Esther

The key verse that I've heard repeated over and over from Esther is in 4:14 (CEV) - "It could be that you were made queen for a time like this!" I want to unpack that statement.

Mordecai said it because he had asked Esther (his cousin) to talk to the King on behalf of the Jews to save them. The King's highest official, Haman, had made a decree that all the Jews should be killed. Haman made that decree in order to send a message because Mordecai refused to bow to him, as was the custom instituted because he was the highest official of the King.

Now, this was only an issue because Mordecai worked in the palace and was around Haman. Mordecai didn't start work in the palace until after Esther becam Queen. She became Queen after King Xerxes became displeased by Queen Vashti and had a "Beauty Pageant" of sorts to find one. He was smitten with Esther from when he first saw her. (She was in beauty treatment for a year before meeting the King.)

On a side note, because Mordecai had the Esther connection, he informed her of a plot to kill the King early on. She informed the King and he made note of it in his official records.

Back to the story. When Esther had the King's ear, she was about to tell him about Haman's scheme. That very night, the King couldn't sleep and was caused to remember Mordecai who previously saved his life. He instructed Haman to honour Mordecai, as he was unaware of the hate. Then Esther informed him of the bigger plot and, long story short, the King had Haman hanged on the very gallows Haman built to hand Mordecai. Then, he issued a decree that let the Jews fight back anyone who tried to kill them and made Mordecai his right-hand man. The Jews ended up killing thousands of their enemies.

I've often heard that God (whose name is never mentioned) caused Esther to become Queen in order to save the Jews. However, the Jews wouldn't have needed saving if Mordecai didn't offend Haman, and that wouldn't have happened if Mordecai didn't work in the palace, and he probably wouldn't have worked in the palace if Esther had not become Queen.

Rather, I think God caused it all to happen to give his people a place of prominence in Xerxes kingdom. It was an offensive plan, not defensive. That's what I think.