Earlier this week, my wife and I did something we had only done one other time in all our years together. We attended a musical. We discovered fairly recently that one of our Christian brothers and fellow church partners is also a very gifted and prolific writer and producer of musicals. He has written and produced at least 22 of them, and this week, his latest production happened to be playing nearby. We decided that another dose of social refinement couldn’t hurt, so we took a deep breath and downloaded our tickets. 

Stepping Out of Character ~
And in case you’re wondering, no, I did not rent a tuxedo, and Diane didn’t shell out the equivalent of a mortgage payment to buy a new evening gown. And we also refrained from capping off the evening by sitting around in an upscale restaurant sipping wine and discussing the subtleties of the plot and exchanging comments about the voice modulation and tonal control of the lead singers. Going to a musical felt like stepping out of character a bit for Diane and me, but we’re still Middle Tennesseans, and some of that big city “snoot-factor” stuff just ain’t us. But we’re not total rednecks, so we did lay aside our knock-around shorts and T-shirts in favor of wearing our “church clothes”. 

We arrived not knowing quite what to expect, but we thoroughly enjoyed the show. The cast was talented, and both the script and lyrics were well written. The music was good, the voices were strong, and the underlying story had a good blend of romance, humor, and drama. The story was simple and while the characters didn’t quite approach ‘epic’ proportions, it was an entertaining evening, and we’re glad we went. 

An Unexpected Reminder ~
But mentioning our musical evening isn’t intended to be an unsolicited theatrical review. I’m referring to it because one of the characters in the story, Chris, if I recall the name correctly, brought to mind a character in a familiar Bible story that I always find intriguing. But first, there’s an element we need to point out in the drama that connects to a point in the Bible story we want to emphasize.

In the musical, Chris’ character was clearly the hero. His actions initiated a process that resulted in life-changing revelations for the other characters that paved the way for the story’s grand climax and that enabled its satisfying and heartwarming happy ending. But a couple of things about the hero’s actions are intriguing. The first was that everything Chris did that eventually made him the hero took place off stage, behind the scenes. And the second was that none of those things he did seemed to be very heroic when he did them. And that’s what reminded me of a Biblical character whose contributions ‘behind the scenes’ paved the way for all the action that eventually played out on stage. 

Another Familiar Story ~
The character’s name is Mordecai and he’s a key figure in the Book of Esther. Esther, like the Book of Ruth, is a single story. Esther’s story is familiar because it has been recreated, adapted, and replicated in virtually every form of artistic expression for centuries. It’s a story filled with relational conflict, political intrigue, drama, suspense, spiritual warfare, armed combat, and victorious celebrations. And as we’ve all been taught, one of the unique things about this Biblical drama is that its most important character isn’t mentioned at all. 

Though God’s presence is never acknowledged in Esther’s story, His active, providential involvement is evident everywhere. God is clearly the story’s unseen hero, but there’s another hero named Mordecai who is quite visible. Esther’s cousin, Mordecai, does some things behind the scenes that may not seem particularly heroic, but they paved the way for all the incidents of victory and deliverance that unfolded later. 

Adding a Little Background ~
Mordecai was one of the Jews taken captive and transported to Babylon when Nebuchadnezzar defeated and destroyed Jerusalem. Beyond that we know very little about him, but when King Ahasuerus commanded that everyone bow and pay homage to the evil and ambitious prime minister, Haman, Mordecai’s response indicates that he remained faithful to his Jewish roots. 

And all the king’s servants who were within the king’s gate bowed and paid homage to Haman, for so the king had commanded concerning him. But Mordecai would not bow or pay homage. (Esther 3:2 NKJV)

But to get to the behind-the-scenes heroism we want to highlight, we need to consider the circumstances that befell Hadassah, the daughter of Mordecai’s uncle. We’re given no details about her parents’ death or the existence of any other family, but it appears that other than Mordecai, there was no one left to care for her. And the text leaves no ambiguity about Mordecai’s response to her situation. Hadassah’s age when Mordecai took her in isn’t clear, but one of the passages below indicates that she had been “brought up” by him. That suggests she had been with him for some time before the prominent events of the story began to unfold. 

