Page:PracticalCommentaryOnHolyScripture.djvu/396

 The same  day  king  Assuerus  raised  Mardochai  to  the  high dignity which  Aman  had  held,  and  the  edict  against  the  Jews was immediately  revoked. The Jews  rejoiced  beyond  measure at their  unexpected  deliverance,  and  many  of  the  Gentiles,  seeing how wonderfully  God  protected  them,  embraced  their  religion.

The Goodness  and  Providence  of  God  extended  itself  not  only  to the  Jews  who  returned  to  Judaea,  but  also  to  those  who  remained  behind in the  pagan  country. He protected  them,  and  rescued  them  completely from the  destruction  planned  against  them  by  Aman. Their deliverance was really  wonderful; for  Divine  Providence  so  adapted  circumstances that the  projected  plan  of  massacre  was  simply  brought  to  nought. By God’s Providence  Esther  was  raised  to  be  queen. Again, it  was  by His  Providence  that  Mardochai  discovered  the  conspirators’  plot;  and also that  the  annals  of  the  reign  wfere  read  to  the  king  that  night  when he could  not  sleep,  the  name  of  Mardochai  being  thus  recalled  to  him. By His  grace  God  changed  the  anger  of  the  king  to  gentleness,  and moved him  to  grant  Esther’s  petition. So also  it  was  God  who  turned the plans  of  wicked  Aman  to  his  own  shame,  saved  His  people  from destruction, and  made  His  name  glorious  among  the  Gentiles.

Pride is,  firstly,  a capital  sin  which  leads  to  many  other  sins. See what a number  of  sins  Aman’s  pride  led  him  to  commit. It made  him hate Mardochai,  and  extend  his  hatred  to  all  the  Jews. He calumniated them to  the  king,  and  obtained  thereby  an  unjust  edict  for  their  massacre. His blind  hatred  grew  to  such  an  extent  that  he  could  not  even  wait for the  day  of  the  general  massacre  of  the  Jews,  but  wished  to  have Mardochai hanged  at  once.

Pride, moreover, makes  men  unhappy  and  discontented. Aman possessed riches,  power  and  honours,  and  was  held  to  be  the  most fortunate of  men. But this  highly-favoured  man  was  discontented,  and thought himself  ill-used,  because  one  individual  Jew  refused  to  pay  him the homage  that  was  paid  to  him  by  others. His injured  pride  embittered his life,  and  gave  him  sleepless  nights.

Pride, thirdly, leads  to  humiliation  and  downfall. In Aman  were fulfilled the  words  of  Scripture:  “Pride  goeth  before  destruction,  and the spirit  is  lifted  up  before  a fall”  (Prov.  16,  1 8). His pride  paved the way  to  his  utter  abasement. Imagining that  he  himself  must  be the  man  whom  the  king  wished  most  to  honour,  he  obtained  really royal honours  for  his  enemy,  and  had  to  pay  this  honour  himself  to the  hated  Mardochai,  and  proclaim  his  glory  to  the  whole  city. His