Evil takes on it’s own life

Scripture Read: Esther 8:1 On that day King Ahasuerus gave the house of Haman, the enemy of the Jews, to Queen Esther; and Mordecai came before the king, for Esther had disclosed what he was to her.   

Application: Victimless crimes? “I’m hurting no one but me!” These and other statements were ones I heard as I grew up by people that wanted to justify their actions. The truth is, there was no truth in what they said. Evil always seeks to impact as many as possible. It takes on a life of it’s own. This is especially true with “the Haman principle”. The evil that was planned for someone else traps the one that made the plan, but it also has many ripple effects to those around. A recent example for me was Saddam Hussein, he not only destroyed himself, but his entire family. His sons had become animals and were shot down like wild beasts. How tragic! All the evil he did and passed onto his sons came back with a vengeance and sent he and his sons into an eternity separated from life and forever punished. In this scripture, we see the end of “the Haman principle”. 

We do not know the details, but all that Haman had – his wife, his kids, servants and property were given to Esther. What she did with them we will never know – but the point is made. Haman’s self made trap caught not only himself but engulfed his family as well as others that were pulled into the evil of the plan. We need to reject evil and stay far from it. I love history, and when you study it you will be amazed how many people allow the evil they most likely would not have executed on their own, become involved in due to the fact that they allowed the seed of evil to be planted in them. As a child, living in Germany, I met some of the Germans who had gone through the War with Hitler. Some were very open to me I guess because I was a child and they were trying to warn me of the consequences of evil when it is left unchecked. They shared how they had no hate for Jewish people, yet Hitler was able to sweep up some of their friends and, even some of them into the movement. They had allowed the seed that he planted to grow. It may have started from fear, laziness or hidden sin, I do not know, but people that had lived side by side with Jewish people for years found themselves either allowing persecution or even participating in it. When the trap sprung it turned on the whole nation, not just one very evil man. The bombs that were dropped did not hit only the homes of committed Nazis, they wiped out whole cities. We cannot control evil anymore than Haman could, that is why it is best to stay as far away as we can. Oh Lord You are so wise – seeking to spare us from “the Haman principle” You have told us to make NO provision for sin: (Romans 13:14  But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.) (NASB95)  You, Lord know better than anyone else the real cost! It cost You Your Son!

Meditation Questions: Do you believe the evil you do only impacts you? What does that show? Have you ever become a part of something and later wonder how you became involved? What does that show? If you follow someone that leads in the wrong direction, who do you think will be held responsible by the Lord for where you end up? If you agree that evil can be contagious, how should that effect what you do?