If you're new here this morning or you've had a bit of a gap in what's been happening here in the last couple of weeks,
we've been following the story of Esther.
She's the young orphan Jewish woman who becomes the queen of Persia,
the greatest empire in the world at that particular time.
It all turns bad for God's people when the crazed Haman,
the bloke who we just saw in God's word just then,
has all the people, the Jews, that is God's people throughout the whole empire of Persia,
condemned to be annihilated because Mordecai, the other guy in the passage which was just read out then,
wouldn't acknowledge how important he was.
Last week we saw that Esther risked everything in her life in her palace,
her own life in fact, to work to save God's people.
You could have walked away from last week thinking that it's all about to work out now for God's people.
A saviour has arisen.
But so far, Esther hasn't done a whole lot.
She said she's got to go to the king and she's been to king once and, you know, let's have dinner.
That's about it, really.
The clock was still ticking towards that deadline of annihilation.
And what we discover from what was just read out to us now is that there is a separate clock ticking,
and that is for Mordecai's own fate,
a fate that Esther herself and Mordecai and Xerxes were just oblivious to.
The edicts against the Jews had several months to run,
but Haman's determination to execute Mordecai required only hours to run.
And again, we see here God is silent, but he is sovereignly at work through the ordinary,
and in fact, I'm not sure if you picked it up as you were saying we're through there,
through the ridiculous situation that we find ourselves in in chapter 6.
What I want to do today, though, is I want to really sort of plan to take a look at this villain of the whole story,
this guy named Haman.
I want to focus particularly on him.
Haman would have to be one of the most vivid and sustained case studies in the whole Bible
about what the Bible says about pride
and what happens when pride rages unchecked.
So this is not an overstatement.
It's important for you to listen,
because it might just save your life.
That's not an overstatement.
Haman has the highest position in the king's administration.
Xerxes, in fact, has to command people to kneel down and to honour Haman.
It's a pretty odd thing to command, to make such a command in what is a hierarchical and a traditional society,
where bowing is instinctive for position.
And so Haman must have been a particularly obnoxious individual
for the king to have to command people to bow in front of him.
And one man, despite the king's command, wouldn't do it.
Mordecai.
We see that, first of all, back in chapter 3.
But if we fast forward to chapter 5, verse 9, our text today,
we see Haman is leaving a dinner party he's just had with Xerxes and Esther,
and he's fairly pleased with himself.
It says,
Nevertheless, Haman restrained himself and he went home.
And the next verses reveal that he didn't just leave the banquet in high spirits
because of the effect of alcohol in his system.
He was also leaving because of the intoxicating impact of self-importance.
At the end of verse 10, it says,
He goes home from that moment.
He calls together his friends and his wife.
And Haman boasted to them about his vast wealth,
his many sons,
and all the ways the king has honoured him
and how he has elevated him above the other nobles and officials.
And that's not all, Haman says.
I am the only person that Queen Esther invited to accompany the king
to the banquet she gave.
And she's invited me along with the king tomorrow.
But all this gives me no satisfaction
as long as I see that Jew Mordecai sitting at the king's gate.
Haman's whole world revolved around his fragile ego.
His emotional strings were being pulled by his idol
when he saw Mordecai.
And his strings, the emotional idol,
his attachment here is his public recognition,
his public respect.
And when that idol was being fed by the masses,
he felt good.
But when it was challenged,
it led him ultimately to anger and malice.
And so when his ego is dented by this guy Mordecai
having left the palace,
he immediately goes home to pump up his ego.
He gathers his friends around.
He gathers his wife and tells them how many sons he's got,
like his wife doesn't know that,
or how much money he's got,
or how much power he has.
He goes on this lengthy monologue of how great he is.
It's ridiculous.
And pride, according to the Bible,
is concentration on the self.
C.S. Lewis gave a great definition,
his little book, Christian Behavior.
He wrote,
Pride is a ruthless, sleepless, unsmiling concentration on the self.
Pride makes you concentrate everything about you.
You don't get into relationships.
You don't take a job or a role.
