Esther 6:1-14
Pride
Woodlawn Baptist Church
September 5, 2004
Introduction
Did you hear the story about the two ducks and a frog who lived happily together in a farm pond? Being the best of friends, the three would amuse themselves and play together in their waterhole. When the hot summer days came, however, the pond began to dry up, and soon it was evident they would have to move. This was no problem for the ducks, who could easily fly to another pond. But the frog was stuck. So it was decided that they would put a stick in the bill of each duck that the frog could hang onto with his mouth as they flew to another pond. The plan worked well--so well, in fact, that as they were flying along a farmer looked up in admiration and mused, "Well, isn’t that a clever idea! I wonder who thought of it?" The frog said, "I did..."
Of all the sins with which we struggle, perhaps pride is the worst. Just when you think you’ve got it licked, it rears its old ugly head again, and just when you think you don’t struggle with it, there it is, in the most unwanted and surprising places. Remember I told you last week that pride is the one disease that seems to make everyone sick except the person who has it. But I want to expand on that thought for just a moment. There will be times, and perhaps have been times when pride is in your life and no one knew about it or recognized it, but God did, and whether anyone else in the world sees or cares about attitudes of supremacy or haughtiness in your life is unimportant, for what really matters is that God hates it. Pride is a spiritual disease; a spiritual cancer if you will that attacks you from within and is most often unrecognizable until it has grown to the point that drastic surgery is required to get rid of it. The kind of surgery that I am talking about is that surgery mentioned in the book of Hebrews, where the writer said,
“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
Spiritual surgery, performed by God in the person of the Holy Spirit, using the instrument of His holy Word to lay you open and reveal what’s really in your heart and mind, not with the intent of hurting you, but of helping you. You don’t treat an infection by putting a band-aid over it – you’ve got to get to the source of the problem, and so often, whether we realize it or not, it is pride that hinders us in our relationships with God and with others. It is pride that keeps us from enjoying intimacy with God. It is pride that keeps you from enjoying intimacy with your spouse or with your parents or with your children. It is pride that keeps a person from admitting his sin before God so he might be saved. It is pride that deceives and destroys, and today what you must be able to do is take an honest look at your life through the lenses of God’s piercing Word to see if it present in your own life so you can determine what God would have you do with it.
As we read the 6th chapter of Esther this morning, I want you to keep a verse from Proverbs in mind. It is Proverbs 29:23, and it says,
“A man’s pride shall bring him low: but honor shall uphold the humble in spirit.”
“On that night could not the king sleep, and he commanded to bring the book of records of the chronicles; and they were read before the king. And it was found written, that Mordecai had told of Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s chamberlains, the keepers of the door, who sought to lay hand on the king Ahasuerus. And the king said, What honor and dignity hath been done to Mordecai for this? Then said the king’s servants that ministered unto him, There is nothing done for him. And the king said, Who is in the court? Now Haman was come into the outward court of the king’s house, to speak unto the king to hang Mordecai on the gallows that he had prepared for him. And the king’s servants said unto him, Behold, Haman standeth in the court. And the king said, Let him come in. So Haman came in. And the king said unto him, What shall be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honor? Now Haman thought in his heart, To whom would the king delight to do honor more than to myself? And Haman answered the king, For the man whom the king delighteth to honor, Let the royal apparel be brought which the king useth to wear, and the horse that the king rideth upon, and the crown royal which is set upon his head: and let this apparel and horse be delivered to the hand of one of the king’s most noble princes, that they may array the man withal whom the king delighteth to honor, and bring him on horseback through the street of the city, and proclaim before him, Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delighteth to honor. Then the king said to Haman, Make haste, and take the apparel and the horse, as thou hast said, and do even so to Mordecai the Jew, that sitteth at the king’s gate: let nothing fail of all that thou hast spoken. Then took Haman the apparel and the horse, and arrayed Mordecai, and bought him on horseback through the street of the city, and proclaimed before him, Thus shall it be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honor. And Mordecai came again to the king’s gate. But Haman hasted to his house mourning, and having his head covered. And Haman told Zeresh his wife and all his friends everything that had befallen him. Then said his wise men and Zeresh his wife unto him, If Mordecai be of the seed of the Jews, before whom thou hast begun to fall, thou shalt not prevail against him, but shalt surely fall before him. And while they were yet talking with him, came the king’s chamberlains, and hasted to bring Haman unto the banquet that Esther had prepared.”
