正如一個情節緊湊的小說一樣，陰謀的烏雲已經密布了。當時以斯帖晉陞為后，卻沒有讓人發現她的祖籍，這時惡徒哈曼也走上了歷史舞台的中央，成為國王的新寵，在朝中官位最高。但當他發現末底改不肯向他致敬之後，對猶太人恨之入骨，於是遊說亞哈隨魯王，甚至捐了一筆錢要王頒佈詔書滅絕猶太人。基於迷信的本能，哈曼掣籤定執行的日期，就另一方面來說，給上帝一個在暗中動工的機會！情勢迫使以斯帖必須面對一個死亡的抉擇，究竟應該冒死暴露自己的身分去勸阻國王呢？還是應該明哲保身──默默的看著自己的同胞遭到屠殺？

        你很難相信你會恨一個人到要置他於死地的地步吧？甚至恨到想殺他全家，或想毀滅他全族的同胞？那麼就想一想哈曼對末底改的懷恨竟使他怒火中燒、憤懣不平──強烈的仇恨驅使哈曼決定殲滅末底改全族的性命。
        「報仇心切」可說是惡人哈曼最好的寫照，這和上帝期望你有寬恕的雅量完全相反！你也許不會懷有哈曼那樣的妒恨，但你會不會因為不原諒曾經傷害過你的人而有罪惡感？你希望上帝對你的饒恕成為你寬宥別人的力量嗎(太6：12)？
        今天在你的口袋或皮包裡放五個銅板，每次你想對一個人或環境發脾氣的時候，就放一枚銅板──它代表憤恨──在一個得罪你的人面前。到了晚上，你可能就一文不名了！但你將學到耶穌在馬太福音六章十二節中給你的勸勉！

冷血的代價
        一位聖經詮釋學者曾經計算希伯來一萬他連得銀子的價值，也就是說哈曼情願付出美金十二億元去殺滅猶太人──對一個受雇的波斯殺手來說，真是一筆驚人的數目！

採取報復，一個人只能與他的敵人打成平手;超越這一點，他就遠勝他的敵人。

English

        As in a masterful novel, the plot now thickens. Esther has been elevated to queen without her nationality being discovered. And now the villain, Haman. steps onto center stage. A favorite of the court, Haman also rises to the top politically. His hatred for the Jews burns hot when Mordecai fails to pay homage to him. Haman persuades King Ahasuerus with words and money to issue an edict of destruction for the Jewish race. Superstitious by nature. Haman selects the date of the execution by the throw of the dice, thereby giving God yet another opportunity to work behind the scenes! Now Queen Esther is faced with a deadly decision. Should she risk revealing her nationality in an attempt to dissuade the king? Or should she protect her life—and silently watch while her countrymen are slaughtered?

        Is it difficult for you to telieve you could hate someone enough to want to kill him? Enough to want to kill his entire family? Even enough to want to destroy his whole town? Then imagine the hatred that smoldered in Haman's heart toward Mordecai—a hatred strong enough to drive Haman to destroy an entire nation.
        Vengeful hatred is the perfect picture of the villainous Haman, and the exact opposite of the forgiving attitude God desires for you. You may not harbor the kind of grudge that Haman did, but are you guilty of an unforgiving spirit toward someone who has hurt you? Would you want God's forgiveness of you to be proportionate to your forgiveness toward others (Matthew 6:12)?
        Carry five pennies in your pocket or purse today. Then each time you are tempted to respond in anger to a person or circumstance, leave a penny—and the resentment it represents—at the point of the offense. By the end of the day you might be a nickel poorer, but you will have done what Jesus urged in Matthew 6:12!

The High Price of Cold Blood —
        One commentator has valued the Hebrew talent of silver at $12,000. That means Haman was willing to pay $120 million to exterminate the Jews—a fabulous sum for a Persian hit man!

        In taking revenge, a man is equal to his enemy; in passing over it, he is his superior.