February 11 A Secret

Esther 2:10 Esther had not made known her people or kindred, for Mordecai had commanded her not to make it known.
 
WHAT do you think about this? Is it right to keep quiet about your heritage? Is it a lie to be quiet about the truth?
    Here is another moral dilemma in Esther. Persian’s rulers had been kind to the Jews. They had allowed the Jews to return to their homeland. They had also allowed the Jews to live and work among the various ethnicities of Persia. It is difficult to decipher Mordecai’s reason to be quiet about his Jewish lineage. Perhaps there is an underlying bigotry against the Jews in Persia we do not see. Racial tensions may be just under the surface, and the Jews could be walking in a fragile peace.
    This is very different than the book of Daniel. There we see Daniel faithfully elevate his Jewish heritage amid a conquering culture. In contrast to Mordecai and Esther, Daniel made it very clear to Babylon’s leaders that he would live only under God’s laws. He was even thrown into a lion’s den for his faithful prayer life. Daniel’s story urges us to boldly and faithfully live into the sufficient hope of God’s promises.
    Some commentators say Esther’s author is highlighting the ways Mordecai and Esther do not live into God’s law. This could be done to help us learn that God will use even those of us who do not live purely and faithfully under his commands. God is sovereign to use whom he will in the way he will.
    Again, we can only conjecture on Mordecai’s silence and Esther’s participation in that silence. But unlike Daniel and others, including the courageous Joshua, the mighty warrior Gideon, the righteous judge Samuel, the king David and others, Esther and Mordecai kept their belief in God a secret until a precise time of revelation.     In God’s sovereign plan, their silence was ultimately transformed into a vibrant, booming voice for our Lord resonating through the ages. Perhaps they were afraid. Perhaps they were confused about what to do. Perhaps they were wise to keep quiet until the right time. Maybe they trusted God to do what he would do when he would do it.
    Be reminded: God transforms. God creates. God silences. God loosens tongues. As he desires, our Lord will surely use even our weaknesses to exhibit his strength (Remember Peter?).
 
Prayer: Dear Lord, as I am too often silent about my faith in you, loosen my tongue to speak when I need to speak. In Jesus’ name, amen.