Throwing a Haman Party?
The holiday season is upon us! I see it in my neighborhood as homes are quickly filling up with lights and decorations. Christmas tree farms seem to be popping up everywhere, Christmas music is starting on the radio, Christmas movies are trending, and the National Retail Federation is projecting sales exceeding 1 trillion dollars this year for the first time ever. Queue up Andy Williams' song, “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.” Fa-la-la! (said tongue-in-cheek).
What is your favorite aspect of the holiday season?
Perhaps my favorite, are the parties. What a great way to spend time with family and friends, especially around holiday food. Yet almost every year, without fail, many of these parties sadly turn into “Haman parties.” Let me explain…
Esther is one of the great stories of the Bible. The story of Esther is about a Jewish orphan who becomes the queen of Persia and saves her people from genocide. To this day the Jewish people celebrate the courage of Esther and God’s great victory with a celebration known as “Purim.”
A key character in this story is a man named Haman, the Agagite. He was the advisor to the King and was the main antagonist of the Jews. In fact, during Purim, when Haman is mentioned, the people are to boo, hiss, make noise and stomp their feet. They would also shout out in Hebrew, "yimakh shemo" which means, “may his name be blotted out.” It's one of the strongest curses in Hebrew. Haman, who was driven by retribution (See 1 Samuel 15 for Haman's possible ancestry), had a deep hatred for the Jews and wanted their eradication.
One of the most interesting moments in the story is when Haman gets confronted by Mordecai, the Jewish elder who has refused to bow down to him or venerate him. Though Haman has been highly honored by the king and is held in esteem, he perceives that he has been disrespected by a commoner, and this arouses his fury. He responds by throwing a party for himself. Let’s call it the first “Haman party.”
Haman summoned his wife and friends and dignitaries to flex about himself. He told stories of himself, his honors, his accolades, and his accomplishments. He “recounted to them the splendor of his riches, the number of his sons, all the promotions with which the king had honored him, and how he had advanced him above the officials and the servants of the king.” (Esther 5:11) For a whole evening, he bragged and blabbered about himself. Sounds like an awesome party, doesn’t it?!
Yet, if we are honest, we can all be Haman at times. We can all be a bit self-centered and braggadocious about US. This is especially heightened during the holidays. Think about it, when you’re at a party with family and friends you haven’t seen in a while, what is the first thing you ask or get asked, “How are things going? How has life been? What’s new in your world?” And that little prompt is all that we need to start our soliloquies about ourselves. “Well now that you ask…”
It comes naturally for us to talk about ourselves, especially when we feel insecure and vulnerable around others. We often respond to our phobias and insecurities by bragging about our meager personal accomplishments instead of acknowledging God, who deserves all the credit for all our accomplishments. The “pride of life” is a trap that many of us can easily fall victim to, at times even without realizing it.
So how do we avoid this trap? How do prevent Haman parties? Gratitude!
This is why giving thanks is so important! I love that “Thanksgiving” starts the holiday season. (Maybe it’s on purpose). Gratitude is the antidote to pride. Gratitude fosters humility and an acknowledgment of dependence on God. Psalm 9:1 says, "I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds."
Conversely, pride is rooted in a sense of inflated self-importance and self-sufficiency. It often comes from a heart full of fear, insecurity, and self-doubt.
As you celebrate Thanksgiving this year, let it set the tone and pace for your entire holiday season. Be aware of the universal temptation to consider yourself the most fascinating subject in the world. Boo, hiss, and cry "yimakh shemo” when it happens! Let Haman be blotted out of you during this holiday season as you practice gratitude!
What is your favorite aspect of the holiday season?
Perhaps my favorite, are the parties. What a great way to spend time with family and friends, especially around holiday food. Yet almost every year, without fail, many of these parties sadly turn into “Haman parties.” Let me explain…
Esther is one of the great stories of the Bible. The story of Esther is about a Jewish orphan who becomes the queen of Persia and saves her people from genocide. To this day the Jewish people celebrate the courage of Esther and God’s great victory with a celebration known as “Purim.”
A key character in this story is a man named Haman, the Agagite. He was the advisor to the King and was the main antagonist of the Jews. In fact, during Purim, when Haman is mentioned, the people are to boo, hiss, make noise and stomp their feet. They would also shout out in Hebrew, "yimakh shemo" which means, “may his name be blotted out.” It's one of the strongest curses in Hebrew. Haman, who was driven by retribution (See 1 Samuel 15 for Haman's possible ancestry), had a deep hatred for the Jews and wanted their eradication.
One of the most interesting moments in the story is when Haman gets confronted by Mordecai, the Jewish elder who has refused to bow down to him or venerate him. Though Haman has been highly honored by the king and is held in esteem, he perceives that he has been disrespected by a commoner, and this arouses his fury. He responds by throwing a party for himself. Let’s call it the first “Haman party.”
Haman summoned his wife and friends and dignitaries to flex about himself. He told stories of himself, his honors, his accolades, and his accomplishments. He “recounted to them the splendor of his riches, the number of his sons, all the promotions with which the king had honored him, and how he had advanced him above the officials and the servants of the king.” (Esther 5:11) For a whole evening, he bragged and blabbered about himself. Sounds like an awesome party, doesn’t it?!
Yet, if we are honest, we can all be Haman at times. We can all be a bit self-centered and braggadocious about US. This is especially heightened during the holidays. Think about it, when you’re at a party with family and friends you haven’t seen in a while, what is the first thing you ask or get asked, “How are things going? How has life been? What’s new in your world?” And that little prompt is all that we need to start our soliloquies about ourselves. “Well now that you ask…”
It comes naturally for us to talk about ourselves, especially when we feel insecure and vulnerable around others. We often respond to our phobias and insecurities by bragging about our meager personal accomplishments instead of acknowledging God, who deserves all the credit for all our accomplishments. The “pride of life” is a trap that many of us can easily fall victim to, at times even without realizing it.
So how do we avoid this trap? How do prevent Haman parties? Gratitude!
This is why giving thanks is so important! I love that “Thanksgiving” starts the holiday season. (Maybe it’s on purpose). Gratitude is the antidote to pride. Gratitude fosters humility and an acknowledgment of dependence on God. Psalm 9:1 says, "I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds."
Conversely, pride is rooted in a sense of inflated self-importance and self-sufficiency. It often comes from a heart full of fear, insecurity, and self-doubt.
As you celebrate Thanksgiving this year, let it set the tone and pace for your entire holiday season. Be aware of the universal temptation to consider yourself the most fascinating subject in the world. Boo, hiss, and cry "yimakh shemo” when it happens! Let Haman be blotted out of you during this holiday season as you practice gratitude!
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