Building Yourself Up To Put Others Down
Esther 3
“But Mordecai would not kneel down or pay him honor.” vs. 2
Mudslinging
I don’t really like talking about politics a lot in public but we are in a time right now where politics is heating up and we are being bombarded with commercials, TV debates and interviews, and ads about the upcoming elections so I am going to talk about them even though it goes against me to do so. I am not leaning toward one side or the other as I put this out there. So here are some of the things we heard this week from those who are running for President:
President Obama
In Virginia this week: “Mitt Romney is “not serious” about debt reduction
ABC interview: “Mitt Romney should answer questions about Bain Capital and his time there.”
Mitt Romney’s campaign says he left in ’99, yours says it’s 2000, there’s a significant difference, is he being dishonest with the American public?
Mitt Romney
ABC Interview “The President needs to take control of these people (his staff).”
“The president’s failed to do the job that he was elected to do, which was to get this economy turned around.”
“That comment is “absurd” and “beneath the dignity of the presidency,”
As we get closer to the November election it will only get worse. The mudslinging and twisting of every little thing that is said is going get worse and it will be our job to try to see through all the “junk” and figure out who we would choose to be our leader. I think one of the reason all the mudslinging and twisting grate on me so much is I dabbled in politics in high school and thought it might be a profession to head towards but all the negativity and mudslinging really rubs me the wrong way and I just can’t be a part of things like that. I am so much of a 3 on the Enneagram that I just want people to get along and to be kind to each other.
But you know this kind of thing has been going on for ages. We are going to read a passage today where this type of behavior went on and then discover what our character should look like.
Please stand, if you are able, as we read God’s Word from Esther chapter 3.
Read Passage – Esther 3
After these events, King Xerxes honored Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, elevating him and giving him a seat of honor higher than that of all the other nobles. 2 All the royal officials at the king’s gate knelt down and paid honor to Haman, for the king had commanded this concerning him. But Mordecai would not kneel down or pay him honor. 3 Then the royal officials at the king’s gate asked Mordecai, “Why do you disobey the king’s command?” 4 Day after day they spoke to him but he refused to comply. Therefore they told Haman about it to see whether Mordecai’s behavior would be tolerated, for he had told them he was a Jew. 5 When Haman saw that Mordecai would not kneel down or pay him honor, he was enraged. 6 Yet having learned who Mordecai’s people were, he scorned the idea of killing only Mordecai. Instead Haman looked for a way to destroy all Mordecai’s people, the Jews, throughout the whole kingdom of Xerxes. 7 In the twelfth year of King Xerxes, in the first month, the month of Nisan, they cast the pur (that is, the lot ) in the presence of Haman to select a day and month. And the lot fell on the twelfth month, the month of Adar. 8 Then Haman said to King Xerxes, “There is a certain people dispersed and scattered among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom whose customs are different from those of all other people and who do not obey the king’s laws; it is not in the king’s best interest to tolerate them. 9 If it pleases the king, let a decree be issued to destroy them, and I will put ten thousand talents[b] of silver into the royal treasury for the men who carry out this business.” 10 So the king took his signet ring from his finger and gave it to Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews. 11 “Keep the money,” the king said to Haman, “and do with the people as you please.” 12 Then on the thirteenth day of the first month the royal secretaries were summoned. They wrote out in the script of each province and in the language of each people all Haman’s orders to the king’s satraps, the governors of the various provinces and the nobles of the various peoples. These were written in the name of King Xerxes himself and sealed with his own ring. 13 Dispatches were sent by couriers to all the king’s provinces with the order to destroy, kill and annihilate all the Jews —young and old, women and little children—on a single day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar, and to plunder their goods. 14 A copy of the text of the edict was to be issued as law in every province and made known to the people of every nationality so they would be ready for that day. 15 Spurred on by the king’s command, the couriers went out, and the edict was issued in the citadel of Susa. The king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Susa was bewildered.
Life As The Top Dog
Last week we looked at a story of a man named Mordecai and his cousin Esther and how she was chosen to be the new queen ofPersiato King Xerxes. The Israelites were servants to the Persians and when King Xerxes gained power he was good to the Israelites and allowed them freedom to return toIsrael. Some stayed inPersiaand in the book of Esther we get a picture of what their life looked like inPersia. King Xerxes had a staff and servants just as any king would. One of his right hand men was a man named Haman. Haman had worked his way up and now King Xerxes was acknowledging his accomplishments and named him second in command of the kingdom. Verse 1 tells us:
“After these events, King Xerxes honored Haman…elevating him and giving him a seat of honor higher than that of all the other nobles.” vs. 1
So Haman is probably feeling pretty good about himself, good about his new position, and probably a bit empowered and maybe even pretty proud and smug. He is really the top dog except for the king himself.
