The seeds that men plant bear their own fruit. Hatred is one of those seeds. Enter Haman. The Persian kingdom was under the reign of Ahasuerus, who, for whatever reasons, had appointed Haman over all of the nobles and princes of Persia.
Now Haman was a descendent of Agag, the king of the Amalekites, whose life Saul had spared when he conquered the Amalekites years earlier. Like Esther, Haman’s people were also under the exiled rule of Ahasuerus. Apparently, the Amalekite hatred for the Jews still overrode his hated for the Jews also in exile.
Those “seeds of hatred” soon blossomed into fruits of punishment. And Mordecai was the victim of convenient choice. Especially when all of the king’s servants bowed down to him, except Mordecai. Haman knew that Mordecai was a still-hated Jew. But he didn’t know that Esther, the newly selected “maiden” queen of Ahasuerus also was a Jew, and the niece of Mordecai.
It is dangerous to mix ignorance with hatred. Yet, in true time-honed hatred form, Haman set about to destroy Mordecai. The fact that Mordecai had gain the favor of Ahasuerus by exposing an internal plot to kill him, apparently had little importance to Haman.
But, how could he get the king to become the foil for getting rid of Mordecai? Ah, yes! The king had already established the law that everybody was to bow down to Haman as the one over all the nobles and princes of Persia. And Mordecai refused to bow down to him.
But in order to kill Mordecai, Haman’s hatred drove him to include all the exiled Jews as well. So, change the law. Make it sound like a whole lot of people like Mordecai are disobeying the king’s directive to honor Haman.
The dye was cast. The law was passed. And, not only was Mordecai subject to death, but every disobedient Jew as well. However, what Haman , nor the king, did not know was that Esther, the king’s new cherished wife, was also a Jew! And when the Jews found out about that new law, their obeisance to God, and no other might be the cause of their deaths as well.
Anticipating Mordecai’s faithful obedience to God, Mordecai had a high gallows built. Imagine the extent of Haman’s hatred – building a 50-foot high “gallows” for a hangman’s noose! Talk about a public spectacle!
But realize and remember that human hatred is not of God. Sooner than later, the truth will be revealed.
The declaration of Luke 12:2-3 reassures that, “That which is done in the dark shall surely come to light!” Haman’s plot was revealed to the king and not only was Haman hanged on his own gallows, but his 10 sons as well.
Deuteronomy 5:9 declared, “Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me …”
When hatred fuels the thoughts, feelings, emotions, behavior of a person or group, the Word of God still takes priority! Hatred is not a characteristic of God, nor of those who are followers of God.
Whether personal or political, hatred has its own godly and ungodly consequences! Whenever you see and hear words, expressions, even confessions of determined “hatred,” beware of amd be conscious of the impending “hangman’s noose” to follow.
Haman had built a “hangman’s noose” for his alleged enemies. But God has prepared a Hell for all those who “hate” him, his people, his word, his will and his way.
What unripened “seeds of hatred” have you planted, or are/were you still planning to maliciously plant? Realize that God’s judgment on those “seeds of hatred” that you have planted will reveal their “blossoms” of hatred upon you and your loved ones.
Pastor Samuel W. Hale, Jr. is the former pastor of Zion Missionary Baptist Church and president of J.L. Powell Mission Ministries.
