Mordecai and Esther

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Mordecai and Esther

Intro

Peer Pressure Studies

Stanford Prison Experiment

Salem Witch Trials

Lesson

Mordecai’s Choice to Remain Faithful

In the Book of Esther, we read about a Jewish man named Mordecai. He was a man who had great principles and great faith.

He also happened to be the cousin of a young woman named Esther.

Here’s what’s pretty cool about Esther: During her time, all of the Jewish people were under the control of the Persians. But even though that was the case, she won the king’s favor and was chosen to be queen!

Her husband, King Ahasuerus (also known as King Xerxes), didn’t know about her cultural background or her faith. He had no idea that his wife was someone that he and his people had made as slaves.

So there’s what’s going on with Esther.

Now about Mordecai (remember: this is her cousin). He also earned favor with the king. And the reason he did is because he actually was able to find out about an elaborate plot to assassinate the king. And he not only found out about it - he was able to stop it!

I present to you Mordecai, ladies and gentlemen! (Just kidding!)

But for real, he was like one of the first conspiracy action heroes! Here’s what happened:

Mordecai worked as one of the king’s servants. And he was standing outside the king’s gate.

While he was there, he encountered a guy who was the king’s highest-ranking officer: an evil man named Haman.

And when Haman walked by, all of the kind’s servants bowed before him. Well - almost all of them…

Esther 3:2–3 NLT

2 All the king’s officials would bow down before Haman to show him respect whenever he passed by, for so the king had commanded. But Mordecai refused to bow down or show him respect. 3 Then the palace officials at the king’s gate asked Mordecai, “Why are you disobeying the king’s command?”

So Mordecai refused to bow to Haman.

Even though he was pressured by the rest of the king’s servants who all just did it, Mordecai believed that the only one he should bow to was God.

So when Mordecai didn’t bow while everyone else was, Haman became very angry. And he threatened not just Mordecai, but all the Jewish people.

Esther 3:6 NLT

6 He had learned of Mordecai’s nationality, so he decided it was not enough to lay hands on Mordecai alone. Instead, he looked for a way to destroy all the Jews throughout the entire empire of Xerxes.

Just imagine the pressure that Mordecai now found himself under. He not only brought danger to himself, but upon his entire people as well.

Because he (literally) took a stand for his faith, the nation of Israel was in danger.

So there’s a common thing going on here with both Mordecai and Esther…

Let’s see if we can dig into this… Is there anyone here who, when you were a kid, you REALLY wanted to be something specific when you grew up?

{IF NO ONE ANSWERS, USE MINE: A DENTIST}

Is that still what you want to be?

Is that a possibility or unrealistic?

Has anyone ever heard of “postmodernism?”

“My truth”

So if someone wanted to be an astronaut, that person would need clear plans to follow an education to achieve that dream.

But if someone wanted to be a tree stump, we would have questions.

That’s because it’s never a good idea to insist you can become something different from what God created tyou to be.

The secret to Esther’s ability to become the queen of Persia was staying true to being herself, not trying to become someone other than who God created her to be.

Maybe you’ve had to deal with the results of doing the wrong thing before… I know I have.

Like thinking you’re graceful enough to walk on the ice!

Or maybe you thought the goal that you set for Move the Mission would be really high and you could get away with telling everyone you would shave your head if they met it…

…and then they raised DOUBLE that number in just a few weeks.

And then you got to deal with the consequences!

But to bring this closer to home: maybe you procrastinated, lied, or did something that’s just obviously wrong. Then the consequences come for that.

But there are are other times… in which we actually suffer the consequences for doing the RIGHT thing.

Most often, it’s in settings with other people, when the clear expectation is for us to do something we shouldn’t. (When everyone is doing it, and it’s wrong.)

If you want to be honest and a person of integrity, you can choose to not get involved.

But what reward do you get from them for doing the right thing??? They could end up making fun of you, exclude you, or distance themselves from you.

That’s the reality of peer pressure. And we all deal with it.

But how do we overcome it???

Psalm 73:2–3 NLT

2 But as for me, I almost lost my footing. My feet were slipping, and I was almost gone. 3 For I envied the proud when I saw them prosper despite their wickedness.

Psalm 73:17 NLT

17 Then I went into your sanctuary, O God, and I finally understood the destiny of the wicked.

The Psalmist here… when he was overwhelmed by that pressure of others, he got into the presence of God and reminded himself of God’s covenant faithfulness.

Maybe he was remembering all the times Israel’s enemies eventually fell and all the times God rewarded living right.

No matter the pressure that is around us, we have to remain true to our covenant identity. We should continue to walk with God and live in a way that He can bless.

OPTIONAL: INSECURITY AND SECURITY IN GOD

Esther’s Choice to Get Involved

Now, Esther is one of the most unique books of the Bible because God is not mentioned a single time in the entire book! Prayer is not mentioned, either! But the story does make it clear that God was at work the entire time.

Although Esther was likely beautiful, the fact that she was chosen out of all the available women in the kingdom let’s us know that more was at work here than meets the eye..

Consider these facts:

The previous queen just so happened to fall out of favor with the king.

