So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then the wrath of the king abated.
– Esther 7:10
This verse represents a total reversal for Haman and a pretty powerful picture of the great reversal that’s ultimately coming in eternity.
Esther 7:10 illustrates the consequences of unrighteousness.
Think about it. Haman sought power instead of God. He did evil instead of good. He lived for himself instead of others. And for a while, all of those things worked for him in the world. For a while, he looked successful and he enjoyed power and praise and esteem, at least to the extent with which he had forced it through his leadership position.
But in the end, all of those things came crashing down and he was left empty, hanging alone on these gallows that he had prepared for someone else. And Haman’s story may be extreme. Most of us, we’ll never find ourselves in the kind of leadership position that Haman was in. But this lesson from God’s Word is for every single one of our lives. Do not seek power instead of God. Humble yourself before God. This is the way to life, not through pride, but through humility before God and others. Seek to do good, not evil, and live for others instead of yourself.
You think about Jesus’s teaching on the two greatest commandments. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul and mind and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself. That’s the exact opposite of the kind of life Haman lived. And Haman’s life brought him to a dreadful end where things he once thought were the way to life left him empty.
Esther 7:10 encourages us to follow the path of godliness.
And I just want to encourage you today to live the opposite of Haman’s life. Trusting that even when that will lead to challenges in this world, even when you will miss out on many things in this world, in the end, you will be more than glad that you lived with humility, seeking God, doing good, loving others selflessly.
Oh God, help us, we pray today to live according to your kingdom values. Pray over every single one of our lives today. You would help us to love you more today. The more of our heart, more of our soul, more of our mind, more of our strength, and help us to love others selflessly, to put others before ourselves, to serve others, to seek their good. And God we trust that this is the way to life now and life for eternity.
Please keep us from being deceived into thinking that when we live for the things of this world or the ways of this world, or according to the values of this world, instead of your Word, that that will be good for us. When your Word tells us over and over and over again that it will lead to our destruction. Oh God, please help us to live counter-culturally, contrary to the ways of this world and in align with your Word.
Prayer for the Judeo-Persian People
And God, we pray specifically today for Judeo-Persian people in Iran. So for men and women and children with Jewish background and heritage who live in Iran… For the thousands of them there who don’t know or have never heard the gospel… We pray for the spread of the gospel to them. That Jesus the Messiah would be exalted throughout Iran… Not just among Muslims, but among Jewish men and women and children. We pray this, especially in light of the story of the Jewish people that we are reading and praying according to in Esther. In Jesus’ name, we pray all these things. Amen.
David Platt serves as a Lead Pastor for McLean Bible Church. He is also the Founder of Radical, an organization that makes Jesus known among the nations.
David received his B.A. from the University of Georgia and M.Div., Th.M., and Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Some of his published works include Radical, Radical Together, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Don’t Hold Back, and How to Read the Bible.
He lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area with his wife and children.
