Esther

ESTHER

Objectives:

Students should be able to identify Esther as Queen of Persia and her husband Ahasuerus (also known in Greek as Xerxes) and Mordecai and Haman.
Students should be able to tell the story of Esther and should know that this story is retold in Jewish synagogues every year at the festival of Purim.

Possible Lesson Plan:

Scripture Reference: Esther 5:1-8 and chapter 7. Unless you want to read the entire book, set the scene for the students. Ahasuerus, also known as Xerxes (his Greek name), king of Persia, chose Esther, a Jewish girl living in in Persia, as his queen, after his previous queen, Vashti, refused to obey him. Haman was his chief advisor. Mordecai, Esther’s cousin, has learned that Haman has tricked the king into ordering the death of all the Jews. But, Esther is not supposed to go to her husband, the king, unless he first calls her; the punishment is death! As you read the Scriptures aloud, have the students shake noisemakers and boo every time the villain, Haman, is named. This is exactly the way Purim, the holiday commemorating Esther, is celebrated in a Jewish synagogue to this day.

Learning Game: Line ‘em up! – Write the events of the story on cards, one for each student. Have the students read their cards aloud and line up in the correct order to tell the story.

Discussion: Esther was willing to go to the king even if she died for it. This decision took great courage. What decisions have you made that took courage? What do you think might have happened if Esther had been too afraid to go before the king? Mordecai believed that God would take care of Esther. How does God care for us?

Make “Esther’s Crown”: Take gold pipe cleaners. Shape a crown like a tiara with the pipe cleaners (each can look a bit different), adding blue beads along the way for added beauty.