As we consider the subject of pride this morning, I want to make two simple observations for you.
Those who struggle with pride must choose their friends carefully.
As we were reading the chapter, Haman enters the scene fresh from a night spent with his wife and closest friends. Remember that King Ahasuerus and Haman had been Queen Esther’s dinner guests, and Haman was elated that no one had been invited but him. Verse 9 of that chapter states that he went home that day joyful and with a glad heart, but something happened to change his mood. He encountered Mordecai, that despicable Jew who refused to bow to him and show him the reverence he deserved. In fact, on this night as Haman passed through the city gate Mordecai neither reverenced him nor even got out of his way. Haman had to step around him as he indignantly sat there. How dare he treat Haman with such contempt!
Haman went home and began bragging to his friends and family about all his accomplishments and how the Queen had chosen him as her guest, a great honor by anyone’s standards, but there was one problem. Haman said that none of his great accomplishments meant anything so long as Mordecai sat in the gate. It was at this point that they counseled him to have Mordecai killed, and to get the king’s permission to have it done, which is what Haman was on the way to ask when we find him in chapter 6.
Isn’t that wonderful advice? Got a problem? Somebody giving you grief? Terminate him! Kill him! What kind of counsel is that? Its just the kind that friends like this will give. Most of you have never had a friend counsel you to kill someone, but I hope you see the point. Rather than trying to reason with Haman or help him to deal with the problem, they give him what he wants to hear, and instead of telling him what a big, fat swelling head he had, they gave him the kind of support that would only feed his pride.
Rehoboam, Solomon’s son had a similar problem. When Solomon died, the people of Israel and Judah met together to plea for tax relief. Solomon had put a heavy burden on the people, one from which they needed a break, so Rehoboam called a team of counselors together who had served with his father. They advised him to give the people some relief, which would not only help the people, but would make him much admired by those he was helping. However, rather than listening to their advice, Rehoboam called together a group of buddies that were his age. Feeding his pride, they counseled him to increase the people’s burdens, and rather than seeking their love and adoration, Rehoboam was to come across as fierce and tough. Rather than helping him, Rehoboam’s friends feed his pride and cost him a united kingdom.
Listen, if you struggle with pride to any degree, you must demonstrate great wisdom in choosing those with whom you will associate. Folk who stroke your ego and feed your pride, those people who tell you how great you are and how the world can’t get along without you will only serve to bring you down. You need to remember two things as we think about your associations. First, those people who tell you how indispensable you are? Don’t believe a word they say! If there’s one thing we don’t like to admit about ourselves, its that as soon as we are gone from some position or place in life, there’s someone else standing in line to take our place.
You are not God’s gift to your workplace, to this church, to your marriage or even to the kingdom of God. Every position you hold in this life is a position of privilege. You hold it by the grace and generosity of God, and you ought to approach it that way. There’ve been people who try to hurt their church by refusing to serve or give, thinking that the church won’t get along without them. Well I say good riddance! The success of this church doesn’t rest on you or me or anyone else – our success depends on God – and He will accomplish His will with our without us!
We’re talking about your personal associations. Choose them carefully. Iron sharpens iron. Only a fool will surround himself with people who tell him what he likes to hear. If you’re wise, you will heed the advice a good friend of mine gave me. He said the best thing I could do for myself would be to surround myself with people who aren’t impressed with me, people who will tell me what I don’t want to hear, straight shooters who don’t care about my pride or ego, people who love me, but love God more than me.
Take a quick inventory of your friends, those to whom you turn when you need counsel. Are they feeding your ego, or are they serving to keep you in your place?
Those who struggle with pride have nowhere to go but down.
The king called Haman in and asked him a simple question: “What should I do for the man that I’d like to honor?” Haman’s proud spirit took it and ran. He thought to himself, “Who could the king possible wish to honor more than me?” So he began to describe all the recognition that ought to be given, and as he told the king all about it, he couldn’t help but think about what a wonderful place of privilege he had risen to. He talked about wearing the king’s clothes and the king’s ring, getting to ride on the king’s horse with one of the king’s princes running ahead shouting, “This is what happens to the man the king desires to honor!”
