Esther 5:9 – 6:14 - Lawrence

How would you define “pride”? What is “humble pie”?
Pride, something in us that caused us to be proud of, usually in a bad sense, not allowing us to accept something or someone usually.
Humble pie, something that cause us to be humble, and having to swallow our pride.

Is there such a thing as “good pride”? Why or why not?
No! Pride is usually related to self. Luke 9:23 says to deny ourselves, take up our cross daily and follow Him. Pretty clear isn’t it?

What made Haman so proud? So angry?
Es 5:11-12 – his great riches, the multitude of his children, everything in which the king had promoted him, and how the king had advanced him above the officials and servants of the king. Queen Esther invited no one but Haman to the banquet that she prepared and the second one.
Hab 2:4 – Because he was proud, his soul is not right within him.
2 Tim 3:2-5 – For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these.
Es 5:9 – Mordecai did not stand or tremble before Haman, and he was mad.
(verses to consider: Prov 11:2, Habakkuk 2:4, 2 Tim 3:2)

What were Haman’s expectations? What counsel did he receive from family and friends?
Haman expected everyone other than the king to bow down before him, to revere him, and that the king will grant him of his request, regardless of what it is. He has no reason to kill Mordecai yet he wanted to bring the request up to the king knowing for sure that he will grant it due to his position.
The family and friends told him to kill Mordecai, came out with a plan and ask him to involve the king. He wanted to involve the king; he must have thought that he could influence the king, adding to the pride he holds.

To what do you attribute the king’s sleeplessness? Why?
God causing insomnia as suggested by Macarthur. To add on, the king also happened to be alone, even with the number of concubines he could have had. There are so much a king can do, and he probably wasn’t tired, no thoughts of others, but to read the chronicles. If I’m a king, I would be able to come out with thousand of different things to do, visit concubine 103831297, get the servants to prepare a nice supper, have a lullaby played or sung, do the work that I haven’t completed, visit Queen Esther, exercise and so on. Okay, you get it. The list could go on… but God caused him not just to have sleepless night, he wasn’t in a bad mood and yet he can think of how to reward Mordecai after recalling what he had done.

What happened when Haman realized the king intended to honour Mordecai instead? What words do you think accurately describe Haman’s internal state?
He was shocked. Haman wanted to get the king to be part of the plan to slaughter Mordecai, but before he could say anything, all the nicest thing that he thought about, those that would even infringe the king’s glory, was granted to Mordecai instead. How else could he have felt? The very glory he was dreaming about was granted to his enemy, to worsen the situation, he was the one who suggested them. Argh, he must have felt stupid.

(Read Daniel 4:28 – 37)
In what ways were Haman’s and Nebuchadnezzar’s experiences alike? How were they different?
Haman and King N. alike, in their pride, had their glory taken away from them, and was brought to nothing. In the end, King N. extol God, but Haman did not.

Read Prov 16:18. If Haman had read this verse and applied it to his life, how would his actions have been different?
Opposite from the bad, from being proud, from bringing harm to the entire nation, he could possibly be normal, angry yet not doing anything wrong, could be okay with Mordecai and not plot against him, leaving things as it is, or even better, to be humble and aid Mordecai. Yes, it is hard to imagine because it has happened, but Haman could have changed, and became good friends with Mordecai, which in return, turns Haman to become part of God’s (good) story instead of this current one.

Read James 4:6-10. What does this passage say to those who are proud in heart? What does it promise to the humble?
To the proud:
• God opposes you
• Devil is near/in you
• To wash your hands, purify your hearts, loyalty is divided between God and the world
• Let there be tears, sorrow and deep grieve, sadness instead of laughter, gloom instead of joy
To the humble:
• God favours you
• The devil will flee from you
• God will come close to you because the humble go close to God
• God will lift you up in honour

Clearly God was in control of this harrowing situation from start to finish. He caused the sleeplessness of the king, He orchestrated the events which led to the king’s discovery of Mordecai’s earlier loyalty. Describe some similar “coincidences” in your past which prove God’s sovereignty over your life.
That I happened to join BB in primary school, to hear his gospel in primary 3, to not do so well in PSLE and ended up in GMSS, a Christian school, which I got to hear more about God and who He is, to join youth fellowship, to have met my seniors, to have come to this church, to have backslided, to coming back to church, to this group, to become who I am today. It could have been a nice story with just man working hard, wanting to be good, but if God hasn’t moved His hands, nothing today would be.

In what areas of your life are you most tempted to become cocky or arrogant? Why? Put another way, if God desired to humble you, where do you think He might focus His attention?
Work? Knowledge? Speech? I guess many times, in my desire to want to get things done, I am probably overly excited, and have said many things that sounds better than it really is.

What are some specific and concrete safeguards against a prideful spirit? How can you implement those practices today?
Pray, and I guess ask people around me to tell me if they knew of any. It starts from people who knew me and why I do things my way. A lot of people may think its just pride, but usually there’s a lot that backs up why I do the things I do, though sometimes I’m probably just proud. (: