FOR THE LEADER

Israel Was RescuedEsther 3–8

Esther was chosen to be the new queen to replace Vashti. Political life in Persia was very difficult, and for that matter, political life in any kingdom of the ancient near east was hard as wars and rebellion were constant. Subterfuge was alive and well in Ahasuerus’ kingdom also. The evil Haman was seeking high position in the kingdom and was noticed by Ahasuerus who promoted Haman to one of the highest positions in the kingdom. Because of his position, whenever Haman walked through the city gates, those gathered were required to bow. One day, however, when Haman approached, Mordecai, Esther’s cousin, refused to bow his knee to a man.

Haman became enraged when Mordecai refused to bow to him. Determined to rid himself of Mordecai, Haman determined that not only Mordecai, but all Jewish people, needed to be eradicated from the earth. Five years after Esther had become queen, Haman cast lots to determine on what day the Jews would be destroyed. Haman turned Ahasuerus against the Jews, and the king signed an edict granting their destruction. Esther knew her ethnic heritage, and Mordecai assured Esther that she had been given this position perhaps for this very reason, so she could save the Jews.

Mordecai’s plan was for Esther to present herself to the king and ask for the release of the Jews, or at least to make it possible for them to defend themselves. Esther asked for prayer, for if she approached the king without permission, she could be killed. The king extended his scepter to Esther, and Esther invited the king and Haman to a party. At the first party, Esther invited the men to a second party. There, the arrogant Haman assumed Esther had good news, but once she revealed that the plot against the Jews was a plot against the queen, Ahasuerus ordered not only the death of Haman, but signed a new law giving the Jews the ability to defend themselves against attack. Because of Esther’s faithfulness to God, the Jewish people were rescued and not a single one was harmed.

Session 14Session 14: Israel Was Rescued

105Session 14: Israel Was Rescued© 2019 LifeWay

OVERVIEW

GET STARTED TOOLS (10 MINUTES)

¨ Bible Skills: “Esther” and “Bible Books” (Books of the Bible Posters), Bibles

BIBLE STUDY TOOLS (35 MINUTES)

¨ Jump In: “Royal Tableware” (Slide)

¨ Examine the Text: Bibles, “Text Truth Strips” and “Christ in Context: Esther” (Poster Pack)

¨ Video: Explore the Bible on Location video

¨ Memory Verse: “Psalm 27:1” (Poster Pack)

¨ Prayer: Family Cards

SMALL GROUP TOOLS (30 MINUTES)

¨ Explorer Guides: Bibles, Explorer Guides, pens

¨ Move: small basketball hoop, small basketball, Bibles, “Review Questions” (Printables), masking tape

¨ Make: craft foam sheets, hole punch, unsharpened pencils, colorful tape, “Scepter” (Printables)

¨ Explore: rolling pin, cookie sheet, spoons, oven, sugar cookie dough, apricot jelly, “Allergy Alert” (Printables)

SESSION FOCUSBIBLE PASSAGE: Esther 3–8MEMORY VERSE: Psalm 27:1TEXT TRUTH: God is sovereign—He rescued His people through Esther’s obedience.CHRIST IN CONTEXT: The Book of Esther highlights our need for deliverance. Jesus is

our deliverer. He came to live a perfect life and die on the cross for our sin. God raised Him from the dead. Jesus delivers us from our old life of sin to a new life changed by His grace and mercy.

106 Explore the Bible: Older Kids© 2019 LifeWay

BIBLE STORY

KEY POINTS • God had a plan to rescue

His people. He used Esther in His plan.

EXPLORE THE BIBLE AT HOMESee the Printables for additional family resources.

ISRAEL WAS RESCUEDEsther 3–8

King Ahasuerus ruled the Persian Empire. He had chosen Esther to be his queen. One of the king’s leaders was a man named Haman. Haman was an evil man. Haman decided that he wanted to get rid of all of the Jewish people in the empire. So he made a plan and he convinced the king to make his plan a law. Soon, all of the Jewish people in the land were to be killed.

Now Queen Esther’s relative, Mordecai, heard about the new law and he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth. Esther heard about Mordecai’s actions and she was worried. Mordecai sent a message to Esther. He told her about the new law. Esther was also Jewish, but the king did not know that.

