Afterward Mordecai returned to the king’s gate. But Haman rushed home, with his head covered in grief, and told Zeresh his wife and all his friends everything that had happened to him. His advisers and his wife Zeresh said to him, “Since Mordecai, before whom your downfall has started, is of Jewish origin, you cannot stand against him—you will surely come to ruin!” While they were still talking with him, the king’s eunuchs arrived and hurried Haman away to the banquet Esther had prepared.

–Parallel verses:
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭3‬:‭32‬-‭35‬
For the Lord detests the perverse but takes the upright into his confidence. The Lord’s curse is on the house of the wicked, but he blesses the home of the righteous. He mocks proud mockers but shows favor to the humble and oppressed. The wise inherit honor, but fools get only shame.

I have had the opportunity to be around some pretty arrogant men — men who thought they were above the law, a god unto themselves, and could merit out blessings or curses because of their power and influence. Whenever these types of people engage with you, it is easy to pick them out, because they will not associate with you unless they think you are really important and can help them.

Recently, I went to a charity fundraiser and I had purchased half the table. A man came to my table who I don’t even think was assigned there. He sat down without asking, like he owned the place. He wore a sports coat and I did not. I struck up a conversation and invited him to give me his cell phone number and I would text him my devotional website. Instead of giving it to me, he just wrote down the site. No big deal. Then the person in charge of the event (who is one of my best friends) came over and we talked a bit. Just after seeing this, this man decided to give me his card with his number on it and tried to get me to look into his business. He was arrogant and snobby in how he dealt with me, until he realized I had some connections. This was a major turn-off.

In general, arrogant men will compromise morals to gain the approval of others. They puff themselves up by who they associate with. Haman thought of Mordecai as an inferior person. He hated him because he would not sacrifice his beliefs to bow down to him. This did not deter Mordecai from honoring God first. He had faith in someone bigger than himself.

Haman thought he was the “big man”, but was shown that the king could humble him in an instant Now Mordecai was elevated above him for a day. The tide was turning and he was worried, because all he had built in life could come crumbling down. He built on a bad foundation of arrogance. Mordecai built on a foundation like a rock — God.

““Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” (‭‭Matthew‬ ‭7‬:‭24‬-‭27‬)

Lord, help me to build my life on your Word and your work, not my own pride. I want the foundation of my life to be Jesus Christ and him alone. I cast off all of the fleeting, selfish, vain things of this world, and I cling to you alone!