The Disease of Pride

1. Pride Devours Your Mind

Pride consumes the inner life, leaving no room for reason or gratitude. Haman shows this clearly:

It Inflates Offenses

– In Esther 3:3-6, we read:

Esther 3:3–6 NKJV

3 Then the king’s servants who were within the king’s gate said to Mordecai, “Why do you transgress the king’s command?” 4 Now it happened, when they spoke to him daily and he would not listen to them, that they told it to Haman, to see whether Mordecai’s words would stand; for Mordecai had told them that he was a Jew. 5 When Haman saw that Mordecai did not bow or pay him homage, Haman was filled with wrath. 6 But he disdained to lay hands on Mordecai alone, for they had told him of the people of Mordecai. Instead, Haman sought to destroy all the Jews who were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus—the people of Mordecai.

A few weeks ago, we discussed that Mordecai’s refusal to bow wasn’t simply him trying to be a rebel and stick it to the man. Rather, he was being faithful to the Lord. As a follower of Jehovah, Mordecai knew that he was only to bow to God alone. Now, this didn’t mean that Jews weren’t allowed to bow as a sign of respect to people. Rather, what Haman was wanting wasn’t respect, but worship adoration. So, when Mordecai decides that he’s going to remain faithful to his God no matter what, it is treated as the unforgiveable offense in Haman’s mind.

When we become devoured by pride, we won’t allow ourselves to even consider the position of someone else. If they’re not loyal to us and doing what we want them to do, then they’re immediately against us. People with this mindset aren’t looking for friends, they’re looking for worshippers and anyone who refuses to bow is guilty of blaspheming their made up laws.

It Robs Joy

– In Esther 5, we find that Haman has been invited to dinner with the King and Queen. And while it’s true that Esther has a plan in mind, the King and Haman have no clue. This should be a big day in the life of Haman, I mean imagine if the Governor or President called you up and asked you to come over for steaks tonight — you’d be elated. And it seems that Haman is bubbling over… until he sees Mordecai. In Esther 5:13 we read.

Esther 5:13 ESV

13 Yet all this is worth nothing to me, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king’s gate.”

So here’s what happened. Haman is invited to dinner with the most powerful guy around and when he goes home, he throws a huge party to celebrate himself. And while he’s bragging on himself, he just can’t shake the face of Mordecai and it’s eating him up. So, he ends his bragging and says, “This all means nothing to me until I get rid of Mordecai.”

You see, pride is an inexhaustible sin. It always wants more. This was the sin of Lucifer when he tried to take the throne of God, and this was the sin of Adam and Eve when they decided they knew better than God. No matter what blessings come, the prideful person is never happy.

It Surrounds You With Yes-Men

As Haman begins to seethe with hatred for Mordecai, the people around him tells him exactly what he wants to hear. Zeresh and Haman’s friends echo and escalate his obsession. In Esther 5:14 we read:

Esther 5:14 NKJV

14 Then his wife Zeresh and all his friends said to him, “Let a gallows be made, fifty cubits high, and in the morning suggest to the king that Mordecai be hanged on it; then go merrily with the king to the banquet.” And the thing pleased Haman; so he had the gallows made.

When you’re consumed with pride, you’re not interested in being questioned or corrected. You’re interested in having your plans and passions validated and this is what we see going on here with the people that Haman has brought into his life. Proverbs 27:6

Proverbs 27:6 NKJV

6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend, But the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.

2. Pride Deceives Your Mind

Well, the deeper Haman falls into this hole, the darker his mind becomes. In chapters 5-6, Haman becomes blind to reality. When the king learns of Mordecai’s faithfulness, he calls Haman in for counsel on how to celebrate a guy that the king really likes. And, instead of serving the king and answering the question reasonably, he begins to day-dream out loud about how the king is going to celebrate him publicly.

He assumes the king’s favor and Esther’s invitation revolve entirely around him (Esther 5–6).

3. Pride Destroys Your Life

The end of Haman is sudden but fitting. At the dinner party, Esther’s plan comes to pass. She tells the king that Haman is planning to kill her and all the Jews, and so the very gallows he built for Mordecai become the very instrument of his own death. And so here we learn that pride leaves the soul exposed to destruction.

Conclusion:

In the New Testament, we are told that God resists the proud and exalts the humble. There is no better depiction of that humility than in the life of the Lord, which Paul talks about in Philippians 2:5-11

Philippians 2:5–11 NKJV

5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

As we close, I want to give us three questions to ask to help us discover whether or not we’re falling to pride:

Do I inflate small offenses in my mind?

Haman let one man’s refusal consume his thoughts and plans. Pride distorts perspective, turning minor slights into monumental threats. Ask yourself: Am I holding grudges or exaggerating hurts in my heart?

Am I unable to find joy in what I have?

Haman had wealth, honor, family, and opportunity, yet he could not enjoy them while Mordecai sat at the gate. Pride robs contentment. Ask: Am I constantly dissatisfied, even with blessings God has given?

Do I surround myself only with people who agree with me?

Haman’s friends and household encouraged his obsession rather than redirecting him. Pride seeks affirmation, not correction. Ask: Do I listen to wise counsel, or only to voices that echo my desires?