Mordecai begged Esther to go and see the king and try to save her people. Mordecai even told Esther that this might be the reason she had been picked to be queen—so she could save her people.

Esther knew that it was against the law to go see the king if he hadn’t asked for her to come. But she knew that she had to go see him anyway. Esther, Mordecai, and all the Jewish people in the city fasted for three days. Then Esther put on her royal clothes and she went to see the king. The king saw Esther and he agreed that she could come see him. He held out his scepter to Esther. Esther invited the king to a special banquet. She also invited Haman to the banquet. The king and Haman went to the banquet.

At the banquet, the king asked Esther to tell him what she wanted. He promised to give her anything, even half of the kingdom. Esther asked the king and Haman to come to another banquet.

Haman was very happy. The queen had invited him to a special banquet. The king had given him a special job in the kingdom. And his plan to get rid of Mordecai and the Jewish people was going to happen soon.

The king and Haman again went to a special feast prepared by Queen Esther. The king again told Esther, “Whatever you ask will be given to you.”

This time Esther said, “If the king is pleased, spare my life and the lives of my people. We have been sold out to destruction and death.”

“Who is the one who created this plan?” the king asked.

“Haman.” Queen Esther answered.

The king was very angry. Haman was killed instead of the Jewish people. The king wrote a new law that would help the Jewish people protect themselves against the people who tried to kill them. Esther had interceded for and saved her people.

107Session 14: Israel Was Rescued© 2019 LifeWay

GET STARTED

BIBLE SKILLS SPOTLIGHT• Names all the books of the Old Testament and all the books of the

New Testament.• Identifies prominent Bible people by the books in which their

stories are recorded.

TOOLS:• Bible Skills: “Esther” and

“Bible Books” (Books of the Bible Posters), Bibles

GET STARTED (10 MINUTES)

BIBLE SKILLS• Greet kids as they come in, and hand them Bibles if they don’t have one.• Practice saying the books of the Old Testament in order. Kids may refer

to the “Bible Books” poster if they need assistance.• Ask kids if they remember which book was studied last week. (Esther)• Ask kids if anyone remembers in which division of the Bible we find

Esther. (History)• Help kids find Esther in the Bible.• Say: “Today we will finish our study in Esther. We will see how patient

and brave Esther was, and how she protected her people from the evil Haman.”

• Read over the “Esther” poster as a reminder of what was going on during this time.

• Dismiss to Bible Study.

108 Explore the Bible: Older Kids© 2019 LifeWay

BIBLE STUDY

TOOLS:• Jump In: “Royal Tableware”

(Slide)• Examine the Text: Bibles,

“Text Truth Strips” and “Christ in Context: Esther” (Poster Pack)

• Video: Explore the Bible on Location video

• Memory Verse: “Psalm 27:1” (Poster Pack)

• Prayer: Family Cards

BIBLE STUDY (35 MINUTES)

JUMP IN• Display the “Royal Tableware.”• Ask: “What do you think of when you think about kings and queens

having a fancy dinner party? Do you think of beautiful china?”• Ask: “Does this china look fancy or important?”• Say: “This tableware belonged to a queen and king a long time ago—the

same king who is in our Bible story today. Look how beautiful the details are etched in the plates. In our story today, we are going to talk about a dinner party where china like this might have been used. We are going to learn how Esther saved an entire race of people from a man who wanted to have her—and all the other Jewish people—killed.”

EXAMINE THE TEXT• Direct kids to open their Bibles to Esther 3.• Say: “Esther’s story is full of obedience and bravery by the young queen.”• Read Esther 3:1-2,5-6.• Ask: “Who was Haman?” (a leader working for the king) “What did

Mordecai do that enraged Haman?” (He wouldn’t bow down to Haman.) “How did Haman respond?” (He planned the death of all the Jews.)

• Tell the Bible story in your own words. A Bible story page has been provided for you to use as a guide.

• Continue: “Esther learned of the evil Haman’s plans to have all the Jewish people killed. She bravely went to see the king—even though her life was in danger.”

• Ask a volunteer to read Esther 7:1-7.• Say: “We learn from this passage that Queen Esther knew Haman

wanted her people killed, and she took the opportunity to tell the king, in front of Haman, and ask the king to spare the lives of the Jewish people.”

