Christian Living

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January 14, 2012 – Conceited Conclusions and the King’s Delight

6 So Haman came in. And the king said to him, What shall be done to the man whom the king delights to honor? Now Haman said to himself, To whom would the king delight to honor more than me? – Esther 6:6 AMP

Haman was on top of the world. Promoted by King Xerxes of Persia, Haman’s authority ranked above all the other nobles of the kingdom. He even received permission from the king to kill every Jew in Persia after he became enraged that Mordecai would not bow down to him. Well respected by the king, today’s verse sums up Haman’s heart. Whom would the king delight to honor more than me?

What a mistake. For those unfamiliar with the story, Haman put not one, but both feet in his mouth. In answering the king’s question, since he knew that he would be the one honored, Haman had to lead Mordecai through the open square of the Persian capital of Susa singing Mordecai’s praise. What a humbling experience for Haman. He was going to the king to ask permission to execute Mordecai but instead ending up dressing Mordecai in royal apparel and leading him through the city. How humiliating. Now don’t think I feel sorry for Haman. He was a very evil man and deserved everything he received. In the end, he was hung from the same gallows he had constructed to hang Mordecai. His conceited conclusion led to a devastating defeat.

Christians today find themselves making the same assumptions as Haman. Perhaps you’re the Christian working amidst no other believers. Do you think that just because you’re a Christian that God will bless your work more than your co-workers? Maybe you’re the Christian who never misses church or any church sponsored activity. Do you think that God will bless your life more than other members just because you attend more than them? You may even be the pastor looking out over a congregation still living worldly lives. You shake your head and think, who would the King delight to honor more than me?

I’m sure thoughts like these occur on a daily basis. The problem is that these thoughts originate out of pride. They are conceited conclusions made because we’re right and they’re wrong. We know Jesus and they don’t. We live the Word and they just dust it off on Sunday morning to play the part. And we bring the Word to the flock but they just don’t get it or don’t want to get it. But wait, doesn’t pride come before a fall? Oops. Let’s put this thing in reverse and back up.

I remember making plenty of conceited conclusions in my walk with God. I was prideful about everything. I thought I was a better Christian. I was prideful because I gave lots of money to the church. I was haughty because I was involved in numerous ministries. I, like Haman, seemingly had it all together. Who would the King delight to honor more than me?

That’s when the fall came. Through pride and hidden sin my world tumbled down. Like Haman, I was living life my way and not God’s way. But my situation ended different. I came to have a real relationship with God. The superficial life I once had is gone.

2 For all these things My hand has made, and so all these things have come into being [by and for Me], says the Lord. But this is the man to whom I will look and have regard: he who is humble and of a broken or wounded spirit, and who trembles at My word and reveres my commands. – Isaiah 66:2 AMP

Want to be the King’s delight? Follow His instructions. Mordecai didn’t bow to Haman because God said not to. He wasn’t afraid of the consequences, and received God’s favor. God in turn made Haman’s plans backfire. Mordecai wasn’t arrogant. He didn’t think he was better than everyone else. Both a king and the King delighted in him.

Are you one in whom the King delights to honor? Do you think you deserve it or is it just a desire? We should all desire to be the King’s delight in life. But such aspirations should never lead to conceited conclusions. When they do, we find ourselves like Haman, humiliated and running for cover. In the end, he was no delight to any king.

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