You don't do anything
unless it makes you feel good about yourself.
Whatever makes you happy
is a statement of pride.
Pride's the goal.
Pride is what drives that statement.
Nothing is about the thing that you're doing.
Everything is about you.
And so Lewis writes that pride is essentially competitive.
Pride gets no pleasure out of getting something,
but only in having more of it than the next person.
Pride turns everything as a means to an end.
You never do things for their own sake.
It's a means to an end of getting respect and approval.
That is, pride is about image management.
And that's the reason why Haman can have all that he has.
He can walk out of a banquet with Xerxes and Esther,
and he finds no satisfaction,
as long as this Jew Mordecai is still alive.
Mordecai will not give him the very thing he craves,
recognition.
And that's why I think Lewis is right
when he says that pride is sleepless,
and it's unsmiling.
It's sleepless
because it results in an endless ego calculation.
And it's unsmiling because you're never happy
because you're not getting it.
Am I getting the thanks I deserve?
Am I getting the appreciation I deserve?
How am I being regarded?
How does this make me look?
Now, there are two forms of pride.
There is the superiority form of pride.
It's generally recognised as a pride by most people.
That is, when you see it, you see it.
It's acknowledgeable.
You know, mention names like Donald Trump.
He's never been called a humble man.
Things like that.
I mean, it sticks out.
Superiority form of pride.
There's another form of pride.
It's the inferiority form of pride.
And this is where you are down on yourself
and you don't like yourself.
You're very self-conscious
and always beating yourself up.
Now, the inferiority form of pride
is doing exactly the same thing
as superiority form of pride.
It's just that you don't score yourself as well.
You're always looking at yourself.
You're always assessing yourself.
You just don't score as well.
And so humility is not thinking less of yourself
it is thinking of yourself less.
Humility is not thinking less of yourself
it is thinking of yourself less.
Humility is not being needy
or driven for approval and recognition
and respect.
And if you actually met a truly humble person
you wouldn't come away thinking they were humble.
You were just thinking they were incredibly happy
and were just interested in you.
Humble persons not thinking about themselves
and how they're being treated
or how they're being looked at.
That is, the ego calculation is not there.
Am I being recognised?
Now, pride can be a little bit embarrassing
and a little bit awkward
like I think it might have been
to listen to Haman's monologue
but, you know, how bad could it really be?
Very bad.
Haman wasn't just satisfied with killing Mordecai
and therefore forcing him to bow.
He wanted to annihilate all the Jews in the empire.
Pride leads to devastation
it leads to destruction.
It is deadly.
Pride makes you evil.
Pride is what the devil is
what made the devil the devil.
Since St. Augustine
Christian theology has acknowledged
that pride is not just one sin
amongst many
but really is in fact
the root sin
below them all.
C.S. Lewis again writes
Pride leads us to every other vice.
It is the complete anti-God state of mind.
It is the essential vice
the utmost evil
unchastity
anger
greed
drunkenness
are mere flea bites
in comparison.
So for instance
some of us
maybe even many of us
struggle
a heap
with bitterness
towards people
because of what they've done
for us in the past.
But you cannot stay angry
and bitter
with someone
unless you feel superior
to that person.
That's what C.S. Lewis is saying
it's the root
pride's the root.
There is no bitterness
without pride.
Pride says
I would never do that.
And if your life
is distorted by anger
it's because
pride is the root of it.
Pride leads to being
opinionated
but it also leads
to being indecisive.
Pride makes you shy
but it also makes you
too abrasive.
There is racism
and social injustice
and imperialism
they all come
from pride
a racial pride
or a class pride
which results
in all kinds of evil.
Pride makes you evil.
Pride also makes you a fool.
Haman
didn't pick up at all
that three was a crowd.
Would that not have been awkward?
Going to the queen's banquet
just
just the three of you?
Pride makes you a fool.
Pride keeps you
from ever learning
from your mistakes.
A proud heart
is always
justifying itself.
When relationships
are going bad
or the job
isn't working out
it's always
something
or someone else's fault.
