The king has a lot of eunuchs in his employ. I suppose it makes sense with all the beautiful women in the king’s harems. It must have been more prevalent in that culture. That aside, two of the kings eunuchs who were the guards to the king’s personal quarters were disgruntled about something. so much so, they were conspiring to kill the king. They would, after all, have perfect opportunity being so close to the king.
Somehow, Mordecai heard about their plot to kill the king. It’s not entirely clear whether he overheard it or heard it from other employees of the king. You know how rumor mills can be rampant in a workplace. Mordecai was not going to keep this information to himself. He had an “in” with the king so he told his cousin, Esther, about the plan.
Queen Esther wanted to protect her king, so she told him. Of course, an investigation had to take place. The king needed to make sure that the story he was hearing from his wife was indeed true. I’m sure he couldn’t believe it, after all shouldn’t his eunuchs be loyal to him? In this story, his guard Mordecai was, as well as his wife.
Have you ever been in a situation where you knew something that could affect the life of someone you respected? I’ve been trying to think of an example myself. Mine wasn’t a life or death situation, but I recall being told the funds weren’t there to pay our salary anymore. I shared that information so we could formulate a plan for alternate income. That was a scary time, but I sensed a loyalty for having received that information before it was too late.
Perhaps you were the one who saved another because of your loyalty. It is a good quality to have. People who are loyal are also generally trustworthy. In this day and age, it can be hard to know who to trust. Someone who is loyal is devoted with strong feelings of allegiance.
We could also look at worldly examples, like a sports team. I am extremely loyal to the Green Bay Packers. I don’t let the fact that I live in Mexico thwart that allegiance at all. In fact, I have television service ONLY for watching them play. The rest of the year, I don’t turn the TV on at all, except to watch movies that we stream or play DVDs. We don’t need TV service to do that.
What about our loyalty to God? Being there are so many “spiritual” things in the world today to draw our attention, our loyalty to God is most certainly important. We must stand firm in our faith so not to waver. You’ve probably seen some of the new age religions that lead many people astray. There is a huge focus in our society on being “spiritual,” but unfortunately it has very little or absolutely nothing to do with the God of the Bible.
For those weak in their faith and unclear of their salvation, these feel good messages can be deceiving. It’s tragic. There are so many people seeking for God, they just don’t realize who they are seeking. They are open, and too often the spiritual, all-inclusive kind of belief system captures their attention.
What about you? Where is your loyalty? Take some time to wrestle with this.
Lets pray. Lord, I am devoted to you, but I know many people around me are not. Even though my loyalty to you is clear, there are times when I wonder about things, situations, and theories. I believe all good things come from you, including knowledge and wisdom. How can I reconcile some of these interesting ideas and know if they are from you or from the darkness disguised as light? Help me to see your truth. Use me to help others to see you and be loyal to you, too. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
