Day 13 - Esther 4:16

A Fasted Journey for Spiritual Renewal

Day 13

“Go, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my behalf, and do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my young women will also fast as you do. Then I will go to the king, though it is against the law, and if I perish, I perish.” -Esther 4:16

As Daniel was yesterday, so too is Esther today: one of my favorite “Biblical Whistleblowers.” Never before have I thought about the fast that she participated in and asked others to do at her behest mere days prior to making her own “protected disclosure.” Or, at least thought about it in a deeper way. Calling for a fast was the first thing she did once she decided to do what must be done. The difficult right over the easy wrong.

Again we see here a biblical account of fasting for an appropriate purpose. Esther was afraid. She was afraid of going to the king. She was afraid because she would be executed for going to the king without being summoned. But she did it anyways. The king had recently made a decree that all the Jews in the kingdom be put to death. What a wicked law. Esther was a Jew, but she was also queen. Talk about a dilemma.

Esther’s cousin, Mordecai, urged her to go to the king so all of her people would not be slaughtered. Esther was afraid. She was afraid to do the right thing. She was afraid to defy this evil law and tyranny that was coming for her people. One of my favorite verses comes right before today’s verse. In verse 14, Mordecai tells Esther, “For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

Who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this? This verse is often referenced by fellow fbi whistleblower Steve Friend. It is as analogous to whistleblowers as is Isaiah 6:8. Oddly enough, we mentioned both of these verses recently while we were in DC. Steve and I were not up against a death sentence for making protected disclosures; although an argument can be made for how the retaliation of not paying us, not allowing us to work, or even accept the donations that came in the wake of our testimony, etc., is a modern day death sentence.

Nonetheless, Esther was facing imminent death. Yet she knew that she had to do what was right in the face of evil tyranny that was seeking to destroy her and her people. She prefaced that call to step into fear, into faith, against tyranny with three days of fasting; and likely prayer as can be implied by what accompanies fasting throughout Scripture.

Who knows whether we have not come to our nation for such a time as this…

I am not a medical professional. This journal is about my spiritual path and about that which the Lord has placed on me. This is not medical advice, nor was this fast done for any medical purpose. If you have a medical interest, seek medical advice. If you have particular health concerns, seek medical advice and/or conduct your own research. Any fasting advice, effects, realizations or anything else related to my fast come from my personal reflection and experience. If you are considering fasting, consulting with a healthcare provider may be appropriate for you.