10 King Ahasuerus imposed tax on the land and on the coastlands of the sea. 2 And all the acts of his power and might, and the full account of the high honor 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? 3 For Mordecai the Jew was second in rank to King Ahasuerus, and he was great among the Jews and popular with the multitude of his brothers, for he sought the welfare of his people and spoke peace to all his people. (Esther 10)
Throughout the books of Kings and Chronicles we have epitaphs for each of the kings of Israel and Judah. For most, it is readily apparent what kind of king each was. Sometimes scripture connects salvation history to international political history and tells us about the kings of Egypt, Babylon, Assyria, Greece & Rome - the great empires of Biblical History as well. Here we have both, with a contrast: King Ahasuerus was know for his high taxes. Right under him was Mordecai, the Jew, who, like Daniel and Joseph found himself second only to the emperor. Like those two, Mordecai is remembered for his greatness in the most positive way: "he sought the welfare of his people and spoke peace to all his people." What a higher and more noble epitaph to have said of us. We may not be listed with the kings and presidents of history, but may we be listed as those with the qualities of a Mordecai: passionate and compassionate about the needs of those around us.
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