CHILDREN’S ESTHER SERIES
PREP SCHOOL
ESTHER - PART 1
We are going to begin a study on an Old Testament book titled Esther. This story occurred in Susa, a capital city in Persia (present day Iran), after the Israelites had been released from Babylonian captivity, in ~480 BC. In this book, we see the term “Jews” used for the first time. When King Solomon’s son, Rehoboam, became king, the nation of Israel split into the Northern and Southern Kingdoms. The Southern Kingdom included the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. They initially stayed faithful to God, worshipping Him alone, but soon strayed and suffered the consequences. When they were captives in Babylon, they were called Jews, since they were from Judah. The Northern Kingdom, made up of the remaining 10 tribes of Israel. They married non-Israelite women and began worshipping foreign gods (ugh). Their kingdom, Israel, came to be called Samaria (the name of its capital) and, since their blood line had become mixed, they were no longer called Israelites, but Samaritans.
Let’s meet our characters, shall we?
Esther was a young Jewish woman who lived in Susa with her cousin, Mordechai. He had raised her as his own daughter since her parents died when she was very young. Mordechai worked at the gate of the king’s palace. King Xerxes I (also known as King Ahasuerus) was the King of Persia and was known for both his bad temper and for taking bad advice. Not a good mix, right-? LOL! His lead advisor, Haman, was an Amalekite, these people were enemies of the Jews. In fact, the prophet Samuel predicted that God’s people would one day destroy them!
Deuteronomy 25:19 “When the Lord your God gives you rest from all the enemies around you in the land he is giving you to possess as an inheritance, you shall blot out the name of Amalek from under heaven. Do not forget!”
The story starts during a huge party thrown by King Xerxes I, which had already lasted 180 days. Wow! The King decides that he wants to show off his beautiful wife, Queen Vashti, to his friends. So, he summons her and she says, “No”! This was unheard of, since no one refused the King’s orders for fear of severe punishment. He became very angry with her and asked his advisors what he should do to punish her. They first recommended that a mandate be sent to every home making it the law that men be the masters of their own households. You see, the Queen had set a very bad example for the local women by disobeying the authority in her life, Xerxes I, who was both her husband and her King. Remember, we are commanded by God to honor the authority in our lives, even when they are being unfair or unreasonable.
Romans 13:1-2 “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore, whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.”
The King’s advisors also suggested that Vashti no longer be queen and that the King should find a new queen from among the young women of Susa. So, he did just that…
Let’s meet our characters, shall we?
Esther was a young Jewish woman who lived in Susa with her cousin, Mordechai. He had raised her as his own daughter since her parents died when she was very young. Mordechai worked at the gate of the king’s palace. King Xerxes I (also known as King Ahasuerus) was the King of Persia and was known for both his bad temper and for taking bad advice. Not a good mix, right-? LOL! His lead advisor, Haman, was an Amalekite, these people were enemies of the Jews. In fact, the prophet Samuel predicted that God’s people would one day destroy them!
Deuteronomy 25:19 “When the Lord your God gives you rest from all the enemies around you in the land he is giving you to possess as an inheritance, you shall blot out the name of Amalek from under heaven. Do not forget!”
The story starts during a huge party thrown by King Xerxes I, which had already lasted 180 days. Wow! The King decides that he wants to show off his beautiful wife, Queen Vashti, to his friends. So, he summons her and she says, “No”! This was unheard of, since no one refused the King’s orders for fear of severe punishment. He became very angry with her and asked his advisors what he should do to punish her. They first recommended that a mandate be sent to every home making it the law that men be the masters of their own households. You see, the Queen had set a very bad example for the local women by disobeying the authority in her life, Xerxes I, who was both her husband and her King. Remember, we are commanded by God to honor the authority in our lives, even when they are being unfair or unreasonable.
Romans 13:1-2 “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore, whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.”
The King’s advisors also suggested that Vashti no longer be queen and that the King should find a new queen from among the young women of Susa. So, he did just that…
Esther 2:16-17 “And when Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus, into his royal palace, in the tenth month, which is the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign, the king loved Esther more than all the women, and she won grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins, so that he set the royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti.”