When you're angry
it's always
someone else's fault
the reason why
you're angry.
Humble people
aren't always
standing on their own
dignity.
They can actually
laugh at themselves.
They can learn.
And when something
goes wrong
they look for
what they might
have contributed.
What they might have
even if it's not
mainly their fault.
They find the part
that they need
to own
to learn from it
and grow.
And proud people
don't just learn
not learn from
mistakes in general
they don't learn
from criticism
in particular.
One of the best
ways to grow
is to take
criticism.
The superior
type of pride
dismisses criticism
because who are you
to tell me
how I need
to improve?
the inferiority
form of pride
means you get
so melted
down with
criticism
that people
are too scared
to say anything
to you
without a good
box of tissues.
You never learn
anything
and so therefore
you constantly
make bad
choices
like Haman
does here
and you
surround
yourselves
with the
wrong
advisors
like Haman
does here.
what is
particularly
difficult
is that
pride
hides
itself.
Pride is
the
carbon
monoxide
of sin
it's the
sin that
hides
itself
it kills
you without
you even
knowing
it's
happening
the more
proud you
are
the more
you are
in its
clutches
and the
less proud
you think
you are
because the
more you
will see
it in
other
people.
Lewis
again
writes
I
pointed out
a moment
ago
that the
more
pride
one had
the more
one
disliked
pride
in others.
In
fact
if you
want to
find out
how proud
you are
the easiest
way is to
ask yourself
how much
do I
dislike it
when other
people snub
me or
refuse to
take any
notice of
me or
patronise me
or show
off.
Now many
people hate
snobs but
you can only
hate snobs if
you feel
superior to
snobs.
Hating
snobbery is
a form of
snobbery.
Do you
look down
your nose at
people who
look down
their nose?
Do you
do that?
I mean
you know
so far
we're 15
minutes into
this.
Have you
been mainly
thinking about
someone else?
Have you
at all
thought about
another
individual?
Maybe in
this room
maybe not
in this
room.
it takes
a certain
amount of
pride to
come this
far through
a message
like this
and to
be mainly
thinking about
someone else.
things.
And that
leads me
to one
more
deadliness
associated
with pride
and that
is that
pride
I think
there is
no pride
like
religious
pride.
Religiosity
can kill
greed off
to a certain
degree.
It can
kill lust
off to a
certain degree
and a whole
lot of
other sins
to a certain
degree.
that is
it can
put external
constraints
on you
but religion
makes pride
worse.
Religion
might
subdue
a range
of sins
but it's
like throwing
petrol
on the
fire
of pride.
Just to be
told that
God is
great
and that
you need
to obey
him
doesn't
decrease
pride in
your life
at all.
Jonathan
Edwards
in his
lecture on
humility
in charity
and its
fruits
says
that
I think
this is
what he
says
the language
is a little
bit difficult
but I'm
pretty sure
this is
what he
says
that
to know
that there
is a
great
infinite
God
of justice
does not
create
humility
because
either
you will
try to
live up
to that
God's
standards
and become
self-righteous
and a
Pharisee
or you
will feel
like
you can't
live
up to
those
standards
and it
will
crush
you
but that
still
makes you
proud
because
either way
you're
absorbed
in
yourself
religion
will
either
make you
feel
more
self-consciously
a failure
or it will
make you
feel so
much more
superior
to everyone
else
that's
what
religion
does
and it's
deadly
everywhere
in the
Bible
we are
told
that
pride
goes
before
a
fall
