Mordecai, the Purpose Proclaimer

by Audrey Frank @AudreyCFrank

And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this? 

-Mordecai’s challenge to Queen Esther in Esther 4:14

The book of Esther is not only the tale of an orphan-girl-turned-queen who risked her life to save her people. It is also the story of her remarkable uncle Mordecai. Mordecai proved that one brave person bold enough to proclaim purpose in times of uncertainty can change the direction of nations.

Our world could sure use brave and bold purpose proclaimers right now as we face global instability. We need people with a broad enough vision to believe that purpose can be borne out of the most unlikely circumstances. That wisdom can arise bringing hope and stability. That God has power greater than our fear.

Mordecai was a purpose proclaimer, and as writers, we can take a few tips from him.

Purpose Out of Unlikely Circumstances

Mordecai inherited a legacy of exile. His great-grandfather was forced out of Jerusalem with the captives in the great exile to Babylon in 597 BC. Mordecai understood loss. He understood the naivety of his young Jewish niece living in a harem in the king’s palace, shielded from the world but with the power to change it. Mordecai understood that our personal history has power to shape our present and future for the better.

We each bring personal history to this particular time in history. What have we learned from our story? What have we learned about who God is? Share it with others. They need to know He can be trusted when everything changes. That freedom comes after exile. That God sets the lonely in families. That purpose often emerges out of the most unlikely circumstances.

Wisdom, Hope, and Stability

After the loss of her parents, Esther lived a sheltered life, cared for and carefully instructed by her uncle Mordecai. One day an officer of the king showed up at their door and suddenly Esther found herself catapulted into a whole new world, living in isolation in the king’s harem as she was groomed for the beauty contest of the ages. 

In the end, she was chosen for the starring role in one of the Bible’s most dazzling dream-come-true-fairy-tales, only this was no work of fiction. The story ripples with critical real-world issues, including inequality, racism, misogyny, fear, deception, and decreed destruction. Esther needed wisdom, and Mordecai provided it through his faithful counsel. He was a source of stability to her during a time of national upheaval, and a reliable voice of wisdom and hope.

The noise of the nations is loud today. Many are facing the loss of employment, security, relationships, or health. People are striving to survive the present as they fear the future. 

Voices of wisdom, hope, and stability are needed. Writers who themselves draw daily from the quiet waters of God’s Word will have something stable, hopeful, and wise to share with others. This is something we can do when there are so many other things we cannot. We can give as He gives to us.

God has Power Greater than our Fear

Mordecai might have been afraid of the issues of his day, but he did not act like it. He sat at the king’s gate and listened. He learned. He relied upon God’s leading to know when to speak and when to be silent. He trusted God’s power was greater than his fear or the fear his words would strike in Esther’s heart when he boldly challenged her to risk her life for the Jewish people.

To trust God past our fears and to urge others we love to do the same at peril of death is magnificent faith indeed. This is the kind of faith Mordecai demonstrated.

Before we grab our pens and exhort the masses to such great trust in God, we must settle the matter for ourselves. Do we trust God has power greater than our fear? Once we have quietened our own hearts on the matter, fortified ourselves on the promises of God, then we may take up our pens and admonish our readers to do the same. Fear runs rife in our world today, and a message of power over fear is sorely needed.

The story of an orphan girl chosen for her exquisite beauty to be queen is exciting. For her to have used her position to save her people from death is bold and breathtaking. But none of that would have happened to Esther if her uncle Mordecai had not had the courage and faith to proclaim purpose to her in the most unlikely of circumstances. 

May we as writers be purpose proclaimers to a world of Esthers. So many could change the world if only they will choose faith over fear.

Lord, use my writing to proclaim Your purpose during this time in history. Amen.

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Audrey Frank is an author, speaker, and storyteller. The stories she shares are brave and true. They give voice to those whose words are silenced by shame, the hard things in life that don’t make sense, and the losses that leave us wondering if we will survive. Audrey and her family have spent over twenty years living and working among different cultures and world views, and she has found that God’s story of redemption spans every geography and culture. He is the God of Instead, giving honor instead of shame, gladness instead of mourning, hope instead of despair. Although she has three different degrees in communication and intercultural studies, Audrey’s greatest credential is that she is known and loved by the One who made her.

Audrey is the author of Covered Glory: The Face of Honor and Shame in the Muslim World (Harvest House Publishers), an outpouring of Audrey’s heart to introduce others to the God of Instead. Shame is not unique to the developing world, the plight of the women behind veils, young girls trafficked across borders; shame is lurking in hearts everywhere. Through powerful stories from women around the world, Covered Glory illuminates the power of the Gospel to remove shame, giving honor instead. Available at favorite booksellers: Barnes & Noble , Books A Million, Amazon.

You can also find Audrey at www.audreyfrank.com, as well as on Twitter and Facebook