Righteous Rebellion
There is a bit of background that is important to understand this story. Notice that when we were introduced to Mordecai in ch.2 verse 5 he was introduce as Mordecai the Jew. Here in chapter 3 we are introduced to Haman the Agagite. This is important. First it lets us know that Mordecai was not considered one of the nobles or “important people in the kingdom. But secondly, it let’s us know that Haman had a predisposition to Haman as a Jew. Agag was the king of the Amakalites and the Amakalites were nomadic people who lived in the southern desert region and frequently invadedIsrael. In fact, they were the first people to attackIsraeland actually defeat them and take over part of their nation. So Haman is a descendant of Agag and Mordecai is a descendant ofKish, Saul’s father and God instructed Saul (1 Sam. 15) to destroy the Amakalites and to annihilate them and everything they owned. So these attacks back and forth caused these people to hate each other. These guys had a predisposition of dislike and hatred toward each other.
Enter our story today and Haman is made second in command and is being paraded through the streets and everyone is expect to bow down to him. Haman uses his position to mudsling his enemies the Jews and goes to King Xerxes and talk bad about them in a sly and cunning way. He lies and exaggerates the stories about them with the goal of convincing the king that he should wipe out these people.
“Then Haman said to King Xerxes, “There is a certain people dispersed and scattered among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom whose customs are different from those of all other people and who do not obey the king’s laws; it is not in the king’s best interest to tolerate them.” vs. 8
He is misleading the king into believing all the Jews are being rebellious. Haman is expecting everyone to bow down to him but really only Mordecai would not bow down to Haman. In a sense this is a kind of righteous rebellion. Mordecai is refusing to elevate Haman. Haman in turn uses this as an opportunity to wipe out all the Jews. He really takes this to larger scale.
Negative Issues Haman Carried With Him
Last week we looked at Mordecai’s character. Today, let’s look at Haman’s. His is a character teaches us how we should not act and what can happen to us when we carry around negativity and when we think too much of ourselves. It might help us in determining who our candidate for President should be. It may even cause us to change some of our own behavior because we live in choice. Not just choosing candidates, choosing how we are going to live. Do we choose to live in line with God, God’s Word, and with positive and affirming characteristics or do we choose to live in a way the can promote negativity and divisiveness? Let’s learn from Haman.
- Pride
The first character trait we see in Haman that he is a very proud man. He has worked hard to get acknowledged and to build up his credentials and he wants to be recognized for that. He wants not only the king’s acknowledgement but the people ofPersiato acknowledge that as well. Mordecai sees right through him and won’t do it. Verse 2b:
“But Mordecai would not kneel down or pay him honor.” vs. 2b
Mordecai not bowing to him stirs up his pride. He wants all the attention to be on himself and Mordecai won’t give him all the attention. With Haman it is all about Hamna and really, except for the king, only about Haman.
Ill. Haman wants to be the trendsetter, the limelight, the guy in the spot light. He wants to go to the local restaurant and have a table waiting for him, his meal comp’ed, He wants people to notice what he is wearing, his jewelry, where’s the latest place to eat, etc. i.e. someone like Madonna, Angelina Jolie, etc.
In Proverbs 16:18(The Message) it says:
“First pride, then the crash— the bigger the ego, the harder the fall.” Proverbs 16:18 (TM)
Isn’t that a great way to put it? First pride, then, boom, the crash, and then the big fall.
Another Choice: Humility
Consider this, another choice is to have humility. Proverbs15:33says:
“The fear of the LORD teaches a man wisdom, and humility comes before honor.”
Prov. 15:33
The choice is to focus on God and to allow him to teach us and to make Him the focus. Our knowledge is limited and in and of ourselves we can only do so much. But when God is the focus and the aim of our focus, the honor we may receive goes to Him and He is lifted up and we make Him know to the world. In many ways this kind of thinking allows us to live a whole life. There is no fear of being exposed for who we are. Haman probably lived in fear of trying to always keep on this façade of greatness for fear they may see him for what he really was. With God as the focus, we exp[ose the world to who he is and His glory.
