"When you throw a stone to hit on a wall,it normally bounce back to you."
"If you dig a pit for others to fall into it, you normally fall first into it."
"And every bad plan taken against an innocent person gets back to the fellow."
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All these sayings, are wise saying that is used to interpret how very bad it is for one treat his neighbour in a wicked or cruel manner.
In this morning devotion, we are looking at a very renowned person in the Book of Esther in the Old Testament named: **"Mordecai."**
Mordecai was the Jewish and the family of Benjamite, the son of Jair, whose background may be traced from the Jeconiah King of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the King of Babylon had carried them away from Jerusalem during captivity.(Esther 2:5-6)
"Mordecai and the queen Esther were from the same family, that was his uncle's daughter. Unfortunately, all their parents had died, so Mordecai took queen Esther as his daughter and nurtured her. By then Mordecai had told Esther never to reveal their background to anybody."(Esther 2:7-9)
In those days there was a great King named: **"Ahasuerus"** who ruled from India even unto Ethiopia, over a hundred and seven and twenty province. It was this who developed love for queen Esther, since she was very beautiful. So, "Esther obtained grace and favour in the sight of the King more than all the women, so the King set the royal crown upon her head, and made her a queen of Vashti."(Esther 2:17)
All the hatred and the suffering of Mordecai and the Jewish, began from The Book of Esther chapter 3, when the King Ahasuerus had promoted the son of Hammedtha the Agagite, the prince, by named: **" Haman"** and advanced his seat above all princes. Now, Haman had been promoted and advanced in King Ahasuerus palace, and sat on the highest seat, so he expected all the people under him to bow when they come to the palace. Then, it came to a point that, whenever the servants of Ahasuerus come to the palace, they bow before Haman, but Mordecai do not bow. Haman began to develop hatred to Mordecai and the entire Jewish.
Haman decided to destroy all the Jewish from their Kingdom, so he informed Ahasuerus that certain tribes do not want to follow are customs and traditions so allow me to destroy them. King Ahasuerus agreed and quickly, Haman gathered his servants and strong men and destroyed most of the Jewish from young to the old.(Esther 3:13)
When Mordecai saw what had happened he wept bitterly. All the people around the Jewish community felt pitty for what had happened so they fasted for some days.(Esther4:1)
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Upon all what Haman did to the Jewish, Mordecai was not bowing before Haman, so this created a great hatred between Haman and Mordecai. Haman's wife: Seres and all his loved one adviced him badly to prepare a long stick called "gallows," which in those days they use to hang criminals, so that they would hang Mordecai and kill him from the land(Esther 5:14). Haman too listened to her wife and made a gallows for Mordecai. Lo and behold, Mordecai had gain favour from the King Ahasuerus through his sister Esther, "the queen mother of Vashti."
Meanwhile, Mordecai had already gained favour in the sight of the King Ahasuerus during the time two of his servants rose up on him to kill him. It was Mordecai who saw everything and hinted the King. So the two servants were even killed and this record was written in the Book of Cronicles. So the King remembered that he had not honoured and dignified Mordecai in any way, ever since he saved him. So, he called all his people and servants to a feast, to honour Mordecai. King Ahasuerus called Haman, who did know what Mordecai had done for him before asked him: "what shall be done unt the mab whom the King delight to honour?(Esther6:6). Haman thought in his heart that it was him that the King wanted to honour. So Haman answered; Let the King wear him his own royal garment, the crown which is set upon the King's head and the person should be ride on the King's horse. And people should lead him and shout throughout the city.
And King Ahasuerus said said to Haman that go and bring those items and wear Mordecai who please the King. And Haman did as the King had ordered him. People led him throughout the city with the horse. After this Haman went to his house and wept, since his enemy; Mordecai had been lifted.
After these incidence, the King Ahasuerus called queen Esther and asked her what she could request so that he would do for her, even if it reaches half of his Kingdom. Queen Esther said, right now she had no fame since his enemy had rose against them and want their people to be sold and destroyed. So king Ahasuerus became very ferous and asked queen Esther who was this man; and she said our enemy,**" Haman."** So the King told his servants to go and bring Haman. Meanwhile, the gallows he had prepared for Mordecai was there, and the servants showed it the King, that this was the gallows he prepared for Mordecai to die on it. The King ordered his servants to take Mordecai and hang him in his own gallows. And Haman then was hanged on his own gallows for Mordecai to get his freedom.(Esther 7:10)
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Mordecai now became famous in the palace of King Ahasuerus, and the Jewish gained their freedom. They all lived peacefully. Thanks be to God, King Ahasuerus and queen Esther for saving Mordecai and the Jewish.
What lessons have we learnt from Mordecai's story? We should not worry ourselves because of our enemies, they will by all means die on their own gallows that they have prepared as Haman died on his own gallows. They will be traped on their own traps they have set for us. They will fall into the pit they have dug for us. As Christians, we should be faithful, patient and courageous at all times during the time our enemies are tormenting us.
Let us fight for our freedom as Mordecai did, we live to free ourselves from this captivity.
**I am oppongk from #teamghana.**
