Unit 14: Captivity Daniel and Esther OT14.8 Haman’s Wicked Plan … · 2020. 6. 2. · 2 OT14.8 Haman’s Wicked Plan ©Beverly Wilson 2020 One day King Xerxes decided to have a

1

OT14.8 Haman’s Wicked Plan ©Beverly Wilson 2020

Unit 14: Captivity Daniel and Esther OT14.8 Haman’s Wicked Plan Lesson

Scripture: Esther 3-4

Lesson Goal: By God's plan Esther had become the Queen of Persia. Just after becoming queen

Esther is faced with the terrible news that wicked Haman is plotting to kill her people. In this lesson we will learn how God wants us to react to trouble and persecution.

Introduction: This lesson is found in the book of Esther. The book of Esther is in the Old Testament and is in the group of books called History. It is the last book in this group and tells the story of the people of Israel while they were in captivity in the land of Media-Persia. Let's say the name of the books of history in the Old Testament-- Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther.

Attention Getter: “Bullying” How do you react when someone is mean to you? Do you ever feel like getting back at them? Sometimes when we don't get our way, our feelings can be hurt. We want to take revenge on the other person by hurting them in some way. Revenge is not the best way to handle someone who is bullying you. Instead you should put up your hands in front of you like a wall. Then you can politely but firmly say to them, "Stop! That is not the way to talk!" or "You are not being kind." Then you should just walk away from people who might hurt you. If someone is still coming after you, you can start yelling for help! Tell an adult exactly what the other kids were doing that was bullying. Bullying should be stopped. Today our lesson is about a man named Haman who was a bully. He decided to kill a bunch of people because they hurt his feelings. That is never the way God wants us to react when we get our feelings hurt. God wants us to control our anger and to treat others with love and respect.

Opening Prayer: "Father, thank you that you do have a plan and a purpose for each of us. Help us not to be afraid when we can't see what You're doing or where You're taking us. Help us to have faith and trust in your plan for our lives. Help us to read our Bibles and to talk to you every day so we might know what Your plan is so that our lives will bring You honor and glory. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.”

Memory Verse: The memory verse is Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Lesson Video: https://youtu.be/RVWsZbykAP0 The story of Esther began in 483 BC which was a little over 100 years after King Nebuchadnezzar had taken the people of Israel captive from their land and marched them to the land of Babylon. When Nebuchadnezzar's grandson Belshazzar became the king, the Babylonian empire was conquered by the Medes and the Persians. Ruling the land now was the powerful King Xerxes of Persia. Living in his empire were many Jews. Esther's parents had been part of the captives from Israel but they had died leaving her an orphan. Esther had gone to live with her cousin Mordecai in the capital city of Susa. Mordecai loved Esther and was like a father to her. He served the king as a gatekeeper.

