Easter Devotional - Day 34
"When the other officials asked Mordecai why he disobeyed the king's command, he said, 'Because I am a Jew.' They spoke to him for several days about kneeling down, but he still refused to obey. Finally, they reported this to Haman, to find out if he would let Mordecai get away with it." Esther 3:3-4
Mordecai had good reason not to bow before Haman. It was a question of honoring Yahweh, and Yahweh alone. He also had good reason to bow to Haman. The king had issued the command that all should bow before Haman. To refuse to bow to Haman was to disobey the king. Mordecai's position was that he should bow to none but Yahweh. This stance left him in a precarious situation. He had the choice to follow his conscience before God or to follow the demands of the power structures around him.
Haman was not pleased by Mordecai's decision. Haman took offense at Mordecai's sense of integrity in singularity of worship. It would be tempting to follow the lead of Naaman the Syrian, whom Elisha had healed of leprosy. Naaman had begged the forgiveness of Yahweh when he should serve his king and in so doing bow before the idol of Dagon. For him, it would not be a question of worship, but of service to the king of Syria. Doubtless there was call to treat this forcible bowing to Haman in the same vein. Mordecai was being compelled by the authorities to bow. It was, therefore, not a choice, but a matter of necessity.
That was not Mordecai's take on the issue, however. For him, it seems to have simply been a question of following the convictions and responsibilities of one serving Yahweh as the only God. His people had been deported for failing in faithfulness to Yahweh. Here in exile, they had learned their lesson about singleness of worship. The issues of bowing to Yahweh alone were clearer now than they had ever been for the people.
Like Daniel's friends called on to eat the king's food and bow to the king's idol under threat of death, Mordecai assumed God was serious about bowing to no other. As Daniel and his friends refused to compromise on principles of worshiping Yahweh, so did Mordecai. If God's command was to mean anything, it would have to include those occasions when it was less than expedient to honor and obey the dictates of God's will.
Despite threats of revenge and possible death, Mordecai stood firm in his faith. He trusted that somehow God would make it right. Somehow God would honor Mordecai's decision to honor Yahweh above the dictates of the power structures surrounding him.
Faith is not always easy. We are wont to compromise of what are seemingly lesser issues. It may be following a boss' orders to keep a job. It may be bowing to the demands of culture to simply go along with the flow. Rarely do we feel threatened with life for pledging faithfulness to God. At some point, however, we must face the issue that faithfulness requires faithfulness, regardless of the category of opposition we face.
If faith is real, what is too high a price to pay for one who gave his life for us on the cross?
Ask God for the courage to trust His faithfulness, regardless of the opposition around you.
"Lord, grant me clarity to understand your will and the courage to follow through faithfully."
—©Copyright 2009 Christopher B. Harbin
http://www.sermonsearch.com/contributors/104427/
My latest books can be found here on amazon
Mordecai had good reason not to bow before Haman. It was a question of honoring Yahweh, and Yahweh alone. He also had good reason to bow to Haman. The king had issued the command that all should bow before Haman. To refuse to bow to Haman was to disobey the king. Mordecai's position was that he should bow to none but Yahweh. This stance left him in a precarious situation. He had the choice to follow his conscience before God or to follow the demands of the power structures around him.
Haman was not pleased by Mordecai's decision. Haman took offense at Mordecai's sense of integrity in singularity of worship. It would be tempting to follow the lead of Naaman the Syrian, whom Elisha had healed of leprosy. Naaman had begged the forgiveness of Yahweh when he should serve his king and in so doing bow before the idol of Dagon. For him, it would not be a question of worship, but of service to the king of Syria. Doubtless there was call to treat this forcible bowing to Haman in the same vein. Mordecai was being compelled by the authorities to bow. It was, therefore, not a choice, but a matter of necessity.
That was not Mordecai's take on the issue, however. For him, it seems to have simply been a question of following the convictions and responsibilities of one serving Yahweh as the only God. His people had been deported for failing in faithfulness to Yahweh. Here in exile, they had learned their lesson about singleness of worship. The issues of bowing to Yahweh alone were clearer now than they had ever been for the people.
Like Daniel's friends called on to eat the king's food and bow to the king's idol under threat of death, Mordecai assumed God was serious about bowing to no other. As Daniel and his friends refused to compromise on principles of worshiping Yahweh, so did Mordecai. If God's command was to mean anything, it would have to include those occasions when it was less than expedient to honor and obey the dictates of God's will.
Despite threats of revenge and possible death, Mordecai stood firm in his faith. He trusted that somehow God would make it right. Somehow God would honor Mordecai's decision to honor Yahweh above the dictates of the power structures surrounding him.
Faith is not always easy. We are wont to compromise of what are seemingly lesser issues. It may be following a boss' orders to keep a job. It may be bowing to the demands of culture to simply go along with the flow. Rarely do we feel threatened with life for pledging faithfulness to God. At some point, however, we must face the issue that faithfulness requires faithfulness, regardless of the category of opposition we face.
If faith is real, what is too high a price to pay for one who gave his life for us on the cross?
Ask God for the courage to trust His faithfulness, regardless of the opposition around you.
"Lord, grant me clarity to understand your will and the courage to follow through faithfully."
—©Copyright 2009 Christopher B. Harbin
http://www.sermonsearch.com/contributors/104427/
My latest books can be found here on amazon
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