Lessons From The Story Of Mordecai And Esther.
Sabbath Afternoon
05/09/2015
The Bible is full of instruction for any and everyone who is willing to learn in the school of Christ, for God teaches us both spiritual and temporal lessons in the experiences of patriarchs, prophets, and the various characters in the Bible. Two of the more prominent God-faring people ever recorded are Queen Esther and Mordecai, by whom The Lord wrought great deliverance in behalf of His people, and it is with great interest we should carefully observe the various developments which finally led to the people of God being delivered from a single blow that was designed to wipe out the entire nation of Jews in a single day.
The story begins not with Esther, but with the previous queen Vashti, who was removed from her office and position because she refused to follow the king’s order to parade her beauty before the nobles and princes of his realm. King Ahaseurus had given this command to the queen after he had been drinking alcohol for sometime, and through indulgence, his better judgment had been greatly impaired.
It is often the case that under the influence of alcoholic beverages, that men and women say and do things that they would not otherwise say nor do, and because this undeniable fact has been substantiated throughout history, in the likes of Herod, who made a pledge to Salome because of the way she danced, resulting in the beheading of John the Baptist, the first lesson to be deduced from the book of Esther is that it is not good to consume alcoholic beverages, especially if one is in a position of authority, for then the possibility of perverted judgment becomes all the more a reality.
Thus the Bible strictly forbids kings, rulers, and princes to consume intoxicating wine, lest they say and do that which could result in adverse or evil consequences. Let’s read:
Proverbs 31:4 [It is] not for kings, O Lemuel, [it is] not
for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink:
31:5 Lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted.
Proverbs 20:1 Wine [is] a mocker, strong drink [is] raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.
Proverbs 23:29 Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes?
23:30 They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine.
23:32 At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.
23:33 Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things.
Thus it was that king Ahaseurus determined that day to remove his wife Vashti from being Queen, after he had consulted with the nobles and princes of his realm. But the next move made by the king, and one which was accessed by both Mordecai and Esther, is a process that deserves serious attention, for it brings to light the fact that as Christians we should cultivate the disposition to follow where God leads the way, even if His ways may involve very unconventional methods, ways and means.
When the prophet Micah speaks of “Walking humbly with God”, he is not referring to a mere outward piety, nor is he speaking of only being willing to follow God in that which is written. He is speaking of an attitude that lives by the word of God alone, without turning to the right hand or to the left, but one which is also willing to follow God outside the box, where He sometimes leads the way.
In this instance, king Ahaseurus’ main focus in finding a new wife and queen was that she should be “Fair”, meaning that she should be extremely good looking, for out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks, and the former queen Vashti, was removed from her position for refusing to display her beauty.
Now who in their right mind would think that God would have anything to do with such a proposal, but the Bible teaches us that God often works through the normal, and widely accepted operations and methods of man to get His will done. In this instance it was a sort of beauty pageant, from which the king was determined to choose his new bride, and Mordecai and Esther, both faithful Christians, were moved upon by the Lord to apply for the position through the normal vetting process.
Was this move by God in harmony with what is clearly written? Absolutely not! Does the buck stop with Him? Absolutely, for whatsoever might be written in the scriptures must be followed to the letter, unless He states or shows us otherwise, because in the final analysis, God has the last word. To begin with, Ahaseurus was not a Christian by any means, and this fact would of necessity put the whole proposal at odds with what the Bible teaches. Let’s read:
Deuteronomy 7:2 And when the LORD thy God shall deliver them before thee”…”thou shalt make no covenant with them”…
7:3 Neither shalt thou make marriages with them; thy
daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son.
7:4 For they will turn away thy son from following me, that they may serve other gods: so will the anger of the LORD be kindled against you, and destroy thee suddenly.
2nd Corinthians 6:14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?
6:15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?
6:16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in [them]; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
6:17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean [thing]; and I will receive you.
6:18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
This leads us to our second very important lesson, the fact that God can countermand His own instruction at His discretion, and we who follow in His train should at all times be willing to make the necessary adjustments as He sees fit, once we have ascertained that it is indeed the voice of God that has spoken, even if it goes against what is clearly written in the instructions given in His word. This aspect of walking humbly with God will play a pivotal role in the near future, when according to the Bible, He will begin to utter His literal voice to His chosen people. Let’s read:
Deuteronomy 4:29 But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find [him], if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.
4:30 When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, [even] in the latter days, if thou turn to the LORD thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice;
Joel 2:1 Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for [it is] nigh at hand;
2:2 A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, [even] to the years of many generations.