https://youtu.be/RVWsZbykAP0

2


One day King Xerxes decided to have a great feast for all his nobles that lasted many months. They drank much wine and were very merry. As part of the entertainment the king wanted Queen Vashti to come and show off her beauty. When she refused to come, King Xerxes became very angry and decided to give her position as queen to someone else. In order to choose a new queen, the king sent his messengers to every part of the kingdom to bring all the most beautiful girls to the capital city of Susa. Esther was a beautiful young girl and was drafted as one of the candidates. She was taken to the king’s palace and placed under the care of Hegai who was in charge of the beauty contest. Because of her great beauty Hegai gave Esther a place of honor and favor. She was given a year of beauty treatment and seven maidens to serve her. Although she was living in the best part of the palace, her cousin Mordecai had warned her not to tell anyone that she was Jewish! The Jews were foreigners and were often despised by the Medes and Persians. When Esther’s turn came to go before the king, she followed the advice of Hegai. Of all the other girls chosen, Esther was the one King Xerxes loved most. She was crowned as queen! But Esther remembered her cousin’s Mordecai’s warning to keep her family’s background a secret. Even the king did not know she was Jewish. After putting a crown on her head the king gave a great feast in her honor. The king invited all his nobles and officials and even proclaimed a holiday throughout the land giving gifts to everyone! Everything seemed perfect but trouble was soon to come! But God already knew that was going to happen and He had a plan in place! Shortly after Esther became the queen, Mordecai, Esther's cousin, was on duty guarding the King's gate. Mordecai overheard two servants Bigthan and Teresh plotting against the king. They said, "Let's kill the king! Now is our chance to take the throne!" Mordecai overheard the two enemies of the king talking. He knew he could not get access to tell the king about the plot directly so Mordecai sent a message to Esther. He told Queen Esther about the plot! Esther reported the plot to the king giving Mordecai the credit. When King Xerxes heard the news, he sent some guards to check into the matter and they found the threat to be true! So the two men--Bigthan and Teresh--were hanged! Their plot was recorded in the chronicles of the king's reign where it was noted that Mordecai had uncovered the plot. Mordecai was a hero! He saved the king's life and the two bad guys were killed. While Mordecai knew that he had done a good deed the king did not seem to notice. It was forgotten --for a while. Later we will see how God used Mordecai's bravery to bring about the salvation of His people. Meanwhile, the king appointed one of the princes in his empire by the name of Haman to be the prime minister of his kingdom. Haman became the second most powerful man in the Kingdom. Only the king had more power than Haman. Haman’s family came from the Amalekites and they were ancient enemies of the Jews. Because Haman was now the prime minister, the king commanded that everybody bow down to Haman to pay him respect whenever he passed by. They were to worship him as if he were a god. But Mordecai did not bow to Haman. Mordecai was faithful to the one and only true God. He was not about to bow down before anyone except God! This made Haman very angry at Mordecai.

3


Soon the other servants saw that Mordecai was not bowing so they asked, "Why do you break the King's command and not bow down and honor Haman?" They knew that Mordecai was a Jew. Day after day they kept asking him but Mordecai would not listen to them. Mordecai had faith in God and did not kneel down or pay Haman honor. The servants decided to report the matter to Haman. Haman was furious to find out Mordecai the Jew did not bow or revere him. Haman wanted to get revenge and punish Mordecai for refusing to honor him. Haman had a lot of pride and arrogance. He wanted everyone to worship him. Haman decided to not only punish Mordecai but he wanted to harm all the Jews living in the king's empire! He knew that they looked to God as their final authority not to any man. Haman felt that putting them all to death would be a good way to take care of them! Haman was angry because he was full of pride! His pride was out of control! Haman had become full of revenge! So Haman went to the King and said, "There are people living in the land who have their own laws and obey them rather than the king's commands. A law must be passed so they can be destroyed. Let’s cast lots and choose a day for them all to be killed.” The purim or dice was thrown and the thirteenth day of the twelfth month was chosen. This date was almost a year away. God was giving time for His plan to take place. Haman wanted to pass this law because it gave the people of Persia the right to kill every Jewish man, woman, and child living in the Persian Empire! Then he began to bribe the king. He said, "I will give ten thousand talents of silver to the king's treasury to get this done." Just think Haman was so angry about one man refusing to bow to him that he was willing to pay money to see all the Jews killed!! Wow! King Xerxes did not want people to disobey Haman so he agreed to Haman's plan. He did not understand the great hatred and prejudice that Haman had. The king took off his signet ring and gave it to Haman. "Keep the money and do to these people what you think is best." Two or three weeks later, Haman called in the king's scribes or secretaries. Haman instructed them to write a law that on the 13th day of the 12th month the Jews were to be attacked and killed and their possessions taken as plunder. The law was sealed with the king's ring and signed in his name. These letters were sent to all the provinces in the kingdom. When the Jews heard the law of the Medes and Persians to have them killed on the 13th day of the 12th month, they started weeping and wailing. The people were full of fear and confusion. All the people of Israel would be killed! Many put on sackcloth and ashes as a sign of mourning. Haman was going to destroy God's people. The Jews were the people that God had promised to send His Son Jesus to be born in. How could this happen? When Mordecai heard of Haman's plan to kill the Jews he could have gotten angry and tried to get Haman before he could pull off his plan, but he didn't!. Mordecai must have wondered how God could allow such a thing to happen. Was God still in control? So Mordecai began to weep and pray. He tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes and went around the city wailing loudly and bitterly. When Esther heard about Mordecai's distress she sent Hathak, one of the Kings servants, to find out from Mordecai what all the weeping and fasting was about. She sent some clothes for Mordecai to put on instead of sackcloth. But he refused to put them on. Esther sent her servant once again to talk to Mordecai. Mordecai then told him about the new law. Mordecai explained how much Haman had promised to pay into the treasury to destroy the Jews.

