Root It Out

Read Esther 5:3–10:3

10. Haman gathered together his friends and Zeresh, his wife,
11. and boasted to them about his great wealth and his many children. He bragged about the honors the king had given him and how he had been promoted over all the other nobles and officials.
12. Then Haman added, . . . “Queen Esther invited only me and the king himself to the banquet she prepared for us. And she has invited me to dine with her and the king again tomorrow! . . .
13. But this is all worth nothing as long as I see Mordecai the Jew just sitting there at the palace gate.”
14. So Haman’s wife, Zeresh, and all his friends suggested, “Set up asharpened pole that stands seventy-five feet tall, and in the morning ask the king to impale Mordecai on it. When this is done, you can go on your merry way to the banquet with the king.” This pleased Haman, and he ordered the pole set up. Esther 5:10-14

Plant an azalea bush and hope it doesn’t die; pull a dandelion blossom and watch it grow back. That’s part of the difference between garden plants and weeds—one requires your careful attention; the other defies it.

The same is true for what people plant in their hearts. As you read this passage, notice the difference between the plants Esther grows in her heart and the weeds Haman doesn’t root out of his. Esther’s courage and love stand out against the hatred and anger that spreads in Haman’s wicked heart. He’s not a little pot of dirt with a seed growing in him; he’s a concrete slab with jagged, ugly, nameless weeds cracking the surface. These weeds will require more than a once-over with the garden shears.

This conclusion to Esther’s story contains other lessons: trusting in God’s sovereign control; seeing how sin catches up with us; rewards for obeying God; and using Christian holidays to remember God’s acts of goodness.

Hatred and bitterness are like weeds with long roots that grow in the heart and corrupt all of life. Haman is a perfect example of a person who let weeds grow in his heart. Haman was so consumed with hatred toward Mordecai that he could not even enjoy the honor of being invited to Esther’s party (Esther 5:9).

Hebrews 12:15 warns us to “Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many.” Ignoring bitterness, hiding it from others, or making superficial changes in behavior is not enough. If bitterness and unbelief aren’t completely removed, they will grow back, making matters worse.

Don’t let hatred and bitterness build up in your heart. Like Haman, you will find it corrupting you (Esther 6:13; 7:9-10). If the mere mention of someone’s name provokes you to anger, confess to God your bitterness and sin.