Tuesday, May 14, 2013
TEXT: ESTHER 3:1-6Key Verse : “And all the king‘s servants, that were in the king‘s gate, bowed, and reverenced Haman: for the king had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence” (Esther 3:2).
From our text today, Haman, the Agagite, had been promoted by king Ahasuerus above all the princes that were in Shushan, and commanded that all men should reverence him. While others complied with the king’s order, Mordecai refused. This simply was borne out of the contempt he had for Haman. He neither bowed nor reverenced him. In spite of the persuasion from the king’s servants for Mordecai to obey the royal order, he was adamant, claiming to be a Jew. This rigidity made the servants to inform Haman about Mordecai’s irreverent attitude. As soon as he confirmed that Mordecai would not reverence him, his hatred for the Jews increased which resulted in his rash decision not only to deal with Mordecai but also to destroy all the Jews that were in king Ahasuerus’ kingdom.
The three characters involved in our text took some wrong steps we should avoid. What the servant of the king did in reporting Mordecai to Haman was needless and only amounted to back-stabbing, hypocrisy and eye-service. Haman’s decision to destroy all the Jews in the kingdom for a single man’s offence was also a miscarriage of justice. Above all, Mordecai behaved most unwisely by refusing to honour Haman despite the fact that the king commanded it.
Believers should be cautious and wise in their relationship with others, particularly the people of the world. Many have attracted avoidable persecution and threat to life. Discretion, it is said, forms the better part of valour. There are crises and tragedies that can be avoided in life when we choose to be circumspect, drawing from the Saviour’s arsenal of divine wisdom.
Thought for the Day : Avoid self-imposed affliction.