One important fact to know about this story so far is that the King’s edicts (orders/commands) were final- they could not be changed or taken back. So, even if he had wanted to keep Vashti as his queen, he could not, as he had already made an official command. The finality of the King’s orders will come up again a little bit later in the story.
The book does not end with Esther becoming Queen of Persia, though. She did not know it at the time, but Queen Esther had a very important part to play in God’s salvation plan. Our lives also have a unique purpose. If we live our lives for Him, obeying His commands, God will show us how we, too, can be a blessing to others.
Matthew 5:16 “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”
Ephesians 2:10 “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
ESTHER - PART 2
When we ended our last lesson, Esther had just been crowned Queen of Persia. Now, remember how we said that Mordechai, Queen Esther’s cousin, worked at the palace gates? Well, one day Mordechai overheard 2 men, Bigthan and Teresh, who worked for the King, plotting to kill him! He immediately told Queen Esther, who reported it to the King. The 2 men were put to death and the King had it written in the Book of the Chronicles (kind of like a diary for the King) that Mordechai had been the one to warn him. This detail becomes important later in the story.
In Esther chapter 3, our final main character, Haman, comes on the scene. Haman, who worked for the King, was promoted to the highest position in the King’s court. The King commanded that the people of Persia bow to Haman, but Mordechai refused. Last time, we explained that Haman was an Amalekite, a race of people who were sworn enemies of the Jews. Haman was very, very angry that Mordechai would not bow to him. The fact that he was also Jewish caused Haman not only to hate Mordechai, but also to seek a way to kill him and all of the Jews!
Haman was very crafty, so he convinced the King that all of the Jewish people in the Persian Empire needed to be killed. He told him that they did not follow his laws, they were troublemakers, and it was in the King’s best interest to get rid of them. The King agreed with Haman and told him to let all the people in Persia know what day they were allowed to kill the Jews and take all of their possessions. Haman cast lots, like rolling a pair of dice, to pick the day and then sent out the orders.
Esther 3:13 “Letters were sent by couriers to all the king's provinces with instruction to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate all Jews, young and old, women and children, in one day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, and to plunder their goods.”
You may be thinking, “WHAT?! How could the King agree to have all of the Jews killed? Both his Queen and her cousin, the man who just warned him about the plot to kill him, are Jewish?!” Well, Haman never mentioned which group of people he wanted killed and Queen Esther did not tell anyone in the palace that she was Jewish, because Mordechai had instructed her not to. So, the King did not know that he had just sent out orders for the Queen and her people to be murdered.
A couple of reminders from last lesson: 1- Once the King gave an official order or command, it could not be cancelled or taken back. 2- King Xerxes was known for taking bad advice. This is a perfect example of that, do you agree?
Let us ask you some questions. Do you think it was all Haman’s idea to persecute the Jewish people? If not, who could have motivated Haman and why? We know that Satan hates God, right? We also know that he does not want God to be glorified and will do anything he can to prevent it. Who and what in history brought the most glory to God, revealing just how amazing He is? The answer is Jesus Christ and His saving work on the Cross. There is no other person and no other event in all of human history that brought more glory to God than this. The Cross of Jesus Christ is where the love of God was revealed to His creation. God, the Son, became a man, then was judged for the sins of His children, so they would be able to have an eternal relationship with God.
In Esther chapter 3, our final main character, Haman, comes on the scene. Haman, who worked for the King, was promoted to the highest position in the King’s court. The King commanded that the people of Persia bow to Haman, but Mordechai refused. Last time, we explained that Haman was an Amalekite, a race of people who were sworn enemies of the Jews. Haman was very, very angry that Mordechai would not bow to him. The fact that he was also Jewish caused Haman not only to hate Mordechai, but also to seek a way to kill him and all of the Jews!
Haman was very crafty, so he convinced the King that all of the Jewish people in the Persian Empire needed to be killed. He told him that they did not follow his laws, they were troublemakers, and it was in the King’s best interest to get rid of them. The King agreed with Haman and told him to let all the people in Persia know what day they were allowed to kill the Jews and take all of their possessions. Haman cast lots, like rolling a pair of dice, to pick the day and then sent out the orders.
