Esther 4:1

Esther 4:1 says, Then Mordecai perceived all that was done, Mordecai rent his clothes, and put on sackcloth with ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, and cried with a loud and a bitter cry;  When Mordecai realized what was being done, he was very distraught and tore his clothes and cried out in anguish.  He was physically affected by this decree, not for himself alone but for all the Jews.  Matthew Henry says that he freely identified with those under the decree of death and that he also realized that it was due in part to his actions in refusing to bow down to Haman.  We need to be upset when we see injustice happening to other believers, but we should also be grieved by the fact that so many people are doomed to everlasting punishment because of their refusal to accept Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and Lord.  We also need to acknowledge that Jesus Christ was crucified for our sins. 

Verse two adds, And came even before the king's gate: for none might enter into the king's gate clothed with sackcloth.  Since Mordecai had clothed himself in sack cloth, he stopped outside the king’s gate since anyone who was dressed in sackcloth could not enter the city.  We are blessed by the fact that we can come to Jesus no matter how we are dressed and if we put our faith in Him, He will redeem us and establish a right relationship with God.  Still, until we do accept Jesus as our Savior and Lord, we will be sitting outside the gate to everlasting life with God. 

Verse three continues, And in every province, whithersoever the king's commandment and his decree came, there was great mourning among the Jews, and fasting, and weeping, and wailing; and many lay in sackcloth and ashes.  Mordecai was not the only one mourning and dressed in sackcloth.  Throughout the kingdom people were doing the same while fasting, weeping and wailing.  In all of this though it doesn’t say that they were praying to God for deliverance.  They may have been, but it really doesn’t say so.  I do know that all the external signs of grief at being doomed to everlasting punishment will do us no good.  We must pray to God for forgiveness and deliverance through putting our faith in Jesus Christ to be saved.  Matthew Henry says that the liberty that Cyrus had given them was now gone and they were crying out because most had not done anything to help in the rebuilding of Jerusalem when they had the chance.  Many people are one day going to be mourning because they didn’t accept Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and Lord when they had a chance.

Verse four concludes, So Esther's maids and her chamberlains came and told it her. Then was the queen exceedingly grieved; and she sent raiment to clothe Mordecai, and to take away his sackcloth from him: but he received it not.  Esther received word of Mordecai’s state, and sent him clothes to replace his sackcloth, but he wouldn’t take them.  We cannot just dress sin up in nice clothes and suddenly be forgiven of our sins, not that Mordecai was guilty of sin. Nor will dressing nicely instead of in tattered clothes solve anything if we are dressed so in mourning for the state of the world.