Seeking Good and Speaking Peace

Like Joseph was promoted in Egypt to second under Pharaoh, so Mordecai was promoted under King Ahasuerus in the kingdom of the Medes and Persians.  Joseph was brought out of prison, and Mordecai was brought out from under the sentence of death by the decree issued by Haman.  By God's grace Mordecai was promoted greatly, and in his illustrious role as ruler he did not drift from the fear of the LORD and the love of his people.  Esther 10:3 tells us, "For Mordecai the Jew was second to King Ahasuerus, and was great among the Jews and well received by the multitude of his brethren, seeking the good of his people and speaking peace to all his countrymen."  Though Mordecai personally possessed power and authority beyond the scope of a democratic or parliamentarian government today, his rule was administered in the fear of the LORD, humility and with the good of people in mind.  As a servant of God he was made fit for the role of public servant.

God caused Mordecai to find favour in the eyes of his king and was received by the multitude of his brethren.  His aims in governance was seeking the good of his people and speaking peace to all his countrymen.  The KJV says he sought the "wealth" of his people, and their prosperity was his chief aim.  He spoke "shalom" to all his countrymen as he sought to unite, encourage, edify and support all those under his rule.  King Ahasuerus was blessed to have the service of Mordecai, and the people were also beneficiaries of his peaceful rule.  The contrast between Haman and Mordecai was more stark than night and day, for Haman was preoccupied with personal achievement, power and honour for himself as he schemed to use his authority to kill rather than promote peace.

As I considered Mordecai's approach to governance, it struck me how fitting it is for all children of God to embrace these values whether as citizens of a nation or in our roles in the Body of Christ, the church.  Following Jesus is not doing our best to follow a set of values but starts with being born again, made new creations by faith, and choosing to humbly walk in obedience to Him.  Paul summed up the one who walks in love peaceably in Romans 12:9-18.    Paul wrote, "Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. ¹⁰ Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; ¹¹ not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; ¹² rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; ¹³ distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality. ¹⁴ Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. ¹⁵ Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. ¹⁶ Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion. ¹⁷ Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. ¹⁸ If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men."

Because our home is in heaven, our aim is to secure the true riches of the kingdom of God which are without price that will endure.  God's word and His wisdom will remain forever after this world and all the riches of it cease to be.  God's goodness, mercy, grace, peace and love will be abundantly provided for those who trust Him now and for all eternity.  God has shown great favour to us by forgiving our sins, adopting us as His children and promoting us in His kindgom beyond angels:  if Mordecai sought the wealth of his people and spoke peace to all his countrymen, isn't it fitting we do so as well--especially to the household of faith?  What a privileged position we have been given, to receive the true riches of the kingdom of God so we can share them:  to love without hypocrisy, to be kindly affectionate one to another, to give preference to one another, to continue steadfastly in prayer, to extend hospitality, to bless, rejoice and live peaceably will all men.

Light and Gladness

In the book of Esther, Haman used his influence over the king to deceitfully enact a decree which doomed the Jewish people to destruction at the hands of their enemies.  Jewish people in all the provinces were shocked and confused over the edict.  They put on sackcloth and mourned bitterly as the king and Haman, his trusted advisor, had a drink together.  In an ironic twist that puts Hollywood's best efforts to shame, the Jew Mordecai Haman hated--who was the driving force behind his desire to annihilate the Jews--he was forced to publicly honour.  Later that same day it was revealed Esther the queen was Jewish and Haman's scheme backfired in spectacular fashion with him being hanged on the gallows he built for Mordecai, while Mordecai was promoted to Haman's former post.

Because no law of the Medes and Persians could be changed, Mordecai was given the power and authority to write a new law which gave the Jewish people the right to unite, defend themselves and plunder any person or province who sought their harm.  Esther 8:15-17 reads, "So Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal apparel of blue and white, with a great crown of gold and a garment of fine linen and purple; and the city of Shushan rejoiced and was glad. ¹⁶ The Jews had light and gladness, joy and honour. ¹⁷ And in every province and city, wherever the king's command and decree came, the Jews had joy and gladness, a feast and a holiday. Then many of the people of the land became Jews, because fear of the Jews fell upon them."  When the new decree was announced mourning was replaced with light and gladness, even as Mordecai's sackcloth was exchanged for robes of blue and white, and his dust and ashes was replaced with a great crown of gold.