Esther 3:13 “Letters were sent by couriers to all the king's provinces with instruction to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate all Jews, young and old, women and children, in one day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, and to plunder their goods.”
You may be thinking, “WHAT?! How could the King agree to have all of the Jews killed? Both his Queen and her cousin, the man who just warned him about the plot to kill him, are Jewish?!” Well, Haman never mentioned which group of people he wanted killed and Queen Esther did not tell anyone in the palace that she was Jewish, because Mordechai had instructed her not to. So, the King did not know that he had just sent out orders for the Queen and her people to be murdered.
A couple of reminders from last lesson: 1- Once the King gave an official order or command, it could not be cancelled or taken back. 2- King Xerxes was known for taking bad advice. This is a perfect example of that, do you agree?
Let us ask you some questions. Do you think it was all Haman’s idea to persecute the Jewish people? If not, who could have motivated Haman and why? We know that Satan hates God, right? We also know that he does not want God to be glorified and will do anything he can to prevent it. Who and what in history brought the most glory to God, revealing just how amazing He is? The answer is Jesus Christ and His saving work on the Cross. There is no other person and no other event in all of human history that brought more glory to God than this. The Cross of Jesus Christ is where the love of God was revealed to His creation. God, the Son, became a man, then was judged for the sins of His children, so they would be able to have an eternal relationship with God.
If Satan could bring about the end of the Jewish line before Jesus Christ was born, God’s salvation plan would be destroyed. If this happened, God would be a liar. You see, the events of the Cross and the salvation of God’s people are foretold throughout the Old Testament. If the Cross did not happen, God’s promises would be left unfulfilled.
Since God is perfect, omniscient (knows everything), and omnipotent (all powerful), there was no way that He was going to let any of that happen. So, once again, He had a plan to save the day! This should be a comfort to you as you live your own life. God has promised that if you are His child, you will always be. God also promises that He will always love us and will always take care of us. God always keeps His promises…ALWAYS!
John 10:28-30 “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. I and the Father are one.”
Psalm 136:26 “Give thanks to the God of heaven. His love endures forever.”
Romans 8:38-39 “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
ESTHER - PART 3
When we last left our study, Haman had just sent out a command, on behalf of King Xerxes I, that on a specific day the people of Persia would be allowed to kill all of the Jews and take their possessions. As you can imagine, there was great sadness and fear among the Jewish people in Persia. Mordechai, too, was mourning at the palace gates and Queen Esther’s maidens told her about it. She had not yet heard about the evil command, so Queen Esther sent one of the palace workers, Hathach, to find out why her cousin was so sad. Mordechai gave him a copy of Haman’s awful order and sent a message to Queen Esther telling her to go talk to the King and try to stop this horrible thing from happening. She responded this way:
Esther 4:11 “All the king's servants and the people of the king's provinces know that if any man or woman goes to the king inside the inner court without being called, there is but one law—to be put to death, except the one to whom the king holds out the golden scepter so that he may live. But as for me, I have not been called to come in to the king these thirty days.”
Esther 4:11 “All the king's servants and the people of the king's provinces know that if any man or woman goes to the king inside the inner court without being called, there is but one law—to be put to death, except the one to whom the king holds out the golden scepter so that he may live. But as for me, I have not been called to come in to the king these thirty days.”
Were you nervous? We bet she was. Doing the right thing can be really scary sometimes, especially when it goes against what the world tells us to do. If we are obeying God’s commands, though, we can be confident that He will protect us.
Psalm 121:7-8 “The Lord will keep you from all harm- He will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.”
Ok, back to the story- the King asked Queen Esther what was wrong and what she needed from him. He told her that whatever she asked for, even up to half the kingdom, he would give her. So, she told him everything Haman was planning and begged him to save her people, right?... Right? Nope. She invited both the King and Haman to a private dinner. You may be thinking that this really is not the time for a nice meal, she needs to ask him for help, immediately! Well, she obviously had a plan. So, she hosted a dinner for both men and then she told the King everything Haman was planning and begged the King to save her people, right?... Right? Nope. She asked them to come back for another private dinner the next night! What?! Is it fair to say that this does not make any sense?
