He Was Literally Standing

The black stallion halted in front of Mordecai. This is it. From atop his horse, Haman looked down at him. Mordecai heard a rustle of clothing as everyone else bowed, but Mordecai kept his eyes on Haman. That he had the audacity to look him in the eye only seemed to make him angrier. Haman's lip lifted in a snarl, "Bow to me, Jew."

Mordecai kept silent. This also seemed to provoke Haman. "BOW TO ME!"

"Just bow already!" Mordecai glanced to his right. The young man kept his head bowed, but his head was angled so he could make eye contact with Mordecai. "Bow down," he hissed again.

"Quiet," Haman growled as he slide from his horse. He took the few steps to the young man's side, and kicked him in the gut. Mordecai started to leap to his rescue, but two guards grabbed either arm. Haman's head snapped back to look a Mordecai. Seeing he had triggered a nerve, he kicked the poor kid, over and over again, all the while screaming, "Bow to me! I am a god compared to you. Bow down, fool!"

If Mordecai bowed down, he could stop the beating of this young, innocent man. However, if Mordecai bowed down, he would be betraying his Lord God. He would compromise his witness. Why, just a few days earlier he had told the people that he would not bow down because he was a Jew, and his people only worshiped the one true God. If he compromised now, how could they believe his testimony?

Mordecai did the only thing he could do. He stood and he prayed. Thank God, Haman stopped kicking the young man. He marched over to Mordecai and stopped with his face right in front of Mordecai's face. Nose to nose. "This isn't over. You will bow to me. Every last one of you." And with that ultimatum, Haman left.

Based on Esther 3:1-6

"Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." 1 Corinthians 15:58

It would have been so easy for Mordecai to just bow to Haman. He would still love God, still be his servant, but he would bow down to this man. No big deal. Just paying this leader some honor. What would be the harm in it? It would have gotten Haman off of Mordecai's back.

Mordecai made a stand for God by literally standing. He would only bow to his God, and no one else. No matter how insignificant this stand seemed to those around him, it was his stand. He would not compromise.

We read this chapter, and we say, "Right on, Mordecai!" We bless him with our lips. We preach about it all the time. We tell the kids to be faithful in the little things. We know this. We respect it. Do we live it? Those little compromises that we bow down to, how little are they really? Have we put them before God? Do we hide who we are, what we are, and Who we believe? Mordecai didn't just spiritually stand for God; he literally stood for God. He didn't hide who he was or what he believed. And yeah, Haman was offended by that. Deal with it Haman! God took care of that problem. We have no excuses.

I think Joshua said it best in Joshua 24:15, "...Choose this day whom you will serve.....But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."

No more compromises in the little things!