both
James
and
Peter
in
James
4
and
1
Peter
5
both
warn us
that
God
opposes
the
proud
which
is
exactly
what
we
see
here
in
the
life
of
Haman
and we
start
seeing it
in
chapter
6
in
the
beginning
of
chapter
6
Haman
is
coming
to
see
Xerxes
Haman
isn't
just
satisfied
with
killing
Mordecai
he
wants
to
make
a
public
spectacle
of
Mordecai
he
wants
to
show
everyone
that
ultimately
Mordecai
will
bow
to
him
he
has
spent
the
night
building
this
huge
pole
in
a
public
place
because
he
is
surrounding
himself
by
morons
of
advisors
who
say
yeah
go
and
build
a
big
pole
and
now
he's
coming
to
King
Xerxes
to
ask
for
special
permission
to
have
Mordecai
on
that
pole
hung
on
that
pole
and
while
this
has
been
going
on
the
poles
being
built
Xerxes
can't
sleep
we're
not
told
why
can't
sleep
maybe
it's
the
construction
noise
from
the
75
foot
pole
going
on
that's
keeping
him
awake
but
we're
not
told
that
now
bear in
mind
that
Xerxes
has a
harem of
the most
beautiful
women in
the empire
he has
the
choicest
food
the choicest
wine
he has
dances
he
doesn't have
foxtel
but he has
endless
options
of
entertainment
and
while
he's
awake
in
the
middle
of
night
he
says
bring
the
AGM
minutes
and
read
them
to
me
idiot
unless
of
course
he's
thinking
this
is
going
to
put
me
to
sleep
read
me
the
tax
act
and
so
he's
got
someone
there
reading
him
the
AGM
minutes
records
all
that
his
life
has
done
and
he
gets
the
minutes
that
records
that
Mordecai
has
saved
his
life
from
assassination
and
he
says
so
what
did
he
get
for
reward
no
reward
what
do
you
mean
he
didn't
get
a
reward
it's
a
crisis
hits
in
the
early
hours
of
the
morning
if
word
got
out
that
Xerxes
doesn't
reward
the
people
who
save
his
life
who's
going
to
risk
their
life
to
save
his
life
he
ended
up
getting
assassinated
as it
turns
out
he
needs
this
whole
gossip
dobbing
system
to
flourish
for the
sake
of
his
own
life
and
you
can
imagine
this
impulsive
king
jumping
out of
bed
striding
out of
the
royal
chamber
in
the
early
dawn's
light
this
admission
from
four
years
prior
has
to
be
rectified
it
has
to
be
done
right
now
but
what
do
I
do
Xerxes
isn't
the
sharpest
tool
in
the
shed
what
do
I
do
he
is
helpless
without
his
advisors
so
he
asks
his
servant
who's
in
the
court
immediate
response
no one's
in
the
court
do you
see
what
time
it
is
Xerxes
they're
all
asleep
except
for
Bordecai
he's
building
this
take
thing
you
know
and
Haman
comes
in at
just
that
moment
coincidence
hang
around
I don't
think
so
and
Xerxes
asks
Haman
what
should
for
the
man
the
king
delights
in
and
Haman
desperately
needing
respect
desperately
needing
approval
desperately
wanting
the
honor
and
the
glory
driven
by a
heart
that is
so
absorbed
in
himself
is
thinking
that
the
king
could
not
possibly
be
thinking
about
anyone
else
but
him
unthinkable
it
must
be
me
and
so
he
comes
up
with
the
most
fascinating
proposal
verse
seven
now
bear
in
mind
this
is
this
is
the
highest
this
is
the
prime
minister
there's
no
one
higher
except
the
king
himself
in
all
the
empire
but
it's
not
enough
verse
seven
for
the
king
delights
in
delights
to
honor
have
them
bring
a
royal
robe
the
king
has
worn
and
a
horse
the
king
has
ridden
on
one
with
a
royal
crest
placed
on
its
head
that's
the
picture
there
of
the
king
riding
the
horse
on
return
from
conquering
another
empire
this
is
the
picture
of
a
conquering
king
riding
a
horse
verse
nine
then let
the
robe
and
horse
be
entrusted
to
one
of
the
king's
most
noble
princes
that
is
let
the
greatest
noble
be
given
the
position
of
a