We will not always understand what God is doing in our life or in the lives of others. Sometimes it just really does not make any sense… to us. God knows everything, though: everything that has already happened, that is happening right now, and that will happen in the future. He knows all things about every person that has ever been born, or will ever be born, in every country, and for all of time.
Isaiah 46:9-10 “Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please’.”
Psalm 33:13-14 “From heaven the Lord looks down and sees all mankind; from His dwelling place He watches all who live on earth.”
So, you see, all the things in this life that just do not make sense to us- well, they all make perfect sense to God. We must learn how to trust Him. The only way to learn how to trust someone, though, is to get to know them. We can get to know God by reading our Bibles and praying. The more we learn about how wonderful He is and the more we see Him work in our lives, the more we will love Him and trust Him. Once we love and trust Him, we will confidently obey Him, living our lives for Him, no matter what He asks of us. We will have courage to live our lives as He instructs, even when it is the exact opposite of how our friends live. We will not be afraid to stand out, though, because we will know that God, the Creator of the Universe, is right there by our side. Then, we will be like Queen Esther- doing things that do not make sense to others, unafraid of what the world thinks, but knowing that we are right where God wants us to be.
Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”
We will not always understand what God is doing in our life or in the lives of others. Sometimes it just really does not make any sense… to us. God knows everything, though: everything that has already happened, that is happening right now, and that will happen in the future. He knows all things about every person that has ever been born, or will ever be born, in every country, and for all of time.
Isaiah 46:9-10 “Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please’.”
Psalm 33:13-14 “From heaven the Lord looks down and sees all mankind; from His dwelling place He watches all who live on earth.”
So, you see, all the things in this life that just do not make sense to us- well, they all make perfect sense to God. We must learn how to trust Him. The only way to learn how to trust someone, though, is to get to know them. We can get to know God by reading our Bibles and praying. The more we learn about how wonderful He is and the more we see Him work in our lives, the more we will love Him and trust Him. Once we love and trust Him, we will confidently obey Him, living our lives for Him, no matter what He asks of us. We will have courage to live our lives as He instructs, even when it is the exact opposite of how our friends live. We will not be afraid to stand out, though, because we will know that God, the Creator of the Universe, is right there by our side. Then, we will be like Queen Esther- doing things that do not make sense to others, unafraid of what the world thinks, but knowing that we are right where God wants us to be.
Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”
ESTHER - PART 4
When we last left our study on the book of Esther, we learned that the Queen had invited the King and Haman to not one, but two, private dinners. Queen Esther was planning to ask the King to save the lives of her people. Remember, Haman had sent out a command to have all of the Jewish people living in Persia killed. Before we see what happened at the dinners and if the King helped the Jews, though, let us take a look at some very interesting events that took place after the Queen invited them to the first dinner.
After receiving the invitation from the Queen, Haman became very proud. He went home that night and bragged to his family and friends about all of his possessions, the times that the King had complimented him, and about the special dinner invitation from the Queen. Even though he had so many things going for him, he remained unsatisfied because Mordechai would not bow to him. His wife, Zeresh, and his friends offered this suggestion:
Esther 5:14 “…’Let a gallows fifty cubits high be made, and in the morning tell the king to have Mordecai hanged upon it. Then go joyfully with the king to the feast.’ This idea pleased Haman, and he had the gallows made.”
So, not only was Haman planning on having all of the Jews murdered at the hands of the Persian people, he also wanted to have Mordechai hung on the gallows in his front yard…and this made him happy! How horrible, huh?
Meanwhile, back at the palace, the King could not sleep. So, he decided to have the chronicles read to him. Do you remember us mentioning the chronicles? It was kind of like a diary for the king. Anyway, as he was being read to, it came to the part where Mordechai warned him about Bigthana and Teresh’s plan to kill him. The King asked what reward Mordechai had received for saving his life. His servants answered that no reward had been given to him. At that exact time, Haman entered the outer courts to ask the King for permission to kill Mordechai. Before Haman could ask him, though, the King asked Haman what he should do for the man he desired to honor.
