Esther 3:13
And the letters were sent by posts into all the king’s provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish, all Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, even upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to take the spoil of them for a prey.
Letters were carried by posts into every province of the Persian kingdom with orders to destroy, to kill and to cause to perish all Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, even upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth month Adar, and to take the spoil of them for a prey. The decree was secured through false representations about the Jews and was driven by Haman's malice toward Mordecai, who would not give to a man the reverence due only to God. It marked the mortal crisis faced by the Jews who had remained in exile after an earlier opportunity to return, threatening the very people who preserved the knowledge of the true God.
The threatened destruction was instigated by Satan and his agents to bring suffering upon God's people, so the conflict was spiritual and not merely against human rulers. God's protecting power defeats such plots of Satan, and His angels protect His people when they trust Him, so the enemy's purpose was thwarted. That defeat includes turning the adversaries' schemes back upon themselves.
The decree illustrates and provides a pattern for a future decree against God's people, when a faithful minority whose obedience rebukes those who reject God's law will be targeted for condemnation, removal and death. That future scheme to condemn and kill the faithful centers on Sabbath observance, with Satan working through religious powers against those who refuse to worship the idol sabbath. The verse thus exposes the danger of a ruler's blindness and shows the duty of God's people to remain faithful to Him even at personal cost.