In Shushan the citadel there was a certain Jew whose name was Mordecai … [who] had brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle’s daughter, for she had neither father nor mother … While Mordecai sat within the king’s gate, two of the king’s eunuchs … sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus. So the matter became known to Mordecai, who told Queen Esther. Esther 2:5, 7; 2:21–22 NKJV
Haman saw that Mordecai did not bow or pay him homage. Esther 3:5 NKJV
While our book bears the name of its heroine, Esther, its hero is her faithful cousin Mordecai. He reminds us of our Lord Jesus who is altogether faithful. Mordecai’s faithfulness is seen in several areas of life. We are told that he was a Benjamite who had brought up Hadassah, Esther, his uncle’s daughter, as his own daughter after both of her parents had died. His loving care for Esther continued after she was taken from him. Daily he came as close as he could to where she was to check on her welfare and find out what was happening to her. She in turn obeyed his commands just as she had done when she was brought up by him.
When Mordecai overheard two eunuchs, doorkeepers, plotting to assassinate the king, he told Esther, and she passed the word on to the king. Thus he was faithful to the authorities God sets up for our good and for the suppression of evil. God tells us to honor and pray for the authorities and to pay what they demand.
Scripture never tells us to judge the authorities, nor are we ever told to disobey them. We are clearly told, however, that “We ought to obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29); for God is the highest authority and the source of all authority. God had expressed His enmity against Amalek repeatedly in His Word, so Mordecai in faithfulness to God refused to bow or pay homage to Haman, who as the Agagite was descended from Amalekite royalty. Today too, there is often a price to pay to be faithful to God!