Airbrushing God: A Devotion on the Book of EstherSýnishorn

What’s the biggest decision you have ever made? My friend Steven considered the question I had posed for a moment before answering. “To live my Christian life in front of my friends.” The evidence was sitting right next to him – an unchurched friend he had invited to the discipleship group.

Chapter 2 closes with Esther’s uncle Mordecai foiling a plot against the king. He is not honored for this, and the text contrasts him with the politician Haman being elevated to Prime Minister for no apparent reason. As we move through chapters 3 and 4, we see dark forces unfolding and setting themselves up against the people of God.

Haman’s promotion led to immediate tensions. You might go for the handshake, bro-shake, one cheek or two cheek, but Persians of the same social level would greet each other with a kiss on the lips. Yikes. If you were from a slightly lower level, you might kiss on the cheek. If you were considered inferior by some distance, you would fall to the ground and prostrate yourself before the other person.

It says a lot about Haman if it took the king’s command for people to bow to him. But here’s the moment of decision. Confronted with Haman, Mordecai would not bow. In fact, this decision had already been made. At that moment, he revealed his ethnicity to the officials. It’s not that you could not bow down out of genuine respect - think Joseph’s brothers in Genesis 42:6 or Moses bowing to Jethro in Exodus 18:7. But there was nothing to respect about Haman but for the king’s decision to promote him. Mordecai’s actions would have far-reaching consequences, but if he faced the same situation again, he would not have deviated from his convictions.

As you read through Esther chapter 3, go back to that first question. What have been the biggest decisions of your life so far? How many are rooted in deep conviction? Rooted in your faith in Christ? Consider how you have remained faithful to those early commitments.

There are many reasons to go along with the crowd – fear of persecution, the impact on others, being the odd one out, or desire for a peaceful life. But standing for Jesus will naturally mean standing against other things, like injustice, division, hatred… Like Mordecai, will we stand regardless?