Pride Comes Before a Fall.

Esther 6: 4-14

   We see now that Haman’s star has begun to slip badly. Here he was rushing in to see the king first thing in the morning to get permission to see Mordecai swing from the gallows…

   The king meantime, had just woken up and was still thinking about his lack of a  reward for Mordecai for saving his life.

His first words to Haman  were, “What should be done to the man who the king wants to honour?” Haman in his arrogance immediately thought, “Who would that be but me?”  As his pride rose to the top, he told the king to have him robed in the highest uniform and insignia of the day, the king’s own clothes and crown in fact. The man was to be put on the king’s own horse and paraded around the city streets with trumpets blaring and placards saying that the king was honouring this man. How his face must have fallen when he was commanded to do this himself to his hated enemy Mordecai!

He nearly fell over in shock, but knew that to refuse was to sign his own death warrant. It would be impossible to know exactly how Haman felt, having to do this to the man he hated so much! Every step would have been like a sword turning in his heart.

He rushed home in mortification and went to bed sulking with his face to the wall. His wife was no comfort to him either, she merely said “You’ve begun to fall from grace, be careful now!” As she was speaking to him, the servant came rushing in reminding him that he was late for his appointment to the queen’s banquet this night as well.

This is one of the most graphic stories there is, illustrating the fact that pride comes before a fall. Our Lord Jesus tells a parable concerning this very thing and points out that it is better to stay humble and wait for others to give one honour than to take it for oneself!   (Luke 14:7-11)

Haman so proud was told to go, And put Mordecai on public show   “Here is the king’s honoured one”, He had to shout as this was done.

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