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“Then Harbona, one of the eunuchs attending the king, said, “A gallows seventy-five feet high stands by Haman’s house. He had it made for Mordecai, who spoke up to help the king.” The king said, “Hang him on it!” So they hanged Haman on the gallows he had prepared for Mordecai. Then the king’s fury subsided.” (Esth 7:9-10 NIV)

Haman loved position, and hated anyone who did not honor his position. He was so furious with Mordecai the Jew, for not bowing and scraping to him, that he got the king to issue an edict of annihilation against all the Jews in all the provinces of Persia. He even built a high gallows by his home to hang Mordecai there. In the end, God turned it around on Haman, and he was hanged on this very gallows.

This is God’s Way. God is with the oppressed.

If we oppress others, He will defend them and resist us. How many times have we mulled over injury and nursed our wounded pride and then built a gallows in our own mental garden? The self-righteous person defines his or her grievance, finds a culprit and puts him on trial in the courtroom of their soul. The sentence is always harsh, such is the sinful nature. We cannot help but gloat over any downfall or setback the accused party experiences. We assume automatically and erroneously that God has sided with us; but God sides with no man or woman - He sides Himself with truth, humility and righteousness.

Even when we are walking in honorable ways, and are victimized for it, the Word grants us no license to start gallows construction. “But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”(Matt 5:44-45 ESV). “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Rom 12:19-21 ESV).

God will deal with all evildoers as He sees fit. He is Judge of all. But mercy always triumphs over judgment. God blesses forgiveness. God is deaf to self-righteousness and the cries of the man who sees every splinter in other men’s eyes. “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” (Luke 6:36-38 NIV)

God looks at the heart. Even in our Christian immaturity, He makes no lien for the anger-judgment-murder triad. He calls that “sin” and says His power is unleashed in all who forgive. Forgiveness is not in its highest honor when it is only extended to the penitent. The Word calls us to forgive men and women the moment the offence is incurred - we are called to walk in forgiveness, if we desire to walk in the Spirit. This is not some mental chant, but transacting with Jesus in the power of the Spirit, to hand our offences over to God, to pray for our enemies and then to walk free of the burden of anger. This too is a very heavy burden – heavier than despair to be sure – which Jesus is eager to lift off our shoulders (Matt 11:28). The witness of the Spirit comes the moment we humble ourselves to release our tormentors; and this witness is also the seal of God’s favor – heaven’s endorsement of a Merciful God. Forgiveness is the work of the Cross: when you forgive, you are a co-worker with Christ.

“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.” (Matt 5:21-22 ESV)

Nick