Who Is Your Mordecai?

Everybody needs a Mordecai in his or her life. We need that voice of reason. We need the brother who loves us enough to provoke righteousness in us. We need the uncle that requires nothing from us but Christ and Him crucified. We need the friend who knows God's laws and ways enough to encourage us to refuse the attractions of the world. We need the caretaker who though they are in strange environs themselves they remember enough to know that God rules over all. That you are not in your native land does not change your identity.

We need the mom who knows our nakedness and to whom our success or lack of it does not change a thing. Esther's cousin Mordecai was more than a cousin; he became her guardian. He insisted on her staying true to her identity. He watched over her affairs daily. He knew better than to leave her well-being to chance. He nudged her into destiny. He understood the times. He knew when destiny was knocking.

Mordecai was so secure in himself; he would not compromise his stand with his God even in the face of death. We all need a Mordecai in our lives. Someone who knows the real you sometimes saw your beginning, saw you become who you are now and is not threatened by your position or status. We need someone who reminds us of our identity in Christ in God, folks who encourage us to defy the forces of evil in and around us. We need people who will spur us on, especially at critical moments in our lives and destiny. We need someone who provokes righteousness in us.

Now there was in the citadel of Susa a Jew of the tribe of Benjamin, named Mordecai son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, (Esther 2:5)

Mordecai had a cousin named Hadassah, whom he had brought up because she had neither father nor mother. This young woman, who was also known as Esther, had a lovely figure and was beautiful. Mordecai had taken her as his own daughter when her father and mother died. (Esther 2:7)

Every day he walked back and forth near the courtyard of the harem to find out how Esther was and what was happening to her. (Esther 2:11)

When the virgins were assembled a second time, Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate. But Esther had kept secret her family background and nationality just as Mordecai had told her to do, for she continued to follow Mordecai’s instructions as she had done when he was bringing her up. During the time Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate, Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s officers who guarded the doorway, became angry and conspired to assassinate King Xerxes. But Mordecai found out about the plot and told Queen Esther, who in turn reported it to the king, giving credit to Mordecai. And when the report was investigated and found to be true, the two officials were impaled on poles. All this was recorded in the book of the annals in the presence of the king. (Esther 2:19-23)

All the royal officials at the king’s gate knelt down and paid honor to Haman, for the king had commanded this concerning him. But Mordecai would not kneel down or pay him honor. Then the royal officials at the king’s gate asked Mordecai, “Why do you disobey the king’s command?” Day after day they spoke to him but he refused to comply. Therefore, they told Haman about it to see whether Mordecai’s behavior would be tolerated, for he had told them he was a Jew. When Haman saw that Mordecai would not kneel down or pay him honor, he was enraged. Yet having learned who Mordecai’s people were, he scorned the idea of killing only Mordecai. Instead Haman looked for a way to destroy all Mordecai’s people, the Jews, throughout the whole kingdom of Xerxes. (Esther 3:2-6)

When Mordecai learned of all that had been done, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the city, wailing loudly and bitterly. (Esther 4:1)

He sent back this answer: “Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and delive