Notice what we don’t read in this story. We don’t read of Esther seeking any divine word from the Lord, though a discerning reader may see God at work in Mordecai’s advice to her. She had no promise as to what the future would look like. All she knew was that saving her people was a good thing. God did not tell her what would happen if she obeyed or exactly what she could do to ensure success. She had to take a risk for God. “If I perish, I perish” was her courageous cry.