• Say: “Have you ever been put in a really difficult situation where you didn’t know what to do, but you knew you needed to do the right thing?” (Let kids respond.) “Do you think Esther might have been unsure about what to do at the beginning of our story?”

• Say: “Esther is credited with saving the Jewish people by her act of courage and obedience to the Lord.”

• Ask a volunteer to read the “Text Truth Strip:” God is sovereign—He rescued His people through Esther’s obedience.

PLAY THE VIDEO• Play the “Session 14” video.• Ask: “Where did Joel visit? What types of rescue did he learn about?

How did God use Esther in His plan to rescue His people? What problem do we need to be rescued from? How can we be rescued from our sin?”

109Session 14: Israel Was Rescued© 2019 LifeWay

BIBLE STUDY

MEMORY VERSE• Display the “Psalm 27:1” poster.• Ask a volunteer to read the poster aloud.• Discuss ways that God is a strength or stronghold in our lives.• Remind kids that with God we have no reason to be afraid. We can live

our lives completely for God, just like Esther did.

PRAYER• Ask: “What happened to the Jewish people because of Esther’s

obedience?” (A royal decree went out that allowed the Jewish people the right to defend themselves.)

• Say: “God used an unlikely girl, to become a great queen, to rescue an entire people. Imagine what God can do with you!”

• Pray and ask God to show us how we can be used for His glory and our good.

• Distribute the Family Cards to each kid.• Remind the boys and girls to discuss with their families what they have

learned today.• Dismiss to Small Group.

110 Explore the Bible: Older Kids© 2019 LifeWay

SMALL GROUP

BASKETBALL TRIVIATools: small basketball hoop, small basketball, Bibles, “Review Questions” (Printables), masking tape

¨ Mark a spot on the floor for the kids to stand and take turns tossing the basketball and answering questions.

• Create two teams for trivia.

• Instruct kids to stand in a line behind the tape line you made on the floor.

• Ask one of the review questions or create your own.

• If they get the review questions right, they get to toss the ball to earn a bonus point for their team.

• Continue until you run out of questions, or until one team has won.

• You may extend the game by asking review questions from previous weeks.

• Point kids to the Text Truth: God is sovereign—He rescued His people through Esther’s obedience.

TOOLS:• Explorer Guides: Bibles,

Explorer Guides, pens

SMALL GROUP (30 MINUTES)

EXPLORER GUIDES• Distribute Explorer Guides and guide boys and girls to locate today’s

pages, “Israel Was Rescued.”• Direct kids to examine the “Wrath and Weapons” information.• Select a volunteer to read “What Is Purim?”• Lead kids to review our need to be rescued in the activity, “God Rescues.” • Invite a volunteer to read about today’s object, the “King’s Dishes.”• Direct girls and boys to quietly complete the “Reflect and Respond”

activity.

TECH CONNECT (OPTIONAL)• Prior to Small Group, download the LifeWay Kids app. Use the activity

labeled “Explorer Plus” in the Explore the Bible: Kids section of the app.

ACTIVITIES• Select one or more of the activities to complete as time allows.

MOVE

111Session 14: Israel Was Rescued© 2019 LifeWay

SMALL GROUP

Explorer Packs for Younger and Older Kids provide fun activities to reinforce learning and take-home Family Cards cards to remind kids of the truths they are learning. Kids are on the go—so remember to mail Family Cards to kids who are absent—along with a personal note of encouragement.

Prices and availability subject to change without notice.

REINFORCE LEARNING WITH EXPLORER PACKS

PICT

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GOD CALLED MOSES

GOD CALLED MOSES TO LEAD HIS PEOPLE FROM EGYPT.

Draw a picture of a scene from today’s Bible story.

After you finish, tell a friend about your drawing.

BIBLE PASSAGE: EXODUS 2—3

MEMORY VERSE: EXODUS 3:12

NILERIVER

This is the Nile River.

The Nile is the LONGEST RIVER in the

world, winding and flowing for 4,160 miles. That’s

nearly as far as Hong Kong is from Brisbane, Australia!

