King Ahasuerus has promoted
Haman the Agagite to a new position that is elevated above many of
his princes. Because of this great honor, the king has commanded that
all bow to Haman and be subject to him. However, there is one in the
kingdom who will not bow no matter what the king has ordered –
Mordecai. Because of his unwillingness to conform to the edict, in
chapter three and verse three the king's servants have a question for
him. We read:
Then the king's
servants, which were in the king's gate, said unto Mordecai,
Why do you transgress the king's commandment?
Our
verse begins, “Then the king's servants, which were
in the king's gate, said unto Mordecai,...” We may note by this
portion of the scripture that Mordecai did not sit at the king's gate
alone. There were others with him, and these were also servants to
the king. This becomes an interesting fact as we learn about the peer
pressure to conform that must have been toward Mordecai.
The
verse continues, “Why do you transgress the king's commandment?”
The idea behind the word “transgress” is “to pass
over, cross, cross over, pass over, march over, or go over” as
though ignoring. In other words, Mordecai acted as though the law was
not ever established. He had such a disregard for the law of the king
to bow before Haman that it was as if it was not even there. The
other servants with an accusing tone and more of a statement-question
asked him why he would not obey the king. The implication is that he
should obey the king, but nonetheless their influence fell on deaf
ears.
In
chapter five of the book of the Acts of the Apostles in verses
twenty-seven through twenty-nine we read of a similar law of man that
was contrary to God's law. We read:
And
when they had brought them, they set them before the
council: and the high priest asked them, Saying, Did not we straitly
command you that you should not teach in this name? and, behold, you
have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this
man's blood upon us. Then Peter and the other
apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.
There is
a time when submission to the law of God is greater than the law of
man. For Peter and the apostles, the presentation of the gospel was a
higher law than man's law to stop speaking in Jesus' name. For
Mordecai the law of God which said “you have no other gods before
Me” meant giving homage to any man would be a violation of that
law. Mordecai stood firm, and even though he was being cajoled to
conform, Mordecai was faithful to God.
Are
there areas within the law of man that we know violate the law of
God? Do we stand firm against them as Mordecai or do we conform to
the outside influences? Second Timothy chapter three and verse
thirteen says, “But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and
worse, deceiving, and being deceived” which means there may be
more and more opportunity to stand resolved to keep the law of God
rather than the laws of man. As those days come, may we all be
prepared to stand firm and make others wonder why we transgress the
law like the apostles and Mordecai.
Next time we will watch as Mordecai
continues his position and reveals that he is a Jew, 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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