4


Mordecai sent a copy of the law with Hathak to give to Queen Esther. Mordecai told Esther, “You must stand up for us and plead for our lives with the king!” But, Esther was afraid to do that. She said, "Anyone who approaches the King's inner chamber without being summoned by the King is put to death--unless the King extends his golden scepter to them and spares their life. I have not been summoned by the King for thirty days." Esther's words were reported back to Mordecai. He sent her back this message. "Don't think because you live in the palace you alone of all the Jews will escape. If you remain silent the Jews will perish. Who knows but you have been chosen as Queen to help us at this time?” Esther sent a reply to Mordecai. "Gather all the Jews in Susa to pray and fast for me. Don't eat for three days. I will pray and fast with you. Then I will go to the King even though he has not summoned me. If I die. I die." So Mordecai went away and carried out all of Esther's instructions. What would happen to the Jewish people? How could God allow such a wicked man as Haman to take revenge on His people? When bad things happen to good people, we often wonder if God is still in control. But He is! We can trust Him to bring good out of evil. In this lesson we see that Haman’s jealousy and anger caused him to lose control. That is not the way God wants us to respond to those who mistreat us. We should not lash out and seek revenge. Instead we should return good for evil and love for hate. Matthew 5:44 says that we are to “love our enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” That is exactly what Esther and her cousin Mordecai did when they fasted and prayed. They were seeking God's help and His solution to the problem they faced. When we face difficulties and trials we too need to turn first to God in prayer. God often allows trouble to come into the lives of His people to cause them to remember Him and to pray to Him. Only He is the One who is control of all things. He knows what is best for us and He can turn all circumstances to be for His glory. As we continue the story, we will see that God's plan placed Esther in the palace just at the right time. We will see how God gives her the courage to stand up for her people. God had a plan to use Esther to protect His people. God has a plan for your life too. He knows exactly what it will take for you to accomplish His will. As you devote your life to Him and seek to do His will, He takes care of the details, blessing you in the process. Our memory verse is Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” This verse promises us that God has a plan for us that is for our good. We can trust Him and follow His will because He knows what is best! God loves us and wants to give us good things. Let's say our verse again. Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Remember "Follow God's plan for your life!"

5


Review Questions: “Crown Toss” Review Game Preparation: You will need a bucket or bowl and several “crowns” or silver binding rings. Procedure: Explain to the boys and girls that you are going play a review game. Have students take turns answering the following review questions. If the individual child answers the question correctly then he or she may have one chance to toss the “crown” into the bucket or bowl.

1. Who was the King of the Media-Persia Empire during the time of Esther? Where did he live? (King Xerxes also known as Ahasuerus was the King of the Persian Empire. He lived in the palace which was in Susa, the capital of Persia.)

2. What had happened that Mordecai and his cousin Esther were living in Media-Persia? (Their families had been taken captive to Babylon many years earlier under the reign of King Nebuchadnezzar.)

3. How did Esther become queen? (She was chosen by the king in a beauty pageant.) 4. What was the secret that Esther kept from the king when she was chosen queen? (When she

was chosen as queen, the king did not know she was Jewish. The people of Persia were afraid of the Jews and marriage to a Jew was strictly forbidden in the Persian Empire.)

5. What heroic act did Mordecai do for the king? (He overheard a plot by Bigthan and Teresh to overthrow the king. He reported this to Queen Esther who told the king. The traitors were found out and hung. The event was recorded in the chronicles of the king but Mordecai was not rewarded immediately.)

6. Who became the prime minister of Media-Persia and why was he a problem for the Jews? (Haman was chosen by the king to become the prime minister or second in command to the king himself. Haman was a very proud and arrogant man. He had great prejudice against the Jews because his family had come from the Amalekites who were ancient enemies of the Jews.)

