It may surprise you to learn that the final chapter in the book of Esther doesn't

even mention Esther. But guess who does take center stage? Today on Truth for Life,

Alistair Begg looks at the incredible advancement of the Queen's cousin Mordekai

from relative obscurity outside the palace gates to the King's right hand man.

Why did he receive such honor and how did he handle it? We'll find out.

I invite you to turn with me to the Old Testament, to the book of Esther, and to chapter 10,

King Ahasuerus imposed tax on the land and on the coastlands of the sea, and all the acts

of his power and might in the full account of the high honor of Mordekai to which the King

advanced him. Are they not written in the book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Media and

Persia? For Mordekai the Jew was second in rank to King Ahasuerus, and he was great among

the Jews and popular with a multitude of his brothers, for he sought the welfare of his

people and spoke peace to all his people. Amen. We bow gracious God before your word, asking

for the help of the Holy Spirit to teach it and to understand it, to believe it, and to

live in the light of it. And so we look away from ourselves to you, humbly and confidently

in Jesus' name. Amen. Every once in a while throughout the course of history, a single

person arises without whose presence everything would be different. If you think about your

knowledge of history, recent or ancient, it won't be too difficult to come up with names

that fit that bill. People who made a difference for good and people who made a difference that

wasn't good. And one on the good side was honored with a bust of Winston Churchill placed

in the capital, Rotunda, in our nation's capital. I, for one, I'm delighted about this. After

all, in Britain we have Lincoln outside the houses of Parliament. It only seems fair that

Winston Churchill should be somewhere around in Washington. For those of you whose knowledge

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