Esther 10:1 - Meaning and Application

We are told here how great and powerful King Ahasuerus was. He ruled a huge empire, both on the mainland and over the islands, and from it he drew a great income. Besides the normal taxes the Persian kings collected (Ezra 4:13), he also placed an extra tribute on his subjects for some major need that required money (Esther 10:1): “The king laid a tribute.”

It is a blessing that our own island is not taxed except by those chosen by the people to represent them. It is not squeezed or oppressed by an absolute ruler, as some nearby nations are. Besides this example of Ahasuerus’s greatness, many other acts of his power could be mentioned. Yet they are not fit to be recorded in this holy history, which stays focused on the Jews and only touches other nations when their affairs connect with the Jews.

Those other deeds were written in the Persian records (Esther 10:2), but those records have long ago been lost and forgotten. Scripture remains, honored and alive, and it will remain until time itself ends. When the kingdoms of men, kings and empires, are destroyed and their memory has passed away (Psalm 9:6), the kingdom of God among people, and the records of that kingdom, will remain and last as long as heaven itself (Daniel 2:44).

We are also told how great and good Mordecai was. It is a good thing to see virtue and devotion honored in this way. First, he was great. He stood next to the king, as the one the king trusted and delighted in most. Mordecai had long sat contentedly in the king’s gate, and now at last he is raised to the head of the king’s council.

People of real worth may seem buried alive for a time, but in the end they are often discovered and promoted. The record of Mordecai’s rise was written in the kingdom’s chronicles because it was a notable event and helped explain the king’s great successes. The king did not do such great things until Mordecai stood at his right hand.

He was also great among the Jews (Esther 10:3). He was not merely above them in rank and honor, but dear to them and close to them. They respected him deeply. They did not resent his advancement. Instead, they rejoiced in it and gave him real influence among them, trusting him with the direction of their affairs.

He was good as well as great, indeed very good, because he did good. His goodness made him truly great, and his greatness gave him more chances to do good. When the king promoted him, he did not deny his people the Jews, nor was he ashamed to be linked with them, even though they were strangers, captives, and scattered people, despised by others. He still called himself Mordecai the Jew, and no doubt he kept to the Jewish faith and its practices. That did not hurt his promotion, and it was not seen as a disgrace.

He also did not use his position to build up his own wealth or to make an estate for himself and his family, which is what many people mainly want when they get into high office. Instead, he worked for the good of his people and made that his business. He used his power, wealth, and influence with the king and queen for the public good.

He did not only do good, he did it in a humble and gracious way. He was easy to approach, polite, and friendly. He spoke peace to everyone who came to him. Good works are the main thing expected from people with wealth and power, but kind words are also worth much, and they make good deeds more welcome.

He also did not favor one party of his people against another, or make some his favorites while others were ignored and crushed. Whatever differences existed among them, he acted as a common father to all. He made himself known and respected by the many of his brothers, without looking down on the crowd, and he spoke peace to all their descendants without distinction. By his humility and kindness, he won the good will of everyone.

Thanks be to God, we are blessed with such a government, one that seeks the welfare of our people and speaks peace to all their children. May God keep it long, very long, and grant us, under its happy protection and guidance, to live quiet and peaceful lives in godliness, honesty, and love.