Topic: Rewards for Doing Good (Esther 2:21-23)
“In those days, while Mordecai sat within the king’s gate, two of the king’s eunuchs, Bigthan and Teresh, doorkeepers, became furious and sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus. So the matter became known to Mordecai, who told Queen Esther, and Esther informed the king in Mordecai’s name. And when an inquiry was made into the matter, it was confirmed, and both were hanged on a gallows; and it was written in the book of the chronicles in the presence of the king.”
Here, Mordecai uncovers a plot against the King Ahasuerus by the two doorkeepers. The good deed was written in the book of the chronicles. However, he received no reward from the King for saving his life. It appears that the King and even the Lord had forgotten his good deed. The King may have overlooked Mordecai’s good deed, but God never forgets.
However, the Lord purposefully saved the reward for the right time. God delays a reward not because He forgets and then suddenly remembers but rather because he chooses to bless us in the moments when it would do us the greatest good and bring Him the greatest glory.
Galatians 6:9 says, “Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.”
Jeremiah 17:10 says, “I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give to each man according to his ways, according to the results of his deeds.”
Sometime after his incident of forgotten reward, the King promoted an official named Haman and set him above the princes. Haman hated Mordecai since he did not bow down or pay homage to him and the Jews in general. Haman got permission from the King to annihilate the Jews. The King took his signet ring and gave it to Haman strongly establishing the decree.
That particular night, the King couldn’t sleep (Esther 6:1). Strange enough! After a huge feast, a banquet of wine, one would have expected the King to have a sound sleep. It was God who took the sleep from the King. God was working behind the scenes to honor Mordecai and answer the prayers of the Jews.
To help him sleep, the King ordered to have the record of the chronicles read (Esther 6:1). It so happened by God’s divine intervention that the passage concerning Mordecai rescuing the King’s life from the assassination attempt by the gatekeepers was read. The King inquired about the reward given to Mordecai for his good deed for which the servants replied that no reward was given. The King now decided to reward Mordecai for his deed done long ago. After a conversation between the King and Haman, Haman who sought to kill Mordecai now had to publicly reward him. (Esther 6:6-10)
Can you imagine how embarrassing it would have been for Haman? Haman had to dress Mordecai up and take him through the city square and proclaim Mordecai’s greatness.
It was as if God purposefully saved the reward for the right time—when Mordecai’s life was at stake.
Hebrews 6:10 says, “For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, in having ministered and in still ministering to the saints.”
Let us learn to wait for the Lord’s timing.
See you Sunday!
Dr. Scott Kallem