Esther just so happened to become the new queen around the time Mordecai just so happened to be in a position to stop a plot against the kind’s life.

And all this just so happened to take place before Haman made a threat against the Jewish people.

When Esther first took her place at the king’s side, Mordecai warned her not to let anyone know about her identity.

But over time, he seemed to start seeing God’s hand at work. And he shared Haman’s threat with his cousin, the queen. And he challenged Esther to consider the possibility that she has been placed in the exact perfect position at the perfect time to help her save her people.

Esther 4:13–14 NLT

13 Mordecai sent this reply to Esther: “Don’t think for a moment that because you’re in the palace you will escape when all other Jews are killed. 14 If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?”

So he’s calling on her to make a difficult decision: to reveal to the king her identity and hopefully save them all.

But if she outed herself as a Jew, the king could take her life.

And if she stayed silent, her and all of the Jews would definitely be destroyed.

Here was her response:

Esther 4:15–16 NLT

15 Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: 16 “Go and gather together all the Jews of Susa and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will do the same. And then, though it is against the law, I will go in to see the king. If I must die, I must die.”

That’s courageous. It’s also tough.

Here’s something to think on: It can be really easy to criticize people in leadership positions.

Without carrying the kind of pressure they may have on their shoulders, we can feel like the right decision is obvious and easy.

That’s rarely the case. It’s wise for us to be gracious with our spiritual leaders. We have to understand that they carry the weight of our souls with them. (Also… they’re HUMAN.)

In this dire situation, Esther stood up to do the right thing.

And like her, we can’t just stand by when those we love are in danger of being destroyed by the power of sin. We have to do the courageous thing and stand up for righteousness.

To this point in the story, it almost seems like God was in the background. We see that He may be doing a few things, but we haven’t really seen Him move into this situation… yet.

Just like His name is absent from the book, at times we may feel like He is absent in our lives.

We know He is there, but it can feel like He isn’t doing anything to help us out of the situation we are in.

But when we need God the most, He always shows up!

Israel did the three-day fast, just like Esther asked. Then she appeared before the kind without being summoned.

Here’s the deal about that: Persian law gave the king power to execute anyone who appeared uninvited - even the queen.

She could have easily lost her life, but the king was gracious, and allowed her to speak.

What did she do? Esther invited the king and Haman to dinner that night. After enjoying the meal, the King offered her whatever she wanted, up to half of his kingdom.

And Esther simply invited him and Haman to dinner again the next night and said that she would reveal what she wanted then.

Sometimes, in the middle of a trial, it can seem like our enemy is getting the upper hand. That might be how Mordecai felt.

Esther 5:9 NLT

9 Haman was a happy man as he left the banquet! But when he saw Mordecai sitting at the palace gate, not standing up or trembling nervously before him, Haman became furious.

Esther 5:12–14 NLT

12 Then Haman added, “And that’s not all! Queen Esther invited only me and the king himself to the banquet she prepared for us. And she has invited me to dine with her and the king again tomorrow!” 13 Then he added, “But this is all worth nothing as long as I see Mordecai the Jew just sitting there at the palace gate.” 14 So Haman’s wife, Zeresh, and all his friends suggested, “Set up a sharpened pole that stands seventy-five feet tall, and in the morning ask the king to impale Mordecai on it. When this is done, you can go on your merry way to the banquet with the king.” This pleased Haman, and he ordered the pole set up.

What a pleasant family!

No one ever said the Bible was G-rated!

With that, it seemed like Mordecai’s fate was sealed. It wouldn’t be long before he was killed for his faith.

But all of the sudden, God begins forming this miraculous turnaround the next day!

During the night, the King couldn’t sleep. When someone read to him out of the kingdom’s chronicles, he learned Mordecai had saved his life from an assassination plot, but no one had honored Mordecai for it.

So in the morning, in a huge plot twist, the king ordered Haman to honor Mordecai. And check this out: not only was Mordecai protected - Haman was ordered to honor him!!!

Later that night, Esther held her second dinner party. This time she poured out her soul to the king.

Esther 7:3–6 NLT

3 Queen Esther replied, “If I have found favor with the king, and if it pleases the king to grant my request, I ask that my life and the lives of my people will be spared. 4 For my people and I have been sold to those who would kill, slaughter, and annihilate us. If we had merely been sold as slaves, I could remain quiet, for that would be too trivial a matter to warrant disturbing the king.” 5 “Who would do such a thing?” King Xerxes demanded. “Who would be so presumptuous as to touch you?” 6 Esther replied, “This wicked Haman is our adversary and our enemy.” Haman grew pale with fright before the king and queen.

And immediately, the king sentenced Haman to be hanged on the same gallows he had made for Mordecai.

Mordecai’s counsel to Esther paid off! We could even say that God spoke through Mordecai to Esther.

HER God-given courage, combined with MORDECAI’S God-given wisdom, saved the Jewish people from death. And this all preserved God’s covenant with His people!

Often, when it seems like God is nowhere to be seen or heard, He is still speaking to us through godly leaders He has placed in our lives.

We must learn to trust God, even when things are difficult. We should also trust our spiritual leaders, believing they are hearing from God, especially when we can’t.

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