Haman had been raised to the honor of being prime minister, the head of all other public servants of the king. Yet, he was little more than a savage at heart. Although all the good that could bring joy to his heart was his to have, a single act that wasn’t to his liking could spoil it all. He was not a man who was able to control his emotions. Rather, Haman’s whole demeanor opposed the Lord’s way (Proverbs 6:16-19). He was a man controlled by a proud look (Esther 6:6), a lying tongue (Esther 3:8), hands that shed innocent blood (Esther 3:5-6), a heart that devised wicked plans (Esther 3:9-13), feet that were swift to do evil (Esther 5:14), the desire to solve his problems by offering a false witness (Esther 6:4), a desire to sow discord among brethren (Esther 3:6).
Haman was beside himself with joy, because he was so delighted in the fact that he, and only he, had been invited by the queen to sit in a banquet with the king and her (Esther 5:9). Nevertheless, when he left the queen’s palace and entered the king’s gate he saw Mordecai there, and Mordecai was seated and didn’t stand out of respect for his office, and express his submission to him. Therefore, Haman was filled with rage, and, instantly, instead of being filled with joy, he was beside himself with wrath against Mordecai!
To put this in context, we need to keep in mind that the whole event, Mordecai’s reaction toward Haman, and Haman’s reaction toward Mordecai, is political. Both men are wrong. The waters are muddy here. Mordecai had been morning, but no longer, because he sits in the king’s gate in his official attire. Indeed, Haman is an evil man, but Mordecai isn’t honoring God by what he is doing either. The fact is, Mordecai is tempting God by putting himself and the Jewish nation at risk, and expecting God to bless his efforts by coming to his rescue (cp. Matthew 4:5-7). Folks with little faith, often believe they have great faith and feel a need to express it by going out on a limb (risking their lives and/or substance to do so), in order to prove their faith in the Lord. As I claimed in a previous study, the scriptures allow for the child of God to express their respect for the office of men in authority over them. There would have been nothing wrong for Mordecai to bow before Haman, out of respect for his high office, just as it wasn’t wrong for Abraham to bow down before the authorities of the land, in which he lived as a pilgrim (Genesis 23:7, 12).
Instead of challenging Mordecai openly in the king’s gate, Haman restrained himself and went home, because he wished to discuss the matter with his wife and friends (Esther 5:10). He could have returned to the king and requested that he be permitted to have Mordecai slain (cp. Daniel 3:8-13), but the Lord moved Haman to delay his request until the following day (Esther 5:14; 6:4). Was the Lord honoring Mordecai’s faith or the faith of Esther? I believe the Lord acted out of respect for Esther’s faith, for she placed everything in the Lord’s hands. She did nothing overtly against her enemy to antagonize him, but fasted and sought the Lord’s help to save herself and her people, the Jews.
Indeed, after returning home, Haman called his wife and his friends to come to him. After telling them of the great honor bestowed upon him in that he was the only man permitted to eat with the king and Esther at the queen’s banquet, he disclosed how the whole event was spoiled, when he witnessed Mordecai’s disrespect of his office. Therefore, he asked their advice, as to how this should be rectified (Esther 5:11-13).
Haman’s wife and his friends told him to build gallows for Mordecai’s execution 75 feet high, so everyone could observe what happens to those who disrespect your office. Then before going to the banquet, make your request for Mordecai’s life known to the king. Thus, was Haman pleased in knowing how to make an example of Mordecai, so he gave the order that the gallows be built (Esther 5:14).
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