The plot thickens...

How can you not LOVE Mordecai with every chapter you read in Esther? 

First of all, he is a surrogate uncle to Esther...which shows his love and loyalty to his family. 
Second, you see his honor and loyalty to the King in chapter 2 v21 Mordecai finds out about a plot to kill the king (he just happened to be at the king's gate at just the right time to hear this bit of news, coincidence, I think not!  God's providence is woven throughout this tiny Old Testament book) the minute he hears this news he tells Queen Esther and she informs the king in Mordecais's name, both the men were hanged at the gallows and the information was recorded in the book of chronicles in the presence of the king. 
But the third reason why you literally fall in love with Mordecai's character is that Mordecai is not fake, or phony, and he stands up for what is right, no matter what!

In chapter 3 we meet Haman, and instantly we know he is the bad guy and his evil character, and prideful ways are just so apparent and unattractive.  Haman is promoted in Chapter 3 by the King in a seat above all the princes.  And everybody smoozed him!  Is that even a word?  You know what I mean though, right, I mean the minute he entered a room people bowed low to him and smoozed him to keep him on their good side.  In chapter 3 verse 2 it clearly states,

"But Mordecai would not bow or pay homage."  

Mordecai was not going to play games with Haman.  He could tell Haman was a wicked man, and he could tell he did not deserve respect or homage, and therefore Mordecai Would Not bow low when he came near by...and this made Haman FURIOUS.  Haman was a man full of pride, he liked his ego stroked, and enjoyed people bowing low in his presence and the fact that this Mordeicai, this Jew, would not do the same infuriated him.  In my opinion, I think it infuriated Haman because he knew that Mordecai was the better man and he was jealous...but that's just my opinion.  Let's stick to the facts!

In verse 5 we find that "When Haman saw that Mordecai did not bow or pay him homage, Haman was filled with wrath."  

When we see the word wrath what do we think of?  Anger, violent anger...who is the father of wrath?  Who is it clear that Haman belongs to?  Now remember in this book of Esther you will not see the words God or S*tan, but you will see plenty of characteristics of their behaviors.  And it is very interesting if you make a list of the qualities of a person you can see who they belong to.  Kay Arthur (the woman who designed the Bible Study I did..Precept upon precept makes you list all the qualities of each person...have you ever done that for yourself?  Have you ever listed your character or personality qualities...it's a good reminder of what we struggle with and may need to work on because we all have faults, sometimes they become really clear if we actually take the time to write them down.

In my Bible next to verse 6 in Esther chapter 3 I wrote S*tan's name because being filled with wrath is a quality that S*tan has.

In verse 6 it says "But he disdained to lay hands on Mordecai alone, for they had told him of the people of Mordecai.  Instead, Haman sought to destroy all the Jews who were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus--the people of Mordecai."

Who else in the Bible is constantly seeking to destroy the people of the Lord?  We know that the Jewish people are God's chosen people, and that God has grafted the Gentiles in too as his people, and isn't it just like S*tan to try to wipe out God's chosen people.  Haman didn't want revenge on just Mordecai, he wanted to wait for an opportunity to destroy all the Jews.  Whoa!!!

Are we clear on the good vs the evil in this book or what?

It's in the rest of chapter 3 that Haman casts his wicked, vengeful plot, and runs it by the King so that a written decree can be made.

verse 9 "If it pleases the king, let a decree be written that they be destroyed, and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver into the hands of those who do the work, to bring it into the King's treasuries."

 Not only is Haman plotting to kill all the Jews, he's willing to pay for it to be done, talk about wickedness.  And get this, the King agrees, the King doesn't realize his new Queen is a Jew, remember, Mordecai told her to keep her family identity a secret.  The King has no idea what he is about to agree to, but he hands over his signet ring and agrees.

verse 13 says, "And the letters were sent by couriers into all the king's provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate all the Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day..."

 The plot thickens...next Wednesday find out what Mordecai does, and what he tells Queen Esther...