Have you ever seen a personal slight or petty offense grow into something much larger and more damaging? Something like that happened in the days of Queen Esther between her cousin Mordecai and King Ahasuerus' right hand man Haman.
It all started because Mordecai would not bow down and do obeisance before Haman as the king had commanded. Why? Possibly because Haman was descended from Agag (vs. 1), an ancient enemy of the Jews, king of the Amalekites, from the days of King Saul. Perhaps Mordecai felt that Haman was requiring an honor or act of worship that should be reserved for God alone. Either way, Mordecai refused to prostrate himself before Haman.
Haman was not one to take such an insult lying down. And his desire was not just to get back at Mordecai personally, but to wipe out his whole family, even his whole nation! So Haman hatches a plot to convince the king that Mordecai's people, the Jews, are really a subversive threat to his kingdom. He proposes that a day be set (the specific day was selected by casting lots - or "Pur" - from which is derived the Jewish holiday of Purim) when everyone in the Persian empire was to kill all the Jews and take their goods for themselves. Ahasuerus, fresh off of being persuaded in chapter one to banish his queen, is agreeable to Haman's plan and seals the proposal with his signet ring, turning it into law.
The clock is now running. When the day arrives, the Jews are to be wiped out - destroyed as a way to satisfy Haman's wounded pride. All because Mordecai would not bow down before him.
But little does anyone know that Queen Esther herself is, in fact, one of these Jewish threats that Haman is intent on stamping out.
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