Pride Comes Before the Gallows

I love the book of Esther.  Drama, revenge, suspense, evil plots, kings and queens, a happy twist at the end....this story in the Bible has it all!  I was rereading the book of Esther this morning and I was especially intrigued by Haman, the evil villain. 

Let me recap just one facet of this incredible story.  Esther was without parents and left to the care of her elder Uncle, Mordecai.  Both of Jewish blood, Esther and Mordecai were foreigners living under the Persian king, Xerxes.  The king was put off by his queen, Vashti and was on the prowl for a new woman to take her place.  Enter Esther.  She was taken to the palace because of her incredible beauty and preparations were made for her to meet the king and in the end she became queen.

The back story in this drama was the age old conflict between Haman's ancestors and Mordecai's ancestors.  Haman was second in command to the King Xerxes.  He had power, influence, riches, prestige and a huge ego to go with it.  Haman despised Mordecai because Mordecai would not bow in honor of Haman when he would pass.  Since their ancestors were ancient enemies, Mordecai could not bring himself to bow to Haman and that royally ticked Haman off.  It upset Haman so much that he went on a quest to destroy not only Mordecai but the entire Jewish nation.  Haman wickedly deceived the king into believing that there were people in the kingdom not loyal to the king.  He convinced the king to set a decree that all these people should be destroyed.  These "people" meaning the Jews. 

Boy, don't you know Haman walked a little taller that day knowing the decree had gone out and the Jewish people were scared to death.  But what Haman didn't realize was that his very own queen, Esther, was in fact a Jew.  Esther concealed her identity when coming into the palace and then taking her place as queen.  So neither King Xerxes nor Haman new she was condemned to death by the king's own decree and by Haman's doing.  Wow!  This story is juicy!!!

So, in a banquet orchestrated by Esther, she reveals her identity to the king and to Haman. In that moment, the king is furious that Haman had betrayed the king and threatened the queen.  King Xerxes is so angry he has to leave the room to gain composure.  Haman on the other hand sees his impending doom and realizes what he has done.  In an attempt to save himself and his position, he literally throws himself on top of Queen Esther to beg for her mercy.  At that moment, King Xerxes comes back into the room to see his betrayer on top of his queen.  This is the final nail in Haman's coffin.  The king orders Haman to be hanged.  Ironically, Haman is hung from the very gallows he so pridefully built to hang Mordecai from.  Haman just knew he was going to be victor, but his awful pride and enormous ego blinded him to the bigger picture.

When I read this story, I see myself.  I wish I could say that I saw myself as the faithful and courageous Esther.  But often times I am more like Haman.  In the past, I have been guilty of working my plan, juggling my agenda, putting on a show, that I didn't see the bigger picture. Wanting to gain position, influence and significance, I have sacrificed my integrity, my character and in some ways my relationships.  I have hung in the noose of my sin, paying the consequences for my pride.  Fortunately, my fate was not the same as Haman's.  Haman stayed in the noose.  His sin was the death of him.  Thankfully Jesus paid the death price for my sin and the noose is loosened.  I can walk in freedom now.  But the temptation is still there and I am sure I am not the only one who is guilty of that fault.....pride.  Haman had power and position, but he wanted revenge.  He wanted to stick it to Mordecai.  His ego was bruised when Mordecai refused to bow to him.  His pride truly was the stumbling block to his fall. 

What do you lose in order to gain an elevated, yet temporary, position?  Is pride the pedestal you sit on?  Be careful.  You might find that the pedestal of pride is kicked out from under you and you are hanging in to the noose of consequence. 

**read the full account of Esther and Mordecai in the book of Esther.