Flagrant pride in an individual is among the ugliest traits we can witness. The inflated sense of ego, the aroma of self-importance, the insistence on being the center of everyone’s orbit…these are things that repulse us. In Esther’s story, Haman was such a person. This message reveals with no restraints just how nauseatingly arrogant the enemy of the Jews is. As we behold his words and actions, we must be willing to examine our own hearts to see if anything similar might be growing in us. Pride and arrogance ALWAYS have the eventual, inevitable result of God’s resistance and destruction. God exalts the humble as is seen in the life of Esther, but He powerfully resists the proud of heart. Haman’s testimony makes this abundantly clear.
Humility, Authority & Depravity
Esther 5:1-14
March 20, 2024 • Jeff Lyle • Esther 5
More from
The Story of Esther
Owning Opportunities from God
April 24, 2024 • Jeff Lyle • Esther 8
When Jesus taught His listeners the value of learning how to turn the other cheek, was He instructing us to never, ever fight back? Is pacifism a pillar of the Gospel? A comprehensive view of what the Bible says about fighting back does not leave the Christian in a position of being a doormat to his or her enemies. There are times when God calls us to protect and defend our lives. Scripture even goes so far as to declare that the Lord is “a man of war” (Exodus 15:3). In the continuing story of Esther and the Jews, there is still a date on the calendar when they will be attacked by their enemies. This message reveals the amazing providence of God and how He leads His children to fight back against a hostile assault on their well-being. We can also learn much about how we are to fight our battles.
The Rock-Bottom of Rebellion
April 17, 2024 • Jeff Lyle • Esther 7
When we have been wronged, we all want justice. And we typically want it in a right-now type of action from God. Esther and Mordecai have been patiently waiting on the Lord to bring deliverance to the Jews. Haman has seemingly gotten away with his wicked plans. Yet, God is now going to completely reverse the course of all that is happening. God will balance the scales of justice in an astounding way. Rebellion against God will not go unaddressed, and Haman, a wicked rebel, is about to find out what it means to hit a rock-bottom from which he will never bounce back.
When God Pummels the Proud
April 10, 2024 • Jeff Lyle • Esther 6
Let’s admit it: we get frustrated when the bad guys win and good guys lose. We usually prefer quick justice. Haman, the proud and dangerous anti-Semite keeps on walking in prosperity & victory while the Jews are all about to die. In this message from the story of Esther, we see the sovereign hand of God begin to turn the tide against evil Haman. Fewer things prove to be more satisfying in the book of Esther than the events in this chapter. Just when things looked so good for Haman and so terrible for Mordecai, Esther, and the Jews, God does the unthinkable! We learn here why it is so important to wait on God to take care of our enemies. He may seem to move slowly at times, but it is glorious when His moves begin to make sense.