And all the king’s servants, that were in the king’s gate, bowed, and reverenced (paid homage to) Haman: for the king had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence – Esther 3:2.

Mordecai was an Israelite who returned from exile with Zerubbabel. He was a Jew of the tribe of Benjamin living in the Persian capital of Susa at the time of King Ahasuerus. His cousin Esther, whom he adopted as his daughter, succeeded the deposed Queen Vashti. Mordecai was a godly man, one of honor and was a role model to his peers.

Jewish customarily bowed before their kings, but when Persians bowed before their kings, they paid homage as to a divine being. Haman was promoted above all the princes, and the commandment had been given by the king that the king’s servants were to bow before Haman. Mordecai didn’t bow and because he didn’t bow, the other servants begin to question him about  why he didn’t reverence Haman. Mordecai informed them, that He was a Jew, the servants told Haman, Mordecai wasn’t reverencing him which made Haman angry.

The king’s servant was an example of unbeliever’s, those who serve the god of this world and is upset when they see others who are serving God truly by their conversation and their lifestyle. They don’t want to serve God, and they will get upset because your serving Him. People will get upset with you, if you don’t accept their lifestyle or condone their sins. Some will even try to belittle you because of your stand for Christianity and then they will tell others about your stand for the word of God and they too will dislike you and will try to set up traps and ditches for you to fall in to see if you’re really a true Christian.

As Christians, there will be road blocks, ditches dug, people to lie and try you to see if you will get angry enough to sit your Christianity on a shelf and give them a piece of your mind. What comes out of your mouth and your behavior will be the real you whether it’s an example of Christianity or a carnal Christian acting like an unbeliever trying to be a Christian. People are watching your conduct whether you know it or not.

Haman didn’t like Mordecai, and his plan was to destroy Mordecai and the entire nation of Jews. We as Christian’s are the spiritual Jew that has been circumcise in our hearts (But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not men, but of God – Romans 2:29). We can’t live according to two opinions, either were going to serve God by submitting to His written word or we will live according to the world’s lifestyle.

As we try to live according to the word God, He will empower us to live according to His will when we have a desire to live according to the scriptures. When we live according to the written word of God, persecution will come from many directions, but the more the persecution comes, the more we must decide we will live for God, the scriptures have already informed the Christian, that persecution will come (Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution – 2nd Timothy 3:12). God doesn’t promise us deliverance from persecution, but deliverance through it. Persecution is one of the means God uses to develop our capacity to reign with Him in His kingdom. Persecution will make us pray, fast, read and study the word of God. It will make us examine ourselves to see where we’ve sinned or came short of the word of God.

Persecution comes in different forms, and it comes to those whose worshipping in spirit and in truth. Satan needs people who will be his servant, and uses them the same way God will use His servant. Whoever we’re serving that’s whose servant we will be (Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness – Romans 6:16)? This is why the Bible admonishes us to put on the whole armor of God, we can’t fight Satan or his servant with our flesh, but we can serve them the word of God. Realize those whose persecute are  allowing Satan to use them and sometimes they’re not aware they are being used. Don’t retaliate, but pray and allow God to fight your battle, He doesn’t need your help!