- Anger and Bitterness
A second trait that Haman lived by was anger and bitterness. Notice the word that is used when Haman sees Mordecai not bowing to him; enraged. Verse 5b:
“…(Haman) he was enraged. “ vs. 5b
This word carries some energy behind it. When we get mad, angry, enraged, there is an energy that comes out and many times that energy is scary. We feel the intensity and power behind that word enraged. We only have so much room for emotions and energy and we choose where to direct that energy.
Ex. Last week whole riding the train two men got in a fight. Started because one man was taunting the other because he was a Dodger fan. It escalated to yelling and then to pushing. I was looking at doors and exits and place to get to because I was physically scared. What if one of them had a gun? I literally felt the negative energy and the chance that I could be in harms way.
Haman directed his energy to anger and bitterness. He allows that negative energy to overtake him and blow the situation to a point where he wants not only hurt Mordecai, but everyone else who is a Jew as well.
“Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools.” Ecc. 7:9
I knew that situation on the train could easily spin out of control.
A Better Trait: Self-Control
So there is our choice; self control or out of control. I think Haman must have gotten out of control. 1 Peter 5:8 says:
“Be self-controlled and alert.” 1 Peter 5:8
Self-control is also translated sober. When you are drunk or under the influence you have given up some control. You let the alcohol dictate how you act.
Ex. MelGibson,Brittany Spears,
I like the alert part too because it conveys the idea of always being aware of what is going on and when you are under the influence you are not as aware. I want to continually choose self-control.
- Revenge
Finally, I think Haman was living with deep seeded revenge. The history of his people and the Israelite people lead him to live with this idea of getting revenge on them one day and here was his opportunity. Verse 6:
“Yet having learned who Mordecai’s people were, he scorned the idea of killing only Mordecai. Instead Haman looked for a way to destroy all Mordecai’s people, the Jews, throughout the whole kingdom of Xerxes.” vs. 6
Revenge is an ugly trait that wells it head up and destroys people. It can be deep seeded and lead to some incredibly terrible situations.
Ex. North Korea and the people struggling to get out because of the oppression and hostility
-15 women executed for crossing the border to Chine to get food for their family
– People found trying to escape are being shot at the border by the border patrol
Revenge carries with it a deep cruelty and is fueled by the anger and bitterness we discussed a few moments ago. We are warned in Romans about taking revenge. Romans 12:19:
“Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath…” Romans 12:19
Revenge is a choice too. When we take revenge into our own hands we are essentially taking it out of God’s hands. Don’t confuse revenge with standing up for what is right and protecting ourselves when we are attacked. We are called to allow God the room to execute judgment in His time and in His way. It doesn’t mean we let people walk all over us and become like a wet noodle and allow people to do anything they want to us but we are called to trust God when it comes to revenge.
Another Choice: Grace
You have another choice. It’s called grace. In 1 Peter4:10it says:
“Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.” 1 Peter 4:10
Isn’t it interesting that when Mordecai’s character and his people are attacked and there is eminent danger on the horizon he doesn’t just pull out a gun and shoot Haman? He could have secretly plotted to kill Haman and carry out judgment; but that was what Haman was doing. He would have stooped to Haman’s level. No he chooses to work with God and in God’s way and in God’s timing. This would take a little longer and be a bit more complicated but it would keep Mordecai’s character in tact. We will learn more about that in the next few weeks. But here is what we do learn. The grace that God has given to us, he calls us to give to others and what I like about that 1 Peter verse is that is takes on many forms. God calls us all to give grace and we are uniquely equipped to do that in many different forms. You can give God’s grace as only He has called you to do and when we seek His ways and His grace, it keeps our character in tact.
Everything You Need To Know About A Person
I’m not sure how to tell you how to make a decision about who to vote for President but I can tell you some ways to find out about a persons character and what kind of person they are.
1.Why not watch how they drive in heavy traffic and how they react to things while they are driving. Ouch!
2. How about watch how they play a sport or what they are like in a competitive atmosphere.
3. How about listening to how they talk when they think no one else is around and can hear them.
4. How about watching how they treat others like waiters, waitresses, customer service people, etc.
5. Check out their friends and those they hang out with.
Remember this about our story today. Mordecai was hanging out at the king’s gate./ People were watching him. They were watching his reactions and his character. They are watching you and I too!
And today, with cell phone camera’s and things like that, you can endu up on You Tube, the news, etc. I don’t want to be a pastor who ends up with an embarrassing clip on YT or the news.
