Esther 10:3 For Mordecai the Jew was next unto king Ahasuerus, and great among the Jews, and accepted of the multitude of his brethren, seeking the wealth of his people, and speaking peace to all his seed.
You Will Leave the Same Way That You Live
All of us love “rags to riches” stories. We love to hear stories of someone who has nothing and through hard work or “luck” ends up owning everything. The book of Esther seems to be that kind of story both for Queen Esther and for Mordecai. But what was going on here was not luck. It was the provision of God, the providence of God, for His people. That provision included not just Esther, but also Mordecai.
Esther 10:3 tells us, as kind of as a postscript to the story, “For Mordecai the Jew was next unto king Ahasuerus, and great among the Jews, and accepted of the multitude of his brethren, seeking the wealth of his people, and speaking peace to all his seed.” What a wonderful story! Here was a man who was a slave and servant, and now was an important official of this massive kingdom.
What is interesting to note is how he leaves the scene, “seeking the wealth of his people, and speaking peace to all his seed.” This ought not to surprise us. All of us want to end well, but not everyone has the character to do what’s right day by day. The two are directly connected. You will leave in the same way that you live. The way Mordecai left this story is precisely the way he had lived.
This story is proverbial. Let me give you three examples. Proverbs 15:33 says, “The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom; and before honour is humility.” The reason that Mordecai left with honor is because he lived in humility.
Humility and honor are two sides of the same coin. Esther 3 tells us that “Mordecai bowed not, nor did him [Haman] reverence.” Standing, in this case, was not a matter of defiant pride but of submissive humility. The Lord Jehovah was the only One to whom Mordecai was going to bow. Mordecai lived in humility and died with honor.
Proverbs 22:29 says, “Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.” If someone is diligent in the basic areas of responsibility of his life, those responsibilities will increase and grow. Mordecai lived in diligence and left as a ruler.
Proverbs 11:25 says, “The liberal soul shall be made fat.” The generous person will be taken care of. Proverbs 11:27 says, “He that diligently seeketh good procureth favour: but he that seeketh mischief, it shall come unto him.” Haman found destruction because he was seeking trouble his entire life. In contrast, Mordecai left “seeking the wealth of his people.” That is what he had always done. Mordecai was not generous because he was wealthy. He was wealthy because he was generous.
Mordecai lived in humility and honor, diligence and rule, generosity and wealth. I’m not saying that God’s will is for us to be healthy and wealthy, but I do think it is His will for us to be wise. Wise is as wise does, and that means living in a way that is helpful to others and honoring to God. Whether Mordecai was a slave, a servant, or a high government official, he was the same man. Nothing had changed. Make sure you are living in the way you wish to be remembered.