2:10 The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining:
2:11 And the LORD shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp [is] very great: for [he is] strong that executeth his word: for the day of the LORD [is] great and very terrible; and who can abide it?
This leads us to our third and very important lesson of following the voice of God, as is written in His word, in instances where matters of principle and law are at stake. Under no circumstances are we to bow to the popular majority in doing evil, even if it comes down to us as an imperial mandate, for the Christian is to be found standing firmly for the right, even in the midst of the fiercest opposition from the enemies of God and all righteousness.
The vast majority of the populace doing evil does not make it right in the sight of God, and sin does not become righteousness with the passage of time. In other words, holiness is not a fad or fashion that changes in tandem with pop culture, for it is based on the eternal principles and laws of the kingdom of God. In the above- mentioned instance of Mordecai being urged by his fellows to “Bow” to the proud Haman, he steadfastly refused, even if it meant that he might possibly lose his job as a public figure.
The Bible specifically states that bowing in reverential worship to a mere mortal man, is a great sin, and as such should never be practiced by those who name the name of Christ. Furthermore, reverence as an act of worship, such as bowing belongs to God alone, for according to the scriptures, His very name is Reverend. Let’s read:
Psalm 111:9 He sent redemption unto his people: he hath commanded his covenant for ever: holy and reverend [is] his name.
111:10 The fear of the LORD [is] the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do [his commandments”….
Exodus 20:3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
20:5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God [am] a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth [generation] of them that hate me;
20:6 And showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
When the king Ahaseurus required of his subjects that they should bow the knee to Haman, he had overstepped his bounds, and Mordecai’s sacred duty was to refuse the royal edict. In our day we have many Christians in public office who are “Bowing” to the clamors of the popular majority, since tremendous political and financial pressure is being brought to bear against their persons. As Christians living in the 21st century, we must expect satan to turn up the heat of the furnace several notches, in order to try to force compliance from unwilling hearts, yet like the faithful Mordecai, we should stand for the right though the heavens fall. Let’s read:
Esther 3:1 After these things did king Ahasuerus
promote Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him, and set his seat above all the princes that [were] with him.
3:2 And all the king's servants, that [were] in the king's gate, bowed, and reverenced Haman: for the king had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai bowed not, nor did [him] reverence.
3:3 Then the king's servants, which [were] in the king's gate, said unto Mordecai, Why transgressest thou the king's commandment?
3:4 Now it came to pass, when they spake daily unto him, and he hearkened not unto them, that they told Haman, to see whether Mordecai's matters would stand: for he had told them that he [was] a Jew.
3:5 And when Haman saw that Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence, then was Haman full of wrath.
3:6 And he thought scorn to lay hands on Mordecai alone; for they had showed him the people of Mordecai: wherefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews that [were] throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, [even] the people of Mordecai.
This action to be taken by Haman is representative of an age old principle coming from the enemy of souls, for whenever true Christians refuse to buckle to the various pressures that are exerted against them to depart from the path integrity, the death penalty is sooner or later sought. Thus it was with Cain and Abel, with Daniel, with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, with Christ, with the apostles, with the millions of faithful martyrs throughout the dark ages, and thus it is with the various terrorist groups in our day.
There is always a threat of some sort, associated with not bowing, however it is often when the situation comes to a crisis, that God begins to take steps to overthrow the evils that are determined against His people, just as it was with Mordecai and Esther. Let’s read:
Esther 6:1 On that night could not the king sleep, and he commanded to bring the book of records of the chronicles; and they were read before the king.
6:2 And it was found written, that Mordecai had told of”…”two of the king's chamberlains”… “who sought to lay hand on the king”…
6:3 And the king said, What honour and dignity hath been done to Mordecai for this? Then said the king's servants that ministered unto him, There is nothing done for him.
6:4 And the king said, Who [is] in the court? Now Haman was come into the outward court of the king's house, to speak unto the king to hang Mordecai on the gallows that he had prepared for him.
6:5 And the king's servants said unto him, Behold, Haman standeth in the court. And the king said, Let him come in.
6:6 So Haman came in. And the king said unto him, What shall be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honour? Now Haman thought in his heart, To whom would the king delight to do honour more than to myself?
6:7 And Haman answered the king, For the man whom the king delighteth to honour,
6:8 Let the royal apparel be brought which the king
[useth] to wear, and the horse that the king rideth upon, and the crown royal which is set upon his head:
6:9 And let this apparel and horse be delivered to the hand of one of the king's most noble princes, that they may array the man [withal] whom the king delighteth to honour, and bring him on horseback through the street of the city, and proclaim before him, Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delighteth to honour.