When the decree signed into law by Haman with the king's signet ring was announced, the minds and hopes of people were shrouded in darkness.  They were heavily burdened with the sentence of death placed upon them that could not be altered.  Yet the king gave favour to the Jewish people for the sake of Esther his beloved wife and Mordecai who had foiled a plot against the life of the king.  In a moment light of salvation and deliverance shone and drove the darkness away, and the heavy burden was lifted.  In this we see a lovely picture of what God has done through the Light of the World, Jesus Christ.  We were in darkness and under the sentence of eternal damnation for our crimes, but God has shown us favour through the sacrifice of Jesus whose yoke is easy and His burden light.  For all those who believe Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, we are made glad, given joy and eternal honour by His side.  Wherever we go and whatever befalls us, none can snatch us out of God's hand.  Because Jesus is our Light and Salvation our future is bright.

Because all who are in Christ are sons of light and not of darkness 1 Thessalonians 5:5-11 says, "You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. ⁶ Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. ⁷ For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. ⁸ But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. ⁹ For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁰ who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him. ¹¹ Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing."  Some connect watching with soberness as warning and alerting to error, but this passage lays out for us how we ought to live as sons of the day:  walking in faith and love, living together with Jesus and we comfort and edify one another.  Friends, will you receive the comfort of God today with gladness?  If the Jews in Esther's day had light, gladness, joy and honour because they were given the legal right to defend themselves, how much more ought we to celebrate and find comfort in our Saviour who has saved us from wrath and delivered us from Satan's schemes?

Who Marks You?

It is a wise man who recognises signs of the times and also when the time is not yet.  Jesus taught His disciples it was not for them to know times and seasons God has in His own power, but they would receive power when the Holy Spirit came upon them.  The disciples wondered about when the destruction of the temple would occur, the sign of His coming and the end of the world.  "When" questions burned within them, yet Jesus did not give them a future date so they could mark their diaries:  He wanted to teach them to look to Him in all seasons, recognise the signs of the times and lift up their heads knowing their redemption drew nigh.  Instead of grim concern, realising they were in the end times and things were going exactly according to God's plan would bolster their faith.

Because we have been given the word of God, the Bible, we can be certain what God has promised will surely come to pass.  The wisest among us who know what will happen cannot know when many things will happen.  Jesus warned His disciples not to be deceived, suggesting they would think the end was immediate when it was still afar off.  It was erroneous to think a sign meant you were at the final destination, and another error would be to imagine the rapture and second coming of Christ could not happen when Jesus stands at the door.  Jesus said in Matthew 24:6, "And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet."  The beginning of sorrows was not to be confused with the end of all things.  There are many things that must occur before Christ's physical reign on earth in Jerusalem:  the rapture of the church, the rise of the antichrist who will rule all the nations with the false prophet, the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem, the abomination of desolation (making the temple a place of worship of the antichrist or beast) and the mark of the beast.

I've been hearing murmurings about the "mark of the beast" for decades now, and I have heard much speculation over what the mark will consist of.  Back in the 80's people wondered if it would be a barcode, and then it was suggested to be a microchip.  We know there is nothing wrong with barcodes and microchips in themselves (though at the time they were a source of alarm for some), and I am certain when you bought whatever device you are reading this on they were involved.  Lately I've even heard some wonder if the mark of the beast could be a covid vaccine.  My sincere conviction is it would be impossible to be a vaccine because of the very precise description provided for us in the book of Revelation.  What the mark of the beast looks like is as irrelevant as the knowing the precise day and hour of Christ's return:  why the mark will be mandated is of primary importance.  The mark of the beast cannot be administered now because the beast (antichrist who must rule over all nations), the false prophet and the temple must be in place for it to be administered since the mark is directly tied to the worship of the beast.  None of these necessary parameters are currently in place.

In the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ, John explained how the antichrist would be mortally wounded and empowered by Satan to recover.  While the world is amazed and entranced at the power of the beast (antichrist), the false prophet who does miraculous signs will be revealed.  Revelation 13:12-17 reads, "And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. ¹³ He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. ¹⁴ And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived. ¹⁵ He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. ¹⁶ He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, ¹⁷ and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name."