Esther 6:7-9 “And Haman said to the king, ‘For the man whom the king delights to honor, let royal robes be brought, which the king has worn, and the horse that the king has ridden, and on whose head a royal crown is set. And let the robes and the horse be handed over to one of the king's most noble officials. Let them dress the man whom the king delights to honor, and let them lead him on the horse through the square of the city, proclaiming before him: “Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor.”’”
After receiving the invitation from the Queen, Haman became very proud. He went home that night and bragged to his family and friends about all of his possessions, the times that the King had complimented him, and about the special dinner invitation from the Queen. Even though he had so many things going for him, he remained unsatisfied because Mordechai would not bow to him. His wife, Zeresh, and his friends offered this suggestion:
Esther 5:14 “…’Let a gallows fifty cubits high be made, and in the morning tell the king to have Mordecai hanged upon it. Then go joyfully with the king to the feast.’ This idea pleased Haman, and he had the gallows made.”
So, not only was Haman planning on having all of the Jews murdered at the hands of the Persian people, he also wanted to have Mordechai hung on the gallows in his front yard…and this made him happy! How horrible, huh?
Meanwhile, back at the palace, the King could not sleep. So, he decided to have the chronicles read to him. Do you remember us mentioning the chronicles? It was kind of like a diary for the king. Anyway, as he was being read to, it came to the part where Mordechai warned him about Bigthana and Teresh’s plan to kill him. The King asked what reward Mordechai had received for saving his life. His servants answered that no reward had been given to him. At that exact time, Haman entered the outer courts to ask the King for permission to kill Mordechai. Before Haman could ask him, though, the King asked Haman what he should do for the man he desired to honor.
Esther 6:7-9 “And Haman said to the king, ‘For the man whom the king delights to honor, let royal robes be brought, which the king has worn, and the horse that the king has ridden, and on whose head a royal crown is set. And let the robes and the horse be handed over to one of the king's most noble officials. Let them dress the man whom the king delights to honor, and let them lead him on the horse through the square of the city, proclaiming before him: “Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor.”’”
Have you ever got a good grade, did well in a sport, or received a compliment and then thought that you were a little bit better than others or that there was something extra special about you? Have you ever been jealous when someone else did well, received a compliment, or was honored and then thought you deserved the recognition, instead? Both situations are examples of thinking more highly of yourself that you should, just like Haman did- Ugh!
Romans 12:3 “For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.”
God tells us that we are to be humble and consider others more important than ourselves. A believer in Jesus Christ is supposed to be living a life that reflects the love of God, not the love of self. We are not to be living for the praise and admiration of people, but for the approval of our Father in Heaven.
Philippians 2:3 “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,”
Colossians 3:23 “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,”
God loves us and He knows what makes us unique because He created us. He gave us the talents and skills we have in order to be used by Him for His plan. These talents and skills are to be used for the benefit of others, though, and never to be a source of pride and arrogance.
Philippians 2:13 “for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure”
Philippians 2:3 “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,”
Colossians 3:23 “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,”
God loves us and He knows what makes us unique because He created us. He gave us the talents and skills we have in order to be used by Him for His plan. These talents and skills are to be used for the benefit of others, though, and never to be a source of pride and arrogance.
Philippians 2:13 “for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure”
ESTHER - PART 5
At the end of our last lesson, we saw how proud Haman became after Queen Esther invited him to the private dinners with her and the King. We read how he had gallows built to have Mordechai die on and went to the palace to get the King’s permission to kill him. Before he could ask, though, the King asked him for a suggestion on how to honor someone. Haman arrogantly assumed it was him whom the King wanted to honor and then was commanded to use his suggestion to help the King honor Mordechai, instead.
If you remember, the Queen had invited the King and Haman to two private dinners as part of her plan to ask the King to save her people from Haman’s evil scheme. So, let us pick up the story right after they had finished the second meal. King Xerxes I, again, asks Queen Esther what she wants from him and then assures her that he will do anything she asks.
