The story of Esther takes place in Susa, at the same time as some Jewish captives in Babylon have returned to rebuild the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem. It is mainly a story of God’s sovereignty, although it doesn’t even mention God once in the book. Esther becomes queen to king Ahasuerus (Xerxes), whose minister, Haman, who has a genocidal plan to kill all the Jews in the kingdom because one did not give him the respect he thought was due. Esther reveals her Jewish roots to the king and begs for a change in the kings edict. The king allows the Jews to defend themselves and hangs Hamon on a gallows he built for Mordecai, Esther’s uncle. All this shows God’s absolute sovereignty over the whole world and everything that takes place in it.