The Nile flows through several countries on the continent of

Africa, including Egypt. Moses was born in Egypt. When Moses

was a baby, his mother kept him safe from Pharaoh by HIDING

HIM IN A BASKET among the reeds growing in the Nile River.

4

FIREFACTS

A=1 E=2 I =3 O =4 U =5

JOCHEBED:• WAS A LEVITE WOMAN• WAS THE MOTHER OF MIRIAM,

AARON, AND MOSES• HID MOSES AND PLACED HIM

IN A BASKET AMONG THE REEDS

OF THE NILE RIVER TO PROTECT

HIM FROM PHARAOH

MIRIAM:• MOSES’ BIG SISTER• CONVINCED PHARAOH’S

DAUGHTER TO ALLOW JOCHEBED

TO HELP TAKE CARE OF MOSES WHILE HE WAS STILL A BABY

• WAS A PROPHETESS• LED THE ISRAELITES TO PRAISE

THE LORD

PHARAOH’S DAUGHTER:• FOUND MOSES IN THE BASKET

AND SAVED HIM• ADOPTED MOSES AND RAISED

HIM AS HER OWN SON

1

2

3

GOD CALLED MOSES TO LEAD HIS PEOPLE FROM EGYPT.

Fire needs oxygen, heat, and fuel—like

wood—to burn. If a tree catches on fire,

it, and everything near it, can burn up in

less than one minute.

One day, Moses saw something

strange. A bush was on fire, but the

bush didn’t burn up. God spoke

to Moses through the

burning bush. God was

in control!

NAMES OF GODUse the code to discover some different names of God in the Bible.

Y

J

T

h

r

l

d

s

n

w

d

h

k n

h

h m MEANS POWERFUL GOD

MEANS LORD

MEANS ISRAEL’S COVENANT GOD

MEANS THE LORD PROVIDES

MEANS THE LORD IS

OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS

JEHOVAH

JEHOVAH

1

2

1

3

3

4

4

2

2

2 5

3

1 3

WHO’S WHO?

God used three important

women in Moses’ life and

in the story of His people.

5

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SCEPTERTools: craft foam sheets, hole punch, unsharpened pencils, colorful tape, “Scepter” (Printables)

¨ For every kid, draw and cut out two ½” by 4”

rectangles in a craft foam sheet.

¨ Print the “Scepter” to show kids an example

of the final product. ¨ Option: Ask another adult leader to use hot

glue to stop kids’ rectangles from slipping off

the top of the pencil.

• Help kids follow these instructions:1) Punch a hole in both ends and in the middle

of each foam rectangle.2) Poke your pencil (eraser end) through the

center hole of both rectangles.3) Turn one rectangle so the rectangles form a

cross shape. 4) Loop the ends of the rectangles up and stick

the pencil top through the remaining punched

holes.5) Wrap a piece of tape around the eraser to

prevent the foam rectangles from sliding off.

• Say: “The king extended his royal scepter to

Esther so she could stand before him. Your scepter pencil is a reminder of the power that

the king had and how Esther trusted God and

was able to rescue her people.” • Encourage kids to remember the Text Truth

when they write with their new scepter pencil:

God is sovereign—He rescued His people through Esther’s obedience.

HAMANTACHEN COOKIESTools: rolling pin, cookie sheet, spoons, oven, sugar cookie dough, apricot jelly, “Allergy Alert” (Printables)

¨ Tip: If you do not have access to an oven at church, bake the cookies at home and allow the kids to add the jelly in group time.

• Help kids follow these instructions:1) Roll out the cookie dough.2) Cut cookie dough into triangles. 3) Fold each side of the triangle up a third of the

way. This will create an open pocket in the middle of the cookie. It will resemble a hat.

4) Bake cookies.5) Once cookies have baked and cooled, spread

apricot jelly inside. • Say: “These triangular cookies are known as

‘Hamantaschen’ or ‘Haman’s hats.’ This is the most popular sweet treat made at Purim. The cookies are a way for the Jewish people to remember their victory over Haman.”

• Enjoy the cookies and then point kids to the Text Truth: God is sovereign—He rescued His people through Esther’s obedience.

SMALL GROUP

EXPLORE

MAKE

112 Explore the Bible: Older Kids© 2019 LifeWay