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Sackcloth and Ashes





When Mordecai learned of all that had been done, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the city, wailing loudly and bitterly. Esther 4:1 (NIV)


No chapter holds greater significance to Esther than chapter 4. Recall the God-ordained timing, Mordecai probably woke in the morning thinking of Passover, only to discover that “he and all his Jewish friends had been sentenced to die. The rope of bondage of the exile with which he had become so comfortable had now become a noose around his neck.”

Thus far Mordecai has been showcased as a very proud and capable man. Suddenly we see him wailing loudly on the public streets of Susa and tearing at his clothing. Think of the last time you saw someone “wailing loudly and bitterly.” How did you react inside and why?




Though the individual words appear many places in the Old Testament, the exact Hebrew phrase, “with fasting, weeping and wailing” in Esther 4:3 appears only in Joel 2:12. Though Joel falls after Esther in our Bible, it was undoubtedly written prior to it. Many scholars believe the reference was intentional and assumed that the readers of the Book of Esther would be familiar with the book of Joel.

“Mourning” is exactly the same Hebrew word translated “wailing” in Esther 4:3. Mordecai and the Jews that in Susa weren’t just grieving; they were demonstrating their desire to do something far more proactive.

From the beginning of our journey through Esther, we established that God’s name may not be in the book, but it is on it. The entire theology of the book erupts from the peculiar doctrine of divine hiddenness.

One of our goals is to search for clues of God and godly activity within this most unique of sacred scrolls. You’ve just stumbled onto a wonderful revelation of relationship between the Jews of Susa and their God.

Write Acts 3:19-20 on a note card or piece of paper and carry it with you. Then act on it and celebrate it.


He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and He relents from sending calamity. Joel 2:13a

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