Are you carrying any offence in your heart right now?
The book of Esther is one of my favourites, not only because it’s about a simple girl, turned queen and then heroine, but also because it’s the ultimate proof that God has a great sense of humour!
We read about Haman, an extremely proud and cunning man who is the king’s second-in-command. Haman loved public honour. Everyone would bow down to him at the King’s Gate, except for one man: Mordecai, Esther’s cousin. This enraged Haman so much that he plotted a plan to kill not just Mordecai, but all the Jews (Esther 3:1-6).
But then, there’s a major plot twist. The king asks Haman’s advice:
“What should be done for the man the king delights to honour?” Now Haman thought to himself, “Who is there that the king would rather honour than me?” – Esther 6:6 NIV
Haman suggests:
Have them bring a royal robe the king has worn and a horse the king has ridden, one with a royal crest placed on its head. Then let the robe and horse be entrusted to one of the king’s most noble princes. Let them robe the man the king delights to honour, and lead him on the horse through the city streets, proclaiming before him, “This is what is done for the man the king delights to honour!” – Esther 6:8-9 NIV.
And the king goes, “Great! Now go do that to Mordecai!” 😳🤣 (Esther 6:10). Can you imagine how Haman must’ve felt? He had to parade the man he despised most in the whole world around the city, shouting “This is what is done for the man the king delights to honour!” (Esther 6:11).
This story is the perfect example of Proverbs 16:18 NIV:
Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.
Let it be a reminder not to carry offence in your heart and always to stay humble.
