“If I Am to Perish, I Will Perish”

A YOUNG woman walked toward the royal chamber where the king sat on his throne. She knew that she might well die for daring to appear before him when he had not summoned her. She was afraid. But she kept on walking. Who was she, and how did she get into this situation?

Her name was Esther. Her parents had died when she was a young girl, and her much older cousin Mordecai “took her as his daughter” and became her guardian. They lived in Shushan, a royal city of the Persian Empire, where Mordecai worked as a servant of the king. Esther grew up to be “beautifully formed and attractive in appearance.”

One day King Ahasuerus (probably Xerxes I) decided to choose a new wife, so a search was made throughout the empire for beautiful virgins. The king’s men noticed Esther’s great beauty and brought her to the royal palace. Before he was forced to part with Esther, Mordecai “instructed her not to tell anyone” about her Jewish heritage.

In the palace, “Esther was winning the favor of everyone who saw her.” After 12 months of beauty treatments, she was brought before the king. “She won his favor and approval,” and he chose her above all the others. She became queen of that mighty world empire! Still, Esther obeyed Mordecai and kept her Jewish origin to herself.

In those days, a man named Haman was appointed to serve as second in command to the king. Haman hated Mordecai, who refused to bow down before him. Mordecai refused because he was a faithful servant of God. Haman, it seems, came from a nation that Jehovah had condemned as His enemy. In any case, Haman was furious at Mordecai and hatched a plot to have all the Jews throughout the empire killed off. When Mordecai learned of Haman’s scheme, he was deeply grieved. He sent a message to Esther, urging her to go to the king and intervene on behalf of her people. This was her greatest test yet.

Esther explained to Mordecai that she could be given the death penalty for appearing before the king uninvited. That monarch was famous for his temper. Still, Mordecai encouraged her, and he reminded her that she may have become queen for this very purpose​—to protect Jehovah’s people. So Esther fought down her fears. She reasoned: “If I am to perish, I will perish.” Esther asked only that her people fast for three days. Surely, countless prayers were offered up by her and for her. Then she went to the king.

When Ahasuerus saw Esther standing in his royal courtyard, he was not angry. There would be no death penalty. Instead, he asked her what she wanted. She responded by inviting him and Haman to a banquet that she had prepared for them. At that banquet, she proved to be cautious and wisely held her tongue. She simply invited the king and Haman to a second banquet on the following day. Haman used that time to plot further against Mordecai, whom he wanted to see hanged on a stake. But Haman’s clever scheming would only make matters worse for him in the end.

At the second banquet, Ahasuerus again asked Esther what he could do for her. This time, she spoke up. Respectfully, she told the king that there was a plot underway to destroy her and her people. She said that she would have kept silent, but this plot would damage the king himself. Surprised, Ahasuerus asked who the plotter was. Esther now exposed the villain: Haman! The enraged king ordered that he be executed. As it turned out, Haman was hung on the very stake that he had just set up for Mordecai.

Haman had hoped to wipe out Mordecai and all of God’s people throughout the Persian Empire. Instead, Haman and many other enemies of Jehovah and His people were wiped out. Thus, Jehovah used a young woman of courage and faith to ensure that his people were safe once again.

Read the Bible account:

• Esther 1:1–9:1, 5, 13-17

For discussion:

In what ways did Esther show courage?

Dig Deeper

1. 1. What supports the historical accuracy of this account? (ia 138, box) A

   Your answer

   

   Ungnad, Arthur. “Neubabylonische Privaturkunden aus der Sammlung Amherst.” Archiv für Orientforschung, vol. 19, 1959, pp. 74–82

2. 2. Why might Mordecai have refused to bow down to Haman? (ia 131 ¶18)

   Your answer

3. 3. What indicates that Satan and his demons were involved in trying to exterminate the Jews? (g02 9/8 7 ¶3–8 ¶2) B

   Your answer

   

   Cube. Lot of Yahali, puru. Neo-Assyrian Clay. (YPM BC 021122). Courtesy of the Peabody Museum, Division of Anthropology, Babylonian Collection, Yale University; peabody.yale.edu

4. 4. What prophecy did Esther and Mordecai help fulfill? (ia 142, box)

   Your answer

Reflect on the Lessons

• Esther was wise and obedient even when she was away from others who worshipped Jehovah. What can young people today learn from her?

  Your answer

• Esther won over her husband by communicating with him patiently, tactfully, and honestly. How can Christian wives imitate her example? C

  Your answer

  

• In what other ways might you imitate the courage of Esther?

  Your answer

Meditate on the Bigger Picture

• What does this account teach me about Jehovah?

  Your answer

• How does the account tie in with Jehovah’s purposes?

  Your answer

• In the resurrection, what would I like to ask Esther?

  Your answer

Learn More

In this music video, see the many lessons that children can learn from Esther.

Esther Had Courage (2:09)

How have brothers in modern times imitated Esther when their fellow believers needed protection?

Imitate Those Who Inherit the Promises Through Patience​—Mordecai and Esther (3:05)