Men of virtue and true piety may for a time seem to be kept in obscurity,
but often by the hand of God they are suddenly discovered to the world and caused to be preferred.
Esther 10
1 And the king Ahasuerus laid a tribute upon the land, and upon the isles of the sea.
2 And all the acts of his power and of his might, and the declaration of the greatness of Mordecai, whereunto the king advanced him, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Media and Persia?
3 For Mordecai the Jew was next unto king Ahasuerus, and great among the Jews, and accepted of the multitude of his brethren, seeking the wealth of his people, and speaking peace to all his seed.
Esther 10 – J. Vernon McGee
Esther 10 – The Feast of Purim
The reference to tribute in Esther 10:1 shows that this book is a historical document, preserved in the state archives, and probably written by a Jewish chronicler, who may have owed his position to Mordecai himself. The providence of God is clearly discernible in all the incidents recorded here. Through all human governments and events a divine purpose runs; and as God exalted Mordecai to honor and glory, so will He work for those who love Him, and so ultimately will He put all enemies under His feet. —Through the Bible Day by Day
Find the missing words then click and drag the letters in the grid below. Click “Start“
1 And the king Ahasuerus laid a tribute upon the ________, and upon the __________ of the sea.
2 And all the ________ of his power and of his might, and the ______________________ of the greatness of Mordecai, whereunto the king ________________ him, are they not ______________ in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Media and Persia?
3 For Mordecai the Jew was ________ unto king Ahasuerus, and __________ among the Jews, and ________________ of the multitude of his brethren, seeking the ____________ of his people, and speaking __________ to all his seed.
Esther 10:3—Seeking the wealth of his people, and speaking peace to all his seed.
This epitaph on the life of a simple-minded, true-hearted man, might be yours also. Why should you not from this moment adopt these twin characteristics? Go about the world seeking the good of people. It does not always mean that you should give them a tract, or a little book. It is much easier to do this than to sacrifice your own good in order to seek theirs. You may be quite sure that some little act of self-sacrifice or thoughtfulness for a weary mother, or crying child, for a sick friend, or for some person who is always maligning and injuring you, would do a great deal in the way of preparing an entrance for the Gospel message. It is thus that the genial spring loosens the earth and prepares the way for the germination of multitudinous life. Count the day lost in which you have not sought to promote the good of some one. Adopt as your own the pious Quaker’s motto, “Do all the good you can, to all the people you can, in all the ways you can.”
Speak peace to people.—Soothe agitated and irritated souls. Throw oil on troubled waters. There are worried and anxious hearts all around us; a word of sympathy and earnest prayer with them will often remove the heavy load, and smooth out the wrinkles of care. Let the law of kindness be on your lip. Do not say sharp or unkind things of the absent, or allow your lips to utter words that will lead to bitterness or wrath. Seek peace and pursue it. And in order to this, let the peace of God that passeth all understanding keep your mind and heart.
“Come, my beloved! We will haste and go
To those pale faces of our fellow men!
Our loving hearts, burning with summer-fire,
Shall cast a glow upon their pallidness.” —Our Daily Homily