Ahasuerus was king over 127 provinces of Persia spanning from India to Ethiopia—headquartered in modern day Iran. The king chose Esther over all the women in the provinces to become queen and replace Vashti.

After an attempt on the king’s life, the king promoted Haman the Agagite to a position equal to what we refer to as Secretary of State. Haman soon found no satisfaction or joy in this powerful position because one man refused to bow down to him or show him reverence.

Haman’s hatred for Mordecai was so blinding that he sought to exterminate all the Jews. He exercised his political muscle to get the king to issue a decree to wipe out all the people of Mordecai’s race—the Jews. Neither Naman or the king knew that Esther was a Jewess and subject to the extermination decree.

Esther risked her life by approaching the king uninvited. Amazingly, the king offered for her to become his equal but Esther’s sole focus was the salvation of her people. At the same time, Haman’s wife devised a devious plan to kill Haman’s nemesis. As Esther prepared for the banquet, Haman built the 75’ high gallows to hang Mordecai.

That night the king could not sleep so he had the chronicles read to him where the record had been made that Mordecai saved the king’s life. The good deed had gone unrecognized, so the king asked Haman how the king could reward the man whom the king wanted to honor. Haman thought he was to be honored. Haman had to lead Mordecai through the streets while he wore the king’s royal apparel, the crown royal, and riding upon the king’s horse.

At the second banquet Esther pointed to Haman as the enemy seeking to kill her and all her people. Haman ended up being hung upon the same gallows that he prepared to execute Mordecai. Yet, the plot thickens because the king’s decree by law cannot be disannulled. Another decree goes out that the Jews can protect themselves against all those who attempt to kill them. The fateful day arrived.

Proverbs 19:21, 21:30, Psalm 33:10

Psalm 2:1 Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? 2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, 3 Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. 4 He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.

Exodus 1:10 Come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and so get them up out of the land. 11 Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses. 12 But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel.

2 Samuel 15:31 And one told David, saying, Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom. And David said, O LORD, I pray thee, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.

2 Samuel 17:14 And Absalom and all the men of Israel said, The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel. For the LORD had appointed to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, to the intent that the LORD might bring evil upon Absalom.

2 Samuel 17:23 And when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his ass, and arose, and gat him home to his house, to his city, and put his household in order, and hanged himself, and died, and was buried in the sepulchre of his father.

Job 5:12 He disappointeth the devices of the crafty, so that their hands cannot perform their enterprise. 13 He taketh the wise in their own craftiness: and the counsel of the froward is carried headlong.

• Read Acts 23:11-33 Forty men band together under a curse to kill Paul
 
Romans 12:18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. 19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. 20 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. 21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

Proverbs 25:21 If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink: 22 For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the LORD shall reward thee.

Proverbs 24:17 Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth: 18 Lest the LORD see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him.

Matthew 5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;