7. What did all the people in the land of Media Persia have to do to show honor to Haman? (They had to bow down and worship Haman as a god whenever he passed by.)

8. How did Mordecai respond to the order to worship Haman? (Mordecai refused to worship Haman as a god because it was against God’s commandment to worship only Him as God. Mordecai was faithful to the one and only true God.)

9. When Mordecai refused to worship Haman as a god, what did Haman do? (He became very angry. He decided to not only punish Mordecai by killing him but to destroy all the Jews in the entire land.)

10. How did Haman persuade the king to kill all the Jews? (Haman said to the king, "There are people living in the land who have their own laws and obey them rather than the king's commands. A law must be passed so they can be destroyed. Let’s cast lots and choose a day for them all to be killed.” He appealed to his pride and did not tell him that he hated Jews. He even bribed the king by offering to pay a large sum of money to have all the Jews killed.)

11. What did Mordecai do when he heard about the new law that all the Jews were to be killed on the thirteen day of the twelfth month? (Mordecai put on sack cloth and ashes and fasted and prayed asking God to intervene in this terrible destructive law.)

12. When Queen Esther heard that Mordecai was fasting and praying, what did she do? (She sent her servant with clothes for Mordecai and asked him what was wrong.)

13. What message did Mordecai sent back to Queen Esther? (He told Esther’s servant about the law and refused to change clothes because he was fasting and praying. He told Esther that she should go to the king and intercede for the Jewish people. He said, "Don't think because you live in the palace you alone of all the Jews will escape. If you remain silent the Jews will perish. Who knows but you have been chosen as Queen to help us at this time?”)

14. When Esther heard the request from her uncle, why was she afraid to go before the king? (A law in Media Persia forbids anyone to approach the king unless he called for them. The king had not

6


called for Esther for over a month and unless he raised his scepter to Esther when she asked to see the king, she would be killed.)

15. What did Esther ask Mordecai and all the Jews in the city of Susa to do, before she went before the king? (She asked them to put on sack cloth and ashes and pray to God for her for three days. They were to ask God to protect her as she interceded for them before the king.)

16. Who was the One who really orchestrated the fact that Esther became Queen? (God had a special purpose and plan for Esther to use her in a special way to save the Jewish people from being killed. God gave her special protection while she was queen.)

17. What lessons can we learn from this Bible lesson about Haman’s Wicked Plan? (In this lesson we see that Haman’s jealousy and anger caused him to lose control. That is not the way God wants us to respond to those who mistreat us. We should not lash out and seek revenge. Instead we should return good for evil and love for hate. We should pray to God when we face difficult situations. We should pray for our enemies.)

18. Why lesson can we learn from the fact that Esther was chosen to be queen? (God had a plan to use Esther to protect His people. God also has a special plan for all our lives. We can trust Him with our life.)

19. What is our memory verse? (The memory verse is Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”)

20. What does our memory verse mean? (This verse promises us that God has a plan for us that is for our good. We can trust Him and follow His will because He knows what is best!)

Bible Memory Verse Activity: “Scepter”

The memory verse is Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Have students locate the verse in scripture and repeat together several times. Say: “This verse promises us that God has a plan for us that is for our good. We can trust Him and follow His will because He knows what is best!” Preparation: You will need a toy king’s scepter to play the game. You can use a wand, or stick, a cardboard tube, or a drumstick, etc. A king’s crown and robe are optional but fun to add to the game. Procedure: To help children memorize the verse, write the verse on the chalkboard or whiteboard. Have students read the verse aloud a couple of times together. Practice the verse by choosing a child to be the king or queen. The child will walk around the group and hold the scepter over someone who should say as much of the verse as possible. Then the class should finish the verse in unison. After a couple of times repeating the verse, choose a new person to hold the scepter. Encourage children to say more and more of the verse each time.