And Mordecai had brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle’s daughter, for she had neither father nor mother. The young woman was lovely and beautiful. When her father and mother died, Mordecai took her as his own daughter. (Esther 2:7 NKJV)

Now Esther had not revealed her family and her people, just as Mordecai had charged her, for Esther obeyed the command of Mordecai as when she was brought up by him. (Esther 2:20 NKJV)

A Hero in Her Eyes ~
For Mordecai to take Hadassah in as his own child may not sound heroic to us, but she was born in a different world. Girls and women without male protection in her world were subject to the most unthinkable kinds of abuse, especially the beautiful ones like her. So, to this helpless, defenseless, orphaned little girl, Mordecai was more than just a helper, he was a hero, and a hero who gave her more than a home and protective covering: 

• • He gave her a loving father in place of the one she had lost. 
  • He gave her a teacher who preserved the customs and values presented in the Torah.
  • He gave her a guide equipped to prepare her for living in a foreign culture. 
  • He taught her that faith required obedience and demonstrated that in their relationship.
  • Without suspecting that she would ever see the inside of a Persian palace, he built in her the strength and grace that surviving there eventually would require. 

Faithful Follow Through ~
When the king’s servants would later come to take Esther away and thrust her into the contest underway to choose the next queen, Mordecai’s behind-the-scenes heroism didn’t falter. He didn’t just sit around and hope she’d be okay. He was determined to continue to care for her in whatever way he could. He did what God’s behind-the-scenes heroes do.

And every day Mordecai paced in front of the court of the women’s quarters, to learn of Esther’s welfare and what was happening to her. (Esther 2:11 NKJV)

When Mordecai first looked into the eyes of that helpless little orphaned girl, he didn’t see a pathway to national recognition and attention. When he brought her into his home, he didn’t see it as a precursor to palatial events and royal parades. She was just a defenseless little girl desperately in need of someone to love her. He had all she needed, and he gave her all he had.  That’s how God’s heroes are born. That’s where villains are defeated and evil schemes are overcome. That’s where glorious deliverance begins. 

We live in a culture on an insatiable quest for another larger-than-life hero. We look to politicians, entertainers, sports icons, social media influencers, and a plethora of “experts” to step up and provide all our needs, overcome all our obstacles, defeat all our enemies, and fulfill all our dreams. God has a better idea. Maybe there’s an “Hadassah” in our own path with an “Esther” in her future. Maybe she’s in desperate need of the love we could easily give. And maybe God wants ‘us’ to be the answer … Giving that love with no expectation of national attention, royal parades, or invitations to the palace could lead to deliverance in ways we can’t imagine.

“TWEETABLES” ~ Click to tweet and share from the quotes below.  Each one links directly back to this article through Twitter . . .

• • • For Mordecai to take Esther as his own child may not sound heroic, but she was born in a different world. Girls and women without male protection in her world were subject to the most unthinkable kinds of abuse, especially beautiful ones like her. @GallaghersPen (Click here to Tweet) 
    • Mordecai’s behind-the-scenes heroism didn’t falter. He didn’t just sit around & hope Esther would be okay. He was determined to continue to care for her in whatever way he could. He did what God’s behind-the-scenes heroes do (Esther 2:11). @GallaghersPen (Click here to Tweet) 
    • Esther was just a defenseless little girl desperately in need. Mordecai had all she needed and gave her all he had. That’s how God’s heroes are born, where villains are defeated and evil schemes are overcome – where glorious deliverance begins. @GallaghersPen (Click here to Tweet) 
    • We live in a culture on an insatiable quest for another larger-than-life hero to provide our needs, overcome our obstacles, defeat our enemies, fulfill all our dreams. God has a better idea. Maybe like Mordecai, He wants ‘us’ to be the answer. @GallaghersPen (Click here to Tweet)  
    • Maybe there’s an “Hadassah”, an Esther, in our path in desperate need of the love we could easily give and God wants ‘us’ to be the answer. Giving that love with no expectation of national attention or payback could lead to deliverance in ways we can’t imagine. @GallaghersPen (Click here to Tweet) 

To follow this blog for more “Right Side Up Thinking ~ In an Upside Down World” …
Sign up just below the Search box in the upper right sidebar for regular email notifications of new posts.

Check out Ron’s book, “Right Side Up Thinking in an Upside Down World ~ Looking at the World through the Lens of Biblical Truth” 

 The Kindle e-version is just $1.99. No Kindle device is needed. E-book readers are included on most computers, tablets, and smartphones. If you don’t have one, the free Kindle app can be easily downloaded directly from the Amazon site on almost any device.

Click here for a “Look Inside” preview at Amazon.

© 2025 Gallagher’s Pen, Ronald L. Gallagher, Ed.S.  All rights reserved.