"and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom

for such a time as this?" (Esther 4: 14).

The remarkable story of Mordecai and Esther is told in the book of Esther. King

Ahasuerus was displeased with Queen Vashti who has disobeyed him, and after careful

consideration a royal commandment was issued, declaring that Vashti was no longer

Queen. A search was then made for young and fair virgins from whom the king could

select one to be the next queen.

Mordecai was a Jew, being among those who were carried away from Jerusalem by

the king of Babylon. Esther was the daughter of Mordecai's uncle but her father and

mother were dead, and Mordecai had taken Esther and treated her as his own daughter.

She was one of the virgins selected, and eventually was taken into the royal house where

she made a favourable impression on the king, and all in the king's house. Esther found

favour in the eyes of King Ahasuerus, and in due course the crown was placed on her

head and she was declared queen.

In chapter 3: we read about Haman who found favour also in the eyes of the king,

and he was advanced to a position above all other princes.

Haman knew that Mordecai was a Jew and no doubt Mordecai knew that Haman was

an Agagite. The Agagites were a tribe of the Amalekites and there was enmity between

the Agagites and Israel. When the king's servants bowed before Haman and did him

reverence, Mordecai did not comply with the formality, no doubt because of the feeling

of enmity. When Haman realized the attitude of Mordecai, he began to plot against him,

and prepared the way in his conversations with the king. He told the king that there were

certain people who obeyed laws different from the laws of the kingdom which Ahasuerus

ruled; these people were disobedient, not recognizing his rule and should be destroyed.

The king agreed and gave Haman his ring, so that he had authority to pass laws to give

effect to his plan that the Jews would be exterminated. Scribes were told to prepare

letters setting out the instructions and they were to be circulated among the 127 provinces

from India to Ethiopia.

When Mordecai heard of Haman's plan and the order to kill the Jews, he put on

sackcloth with ashes and came before the king's gate, although it was against the law to

dress that way and sit at the king's gate. There was great mourning in every province

with fasting, weeping and wailing.

Esther could not understand why Mordecai was dressed in sackcloth and ashes, so she

sent messages to him. He sent her a copy of the decree so that she would know what had

happened. He also sent a message to Esther asking her to speak to the king on behalf of

the Jews.