For Mordecai was great in the king’s house … this man Mordecai waxed greater and greater … And all the acts of his power and of his might, and the declaration of the greatness of Mordecai, whereunto the king advanced him, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Media and Persia? … Mordecai the Jew was next unto king Ahasuerus, and great among the Jews.  Esther 9:4, 10:2, 3 KJV

Indeed, Mordecai was great in the king’s house … for the man Mordecai became greater and greater. And all the accomplishments of his authority and strength, and the full account of the greatness of Mordecai to which the king advanced him, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Media and Persia? For Mordecai the Jew was second only to King Ahasuerus… Esther 9:4, 10:2,3 NASB

What He Endured

Mordecai, the man marked by grief, became the man of manifest greatness! The path to the right hand of the throne was not an easy one. It was a path marked by grief, false accusation, hostility, and loneliness. He endured the withering glances of Haman, the potential for destruction from the king’s edict, and the misunderstanding of his closest earthly tie, Esther. The wrath of the Gentile was vented on him. And, it is not a stretch of the imagination to think that fellow Jews condemned him for his refusal to bow to Haman which brought them into danger.

In a similar manner, the Lord Jesus spoke of the sufferings which must come first, before the glory that would follow. He endured all that men could do; and He endured all that propitiation demanded.

What He Enjoyed

But the day came when, in the purposes of God, and through the sovereign (and ironic) workings of God, that Mordecai was vindicated and honored. He left the palace with a crown of gold on his head and arrayed in fine linen. On his finger he wore the ring of the king – the equivalent of an American Express Card, for his personal use. The wording of Esther suggests not only honoring, but increasing greatness.

Mordecai “waxed greater and greater … the declaration of his greatness … great among the Jews …” How prophetic of the words of the angel to Mary: “He shall be great … and of His kingdom there shall be no end” (Luke 1:32, 33). A day is coming when, in the sovereign un-thwartable purposes of God, the greatness and glory of His Son will be recognized. In the words of the prophet Isaiah, “He shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high” (Isa 52:13).

How He Employed It

Mordecai enjoyed the place at the king’s right hand. He was exalted to a place of rule and majesty. Such was his influence and regal bearing that “the fear of Mordecai fell” (Esther 9:3) on all those in authority throughout the empire. He moved with authority and empire-wide influence in Persia; he had reached the top.

What is most reminiscent of the Lord Jesus, is that his honor and exaltation were turned to blessing for his own people: “Seeking the wealth of his people and speaking peace to all the seed” (Esther 10:3). The honors which our Lord Jesus now bears have been used, by Him, to bless His people – the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, His place as Advocate, High Priest, Shepherd, at God’s right hand. He uses all His glories for our blessing.

Consider:

  • What is true greatness?
  • Was Mordecai inherently greater at the end than he was at the beginning?
  • Was our Lord Jesus Christ “greater” because of the cross, or did it reveal what He has been eternally?
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