Once the days of Purim were
set as an annual celebration for the Jews, King Ahasuerus continued
his duties as ruler over the Persian empire. We learned that he set a
tribute over all the land and islands throughout the kingdom,
however, we may wonder, what happened to Mordecai? In chapter ten and
verse two we see the first of the final two verses of the book of
Esther that tell of Mordecai's continuance. We read:
And
all the acts of his power and of his might, and the declaration of
the greatness of Mordecai, whereunto the king advanced him, are
they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Media
and Persia?
The
verse begins, “And all the acts of his power and of his might,
and the declaration of the greatness of Mordecai,” Let's notice
first the word “all”. From the point when Mordecai was
elevated to the position of second in command within the kingdom, his
“acts of power” and “his might” were recorded.
We may remember the humble beginnings from which Mordecai came. He
was exiled to the Persian empire when they conquered his homeland. He
cared for his younger cousin Esther when her parents died, and he
positioned her in the beauty contest held by King Ahasuerus when the
king needed a new queen. He would not bow to wicked Haman though
there was great pressures to do so, and when he heard of the plot to
destroy the Jews, not only did he appeal to Esther that she might be
called “for such a time as this” but also fasted and sat
in ashes and sackcloth as he prayed for God's deliverance. “The
declaration of the greatness of Mordecai” was known throughout
the Persian empire because of his willingness and commitment to be
used by God as His instrument of intercession.
The verse goes on to say, “whereunto the king advanced him, are
they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Media
and Persia?” Because of Mordecai's acts of power, might and
declaration of greatness, the king “advanced him” which
put him in a prime position to save his people. When Mordecai became
the second in command in the kingdom, he had influence, and he used
it along with Queen Esther to establish the law of defense that
allowed Jews to take up arms against any who would attempt to harm
them. These great feats and exploits of Mordecai were written “in
the book of the chronicles of the kings of Media and Persia”,
and though the verse ends with a question mark, it is indeed a
rhetorical question that can be answered with an emphatic “YES”.
If
someone were to write about our lives, what would they say about us?
Would the actions and attitudes we display every day be ones worth
writing about? Would our daily deeds be considered “acts of
power and might” and would there be “declarations of the
greatness” of us should one pay attention to us? Perhaps as we
consider this verse and the point from which Mordecai originated we
will be influenced by his early actions which were done while he was
not in a position of advancement. Mordecai was faithful to his God,
his family, and he prayed in humility when things were going rough.
He would not bow to social pressures when they went against his
relationship with God, and though he may pay a price, he was willing
to risk it all for his fellowship with the Almighty. May the Lord
Jesus help us to be inspired by the life of Mordecai, and may the
journals of our lives be marked in the measure in which Mordecai's
was.
Next
time we will finish the book of Esther and see the final assessment
of Mordecai, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow...there is more...
Look
for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From
Generation to Generation” and the new marriage book “So, You Want
to Be Married” in all major bookstore sites, www.amazon.com ;
www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at
www.mrzlc.com/bookstore
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