Group Learning Activity: Object Lesson: “Magnet’s Authority” (Grades K-3) Preparation: You will need magnets for every pair of students, pencils, and paper. Say: “In this lesson we learned that Esther had to obey the authority of the king. Mordecai was expected to obey the law to worship wicked Haman. When something has authority, it means that other things should obey it, right? We are going to conduct an experiment to see how obeying authority works.” Procedure: Pair up students and give each pair of students some magnets, paper, and pencils. As you pass out the materials, tell them that they are to go around the room and find as many objects as they can that will “obey the magnet’s authority.” That is, what objects are magnetic and obeyed by becoming

7


stuck to the magnet. Have each team keep a list of the objects they try. Some will be magnetic and some will not. Give them a few minutes to perform this activity. Then gather the students back for a discussion. Say: “What kind of objects did you find that “obeyed” or stuck to your magnets? What objects did not stick? How are you and I sometimes like the non-magnetic objects? (We don’t obey those in authority over us.) When are we like the magnetic objects that stuck? (When we do respond and obey the authority over us.) Who are some people who are in authority over us? (parents, teachers, pastors, and government leaders.) Why did Mordecai not obey the law to worship Haman as a god? (He was obeying God who said that no one is to worship anyone or thing besides Him. When is the only time we are to disobey those in authority over us? (We obey unless they command us to do something that is in direct violation of a command of God.) Say: “As Christians we need to understand that we are under the authority of God. He is in charge of us. God has also made other people to be in charge of children and to love and protect them. Those people are our parents, teachers, pastors, and police. We honor God when we obey them.”

Group Learning Activity: Object Lesson: “Overcoming Prejudice” (Grades 3-5) Preparation: You will need a box or bag of mixed crayons in various stages of use: new, worn down, broken, fat ones, triangle ones, with and without the wrapper, plain and fancy ones. Procedure: Ask the children to stand and then give the following directions. Have students complete each action before you move on to the next one. Say: “Find a partner who has the same hair color. Find a partner who dislikes the same vegetables you dislike. Find a partner who has the same number of brothers and sisters. After a while, ask the children to find partners who are different from themselves; for example: Find a partner whose hair is a different color. Find a partner with different colored eyes. Find a partner wearing different colored clothes. Find a partner who does not like to play the same games you like.” Say: “Was it fun finding someone with the same likes and dislikes? What new things did you learn about your friends? Would it be fun if we were all alike? Why? God has made all of us different, yet He loves us all the same. He wants us to accept others even if their tastes and ideas are different from ours.” Show the children a box of mixed crayons in various stages of use: new, worn down, broken, fat ones, triangle ones, with and without the wrapper, plain and fancy ones. Say: “How are the crayons different? How are they the same? Which ones do you like best? Did the color on the outside change how the crayon worked? These crayons are like people. We may look different, but we also have lots in common.” Say: “We are like these crayons. God has made all of us different, yet He loves and accepts us all the same. The Bible says: “People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). What does that mean? (He wants us to accept others even if their tastes and ideas are different from ours.)” Say: “In this lesson we learned that Haman was a wicked evil man because he had great prejudice and hatred for a whole nation of people. He believed that his people were superior and that all the Jews should worship Him. God does not want us to have prejudices against other people. God loves and

8


accept all different races and cultures and wants them to believe in His Son Jesus and be saved. We need to be like God and love people of all nations.”

Group Learning Activity: “Re-enact “Wicked Haman’s Plan” (Grades 2-5) Preparation: You will need several large cardboard boxes, scroll, Bible times costumes, black marker, a chair, two crowns, two royal cloaks, and one adult man. Characters: Mordecai (adult male), Haman, two men sitting at the gate, Hathach, Esther, King Xerxes. The other children can be Esther’s servants and the crowd that bows down to Haman. Procedure: You will need to make a background scene. Create a simple wall by stacking and taping several large cardboard boxes together. Stand them about a door’s width from the wall in front of the “palace.” Cut a strip of cardboard about 12 inches (30 cms) deep and one yard (one meter) long to link the “stone wall” to the real wall. Paint the outline of stones on the boxes. Place a chair in the space between the cardboard wall and the real wall. Have Mordecai tell the story. Encourage the children to act out the story as it is told. Have Mordecai read or tell the following story:

