As the king’s eunuchs, their faces void of sympathy, closed in around me and hauled me up, ready to carry out the king’s order, a sense of resignation settled over my trembling form.
The cruel twist of fate! The once-grand advisor to the king now found himself dragged toward the savage end he had prepared for another. The weight of impending doom pressed heavily upon my shoulders, and each step echoed with terror.
Any attempt at a plea for mercy would be a hopeless endeavour; King Ahasuerus’ ears were deaf to any entreaties. Enraged as he was, nothing but my demise would satiate his wrath. Not even an intercession from his beloved Queen Esther would work at this stage.
It was all over.
Bitter sorrow gripped my heart as I was dragged heartlessly by the eunuchs along the path back to my dwelling. For the first time in my life, the prospect of returning home held no allure. I had departed that evening with the aura of a king, now I returned as a man condemned to the most dire of fates.
From the pinnacle of power to the precipice of demise. What a tragedy!
The realization slowly dawned on me with a gradually crushing weight; it was my pride that had caused this.
Upon my appointment by Ahasuerus, what did I lack? Nothing, I possessed all! Wealth in droves, respect from all who mattered. Yet, this… this… this exaggerated response to Mordecai’s refusal to bend before me, had guided me down this imprudent course of ruin.
Why did I not simply dismiss him and continue to revel in the power and opulence bestowed upon me? Why did I choose to wage war against his people? What impelled me to go to such lengths, even to the point of forcing an additional measure just to witness his humiliation? Why?
Why, Haman, why?
Now see, that additional measure has become your own undoing! The weapon you had fashioned against Mordecai is now set to prosper against its own fashioner! If this is not a peculiar twist of irony, then tell me, what other manifestation of irony could possibly exist?
As the eunuchs, unyielding in their duty, dragged me toward the looming gallows, a lament escaped my lips. “Oh, the vanity of pride, the treacherous companion that led me to this wretched end.”
My mind continued to race through all my choices, each thread woven with the arrogance that had blinded me to the consequences of my actions. All my endeavors to ascend to the very pinnacle of greatness…
…had culminated in this ignominious march toward the very instrument of my demise.
Upon reaching my dwelling, I heard among other things, muffled sounds and the authoritative commands of the eunuchs.
Subsequently, my heart sank at the sound of my beloved wife, Zeresh.
“What actions are you taking with my husband? Why is his countenance concealed?” she inquired with concern.
“Stand back, woman! King Ahasuerus has commanded his execution, for he plotted the annihilation of the Jews!” bellowed a eunuch, his words cutting through the air.
Never before had I heard sounds as wrenching as the heartbreak evident in my wife’s cries, collapsing in shock and horror. Resigned to my fate, I stood powerless, forced to bear witness to her frenzied screams and anguished wails, all while she was restrained by the relentless grip of the eunuchs.
“Free him! Release my husband from this cruel fate! I beg of you! I implore you, spare my husband! Do not take him from me! What shall I do without him?”
Her anguished pleas fell upon deaf ears. The pleas of this distraught woman held no sway against the king’s decree.
The gallows, once prepared for Mordecai, now awaited their reluctant guest. The realization that my fate was sealed and that even Zeresh’s impassioned cries could not alter the course of destiny, shattered the remnants of my spirit.
I found myself upon the gallows, the ominous platform of impending doom. The sands of my earthly existence had rapidly dwindled to mere seconds.
As the noose tightened around my neck, tears flowed freely down my face.
Oh, how fervently I wished for the intervention of the gods to rewind time! In that revised chronicle, I would have chosen to disregard Mordecai’s every refusal to bow before me. The notion of inflicting harm upon the Jews would have never crossed my mind. It is evident that the God who champions their cause is far wiser and shrewder than I could have ever fathomed…
The platform beneath me gave way…
… the lamentations of Zeresh grew louder…
… the world blurred into a vortex of shadows…
… darkness.
***
EPILOGUE
My lord and I lingered in the banquet hall, a palpable stillness settled over the regal space as we continued to await tidings from the eunuchs. The countenance of the king remained as wrathful as ever, a fury that could only be quelled by favorable news.
The eunuchs returned, their countenances transformed from stoic enforcers to bearers of tidings. My lord sat up, anticipation all over his face.
“O king, may you live forever! Haman has been hanged,” they declared, their voices resonating with a finality that reverberated through the hall.
In that moment, a sense of relief washed over me, as if the very air had been cleansed of the malevolence that had threatened my people. A subtle nod from the king signaled the subsiding tempest within him. As I met the king’s gaze, a silent understanding passed between us—the threat of destruction had been averted.
Internally, a hymn of gratitude resonated within me, a song of thanksgiving for the divine providence that had guided my steps. God’s unseen hand had woven the threads of destiny, turning the tide against the wicked schemes that sought to annihilate my people.
This victory was certainly not mine; it belonged to He who had intervened on behalf of His innocent people.
O, how deep is the wisdom of the Almighty in leading me to the royal court for such a time as this!
O, how splendid is the mercy of God for bestowing favor upon me in the presence of my lord!
O, how astute is the Lord in causing His and our adversary to stumble upon his own blade!
O, how mysterious and great are the ways in which Jehovah orchestrates the deliverance of His people from the brink of despair!
THE END
And that’s the story of Haman come to an end! There’s a lesson in there; the evergreen reminder of how God resists the proud. Pride led Haman to become an enemy of God’s people, and God took that personally, bringing him down in ways only He can cook up. Let’s learn to shed our pride and embrace humility; that’s how we find favour before God.
Thanks for reading, and as always, enjoy yourself around the State!
