Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Character Study: Mordecai, Part 2

28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

Romans 8:28-29

Today, I want to expand a little on the last point I touched on yesterday - that Mordecai was of Jewish nobility. If Mordecai can trace his family line back to King Saul through Jonathan and Mephibosheth, we can see that as evidence of God's mercy even as God's wrath is being expressed. In past studies of the book of Esther, I've learned that Haman the Agagite who sought the destruction of the Jews was descended from Agag the Amelikite whom King Saul spared when he had been commanded to wipe out all of the Amalekites and their sheep and so on. Because of his disobedience, the kingdom is taken away from Saul. Saul's family line is almost completely wiped out. He dies. His sons die. Most of his grandchildren are wiped out too. Eventually a descendant of Agag wansts to wipe out the Jewish people. How fitting is it that Mordecai is descended from Saul's family line. Though Saul disobeyed and lost his kingdom and his actions led to the eventual near genocide of the Jewish people, God through His wisdom and mercy preserved a remnant of Saul's family line to save His people.

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