6:10 Then the king said to Haman, Make haste, [and] take the apparel and the horse, as thou hast said, and do even so to Mordecai the Jew, that sitteth at the king's gate: let nothing fail of all that thou hast spoken.
6:11 Then took Haman the apparel and the horse, and arrayed Mordecai, and brought him on horseback through the street of the city, and proclaimed before him, Thus shall it be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honour.
This dramatic turn of events and change of fortune for
Haman represents the beginning of his overthrow by the omnipotent God, who obviously was speaking directly to Haman through the king. The snares that are often laid for the feet of faithful Christians are often the very ones God uses in the overthrow of their enemies. Thus it was with Daniel in the lion’s den, with the three faithful Hebrews in the fiery furnace, and now with Haman and the gallows he had built, on which to hang Mordecai.
Haman’s period of probation now being closed, he will be shuttered in with a series of dire circumstances that will put his back against a wall, an omen of impending doom, from which he will not be able to extricate himself. In the banquet that was being prepared for the king and Haman by queen Esther, the enemy of God’s people had thought only of promotion, fame and fortune, but now he sees in the circumstances that are unfolding, the very ominous shadows of death settling in upon his soul. Let’s read:
Esther 7:1 So the king and Haman came to banquet with Esther the queen.
7:2 And the king said again unto Esther”… “what [is] thy request? and it shall be performed, [even] to the half
of the kingdom.
7:3 Then Esther the queen answered and said, If I have found favour in thy sight, O king, and if it please the king, let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request:
7:4 For we are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish”…
7:5 Then the king Ahasuerus answered and said unto Esther the queen, Who is he, and where is he, that durst presume in his heart to do so?
7:6 And Esther said, The adversary and enemy [is] this wicked Haman. Then Haman was afraid before the king and the queen.
7:7 And the king arising from the banquet of wine in his wrath [went] into the palace garden: and Haman stood up to make request for his life to Esther the queen; for he saw that there was evil determined against him by the king.
7:8 Then the king returned out of the palace garden into the place of the banquet of wine; and Haman was fallen upon the bed whereon Esther [was]. Then said the king, Will he force the queen also before me in the house? As the word went out of the king's mouth, they covered Haman's face.
7:9 And Harbonah, one of the chamberlains, said before the king, Behold also, the gallows fifty cubits high, which Haman had made for Mordecai, who had spoken good for the king, standeth in the house of Haman. Then the king said, Hang him thereon.
Some may be wondering what is the import of these lessons from the story of Mordecai and Esther for us Christians living in the 21st century. The book of Esther actually contains certain blueprints that will repeated in our day, when the same agencies of evil will rise up against true Christians and endeavor to force submission to a form of religion that God neither recognizes nor endorses.
And just as it was in the days of old, with the deliverance that was wrought on behalf of the Hebrews, God will work in very unconventional ways to bring about the complete overthrow of the conglomerate of evil arrayed against the principles and laws of His kingdom. Thus, of that time we read:
Daniel 12:1 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation [even] to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.
12:2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame [and] everlasting contempt.
12:3 And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.
Revelation 17:1 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will show unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:
17:2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.
17:3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
17:4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:
17:5 And upon her forehead [was] a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
17:6 And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus”..
17:12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings”…
17:13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.
17:14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him [are] called, and chosen, and faithful.
17:15 And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.
17:16 And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.
17:17 For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.
17:18 And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.
When any adverse pressure, including the threat of death, is exerted against true Christians, when the heat of the furnace shall be turned up several notches in order to force compliance or to compel our consciences in violating matters pertaining to the sacred institutions of God , then let the people of God look up to heaven, from whence cometh our help, for the same God of Mordecai and queen Esther is just about ready to begin His strange work in the earth, by which He will bring to naught, all of the machinations of evil men, for the deliverance of His people.
This will be accomplished in ways and means that may surprise many of us, nevertheless it will certainly come to pass, for the prophecies that are written for our day must be fulfilled in their due season. We therefore end with a passage of scripture which encourages us to be faithful, for it shows that the snares that are laid for the feet of the righteous, will be used in the final overthrow of those who are averse to God and His righteousness. Let’s read:
Psalms 9:15 The heathen are sunk down in the pit [that] they made: in the net which they hid is their own foot taken.
9:16 The LORD is known [by] the judgment [which] he executeth: the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands.
God bless!