Lighthouse Keeper

I love it when a character really comes to life for you and this trip through the Book of Esther, it had to be Mordecai. 

I’ve been thinking about non-traditional relationships and how the modern church elevates the traditional and the nuclear family even though there are so many of us living and worshiping in different settings. 

In New Zealand, where I’m from, 26% of households are couples with children. So you can roughly say three quarters of people live in a different type of household. 12% of people live in single person households and this jumps considerably over 65 years with one quarter of people living alone as they age;the majority being women.

So how does that relate to Mordecai and Esther?

Well the Old Testament tells us that Mordecai was Esther’s first cousin and that both of her parents died. 

“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)

After Esther is taken into the king’s harem because of her beauty and God’s divine appointment (another non-traditional household but we won’t go there!) Mordecai waits outside the city gate for daily updates on Esther (Esther 2:19-22). He is concerned and cares for Esther, even though he is not her husband or her father. Fast forward and after Mordecai uncovers the assassination plot against King Xerxes, and mourns for the genocide plans by Haman against the Jewish people (Esther 4:1-2), Mordecai stays at the city gate and continues to advise Esther. 

It is Mordecai’s integrity (refusing to bow to Haman) and his loyalty to Esther that keeps him in his God appointed position. It is Mordecai who makes the famous statement:

“And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:13-14)

He challenges Esther to use her royal position to save the Jewish people. 

It’s the love and loyalty relationship between Mordecai and Esther that saves King Xerxes and the Jewish people. Not all the important relationships in our lives are obvious at first and it’s easy to take for granted people who are there for us as friends or relations or workmates. Look around you and notice who is being the trusted “Mordecai” to you in your life. People can show up for you in different ways and dynamics, even if something goes wrong such as Esther’s parents death or a divorce or a spouse passing. 

Take a look around your church or workplace or social group and take note of the household types that people live in. Scratch the surface and you’ll find people’s family dynamics and living arrangements are maybe different than what you assume. 

I encourage you to have a read of the Book of Esther (I’m enjoying The Message Bible at the moment). It’s a great read and keep an eye out for the man the king likes to honour … .Mordecai.