Paying Homage

“In those days while Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate…Sometime later King Ahasuerus promoted Haman … the Agagite, exalting him and setting his position above that of all … As a result, all…who were at the king’s gate were bowing and paying homage … However, Mordecai did not bow, nor did he pay him homage” Esther 2:21-3:2.

Back in Esther’s time, the act of bowing was much more than a greeting or an act of respect.  Bowing was an intentional act of worship, and to pay homage was to esteem oneself as being subservient or subordinate to something or someone who lorded over them.  Haman was an evil source put in place by King Ahasuerus, and Mordecai recognizing this evil faced him daily and refused to give Haman any respect or power over his life.

We too have a king of darkness on this earth who exalts temptation before us, putting in position what he knows will catch our eye and tempt our heart.  He knows what to place at the gate that we may bow to and honor in our lives.  For me, the time was when my daughter was living on the streets and my emotions were out of control.  I sat at the gate of malls, shops and stores and bowed down to what Satan had set into position.   He met me daily convincing me that I would feel so much better if I just bought this and bought that.  I began to esteem and depend upon the feelings I would gain after a purchase.  It seemed that daily he passed through that gate as I complied through my worship of spending and giving into the temptation.

Faithfully, God intervened and revealed what was really happening in my heart.  Unlike Mordecai, I had joined the rest of the kingdom and given in to the worship of idols.  Once I realized that my Haman was Satan-appointed, God gave me ways to fight back and they are still in place today.  The awareness of the spiritual wars that battle in the heavenly realm is critical in fighting our temptations on earth.  For every blessing God brings us, Satan brings his spin on things.  He cannot steal our salvation but he can erode our faith through lies, hardships and adversity.  We must keep our eyes and wholehearted devotion on the only Gate that matters.

‘I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.  He will come in and go out, and find pasture’ John 10:9.