Stand with Conviction

It's always right to do the right thing.

Esther 2:21-3:6

Learn from Mordecai's example and make a difference when there is an opportunity to stand for what's right.  

Mordecai–Mordecai discovers a plot of two eunuchs against the king. Having informed the king through Esther of the conspiracy, Mordecai brings about the execution of the two conspirators, and the event is recorded in the royal chronicles (ib. ii. 21-23). Mordecai arouses the anger of Human by constantly refusing to bow before him.  The name "Mordecai" is explained by the Rabbis as a compound of the Aramaic form meaning "pure myrrh"). 

While holding this office, he discovered a plot of the king's chamberlains Bigthan and Teresa to assassinate the king. Because of Mordecai's vigilance, the plot was foiled. His services to the king in this matter were duly recorded in the king's royal diary.

Human the Agagite had been raised to the highest position at court. In spite of the king's decree that all should prostrate themselves before Haman, Mordecai refused to do so.  Haman was a descendant of the Amalekites, their ancient enemies.

Amalekites–Amalek is a nation described in the Old Testament of the Hebrew Bible. The name "Amalek" can refer to the nation's founder, a grandson of Esau; his descendents, the Amalekites; or the territories of Amalek which they inhabited.  Amalek was called the 'first of the nations', attesting to high antiquity. "He came before all of them to make war with Israel". First-century Roman-Jewish scholar and historian Flavius Josephus refers to Amalek as a 'bastard' in a derogatory sense.

In Exodus, Amalek makes war against Israel in the wilderness. Joshua is tasked by Moses to lead Israel in battle, and Moses watches from a hillside. When his hand is raised, Israel prevails, but when it is lowered, Israel falters. So Moses keeps his hand raised the entire battle, even having assistants hold him up, so that the battle will go to Israel.

In Judaism, the Amalekites came to represent the archetypal enemy of the Jews. In Jewish folklore the Amalekites are considered to be the symbol of evil. suggest that Amalekites have come to represent an "eternally irreconcilable enemy" that wants to murder Jews.

Agagite is used as a description of Haman.  A "descendant" of Agag, the enemy of Israel and king of the Amalekites. "Haman, as an Amalekite, is opposed to Mordecai, the descendant of Kish. There is an struggle to destroy one another between the Jews and their enemies , like that between Saul and Agag of old."  A well known explanation refers to the term as meaning either a literal descendant of Agag or an antisemite, the Amalekites having come to be symbolic of the antithesis of Judaism.