The last father of Esther we will talk about is Mordecai.
Mordecai was the son of Jair, of the tribe of Benjamin. He was carried off into captivity with most of the Jewish people. He adopted his cousin, Esther, after the death of both her mother and father. He tenderly raised her as his own child and provided for her needs as best he could.
When Esther was brought into King Xerxes harem, Mordecai secured a position in the court of King Xerxes, and was one of those who “sit at the Kings gate”. (Esther 2:21) From this position, Mordecai could watch over his adopted daughter and provide fatherly counsel and advise. It was in this place, at the kings gate, that Mordecai overheard a plot to assassinate King Xerxes. Mordecai reported this plot to the proper authorities exposing the plot and resulting in the punishment of some of the palace eunuchs.
Mordecai refused to bow down before Haman because of this belief in the God of Israel. Haman hated Mordecai for this shun and determined to kill Mordecai and the entire Jewish race. (Esther 3:8-15) God ultimately used Mordecai and Esther’s relationship, as King Xerxes queen, to save the Jewish people for certain destruction. It is in memory of this action that he Jews, to this day, celebrate the feast of Purim. (Esther 9:26-32)
Mordecai was a fathers father. He was not perfect. He had his flaws, but he took his responsibility to his adopted daughter, Esther, very seriously. He did what he needed to put himself in a position to influence the actions in Esther’s life. When possible, he sought to influence the decisions regarding his adopted daughter.
When things seemed out of his control, h managed to find a position that would allow him as much access as possible.
He was a man of honesty and integrity. He raised Esther with these values and when the time came for Esther to take actions that could reap dire consequences, she took the path of integrity and as a result, saved the entire Jewish race.
There are a few Mordecai fathers in our world today. Sometimes it seems too few. Fathers committed to the values of honesty and integrity, not for the purpose of what it might bring to them, but because it is the “right” thing to do.
We should all strive to be more like Mordecai. In doing so we will teach our children values that they will carry with them for generations to come.
The Mordecai father stands out above the rest. He is often not the most powerful, successful, or influential father in the world, but he is respected and valued by those that truly know him.
If we strive to be a father valued by the world we should not the example of the Mordecai father. If we seek to be valued by our family and by God, we should study the actions of Mordecai.
Fathers, there is risk in following the path of the Mordecai father. It could effect your standing in your job and in your social circles. You must make difficult and sometimes unpopular decisions to follow th path of righteousness, but if we do, the rewards will be greater than we can possibly imagine.
En Servicio Como Padre
Dave
Dad Talk 