“Mordecai had a cousin … whom he had brought up …. This girl, who was known as Esther, was lovely in form and features, and Mordecai had taken her as his own daughter when her father and mother died.”
Esther 2:7
You might know the Bible story of Esther and the remarkable unfolding of God’s plan to save His people through her. But today we look behind the scenes at the unassuming character in that story: Esther’s older cousin, Mordecai.
He took on the heavy responsibility of raising Esther whose parents had died, so immediately when we read of him we see a man of compassion. When King Xerxes decided to create a harem and conducted a search for beautiful young virgins, Mordecai had to relinquish Esther. He worried for her as a good parent would, pacing back and forth near the palace courtyard every day to discern if she was ok.
Mordecai’s attentiveness resulted in him learning of a plot to kill the king which he urged Esther to report, thus saving the king’s life. His faithfulness to God resulted in his refusal to bow down to the king’s man, Haman. His work behind the scenes emboldened Esther to stand up for her people so they wouldn’t be killed under an evil plot by Haman. Mordecai went largely unnoticed, but God worked mightily through him!
He took on the heavy responsibility of raising Esther whose parents had died, so immediately when we read of him we see a man of compassion. When King Xerxes decided to create a harem and conducted a search for beautiful young virgins, Mordecai had to relinquish Esther. He worried for her as a good parent would, pacing back and forth near the palace courtyard every day to discern if she was ok.
Mordecai’s attentiveness resulted in him learning of a plot to kill the king which he urged Esther to report, thus saving the king’s life. His faithfulness to God resulted in his refusal to bow down to the king’s man, Haman. His work behind the scenes emboldened Esther to stand up for her people so they wouldn’t be killed under an evil plot by Haman. Mordecai went largely unnoticed, but God worked mightily through him!
Scripture Focus
Esther 2:1-9
Insight
Mordecai is a beautiful example of someone who did indeed “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5).
Bible In A Year
- Genesis 25-26
- Psalm 13
- Matthew 21
