Haman is elevated to this position of great honour, second only to the king (v1). The king commanded that all should kneel down and honour Haman, but Mordecai did not (v2-4). Haman was an Agagite (v1), a descendant of King Agag of the Amalekites (see 1 Samuel 15 v1-33). God had ordered these people be wiped out because of their sin (see Exodus 17 v8-16; Deuteronomy 25 v17-19). Mordecai was from the tribe of Benjamin and from the family of Kish (2 v5) which means he was a descendant of King Saul (1 Samuel 9 v1-2).

What we have here is the continuation of an old conflict that went back centuries even to the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3 v15).

Haman’s response to Mordecai was one of rage (V5) and he seeks to destroy all the Jewish people (v6). He uses a lot to decide when this will happen (v7) and he then manipulates King Xerxes to get his plan agreed to (v8-10). Believers today must be aware that there are plans and schemes against us. The decree was passed throughout every province in the people’s own languages (v12-14). Xerxes appears to be so unaware of the impact his decree would have (v15). We need to be very wise and careful at the possible impact