The Legacy

The Legacy
Words of Faith 6-30-2021
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2008, 2021
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
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Esther 10
     [1] King Xerxes imposed tribute throughout the empire, to its distant shores. [2] And all his acts of power and might, together with a full account of the greatness of Mordecai to which the King had raised him, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Media and Persia? [3] Mordecai the Jew was second in rank to King Xerxes, preeminent among the Jews, and held in high esteem by his many fellow Jews, because he worked for the good of his people and spoke up for the welfare of all the Jews.
 
        The treacherous plot made by Haman against the Jewish people was undone. Esther, a Jewess who had become the queen of Persia, was the key to saving the Jews.  Queen Esther put her life on the line for her people and gained the favor of the King. Mordecai was permitted to make a new decree favorable to the Jews.  Everything turned around, and the Jewish people now had the right to defend themselves against any attack. There was a slaughter of all the enemies of the Jews in the region.  The event was so decisive that a special feast was established to remember the victory and thank God.
       So, what is the legacy of Mordecai and Esther?  
       Our text tells us that the greatness of Mordecai is written in the annals of the kings and that he is preeminent among the Jews, held in high esteem.  Why?  Because he worked for the good of his people and spoke up for the welfare of all the Jews.  
      The same can certainly be said for Esther. This simple sentence may define greatness in modern Judaism. Mordecai and Esther are heroes.  They are not perfect heroes.   We see their humanness clearly.  But perhaps these are heroes that we can understand because of their imperfections.
           Question:  What would be our definition of greatness in Christ?  Complete surrender to Christ?  Absolute Lordship?   Servanthood after His example?  A transparent love of Christ evident to all?  All these would be on my list.  But I would not hesitate to add that a great Christian "works for the good of his people and speaks up for the welfare of all the Jews."   Do I mean‑‑ speaking up even for Jews who do not know Jesus as Messiah?  Especially Jews who do not know Jesus.   
           The gulf is wide between Christians and Jews.  We can use more Christian people with the heart of Mordecai to speak up for the welfare of all Jews.  Does part of the distance between Jews and Christians have to do with our cultural differences?   Would better bridges be built if we celebrated Purim or shared in a Passover Seder?  Have we lost so much of our Jewish heritage that Jesus would feel a bit out of place in our churches?  
          The book of Esther helps us to understand something of the Jewish heart and mind.  Unless we have been the target of a pogrom or experienced the hatred of neighbors, it is difficult for us to understand the peril that Jewish people face in our world. What appears to be "hardline politics" in the middle east is really simply survival.  
         When we study the book of Esther, we can understand why missile attacks on Israel are rapidly met with strong force. We better understand why Israel dealt a devastating preemptive strike against Arab nations in 1967 when they massed military forces and blocked Israeli shipping. The Six-Day War that ensued was a response shaped by the experiences of Esther and Mordecai to similar danger.
          Perhaps most of all, we can reflect on the story of Esther and give thanks that God is at work in our world.  When the pogrom of sin and death threatened to annihilate all humanity, God had a plan on our behalf in the person of Jesus-- who turned the tables and conquered the enemy once and for all.  

           Lord, thank You for the witness and courage of Mordecai and Esther.  Give me the grace to work for the good of my people and speak up for the welfare of all the Jews.  I give thanks to You for the great deliverance You have offered to me in Jesus.  Amen.


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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2008, 2021
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)        
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail, excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2010 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.