My name is Mordecai. I adopted Esther when her parents died. Now she has been made queen. I am very proud of her, but I have told her not to tell anyone that she is Jewish. I go to the palace every day and wait for news to make sure that she is well. Now that she is queen, I cannot visit her. I often sit in the gate. (Mordecai moves over and sits in the gate.)One day while I was sitting there, I overheard two guards talking about the king. (Two guards talk angrily to each other.) They were angry with him and were planning to kill him! When they had gone [guards walk off], I called one of Esther’s servants over. (Beckon to a servant.) I gave him a message for Queen Esther. Esther told the king. King Xerxes investigated my report and discovered it was true. The guards were hung, and the story was written in the daily court record. About this time King Xerxes made Haman second only to himself. (Haman comes and begins to strut around.) King Xerxes ordered that everyone should bow down to Haman when they saw him. So everyone did. (Everyone bows to Haman as he goes past.) However, I did not bow. I believe that I should bow only to God. One day Haman was told by some other servants that I had not bowed down to him. He became very angry. (Haman stomps about, looking angry.) Haman knew I was a Jew, and he began to think about ways to destroy, not only me, but all the other Jews. [Haman walks around looking thoughtful.] Every officer could ask the king for a favor. Haman lied to the king. He told him that some people were causing trouble. [Haman “talks” to the king.] He said he wanted them to be destroyed, and that he would pay money to people who did it. He didn’t say that the people to be killed were Jews. So the king gave an order to Haman to destroy the Jewish people and to take their things. When I heard the order, I put on rough clothes. (Put on a rough robe.) I covered myself with ashes and cried at the city gate. (Sit crying in the gate.) Esther’s servants told her about me. (Servants point to Mordecai and whisper to Esther.) Esther sent some good clothes for me to wear, but I refused to put them on.[Servant with clothing goes to Mordecai, who refuses it.) Esther

9


sent Hathach to talk to me. (Two men talk.) I told him everything and gave him a copy of the order for Esther to read. (Mordecai gives Hathach a scroll.) I told him to ask Esther to go to the king and beg for mercy. Hathach gave Esther the message. [Esther and Hathach talk, read the scroll, looking worried.] Esther gave him a message for me. “Nobody may go to the king’s throne room without being called. If anyone goes and the king holds out his gold scepter, that person may live. But if the king doesn’t, that person dies. And I haven’t been called to go to the king for 30 days.” I sent back a message: “Just because you live in the king’s palace, don’t think that people won’t soon know you are a Jew. You can’t escape. You might not say anything now. Then someone else will help save us. But you and the rest of our family will all die. And who knows, you may have been chosen to be queen to save us at this terrible time.” Esther sent me a final message. “Gather all the Jews in Susa together. Tell them not to eat or drink anything for three days and nights. My servant girls and I will do the same. Then, even though it’s against the law, I will go to the king. And if I die, I die.”

Say: “In the next lesson we will find out what happened to Esther and her people. What would you have done if you had heard about the plot to kill the king? Do you think that Haman had any cause to be angry with Mordecai? What would you have done when you heard the decree? How do you think Esther felt? How would you have reacted? Why do you think Mordecai was sure that God had placed Esther in the palace to protect the Jews? What do you think might have happened if Esther had said she was afraid and would not help? Does God still have special tasks for us to do?”

Group Learning Activity: “Courage” (Grades 3-5) Purpose: To help students learn that God gives us courage to obey Him in difficult situations. Preparation: You will need Bibles, spiritual journal page, pencils or pens. Say: “In this lesson we learned Esther had to have courage to go before King Xerxes because she could be killed if he did not hold up the scepter to allow her to come before him. Esther was afraid. She knew she needed God’s help to give her courage to risk death and approach the king. Her 3 days of prayer and fasting revealed her need for God’s help and her trust in God’s protection. She drew courage not from herself but from the one true God. So where does your courage come from? In what do you place your trust? We are going to look at some promises that God gives His children in order to give them courage in difficult situations. Procedure: Have students look up the following scriptures:

Deuteronomy 31: 6 “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” We can overcome fear and cowardice when we realize that we are not alone in our situation. God promises to be with us and His power is greater than any difficulty we may face. Matthew 14:27 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” When the disciples saw Jesus walking across the lake and coming toward them in the little boat on the Sea of Galilee during a storm, they were very afraid. When Peter saw Jesus he asked if he, too, could come to Jesus walking on the water. This example of Jesus’ promise to be with us and of Peter’s example of faith in the Lord that enabled him to walk on water help us to learn to trust in Him during difficult situations.

