What lessons on humility can we learn from Mordecai's actions in Esther 6:2? Setting the Night-Time Scene • On a sleepless night the king orders the chronicles read to him (Esther 6:1). • Esther 6:2 records what is discovered: “It was found recorded that Mordecai had reported Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs who guarded the entrance, who had conspired to assassinate King Xerxes.” • Mordecai’s quiet, lifesaving act—done five years earlier—had gone unrewarded and almost forgotten. Mordecai’s Silent Deed • He protected a pagan monarch without any promise of recognition. • He never reminded anyone of the good he had done. • He returned to his post at the gate (Esther 2:21; 3:2) and kept serving. What True Humility Looks Like • Self-forgetful obedience – Mordecai did what was right because it was right, not because it would promote him (cf. Proverbs 27:2). • Trust in God’s timing – He let the written record, not his own voice, speak for him; God opened the king’s book at the exact moment (cf. Psalm 75:6-7). • Refusal to grasp for honor – Unlike Haman, Mordecai never sought robes, horses, or applause (Esther 6:6-9). • Consistent faithfulness in the mundane – Being “at the gate” may have seemed lowly, yet that position enabled him to hear the plot and save the king. Why God Elevates the Humble • Luke 14:11: “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” • James 4:10: “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you.” • 1 Peter 5:6: “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, so that in due time He may exalt you.” • Mordecai’s story illustrates these promises: God used a page in a forgotten scroll to overturn Haman’s pride and launch Mordecai’s honor. Walking Out Mordecai’s Example Today • Serve faithfully where God places you, even if the role feels small. • Let God write your résumé; resist the urge to publicize your own good deeds. • Take injustice or delayed recognition to the Lord, trusting His perfect memory. • Celebrate others’ successes without envy, knowing God has not overlooked you (Hebrews 6:10). • Keep your heart fixed on the true and better exaltation—hearing Christ say, “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:21). |
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