“for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” Hebrews 5b-6
The Book of Esther has always intrigued me. It is a story we tell to children, but it is a story that is really not for children. It is thought of as a love story, and it is, but not in a romantic way. Esther is considered the hero, and she is, but the real hero is Mordecai. I suppose if the title of the book read: Haman vs. Mordecai: a Tale of Racism, Hate and Revenge it would seem more suited to the New York Times Best Seller List than to the Bible.
The background of the story is that the Jews are in exile in Babylon due to their own failure to follow God. Let me hasten to add here that just because a group of people is considered wayward does not mean there are no true believers in the group. In fact, we see that Mordecai is one of the exiles and that he has a relative named Esther who has lost her parents. Mordecai takes her in and treats her as his own daughter. Throughout the book we see him watch over her and care for her, showing love for her and deep faith in God.
As the story progresses, we see that Mordecai has achieved a high position in the king’s court. He is one of the king’s royal officials who sits in the king’s gate. At the outset of the story, the king banishes the queen during a drunken rage. Once he comes to his senses, it is decided there will be a royal beauty pageant to find the next queen. So much for a true love story! Because Esther is beautiful she is chosen to be a part of this game to see who can please the king and become the next queen. I’m guessing none of you would really be in favor of your daughters or granddaughters becoming queen in this fashion.
Obviously Esther wins the pageant since her name is the title of the book. As she endures the treatments and night with the king, we do see glimpses of love but they are found in Mordecai. “Esther had not revealed her nationality and family background, because Mordecai had forbidden her to do so. Every day he walked back and forth near the courtyard of the harem to find out how Esther was and what was happening to her.” Mordecai watches over Esther, attempting to keep her safe despite the strange circumstances.
Esther becoming queen is actually just more set up for the real story, the story of Haman vs. Mordecai. These two are enemies from before they were born. Haman was an Agagite, an ancient foe of the Jews. When Haman is elevated to a higher position in the government, Mordecai refuses to bow down to him. His faith in Jehovah forbids him to do so. Haman is furious. Esther chapter 3 says, “When Haman saw that Mordecai would not kneel down or pay him honor, he was enraged. Yet having learned who Mordecai’s people were, he scorned the idea of killing only Mordecai. Instead Haman looked for a way to destroy all Mordecai’s people, the Jews, throughout the whole kingdom of Xerxes.”
Racism, hatred, and genocide all in one book that is often offered to children! We understand the tension here, because we are living in that tension. Children are living in that tension, at the mercy of rulers who come with centuries of bubbling hate and animosity to overcome.
Day after day Haman walks by Mordecai and day after day Mordecai does not bow down to him. Haman seethes with anger and devises a plan to kill Mordecai and annihilate all the Jews. He will not be satisfied until every Jew is dead. His level of hate is extreme.
Haman gets the king to sign an edict calling for the destruction of the Jews, but he wants a special death for Mordecai. Unwilling to wait until normal business hours, Haman goes to the king in the early hours of the morning to request a death sentence for his enemy. Lo and behold the king is awake. He wants to speak to Haman. He wants to honor someone who has helped him out in a big way. The king asks Haman what should be done for someone who has benefitted the king. Haman, in his egotistical pride-filled mind, thinks he must be the one the king wants to honor. He lays out a grandiose display, one where the whole world will know he is thus honored. The king agrees, and tells Haman to carry out the grandiose plan in honor of Mordecai!
Hate and revenge blind us to truth. While Haman was creating his own world of intrigue, Mordecai was doing his job. He was watching over Esther, he was guarding the king and preventing an assassination, he was supporting his people. He was praying to his God. He was encouraging Esther to be brave and faithful. He was aware that God had put him in the right position at the right time. He trusted in a God who could and would protect and provide and pave the way.
I would encourage you to sit down and read the book of Esther sometime this week. I would encourage you to look past the pageant and consider the timing of events in the story. Even when things looked bleakest God was at work. He had placed the people he needed to use in just the right places to make a difference. He gave them strength and support and success. Where has God placed you?
The holiday of Purim, instituted at the conclusion of the book of Esther, is enjoyed by children and adults. Purim was being celebrated while we were in Israel in 2023. Children wearing costumes reminded us of American Halloween, as did the passing out of candy and treats that accompanies the holiday. Esther 9:20-22 says; “Mordecai recorded these events, and he sent letters to all the Jews throughout the provinces of King Xerxes, near and far, to have them celebrate annually the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month of Adar as the time when the Jews got relief from their enemies, and as the month when their sorrow was turned into joy and their mourning into a day of celebration. He wrote them to observe the days as days of feasting and joy and giving presents of food to one another and gifts to the poor.“
I love the way God can turn sorrow into joy and mourning into celebrating. It is not Purim or Halloween or Christmas, but all around you people feel the tension of war, the sadness of loss and the fear of being outcast or hated. Wouldn’t it make a difference if we all made treats of one kind or another to share with someone who needs a lift?
This recipe is not a quick treat, but it is special. This recipe for cheesecake was my first real attempt to make cheesecake. It is still my youngest daughter’s favorite. The chocolate part is very rich, so be sure to serve with whipped cream.
Marble Cheesecake
- 3 8 oz. packages cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 3 Tbsp Gold Medal flour
- 3 eggs
- 2 Tbsp cooking oil
- 1/4 cup baking cocoa
Prepare the crust of choice (below) in a 9 inch springform pan and set aside. Heat oven to 450*. In a large mixing bowl cream sugar and cream cheese until very smooth. Add sour cream, vanilla and flour, blending well. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Make sure batter is totally smooth and pour all but 3/4 cup of batter into crust. Place reserved batter back in mixing bowl with 2 Tbsp oil and 1/4 cup baking cocoa. Blend until smooth. Drop three or four dollops of this chocolate batter over the top of the vanilla batter.
Use a knife to swirl the batter into a marbled pattern. Bake at 450* for 10 MINUTES only. WITHOUT opening the oven door, reduce heat to 250* for 30 minutes. Again, WITHOUT OPENING the oven door, turn oven off and leave cheesecake in oven for another 30 minutes. Top of cheesecake will crack slightly. Let cool before loosening sides of springform pan. Serve chilled with whipped cream and hot fudge sauce and berries.
Cheesecake Crust Options
Graham Cracker Crust
- 1 cup graham crackers crumbs (store bought or crush graham crackers in food processor)
- 3 Tbsp sugar
- 1/4 cup melted butter
Mix ingredients together, then press up the sides of a 9 inch springform pan. Press remaining crumbs onto the floor of the pan, making it as even as possible. Bake at 350* for 6 minutes. Cool before filling.
Cookie Crumb Crust
- 1 1/2 – 2 cups of crushed chocolate sandwich cookies (Oreos or generic)
- 1/3 cup melted butter
Crush cookies in food processor, then add melted butter. Press crumbs up the sides of the springform pan first, then press them onto the bottom of the pan. Make sure the bottom crust is even. Bake at 350* for 6 minutes. Cool before using.