slave
that
leads
the
horse
and
that
will
show
how
much
delight
in
this
man
and
let
them
robe
the
man
with
the
man
the
king
delights
to
honor
and
this
is
a
very
significant
thing
here
that
he's
put
the
robe
on
this
man
the
robe
that
the
king
himself
has
worn
very
significant
because
in
ancient
times
for
the
king
to
put
the
robe
on
someone
is
not
just
giving
them
a
high
position
so
for
instance
in
Genesis
41
when
Pharaoh
puts
the
robe
on
Joseph
he's
actually
partaking
in
the
king's
position
and
when
Jonathan
gives
his
kingly
robe
to
David
in
1
Samuel
18
it's
Jonathan's
way of
saying
you should
be
king
not
me
see
what
Mordecai
is doing
here
sorry
Haman
is doing
here
very
subtly
and very
carefully
he's committing
an act
of treason
I want
to be
king
I want
to be
king
if I
can't
be
king
then I
want
you to
say
that I'm
the person
that you
delight in
more than
anyone else
I'm the
one that
usurks
his love
and I
think
Haman
he is
pretty
excited
he's
probably
thinking
if the
people
saw
that I
am
loved
like
that
by
someone
as
great
as
Xerxes
then
they'll
know
and
then
I'll
know
my
worth
my
value
and
then he
says
make sure
this
horse is
and this
person is
led
through
the
streets
and make
and this
is what
is done
for the
man
the
king
delights
to
honor
and
someone
once
wrote
the
praise
of the
praiseworthy
is above
all
rewards
the
praise
the
and so
it's
quite
humorous
but
very
sad
and
quite
a
shock
for
Haman
when
Xerxes
says
do that
to
Mordecai
do that
to
Mordecai
and
you
take
the
role
of the
servant
leading
the
horse
and
yelling
that
out
it's
the
most
incredible
reversal
of
fortunes
Mordecai
was
literally
hours
from
death
if not
even
less
than
that
he
was
about
to be
lifted
up
and
impaled
on
this
ridiculous
stake
and
now
instead
he's
going
to be
lifted
up
and
honored
and
Haman
thinking
he's
about
to be
lifted
up
and
honored
is
now
taking
the
role
of
a
servant
leading
the
horse
and
he's
about
to
descend
even
more
in
coming
chapters
and
this
reversal
of
Mordecai
and
Haman
signals
the
reversal
of
God's
people
in
Esther
God
stands
against
the
proud
and
in
verse
12
Haman
rushes
home
he covers
his head
with
grief
he is
so
mortified
and
his
wife
and
his
friends
gather
there
say
to
him
well
actually
we
told
you
so
without
actually
telling
you
so
I
mean
you're
an idiot
Haman
of course
he's
going
to
he
surrounds
himself
with
foolish
people
if
you
humble
yourself
you
will
be
exalted
but
if
you
exalt
yourself
you
will
be
humbled
that
that's
right
through
the
Bible
C.S.
Lewis
wrote
lose
yourself
to
find
it
lose
yourself
to
find
it
now
that
might
seem
strange
but it
works in
everyday
life
in social
life
you
will
never
make
a
good
impression
on
people
unless
you
stop
trying
to
make
a
good
impression
on
people
and
the
principle
runs
through
life
from
top
to
bottom
lose
your
life
and
you
will
save
it
this
is
a
principle
of
the
universe
because
it
is
the
nature
of
the
God
who
made
the
universe
how
do
we
know
this
is
the
nature
of
God
Haman
wanted
the
one
thing
we
all
want
let's
be
frank
here
Haman
wanted
the
one
thing
that
we
all
want
and
that
is
someone
of
ultimate
glory
recognizing
us
and
loving
us
what
we
need
is
this
ultimate
assurance
of who
we
are
we
need
ultimate
assurance
of our
worth
we
need
someone
we
think
the
world
of
loving
us
we
need
the
praise
of
the
praise
worthy
Haman
asked
Xerxes
for
what
we
all
want
and
what
we
all
need
he
didn't
actually
ask
for
the
wrong
thing
he
asked
the
wrong
king
that
rhymes
he
didn't
actually
ask
for
the
wrong
