Mordecai’s Fame

By Jared Kennedy

In our culture, we love to throw parties to celebrate new life. We invite the family over for a gender reveal. We put up banners, buy some balloons, and bake a cake for each birthday. We give gifts and throw parties because life is worth rejoicing in.

The Jewish people of Esther and Mordecai’s time felt the same way. Esther 9:28 tells us, “These days are remembered and celebrated by every generation, family, province, and city.” The Jewish people still celebrate the Feast of Purim today, usually in February or March. As the book of Esther is read publicly, the people raise their voices and shout, “Blessed be Mordecai!” each time his name is spoken. Young children also spin and shake Purim groggers, noisemakers of various kinds, to drown out any mention of Haman’s name. Purim is a celebration of rescue, of salvation, of life! A celebration of the survival of a nation and people in the face of planned annihilation.

The feast of Purim is also a celebration of Mordecai and Esther’s lives in particular. After the rescue of the Jewish people, Mordecai “continued to pursue prosperity for his people and to speak for the well-being of all his descendants” (Esther 10:3). He rose to a high position in the Persian empire, second only to the king. What a legacy! Mordecai is esteemed throughout history and even today as the ideal Jewish leader. God chose to preserve His people through the interventions of Mordecai and Esther—at just the right time.

In this way, Mordecai is just a glimpse and foretaste of the infinitely better rescue Jesus won for us. No matter how small or great the circumstances, we must persevere because we share this hope: there is salvation coming! The book of Esther, and the rescue it celebrates, is a reminder for us: Though the decree of death was spoken over us, we will be found alive on the final day. Until that day, we are sealed by the promised Holy Spirit and to the praise of His glorious grace (Ephesians 1:13–14).

So, let us give Christ praise today. Let’s see our salvation won in Jesus as something to celebrate. Your eternal destination as a believer is something worth throwing a party over. Celebrate today by sharing your testimony with a friend. Even if you can’t raise your voice during the time you’re spending with this devotional, raise the voice of your heart to drown out the echoes of death. Open your heart in song to celebrate the one through whom God has brought deliverance and eternal life for you both now and forevermore.