Esther 5:9-14

Esther 5:9-14, “Then went Haman forth that day joyful and with a glad heart: but when Haman saw Mordecai in the king's gate, that he stood not up, nor moved for him, he was full of indignation against Mordecai. Nevertheless Haman refrained himself: and when he came home, he sent and called for his friends, and Zeresh his wife. And Haman told them of the glory of his riches, and the multitude of his children, and all the things wherein the king had promoted him, and how he had advanced him above the princes and servants of the king. Haman said moreover, Yea, Esther the queen did let no man come in with the king unto the banquet that she had prepared but myself; and to morrow am I invited unto her also with the king. Yet all this availeth me nothing, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king's gate. Then said Zeresh his wife and all his friends unto him, Let a gallows be made of fifty cubits high, and tomorrow speak thou unto the king that Mordecai may be hanged thereon: then go thou in merrily with the king unto the banquet. And the thing pleased Haman; and he caused the gallows to be made.”

What wicked people! Mordecai, Esther's cousin, had done absolutely nothing wrong. He merely refused to bow in obeisance as Haman passed by, for which Haman hated Mordecai. So as Haman was complaining about the matter at home, his ungodly wife Zeresh and family friends which they had invited, suggested that Haman erect a 75 foot tall gallows upon which to hang Haman. He liked the idea and built the gallows. Look what they said...

Esther 5:14, “Then said Zeresh his wife and all his friends unto him, Let a gallows be made of fifty cubits high, and tomorrow speak thou unto the king that Mordecai may be hanged thereon: then go thou in merrily with the king unto the banquet. And the thing pleased Haman; and he caused the gallows to be made.”

Wow, that is disgusting! Haman's wicked wife and horrible family friends told him to convince the king to hang Mordecai (an innocent man), and then go have a good time at the party that Esther invited him to. Haman loved the idea and ordered the gallows to be built right away. Proverbs 26:27, “Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein: and he that rolleth a stone, it will return upon him.”

In this Bible story we can learn some valuable truths:

1. What goes around comes around. Haman conspired to murder an innocent man, but it backfired on him. This is poetic justice at its finest! The Bible warns in Galatians 6:7 that what men reap they will sow. With whatever measure we judge men, we shall be judged by that same measure (Matthew 7:1-2).
2. Be very careful what advice you take from family and friends, because it could cost you everything! Haman's foolish wife Zeresh didn't hesitate to give hateful ungodly advice to her husband, to have an innocent Jewish man killed. Little did she know that not only would her husband be hung by the king on that 75 foot high gallows, but also HER 10 SONS (Esther 9:25). Mrs. Haman spent the rest of her life in regret, wishing she had never opened her mouth to give such ungodly advice to her husband. One wrong bit of advice could cost you everything!!!
3. Idiots are quick to give bad advice when it won't adversely affect them. Those wicked friends of Zeresh and Haman had nothing to lose by giving such wicked advice to them. Ultimately, Zeresh's and Haman's 10 sons were all killed, and then Haman himself. It burns me up when fools advise friends and family to file for divorce. Woe unto the person who encourages, nurtures or helps someone get a divorce. God hates divorce (Jeremiah 3:20). Marriage is sacred ground in God's sight. Divorce and remarriage is adultery (Matthew 19:9; Hebrews 13:4). Human sinful nature is to selfishly take sides with friends when marital troubles arise, and not care about the unknown spouse; that is sinful and meddlers will be judged by God (Matthew 19:6). It is very easy to help destroy someone else's marriage, when it won't affect you adversely in the least.
4. Be very careful who you choose to keep as friends. I would rather have no friends than bad friends. Loneliness will be the worst of your problems if you make losers for friends. People can and will become your worst enemy if you foolishly choose to closely associate with worldly sinners. In 2nd Samuel 13:3 the Bible tells us that David's son, Amnon “had a friend.” That ungodly friend ruined Ammon's life, which ultimately led to Amnon's murder by Absalom. Bad friends will ruin you!
5. Be very careful who you get into a vehicle with. I am reminded of a tragic incident in 2021 that happened in Georgia. A 25 year old black man named Ahmaud Arbery had been shot to death, when he was confronted by a father and son, along with a neighbour. I feel so bad for the neighbor, William Bryan, because his only fault was getting into the truth with his neighbours. Mr. Bryan was just in the wrong place at the right time, walking in front of his house. The father and son had invited for him to join them, so Bryan hopped into the truck; but by being with his two neighbors he became an accomplice. Be very careful who you get into a vehicle with, because if they commit a crime you will be prosecuted as an accomplice just for being present! Although William Bryan made no racist comments or killed anybody, he was sentenced to 40 years in prison just for being present. That is injustice in my humble opinion. Public pressure from Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, the black community and liberal newsmedia ensured that the 3 defendants didn't receive a fair trial (and they simply didn't, “Principles Of Justice” sermon by Pastor Steven Anderson).
6. Married women belong at home, not in the workplace. This point has nothing to do with this blog, per se. However, it is related to the topic at hand of being careful about making bad friends. I heard the true story of a married woman who met a man at work. They began an adulterous affair. The woman's jealous husband murdered his wife and was then sentenced to life in prison. The wicked adulterous man at work walked away scot-free! If I had the legal power to do so, that adulterous co-worker would be serving life behind bars with the husband! Thankfully, God will make that ungodly co-worker wish he had never been born in eternity. No one can escape the judgment of God (Hebrews 4:13, 13:4; Romans 1:32; Ecclesiastes 12:14). Call me old-fashioned (and I am), but I firmly believe that all married women belong at home working as homemakers.

Haman had wickedly plotted against the Jews to murder them all. So the king, in a righteous act of justice, returned that same evil upon Haman's own head. ...

Esther 9:23-26a “And the Jews undertook to do as they had begun, and as Mordecai had written unto them; Because Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had devised against the Jews to destroy them, and had cast Pur, that is, the lot, to consume them, and to destroy them; But when Esther came before the king, he commanded by letters that his wicked device, which he devised against the Jews, should return upon his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows Wherefore they called these days Purim after the name of Pur. ...”

Haman was a very wicked person. His wife was a very wicked person. Their friends were very wicked people. They had all conspired to murder an innocent man, Mordecai. The main truth that I want you to take away from this tragic story in the Bible, is that Haman's wife Zeresh came up with the idea to build a gallows 75 feet high to hang Mortdecai on. Their friends loved the idea and told Haman that he should do it. But Zeresh would live to rue the day she made that suggestion to her husband, when Haman and her 10 sons were all hung on that very same gallows. So be very careful of the advice that you give to others, and the advice that you take from them.