“11 The number of those killed in the citadel of Susa was reported to the king that same day. 12 The king said to Queen Esther, ‘The Jews have killed and destroyed five hundred men and the ten sons of Haman in the citadel of Susa. What have they done in the rest of the king’s provinces? Now what is your petition? It will be given you. What is your request? It will also be granted.’13 ‘If it pleases the king,’ Esther answered, ‘give the Jews in Susa permission to carry out this day’s edict tomorrow also, and let Haman’s ten sons be impaled on poles.’14 So the king commanded that this be done. An edict was issued in Susa, and they impaled the ten sons of Haman. 15 The Jews in Susa came together on the fourteenth day of the month of Adar, and they put to death in Susa three hundred men, but they did not lay their hands on the plunder.16 Meanwhile, the remainder of the Jews who were in the king’s provinces also assembled to protect themselves and get relief from their enemies. They killed seventy-five thousand of them but did not lay their hands on the plunder. 17 This happened on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar, and on the fourteenth they rested and made it a day of feasting and joy.”NIV

It can be sobering to look at your child and recognise that you are staring into a mirror. Obviously, you may be happy with some of that reflection, but most of us also see certain flaws and failings we recognise as our own. However, a fault is one thing, sheer evil is quite another. No doubt, in the days of his prominence (and anti-semitism), Haman would have been proud of his lads. It seems that after his demise, the boys kept up the bad work. So they too ended up sharing their wicked father’s fate (13,14). The Bible does not explicitly say they were following his example, but I imagine it’s a fairly safe inference to make. What a terrible legacy to leave.

This story reminds me that Jesus’ work on the cross dealt decisively not only with the devil (Hebs.2:14,15) but also with the demons (Col.2:15). So although we Christians know we are still in a fight, as Warren Wiersbe pointed out, we are not fighting for victory; we are fighting from victory. The day Jesus died was ‘D Day’ in salvation history. Final victory is assured because of Him.