset without even knowing why others grieve and what can be done to make a difference.  Without an explanation from Mordecai Esther could only guess what had happened and why he was so upset.

Esther was kind and compassionate to offer Mordecai new clothing.  In gaining her attention Mordecai demanded far more than this was necessary, for clothing would not save the Jews from destruction.  Mordecai sent a copy of the edict which sealed the doom of the Jewish people at the hand their enemies and urged her to bravely go before the king in violation of the law of the Medes and Persians (which cannot be altered) to plead for the lives of her people.  He reminded Esther she was a Jew, and being queen did not protect her from the arm of the law if she sheltered within the palace:  the law had gone out from there and would surely be enforced.  The law also said anyone who appeared before the king without being summoned would be executed unless the king held out the sceptre and immediately issued a pardon to the one who found favour in his sight.  To save her life, Mordecai and her people, Esther needed to risk her life trusting the LORD to be with her and help her whether she lived or died.

It struck me as I read this passage how initially Esther limited her efforts to the clothing of one man with an aim to assuage grief and suffering--providing for physical needs--while Mordecai desired Esther to go to king himself and accomplish with her request what smart new clothes could not.  What a glorious picture this is of the privilege of the child of God, that we have access and ability to come before God the KING OF KINGS when we see people sorrow and suffer with spiritual intercession.  Unlike Esther who was prohibited by law to enter the throne room of King Ahasuerus, we are invited to enter into God's throne room of grace.  We enter, not at the risk of our own necks, but because Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead to provide access into the presence of the living God.  Since Jesus Christ our High Priest stands ready to hear, help and save Hebrews 4:16 reads:  "Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need."  Seeking the LORD and interceding on behalf of others is the least and most we can do at the same time.