Can’t you just see Haman saying all that to the king, gloating and basking in his own greatness when the king says, “Haman! What a great idea! Now go and do everything you just said to Mordecai the Jew!” Isn’t that an amazing turn of events? King Ahasuerus and Haman came together that morning with the same man on their minds: the king wanted to honor him and Haman wanted to have him killed! Haman came with death and destruction on his mind, wanting to kill a man who would not worship him so that he could be lifted up, and just as the Bible assures us,
“Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.”
Make no mistake about it, when you lift yourself up in pride, when you believe that you have arrived at the top, when you get to thinking that you’re the best and the brightest, you can’t go anywhere but down. You’ve been lifted as high as you can go, because your pride makes God so sick that He’s not going to lift you higher. In fact, He’s going to see to it that you are brought low. Listen to these Scriptures:
Proverbs 11:2 “When pride comes, then comes shame…”
Proverbs 6:16-17 “These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: a proud look…”
Proverbs 15:25 “The Lord shall destroy the house of the proud…”
Proverbs 16:5 “Everyone that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished.”
James 4:6 “God resists the proud…”
Do you get the point? You may be proud of your accomplishments, of your degrees, of your income, of your vehicles, of your home, that you wear better clothes, that you enjoy more privileges, or that your kids can run faster or are smarter or are better behaved. Some people are proud because of who their friends are: they are in this club or that clique. You can be proud of your race, of your face, of your place, and even of God’s grace. I even know some people who are proud of their humility. No matter what it is, there is no place for pride in your life. When it was all said and done, Haman hurried home with his head covered and hanging in shame and grief because he had fallen so far. The sad thing is that he’s not through falling. Surely the Bible is true when it says,
“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”
Conclusion
Perhaps this morning you are not entirely sure you struggle with pride. Let me give you some indicators that it may be present in your life.
Do you…
· Have a desire to be admired or noticed by others for something?
· Have a desire to be recognized or appreciated for what you do?
· Find yourself boasting? taking credit for abilities given to you by God?
· Have an unhealthy desire to achieve status?
· Struggle with selfishness and tend to keep the focus on yourself?
· Serve with selfish ambition or in a spirit of self-advancement?
· Wrestle with vanity? Are you over concerned with your appearance? your looks and clothes?
· Work hard in an attempt to look good or appear to be better than you really are?
· Seek the approval of people rather than God?
· Find yourself comparing yourself to others?
· Preach to others while being blind to your own need to repent and change?
· Have a spirit of unteachableness because you already know all the answers?
· Always want things done your way?
Are you…
· Unwilling to risk getting close to others?
· Hiding sin from others or failing to confess sin to God?
· Unwilling to admit when you’re wrong?
· Guilty of criticizing others and finding their faults?
· Bitter or angry? feeling ripped off when you’re hurt or overlooked?
· Unwilling to ask for help because of a self-sufficient spirit?
· Struggling with a lack of prayer?
· Afraid of failure?
· Jealous of other’s successes and achievements?
Do you wrestle with the sin of pride? If you do this morning, there’s only one thing you can do: repent of it and ask for forgiveness. In 1 Peter 5:5, we are given the formula for dealing with pride in our lives.
“…be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”
You see, one of two things are going to happen in relation to any pride that might exist in your life. Number one, you can recognize it, repent of it, and humble yourself before the Lord. The second alternative is to ignore your sin and wait for God to deal with it. One way or another though you are going to be abased. You can do it yourself, which leads to God lifting you up, or you can let God do it, which leads to Him putting you down. The choice is yours, and it applies in any area of your life that you can think of.
Today there are some among us who have never received Christ as their Savior because you have never been willing to humble yourself before the Lord. Today I plead with you to repent of your sin and confess Jesus Christ as your Savior. It is one of the great paradoxes of our faith – that the way up is down, and the way down is to remain up.
Today if you are weary of the constant battles that are going on in your life because of your struggle with pride, God wants you to know that it can stop right here, right now. If there is pride in your marriage and it is tearing you apart, take your partner by the hand right now and in a spirit of humility seek forgiveness and make a commitment to submit to the leadership of God. If a spirit of pride is keeping you from enjoying church relationships as you desire, repent of it. No matter how the Lord reveals your pride to you this morning, get it right with Him.