10


Acts 4:13 “When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.” When Peter and John were taken before the Sanhedrin they faced great opposition and questions because they had preached the gospel in the temple and healed a lame man. God gave them such courage that even the religious leaders were amazed. Note that the scripture says that this courage came because they had been with Jesus. Jesus is able to give His followers great courage as they obey Him in preaching the gospel to the whole world. ! Corinthians 16:13 “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.” Paul encouraged the believers in Corinth to stand firm in their faith and to be courageous in facing all dangers as they waited for Paul’s next visit. As we wait for the return of Christ we too are to follow the same instructions.

Say: “Often people draw courage from their own abilities, the money they have in the bank, their connections or their popularity. It’s easy to fall back on our own power rather than looking to God for courage. That’s being independently courageous. But God wants us to be dependently courageous. That means looking to Him as the source of courage and trusting Him with the outcome no matter what. That is the kind of courage that Esther had in standing up for her people. Say: “In what ways is God asking you to stand up for what is true and right? Pray and ask Him for the courage to stand up for Him, even at great risk or high cost. God is ready to give you the courage you need to complete what He wants you to do. Remember that courage comes from God.” Close in prayer asking children to pray for courage to obey the Lord in all situations. Have students record what they have learned in their spiritual notebooks.

Group Learning Activity: “Submit to the Scepter” Game (Grades K-4) Preparation: You will need a toy king’s scepter to play the game. You can use a wand, or stick, a cardboard tube, or a drumstick, etc. A king’s crown and robe are optional but fun to add to the game. Say: “In this lesson we learned that the Jews lived in the land of Media-Persia which was ruled by King Xerxes. Whatever the King commanded became a law and had to be obeyed by everyone in the land. One of the things that the king used to show his authority was to raise his scepter to accept or reject people. Esther was afraid to go before the king because he might not raise his scepter and she would be killed. We are going to play a game that will help us understand how it feels to live in the kingdom where everyone must obey the king.” Procedure: Gather the students into a large play area. Choose a volunteer to be the king. Explain that the “king” is to raise his scepter and command the students to complete an action. For example, the king or queen will command, “Hop around the room on one foot.” Point the scepter at the other students. The students or game players must continue hopping around the room until the king or queen lowers the scepter. Students must freeze until a new command is issued and the scepter is again lifted. Be sure to change royalty often and encourage students to be creative with their commands. Some examples of commands might be “hold your hands above your head and wave;” “clap your hands;” “nod your head up and down,” “hum a song,” etc. Lead a discussion of the game after everyone has an opportunity to be the king or queen. Optional: You can also play a game similar to “Mother, May I?” where whoever is “it” is the king with the crown and scepter. The king grants a child to take a turn. The child asks the King for permission to step, hop, skip, crawl, or however she chooses to advance towards the wall behind the king. If the king approves the request they tap him or her with the scepter and then the child advances forward. For

11


example: the King taps a child, and the child asks, “King, may I take two steps forward,” the king taps the child again with the scepter to grant permission to advance. The first child to touch the wall behind the king is the winner. Say: “How did you feel when you were the king or queen? (Students felt powerful or in control.) How did it feel to be the one who had to obey? (Students may have felt good at first but got tired of only doing what someone else said.) Where you afraid to disobey? (Students probably had no fears because it was a game.) How would you feel if it lasted a long time and you had no choice but to obey? (Students might get angry or be afraid if they disobeyed.) Why do you think Queen Esther was afraid to go before King Xerxes? (She knew that she might be killed unless he was pleased to allow her to talk to him.) How is obeying God different from obeying a king? (The king only wants what pleases him. He does not really care about the feelings of his people. God loves us and cares about our lives. He desires only what is good and we can trust Him to do what is best for us.)

