August 14, 2022

Esther

We are looking at the story of Esther to gain some insight for our lives from a man named Mordecai.

Mordecai was a Jew from the Babylonian exile living is Susa, the capital of the Persian empire under a king named Ahasuerus. Mordecai was raising the orphaned daughter of his uncle. Her name was Hadassah, also known as Esther. He was a man used of God, mainly behind the scenes, to bring about a great victory in protecting the Jews from those who wanted to wipe them out. A victory still celebrated by Jews today as the feast of Purim.

So what can this 2500 year old character Mordecai teach us today?

Mordecai teaches us to invest in others besides ourselves.

Taking on the raising of a child not his own was a big task that probably required sacrifice on his part. (2:7, 2:11, 2:20)

We need to invest in the lives of others as well. How many people can you recall who were instrumental in shaping your life by mentoring you, caring about your dreams, cheering you on, pushing you in the right direction.

Mordecai teaches us to get involved when we see something wrong.

Mordecai could have just "walked away" and not gotten involved when he overheard the plot against the king. (2:21-23)

Mordecai also encouraged Esther, now queen, to do the same thing upon finding out Haman's plot against the Jews. (4:14)