Haman in the book of Esther was a very prideful man. He bragged about his great wealth and talked about how powerful he was and that he found favor in the eyes of the king (Esther 5:11-13). It must have been very tiring for the people standing next to him to listen to his chatter.
I think most of us can’t stand it when someone is continually bragging about what they possess and what abilities they have. We intuitively dislike people who brag and put themselves above others in their pride. In this blog post, I would like to use a vivid biblical example to show what happens when pride meets humility and God’s way of dealing with it.
As if the boasting were not enough, Haman plotted to kill the God-fearing Jew Mordecai because he refused to bow down before Haman. Mordecai was a good and humble man. He took Esther in when she lost her parents and raised her as his own daughter (Esther 2:7). Mordecai was of excellent character, as his deeds proved. On one occasion he learned of a plot to assassinate the king and subsequently warned him (Esther 2:19-23). He was not afraid to confront Esther and make her aware of her responsibility to her own people (Esther 4:13-14). He stood up for peace and justice.
The night before Haman was going to execute Mordecai, the king could not sleep. Therefore, he had the book of the history of his kingdom read to him and was reminded that Mordecai had warned him about the murder plot (Esther 6:1-3).
The king decided to reward Mordecai for his faithfulness. Haman, blinded by pride, thought the king’s honor and reward belonged to him (Esther 6:6).
Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. Proverbs 16:18
Pride blinds people. Haman didn’t realize how much it dominated his heart and that it was about to destroy him.
The king instructed Haman to put a royal robe on Mordecai and lead him through the city on one of his horses, exclaiming that the king was rewarding Mordecai (Esther 6:11). Read Haman’s reaction after he had obeyed this command:
Afterward Mordecai returned to the palace gate, but Haman hurried home dejected and completely humiliated. Esther 6,12
In this story, pride opposes humility. Haman is almost a personification of pride and Mordecai the humility in person. The third character in play is God, who deals with proud and humble people accordingly:
The greatest among you will be your servant. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. Matthew 23:11-12
In fact, Haman was sentenced to death by the king for his plan to kill all of the Jews and was hanged on the gallows he had built for Mordecai (Esther 7:10). Mordecai, on the other hand, was promoted and given stewardship over all the property that had previously belonged to Haman. He was dressed royally (Esther 8:15) and he gained influence in the king’s court (Esther 9:4). He even became the most important man after the king and earned favor with the Jews (Esther 10:3).
Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 1. Peter 5,6
I love to observe the presence of God in the Book of Esther, although he is not mentioned by name in any word. However, his handwriting is evident in countless events and occurrences.
Humility pays off. Pride ends in death, but humility brings blessings.
If you serve faithfully in your place and trust God, he will reward you in due time. If you don’t boast or try to put yourself above others but are content with what you have, God will give you more.
There is a promise in this: If you are humble, God will exalt you; if you are proud, God will humble you (Matthew 23:11-12 and 1. Peter 5:6).
Humility is not thinking “oh I am so low, I am worth nothing.” This attitude has nothing to do with humility. Rather, humility is demonstrated in a God-fearing life. A person who, like Mordecai, repeatedly seeks and does good and trusts God, is humble.
Read more blog posts:
Why Paul was free from the opinion of people
About waiting and being content
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