Esther 5: 9 and 13-14 - Haman
went out that day happy and in high spirits. But when he saw Mordecai at the
king's gate and observed that he neither rose nor showed fear in his presence,
he was filled with rage against Mordecai…..
But all this gives me no satisfaction as long as I see that
Jew Mordecai sitting at the king's gate." His wife Zeresh and all his friends said to
him, "Have a gallows built, seventy-five feet high, and ask the king in the morning to have Mordecai hanged
on it. Then go with the king to the dinner and be happy." This suggestion
delighted Haman, and he had the gallows built.
Esther had used the courage she had gathered in prayer and
fasting to enter the king’ inner court and request his presence at a great
banquet in his honor. She invited Haman
as well…counting on his huge ego to guarantee his acceptance at a banquet that
included him as the only Honored guest.
Esther’s invitation worked just as she had planned….then God
threw a wonderful plus in the mix. He allowed Haman’s bitterness and anger
toward Mordecai to increase as he passed by him mourning at the city gate on
the way home. The resulting … ‘brag session’…and angry … ‘vent session’ to his
family that night…multiplied his anger and bitterness toward Mordecai so much
that he built a 75 foot gallows…and plotted to have Mordecai killed on it the
next day.
I peeked ahead…and can tell you that the gallows is not used
for Mordecai…but in an ironic twist that God uses to control the situation and
save the Jews…Haman ends up hanging himself. Esther is remembered forever as
one of the bravest women in the Bible…Mordecai is released from his mourning
position…and God proves once again that man has absolutely no control over the
world that he created…unless he allows it.
Haman’s bitterness and anger prevented him from enjoying the
position he had been given by the king.
He had been elevated to a position second only to the king…but he let
his hate of one man… steal the joy and blessing that he could have enjoyed. There
are many scriptures throughout the Bible that warn of this possibility….like Hebrews
12:14-15 that says…. “ Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see
the Lord. See to it that
no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.”
Bitterness and hate that is left uncontrolled…will only
multiply and turn into more hate and bitterness. Cain let his jealously multiply into a
bitterness that killed his brother. Joseph’s
brothers let their anger develop into a plot to sell him into slavery. Moses
let his anger get out of control and killed an Egyptian task-master. Paul was so bitter toward the early Christians
that he had many of them killed. As long
as these people allowed bitterness and anger to control their hearts…they were
used as instruments of destruction by satan.
Jesus gave us the answer…and allowed Matthew to record his
words to the leaders gathered around him …who had allowed their bitterness…jealously…and
hate of Jesus to begin the plot to kill him as well. He said to them in Matthew
15:18-19 … “But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this
defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery,
sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander.” God controlled that evil plot too…and used it
to save an entire world…and show satan once and for all he had none of the
power he thought he had to rule the world.
Thank you father that you alone will have the last word. Thank
you for this reminder that bitterness and hate are emotions that I should never
harbor in my heart...so that satan can multiply them into something stronger…and
evil….and destructive in my life. Help
me to be like Joseph…patient…letting love cover the hate and bitterness…allowing
your love to overcome the hate. Help me
to follow the advice of Solomon…that he gave us in Proverbs 10:12…. “Hatred stirs up strife, but love
covers all offenses.” Amen.
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