thing
he
asked
the
wrong
king
there
is
a
better
king
there
is
a
king
with
ultimate
glory
who
came
to
earth
and
stripped
himself
of
his
glory
why
because
he
was
swapping
places
with
us
Mordecai
was
saved
because
Haman
swapped
places
with
him
but
it
wasn't
voluntary
Jesus
does it
voluntary
there
is
the
ultimate
king
there
is
the
king
of
glory
Jesus
Christ
is
the
king
you
can
go
to
because
of
at
infinite
cost
to
himself
he
came
to
us
and
reverses
places
with
us
and
so
there
in
that
act
of
the
Lord
Jesus
you
have
both
the
consequence
for
our
pride
and
the
cure
for
our
pride
2
Corinthians
5
21
God
made
him
sin
who
knew
no
sin
that
we
might
become
the
righteousness
of
God
Jesus
Christ
was
stripped
naked
he
was
nailed
to
a
stake
for
our
sin
so
that
we
could
be
raised
up
and
closed
with
his
perfect
righteousness
Jesus
takes
what
we
deserve
so
that
we
get
what
he
deserves
and
the
consequence
of
this
trade
is
quite
staggering
John
chapter
17
there's
a
place
where
Jesus
says
in
John
17
this
about
those
who
love
and
trust
him
he
says
father
I
want
those
you
have
given
me
to
be
with
me
where
I
am
and
to
see
my
glory
the
glory
that
you
have
given
me
because
you
loved
me
before
the
creation
of
the
world
the
father
has
given
glory
to
Jesus
his
glory
to
Jesus
and
then
Jesus
says
something
remarkable
in the
same
context
he
says
I
have
given
them
the
glory
that
you
gave
me
it's
unbelievable
glory
is not
fairy dust
glory
is delight
glory
is
honour
and
that's
for those
who
follow
Jesus
that's
what
Jesus
does
for
the
people
that
he
delights
to
honour
he
gives
them
his
glory
and
Jesus
says
you
must
realise
that
the
praise
of
the
ultimate
praise
worthy
the
glory
and
honour
and
robes
of
the
ultimate
eternal
king
are
yours
through
me
and
when
you
know
that
he
loves
you
like
that
when
you
know
that
the
horror
of
the
cross
was
the
cost
of
your
pride
and
the
solution
to
your
pride
that's
the
one
two
punch
that
the
ego
needs
to
make
it
finally
self
forgetful
and
at
rest
self
forgetful
and
at
rest
see
it's
not
enough
just
to
say
I
believe
in
God
that
doesn't
make
you
humble
what
you
have
to
see
is
God
coming
down
reversing
places
with
you
at
infinite
cost
to
himself
to
know
that
he
had
to
die
for
you
humbles
you
to
know
that
he
had
to
die
for
you
humbles
you
it
helps
you
to
see
your
pride
your
sin
but
on
the
other
hand
to
know
that
he
was
glad
to
die
for
you
affirms
you
infinitely
and if
you see
him
doing
that
for
you
you'll
be
strong
enough
to
be
weak
you'll
be
strong
enough
to
be
weak
strong
enough
to
learn
from
your
mistakes
strong
enough
to
take
jobs
to
get
involved
in
relationships
to
serve
others
below
what
you
think
what
your
standing
might
be
in a
church
and
doing
those
things
not
because
they
make
you
feel
good
not
because
they
pump
up
your
ego
but
because
they're
right
and
finally
you
won't
constantly
be
down
on
yourself
or
elevating
yourself
or
frankly
anything
about
yourself
don't
you
want
to
be
free
don't
you
want
to
get
rid
of
that
ego
that's
sleepless
that's
unsmiling
well
I think
it's
having
quoted
from you
so many
times
I think
I'll
let
C.S.
Lewis
in fact
have
the
last
word
this
helps
us
he
says
in
taking
the
first
step
towards
this
healing
he
said
there
I
must
stop
if
anyone
would
like
to
acquire
humility
I
can
I
think
tell
him
the
first
step
the
first
step
is
to
realize
that
one
is
proud
and
it's
a
biggish
step
too
at
least
nothing
whatever
can be
done
before
it
if
you
think
you're
not
conceited
it
means
that
you're
very
conceited
indeed