Foundations Week 28, Day 1

Scripture Read: Esther 5 - 7
Title:  Hamans Demise

H.E.A.R. 
(H) Highlight verse: "Then king Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther, 'Who is he, and where is he, who has dared to do this?'  And Esther said, 'A foe and enemy!  This wicked Haman!'  Then Haman was terrified before the king and the queen." Esther 7: 5,6

(E) Explain:  Esther agrees to help Mordecai by going to the king unannounced.  This was an extremely brave and bold move on her part, since going into the presence of the king unannounced could get one killed on the spot.  However, Esther found favor in the king's sight and he granted her anything she wanted up to half of his kingdom.  She responds by throwing a party for the king and Haman on two occassions. 

Meanwhile Haman continues to stew in his anger against Mordecai.  His wife and friends tell him to build a gallow and have him hanged the next evening.  So Haman has the gallow built.  

One of the evenings the king can't sleep and he has the history chronicles read to him and realizes that a man named Mordecai was the one responsible for bringing the plot of Bigthana and Teresh to light.  In the morning the king tells Haman that he wishes to honor a man and Haman in his pride assumes that the king wants to honor him.  He tells the king to lavish this man with extravagant gifts, not knowing the man the king wants to honor is Mordecai.  Shortly, thereafter, Haman and the king had a feast with the queen and she reveals Haman's plan to have Mordecai hanged.  Haman was furious with Eshter and tried to attack her and the king witnessed this confrontation.  This infuriated the king and he demanded that Haman be hanged from the gallow that he had build for Mordecai.

(A) Application:  As I read today's passage I am reminded of the dangers of pride.  Haman was a man full of pride.  He demanded people to bow and tremble before him.  When they didn't he punished them, as in the case of Mordecai.  When the king announces he wants to honor a man he quickly assumes that the king wants to honor him.  His pride was the cause of his demise.  We are told in James 4:6 that "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble."  Proverbs 16:18, says, "Prides goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall."  As believers we are called to live lives of humility and not of ego-centric arrogance.  We are called to humble ourselves before God, to not think of ourselves more highly than we ought.  We called to deny ourselves and take up our crosses daily.  Jesus displayed what it looks like to be a humble servant to people.  Nearly everything that Jesus taught directly contradicted prideful arrogance.  Let us learn a lesson from the demise of Haman (and the many people in the Bible) who was too prideful to fully understand that arrogance leads to destruction and humble living is how God has called us to live.

(R) Respond: Lord, may I live my life in humility and when I allow arrogance to seep into my life, you will lovingly and gently bring me back to a life of humilty.