Year of Realization - Day 45: Evil builds its own gallows.

“Then his wife Zeresh and all his friends said to him, "Let a gallows fifty cubits high be made, and in the morning tell the king to have Mordecai hanged upon it. Then go joyfully with the king to the feast." This idea pleased Haman, and he had the gallows made.”

‭‭Esther‬ ‭5‬:‭14‬ ‭ESV

I recently read 10 accounts of people who died at the hands of their own booby traps. In each of the cases it seems that the victims were trying to stop would-be burglars/intruders and ended up killing themselves with their own devices.

In one case a 50 year old man strung up a piano string at the edge of his marijuana field to stop thieves or law enforcement. However, the only person caught by this trap was the man who set it up. It seems that he got liquored up and went speeding through the field on his quad bike, only to end up being decapitated by his own booby trap.

Unbelievably, one man was cut in half by a chainsaw booby trap he had set up!

The other stories vary as to the weapon or implement used in the booby traps; but the common thread was that the builders of the booby traps were the ones who fell victim to the work of their own hands.

“Evildoers are snared by their own sin, but the righteous shout for joy and are glad.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭29‬:‭6‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Just as these stories tell the ironic tragedies of people being killed by something they created to kill someone else, just so, evil plots of evil people meant to be exacted on others, will eventually lead to their own destruction.

The Psalmist expresses this truth with these words:

“The nations have fallen into the pit they dug for others. Their own feet have been caught in the trap they set. The Lord is known for his justice. The wicked are trapped by their own deeds.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭9‬:‭15‬-‭16‬ ‭NLT‬‬

And now, this brings us back to the part of the story of Esther we considered yesterday.

Whereas yesterday we considered the fact that Haman was willing to do anything to get what he wants, today we consider the fact that his evil plot to deal with Mordecai might not turn out the way he thinks!

Yes, in our opening scripture it seems that Haman is giddy with the prospects of seeing Mordecai’s lifeless body hanging on a 75 foot structure he would have built for the display. But, as with the guy with the piano string and the other guy with the chainsaw, Haman just might end up on the business end of his own device.

Let us remember that traps set up for other people—or judgments we pass on others—may come back to be exacted on its own creator.

Peace to you.

Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!

#yearofrealization