Esther 7:3-6 “Then Queen Esther answered, ‘If I have found favor in your sight, O king, and if it please the king, let my life be granted me for my wish, and my people for my request. For we have been sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be killed, and to be annihilated. If we had been sold merely as slaves, men and women, I would have been silent, for our affliction is not to be compared with the loss to the king.’ Then King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther, ‘Who is he, and where is he, who has dared to do this?’ And Esther said, ‘A foe and enemy! This wicked Haman!’ Then Haman was terrified before the king and the queen.”
Uh oh! The cat is out of the bag! The King now knows that Haman plotted to have the Jews, the Queen’s people, murdered. He was also told about Haman’s plan to kill Mordechai. Needless to say, the King was very angry. Remember how we said that he was known for his bad temper? This was his reaction to Haman’s sins;
Esther 7:10 “So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then the wrath of the king abated.”
Not only was Haman killed, but his royal position and all of his possessions were given to Mordechai. This was wonderful justice for Mordechai, but the Jewish people still had a very serious problem; the royal command for the people to steal from and kill all of the Jews in Persia. You remember how we said that the King’s commands could not be cancelled, right? Well, since the King could not take back the royal order against the Jews, he gave Queen Esther permission to send another royal command out to just the Jewish people in Persia. This order gave them the right to defend themselves and to kill anyone who tried to kill them. After this, Queen Esther also requested that they be given another day to kill their enemies, including the 10 sons of Haman. The King agreed to her request and during those 2 days, the Jews killed over 75,000 of their enemies- wow!
If you remember, the Queen had invited the King and Haman to two private dinners as part of her plan to ask the King to save her people from Haman’s evil scheme. So, let us pick up the story right after they had finished the second meal. King Xerxes I, again, asks Queen Esther what she wants from him and then assures her that he will do anything she asks.
Esther 7:3-6 “Then Queen Esther answered, ‘If I have found favor in your sight, O king, and if it please the king, let my life be granted me for my wish, and my people for my request. For we have been sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be killed, and to be annihilated. If we had been sold merely as slaves, men and women, I would have been silent, for our affliction is not to be compared with the loss to the king.’ Then King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther, ‘Who is he, and where is he, who has dared to do this?’ And Esther said, ‘A foe and enemy! This wicked Haman!’ Then Haman was terrified before the king and the queen.”
Uh oh! The cat is out of the bag! The King now knows that Haman plotted to have the Jews, the Queen’s people, murdered. He was also told about Haman’s plan to kill Mordechai. Needless to say, the King was very angry. Remember how we said that he was known for his bad temper? This was his reaction to Haman’s sins;
Esther 7:10 “So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then the wrath of the king abated.”
Not only was Haman killed, but his royal position and all of his possessions were given to Mordechai. This was wonderful justice for Mordechai, but the Jewish people still had a very serious problem; the royal command for the people to steal from and kill all of the Jews in Persia. You remember how we said that the King’s commands could not be cancelled, right? Well, since the King could not take back the royal order against the Jews, he gave Queen Esther permission to send another royal command out to just the Jewish people in Persia. This order gave them the right to defend themselves and to kill anyone who tried to kill them. After this, Queen Esther also requested that they be given another day to kill their enemies, including the 10 sons of Haman. The King agreed to her request and during those 2 days, the Jews killed over 75,000 of their enemies- wow!
God has taught us many lessons in this exciting book. We have learned that we all have a unique purpose in this life and can be used by God as a blessing to others. We have learned that God promises His children that He will always love them and will always be with them. We learned how important it is to stay humble, remembering not to think too highly of ourselves, and to love others. We also learned that we can trust God because He has everything under control.
In summary, the book of Esther teaches us that God is faithful to His people. Just like God knew about Haman’s plan and put Esther on the throne to be used to save the Jewish people; He also knows all of the details of your life and creates a plan to save you. In turn, He then uses your life to save others.
Romans 8:28 “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”
1 Timothy 2:4 “(God our Savior) who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”
Matthew 28:19-20 “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
That does it for our study on the book of Esther. Now, go read your Bible!
1 Timothy 2:4 “(God our Savior) who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”
Matthew 28:19-20 “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
That does it for our study on the book of Esther. Now, go read your Bible!
North Christian Church Simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ
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