Lechem Panim #100 "The Faithfulness of Mordecai" (Esther 2:19-3:2) Pastor Cameron Ury
Hello, and welcome to Lechem Panim. In our study of the book of Esther, we have come to Esther’s coronation. Out of a group of 400 girls, she has been chosen to be the next queen of Persia. And King Ahasuerus throws a huge party to celebrate. So it is a time of joy and feasting. But in the midst of all this there is also plot and intrigue, as two men secretly lay plans to try to assassinate the king; Esther’s new husband. It says in…
Esther 2:19 (ESV)— 19 Now when the virgins were gathered together the second time {(most likely so King Ahasuerus could choose more concubines for himself in addition to Esther, it says}, Mordecai {(Esther’s elder cousin)} was sitting at the king's gate.
The King’s Gate— Now [the courthouse of the ancient world was the gate of the city.] If you had a legal matter to settle, you went to the city gate to do it. Court would convene at the city gate. And so Mordecai, we see, holds a position of prominence at the gate; very likely a judgeship. But he was more than just your run of the mill judge because he is not just at the city gate; no, he is at (the text says) the king’s gate. And the king’s gate was where officials appointed by the king sat to administer justice (2 Sam. 15:2–6; cf. Ruth 4:1–11). And so Mordecai (though Jewish) was an important official appointed by the king. And it seems very plausible that Esther was the one who had him appointed to that position, as he is not mentioned as being in that position until after her coronation. But even if that were the case, we see that she kept her connection to him as her cousin a secret. It says in verse 20…
Esther 2:20-21 (ESV)— 20 Esther had not made known her kindred or her people, as Mordecai had commanded her, for Esther obeyed Mordecai just as when she was brought up by him. {Now it says in…} 21 In those days, as Mordecai was sitting at the king's gate, Bigthan and Teresh, two of the king's eunuchs, who guarded the threshold, became angry and sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus.
The Threshold— Now these two men were guardians of the threshold, the door to the king’s private quarters. So these are guys who have direct access to the king. They have opportunity. And apparently they have motive, though we don’t know exactly what that was. Esther’s crowning may have had something to do with it. Perhaps those in the palace who were supporters of Queen Vashti resented Ahasuerus for de-throning and replacing her. Or it is possible these two men didn’t like that Esther was an outsider, because (although it wasn’t consistently obeyed) tradition dictated that wives for the Kings of Persia should be selected from within the seven noble families of the land. And so these men might have been traditionalists who saw Esther’s becoming queen an offensive thing. We don’t know. But whatever the motive, they are plotting together to kill the king. Now it says in…
Ecclesiastes 10:20 (ESV) — 20 Even in your thoughts, do not curse the king, nor in your bedroom curse the rich, for a bird of the air will carry your voice, or some winged creature tell the matter.
Well that little bird was Mordecai. The text says…
Esther 2:22a (ESV)— 22 And this came to the knowledge of Mordecai,
Not Overhearing, But Being Informed— Now in the movies, Mordecai somehow overhears this conversation and reports it to Esther. But that is not what the scripture says. It says that this plot came to the knowledge of Mordecai. He did not overhear it; but acquired the information, probably because of his prominent position. It seems that because of his integrity (being one of the few righteous politicians in history), somebody gave him this information knowing that he would do the right thing.
Can We Be Counted On?— And that just makes me think how wonderful it would be if all the people we came into contact with on a day to day basis could know that no matter what happened, you and I could always be counted on to do the right thing. Now some people won’t like you for that, but they will know where you stand. And you will often win their favor in the end. And that’s because the greatest testimony that you and I will ever bear to the world is the testimony of our living our lives in integrity. You want people to accept the Gospel. Then live it before them; and they will be drawn to it.
Now why did Mordecai feel compelled to try to stop the assassination of Ahasuerus? We aren’t sure. Perhaps it was for Esther’s sake. Yet in the book of Jeremiah we see that God says through Jeremiah about the coming captivity…
Jeremiah 29:7 (ESV)— 7 But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.
