A Study of the Book of Esther: Week One, Day Five

Day 5: Mordecai

     I'm all about a good schedule. I like to know what's going on at all times. I don't enjoy schedule surprises- birthday and Christmas surprises are different because they are planned surprises in my mind, I guess. At any rate, schedules + Kristi = a happy day.

     So when my kids suddenly had off for too many days in a row from school this month, I was not happy. I was okay on Monday when Curly Giant (aka, the oldest kid) was home because it was a PLANNED day off. But then when Tuesday and Wednesday got totally ambushed by Pookley (the middle son), Swirly (the token girl), and Mr. Man (the youngest son) due to too much snow in March, I was not cool with that nonsense. My "not cool" bled over into Thursday and Friday when they were ALSO OFF because of conferences. Let's not even discuss what the weekend looked like. It wasn't pretty.

     You need to understand this. I color code my calendar. I record it all on that thing. I have a routine. I like my routine. Don't mess with my routine. I adore my children, don't get me wrong. I love spending time with them. But my routine! I have a routine. I am adjusted to that routine and when it gets interrupted, when I get interrupted, I don't react well.

     But life is full of interruptions. In fact, I heard a speaker say once that life happens in the interruptions. And that certainly seems to be true for Mordecai, on whom we will focus our final day this week.

     Read Esther 2:5-11. What were we told about Mordecai (2:5-6)?

Who was Mordecai's cousin (2:7)?

How did she come to live with Mordecai (2:7)?

     Imagine being Mordecai here for a moment. He's already lived through some huge interruptions in his life. For him to be a "Jew in Susa" means that he (or his family) was already uprooted from Israel. They were living as foreigners in this area known as Medo-Persia where Mordecai wasn't even known by his true, Hebrew name. It's commonly recognized that "Mordecai" is a Persian name that has its roots in a Babylonian deity named Marduk. Reading through verse 7, you can see that his cousin, Esther (Hadassah) also had two names.

     And now, when Esther's parents die for one reason or another, it falls on Mordecai to interrupt his life again. He is the one that must care for Esther. And he does that.

What did Mordecai do when Esther's father and mother died (2:7)?

Why did Esther go to the king's harem (2:8)?

     Notice that this verse reads that Esther "was brought to the king's harem." This wasn't like the Veggie Tales version of this story. Esther wasn't approached and offered a position in some great pageant. She had no choice in the matter here. And neither did Mordecai. Yet another interruption in their lives.

Why did she keep her nationality a secret (2:10)?

What did Mordecai do each day (2:11)?

Reflection: Why do you think that Mordecai did these things for Esther?

     Though Esther came into Mordecai's life as part of an interruption, Mordecai chose to love her no matter how she came to be there. He took the interruption the way God intended it- as an important piece of his life, as something that God had for him to do.

Personal Reflection: What would happen if you reevaluated some of the interruptions in your life and looked at them the way God sees them, as an important part of something bigger that God has in mind for your life?