Esther 6:11
So Haman got the robe and the horse. He robed Mordecai, and led him on horseback through the city streets, proclaiming before him, “This is what is done for the man the king delights to honor!”
Revelation 12:10
Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Messiah. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down.
With recent current events in the United States, we are witnessing - what I believe to be - a season of vindication for people of a particular political persuasion, and especially its current leader.
But what is Jesus teaching us?
Mordecai had been among the original Jewish exiles from Jerusalem. I think it can be inferred that he had seen his cousins die at some point during that time, because he had ended up caring for his cousins' daughter Esther. (Esther 2:7) It had definitely been a hard slog, but they were getting along, as it were. They were not slaves, but it can be assumed that they were second-class citizens who kept their identity as Jews hidden lest they face persecution. (Esther 2:20)
In the middle of it all, he had to witness his niece get conscripted to become the wife of a king who did not live according to his peoples' ways. This is not what I would call the most romantic of circumstances. (Esther 2) In addition, he "offended" someone by standing strong for his convictions, even though it was politically incorrect to do so. (Esther 3:1-5; Note that I am putting this in contemporary terms to bring it to bear with today's cultural language.)
Yet in the end, Mordecai and his entire race were vindicated multiple times throughout the rest of the book. At some point, they only had to stand back witness the destruction of those who had meant to harm them. (Psalm 91:8) What can be learned of this?
- Vindication comes through no special effort of our own will; we simply proceed with our lives as we believe our Father calls us to.
Mordecai was simply doing what he had been brought up to do - in this case it was to obey the first two commandments. (Exodus 20:3,4) Live your life as Jesus calls us to live it. Let the chips fall where they may. Our life is under His Lordship, and it is not our own.
- When opportunity presents itself for vindication then take it, in spite of the risk. (Esther 4:12-5:7)
There will come pivotal moments when you have the opportunity to bring the truth to bear. Be careful and shrewd, but beware, it could be risky. Don't be a "karen", but at the same time be willing to bring the truth to the light. True, there could be repercussions. But bringing truth into the light is never a bad thing.
- Celebrate when it comes, but do not gloat.
The Father hates a haughty attitude, and so he calls us to not look over our enemies with a haughty, or smug, heart. (Proverbs 6:16-19; Psalm 101:5) The vindication is not complete, but as it unfolds, do not gloat. Don't do it!
However, He does love His children to party when truth is revealed. (1 Corinthians 13:6) Purim is still celebrated to this day in remembrance of the vindication of the Jews in the book of Esther. Remember, even treasure when the Lord vindicates you in the face of your enemies.
I'm sure there are plenty of lessons to be learned about vindication both through this book and through His hand at work before our eyes. These are presenting themselves to me these days. Is He teaching anything to you through this?
Make our eyes big, and our ears bigger, Lord!
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