This is what the Bible teaches of the infamous "mark of the beast:"  it will be a mark mandated by the false prophet for all people as an act of worship of the beast.  Those who refuse to worship the beast will be killed, and whoever willingly worships the beast will have a visible mark "on their right hand or on their foreheads."  There is no reason to spiritualise what is plainly written.  Without the beast, the false prophet and the temple standing in Jerusalem, there can be no mark.  Friends, if the mark of the beast is a scary proposition for you, I understand what it is like to be afraid in the face of an uncertain future.  As a child I was a bit preoccupied with the true identity of the antichrist and was on guard to avoid receiving the mark of the beast because eternity in heaven hung in the balance (Rev. 19:20, 20:4).  I have learned my perspective was all wrong:  instead of looking for the antichrist in fear I am called to look to Jesus by faith; instead of being on guard against receiving the mark I ought to proclaim Christ boldly, heed His word and be led by the Holy Spirit.  I ought to rejoice I have been sealed by the Holy Spirit instead of living in fear of what the future holds.

Revelation 22:10-14 is a fitting conclusion: "And he said to me, "Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand. ¹¹ He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still." ¹² "And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. ¹³ I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last." ¹⁴ Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city."  Jesus is coming quickly, believers, and let us look to Him as the Author and Finisher of our faith acknowledging His rule and power over all.  Having believed on Jesus, we have been born again and sealed with the Holy Spirit Who has marked us for eternal glory.  Like a shepherd distinguishes the sheep from the goats, we are known by God as His beloved children.  Let us walk in the glory of these eternal truths with God's love that casts out all fear.

Intercede at the Throne of Grace

In the book of Esther, when word reached Mordecai of the decree that all the Jews would be killed and plundered he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, went to the gate of the king and wailed bitterly in grief.  Mordecai did not venture within the gate wearing sackcloth because this was forbidden by the law.  

Esther 4:4-5 reads, "So Esther's maids and eunuchs came and told her, and the queen was deeply distressed. Then she sent garments to clothe Mordecai and take his sackcloth away from him, but he would not accept them. ⁵ Then Esther called Hathach, one of the king's eunuchs whom he had appointed to attend her, and she gave him a command concerning Mordecai, to learn what and why this was."

When Esther heard her cousin mourned in public, Esther was deeply distressed.  She sent clothes to Mordecai with desire to take away his sackcloth, but Mordecai refused.  Perhaps she wanted him to be properly clothed so he could enter the gate of the king and speak with her personally or to show she cared about him.  The problem was greater than Esther imagined, for the decree which had been signed impacted Mordecai, queen Esther and all the Jews in the realm because it condemned them to be executed and plundered on a set day.  Esther would initially have been glad and comforted if Mordecai received the clothing and stopped wailing, yet that would only be treating a symptom rather than the source of his grief.  We can be like Esther:  we can be distressed people are upset without even knowing why others grieve and what can be done to make a difference.  Without an explanation from Mordecai Esther could only guess what had happened and why he was so upset.

Esther was kind and compassionate to offer Mordecai new clothing.  In gaining her attention Mordecai demanded far more than this was necessary, for clothing would not save the Jews from destruction.  Mordecai sent a copy of the edict which sealed the doom of the Jewish people at the hand their enemies and urged her to bravely go before the king in violation of the law of the Medes and Persians (which cannot be altered) to plead for the lives of her people.  He reminded Esther she was a Jew, and being queen did not protect her from the arm of the law if she sheltered within the palace:  the law had gone out from there and would surely be enforced.  The law also said anyone who appeared before the king without being summoned would be executed unless the king held out the sceptre and immediately issued a pardon to the one who found favour in his sight.  To save her life, Mordecai and her people, Esther needed to risk her life trusting the LORD to be with her and help her whether she lived or died.

It struck me as I read this passage how initially Esther limited her efforts to the clothing of one man with an aim to assuage grief and suffering--providing for physical needs--while Mordecai desired Esther to go to king himself and accomplish with her request what smart new clothes could not.  What a glorious picture this is of the privilege of the child of God, that we have access and ability to come before God the KING OF KINGS when we see people sorrow and suffer with spiritual intercession.  Unlike Esther who was prohibited by law to enter the throne room of King Ahasuerus, we are invited to enter into God's throne room of grace.  We enter, not at the risk of our own necks, but because Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead to provide access into the presence of the living God.  Since Jesus Christ our High Priest stands ready to hear, help and save Hebrews 4:16 reads:  "Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need."  Seeking the LORD and interceding on behalf of others is the least and most we can do at the same time.