Mordecai Uncovers a Plot

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Esther 2:19-22


TO CHEW ON: "But Mordecai found out about the plot and told Queen Esther, who in turn reported it to the king, giving credit to Mordecai." Esther 2:22

“Xerxes is a tyrant. He’s gone too far!”

"We should kill him . . .”

Mordecai sat motionless as he strained to hear the secret conversation. In his job at the king’s gate, he had heard a lot of things. But never before had he overheard people actually plotting to murder the king.

As soon as the plotters left, Mordecai hurried to the palace and straight to Queen Esther. He told her everything he had heard.



Esther lost no time in reporting the plot to the king. “And Mordecai your servant, who sits at the king’s gate is the one who uncovered this,” she told him.

Illustration by Annie Vallotton from the Good News Bible
© American Bible Society 1976, 1992, used with permission.

Immediately Xerxes had the two men arrested and killed for their plans. Then the whole incident was recorded in the king’s record book.

Let’s think about what Esther did for a minute. Now that she was queen, her responsibility to Mordecai was done. She could have taken the credit for uncovering that plot for herself. It would have made the king think more of her and almost no one would have known the difference. Instead, she chose to be honest and gave the credit to Mordecai.

What about us? Do we give other people credit when they deserve it? We’re quick enough to make sure no one blames us for something we haven’t done. Are we just as quick to do things like say that it was our partner who did most of the work on the project, or our sister who really cleaned our room? Let’s make a habit of that kind of honesty. Let’s make sure that the people who deserve it get the praise.

PRAYER: Dear God, please help me to give others the credit they deserve. Amen.


MORE: Honesty.
Make a collection of sayings about honesty. Here are three to get you started:

1. Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom - Thomas Jefferson

2. A few honest men are better than numbers - Oliver Cromwell

3. Each time you are honest and conduct yourself with honesty, a success force will drive you toward greater success. Each time you lie, even with a little white lie, there are strong forces pushing you toward failure. - Joe Sugarman.

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.


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