Mordecai Seeks Persia’s Welfare— And here we see Mordecai acts in accord with the spirit of this verse. He seeks the welfare of Persia by actively preserving the life of the king. Now Mordecai thinks he is doing the right thing by saving the life of the Persian king. Yet what he doesn’t realize is that it will be that very act that will cause his own life, the life of Esther, and the lives of God’s people to be preserved years down the line. And an important principle is revealed here. When you preserve the life of another person, you also find (perhaps unexpectedly) that you have brought life to yourself as well. This can be in a physical sense (as in our passage this today) or it can be in a spiritual sense. Any of you who have ever had the privilege of bringing somebody to Christ know exactly what I am talking about. When you lead somebody to Jesus, your own faith is strengthened. Why? Because we are called to be agents; to be bringers of life. And you are never closer to Jesus than when you bring His life to another person. And Mordecai demonstrates this spirit in his choosing to be faithful to the king. It says…
Esther 2:22-23 (ESV)— 22 And this came to the knowledge of Mordecai, and he told it to Queen Esther, and Esther told the king in the name of Mordecai. 23 When the affair was investigated and found to be so, the men were both hanged on the gallows. And it was recorded in the book of the chronicles in the presence of the king.
Book of the Chronicles— Now that last fact is what makes this account relevant to God’s plan of redemption here in this story, as it will play a key role in the following chapters; this whole incident is recorded in the minutes of the king.
Mordecai’s Reward Overlooked— Now kings during that time, just like rulers nowadays, know that it is just as important to reward good behavior as to punish bad behavior. You fail or betray the king; your life was probably forfeit. You serve the king in a responsible or extra-ordinary way; you are honored. And [Acts of loyalty were usually rewarded immediately and generously by Persian kings.] But what is interesting here is that Mordecai gets overlooked by Ahasuerus. And this is understandable. Ahasuerus is so enamored by his new wife that all he remembers is her telling him about the plot. Yes the text says she warned him in the name of Mordecai and that is what was recorded. But you can really see how his human mind would have associated that memory with Esther. So Mordecai (for the time being) goes unrecognized. He is neither honored or promoted. And what is interesting is that Mordecai never draws attention to it, even though he could have expected a reward; that is what we would expect to see. Yet instead of Mordecai being honored, the next section opens with the honoring of someone else; a man named Haman.
Esther 3:1-2a (ESV)— 1 After these things King Ahasuerus promoted Haman the Agagite, the son of Hammedatha, and advanced him and set his throne above all the officials who were with him. 2 And all the king's servants who were at the king's gate bowed down and paid homage to Haman, for the king had so commanded concerning him. …
Juxtaposed Rewarded with Unrewarded— Now here [The author places the promotion of Haman just where the original readers would have expected a report of Mordecai’s reward as a benefactor of the king.] And so [Haman’s introduction forms an unexpected twist when juxtaposed with Mordecai’s unrewarded loyalty.] And what is more frustrating is that we know that Haman will be shown to be an unrighteous, devious person, while Mordecai is upright and honest.
The Unrighteous Rewarded— But you know, we experience this kind of thing in our day and age as well; don’t we? Those who are often the most unrighteous are often the ones who are promoted; who are honored; and the good people are overlooked. Yet God eventually does bring judgment where judgement is due and glory where glory is due. Now it may take time. Here it probably took years. But God is a faithful judge. And if Mordecai could be trusted to do what is right, how much more can we trust God (the Divine Judge) to do right. But we have to learn to operate independently from praise; not for reward or our own glory, but for the glory of God.
Bach’s Glory to God— For those of you who love music, it is interesting that Johann Sebastian Bach once said ["All music should have no other end and aim than the glory of God and the soul's refreshment; where this is not remembered there is no real music but only a devilish hub-bub."
He headed his compositions: "J.J." "Jesus Juva" which means "Jesus help me." He ended them "S.D.G." "Soli Dei gratia" which means "To God alone the praise."]
Our Reward— When we live our life for the glory of God, it doesn’t matter who sees or what reward we receive. Now will we receive a reward for doing right? Yes. Jesus himself said in Matthew 6:4, “your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” But scripture also reveals to us the understanding that righteousness before God is it’s own reward. It says in…
Proverbs 11:18 (ESV)— 18 The wicked earns deceptive wages, but one who sows righteousness gets a sure reward.
Isaiah 3:10-11 (ESV)— 10 Tell the righteous that it shall be well with them, for they shall eat the fruit of their deeds. {Now on the flip side, it says in…} 11 Woe to the wicked! It shall be ill with him, for what his hands have dealt out shall be done to him.
God Will Reward— Now that last verse we see will be very clearly fulfilled in Mordecai’s relationship with Haman. The evil that Haman will intend for Mordecai will fall on his own head. And the same will come of those who oppose Christ and His people. We may have to suffer persecution for a time; we may go a long time without being rewarded for the everyday acts of righteousness that we perform. But God will be faithful to reward us if we, like Mordecai; like Esther, choose to do what is right no matter what the cost. Let us commit to that integrity as we abide in Christ. Amen.
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