Group Learning Activity: “Haman Was a Mean, Evil Man” Song (Grades K-3) Preparation: An instrumental recording of the song “Zacchaeus Was a Wee Little Man”

Procedure: Sing the following lyrics to the tune of “Zacchaeus Was a Wee Little Man” written by Carolyn

Warvel:

Old Haman was a mean, evil man,

A mean, evil man was he.

He was meaner than an angry old flea,

As mean as he could be.

When Mordecai would not bow to him,

He had to make his plea.

He went to the king and made him agree

To sign an evil decree.

But Queen Esther was a very good queen,

A very good queen was she.

Without delay she began to pray

And she sent to God her plea.

She went to the King and bowed real low,

Even though she wanted to flee.

She got the king to change his decree,

The Jewish people were free!

And then the king gave a new decree

And Haman was no more to be.

12


Group Learning Activity: “Spell the Historical Books of the Old Testament” Preparation: You will need Bibles and at least two sets of wooden letters from a game of Scrabble. Scrabble tiles may be ordered online or obtained from art and craft stores. You may also choose to use poster size letters printed in two sets. Have students open Bibles to the Table of Contents page. Say: “Find the name of the book our lesson was from today. (This lesson is found in the book of 1 Kings.) What section of books is 1 Kings in? (It is in the second group of Old Testament books called the historical books. This book tells the history of the kings of Israel and Judah). What are the names of the other books of History? (These books begin with Joshua and go through Esther.) Let's say these books--Joshua, Judges, Ruth, I Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther. Even though many of the people forgot God and His Laws during the time when the events in the books of History took place, God still took care of them. Who was the one person from our lesson who remembered God’s laws and whom God helped with His great power? (Elijah) Procedure: Divide the class into two teams. Give each team a set of scrabble letter tiles to be divided as evenly as possible among team members. The teacher or leader calls out “I Kings.” Students on each team holding the appropriate letters line up in order so that they spell the book name correctly. Students may use the blank cards or letter tiles for duplicate letters and refer to the Bible contents page to check spelling. When team members think they have the letters in the correct order they call out the name of the book they have spelled. The other team must freeze in position. If the book is spelled correctly the team gets one point. If the book is not spelled correctly the other team unfreezes and continues lining up in order to spell the book name. Repeat with the other books of History as time allows. At the end of the playing time, the team with the most points wins.

Craft Learning Activity: “Queen Esther Stick or Finger Puppets” (Grades K-3) Preparation: You will need paper, scissors, glue or tape, crayons, colored markers or colored pencils, and the wider wooden craft sticks. Print the template below on cardstock or cover stock. Cut in half. Procedure: Give a copy of the cardstock Esther puppets to each child. Have student color and cut out each puppet. Glue or tape each puppet to the wood craft sticks. Move the characters around as you tell the story so that the characters are acting out the story like a play. Optional: Make Finger Puppets: Print the template below for finger puppets. Or, draw faces or simple characters on small pieces of paper leaving a space to the left and right of the character. Roll the paper like a small tube around your finger and attach it in the back to form the finger puppet. Do this for each character. Attach the puppet to the back of a plastic spoon, onto a craft stick or a pencil instead of making the finger puppet. Tell the story and then guide the children in making their own finger puppets. Make the characters as elaborate as you want.

13


Craft Learning Activity: “Under God’s Authority” Magnets Preparation: You will need 3” x 3” craft foam squares or fun foam sheets in a variety of colors, glue, markers or colored pencils, glitter, stick on magnetic strips, and scissors. Procedure: Distribute the craft foam squares to each child as well as the markers, colored sheets of foam, scissors and glitter. Have children draw, colors or glitter the square with a design that reminds them that they are under God’s Authority. For example the design might be of an umbrella, a tree, a crown or simply write the words, “God Rules,” “King of Kings”, “Under God,” etc. When the designs are finished have the students stick on the magnetic strips to the back of their squares. Say: “What does it mean to be under God’s authority? (It means to obey God like He was one of our parents. He is our heavenly Father.) Who has God put in authority over children? (God has given parents the responsibility to raise and protect their children.) How are children to treat their parents? (Children are to obey them and be respectful in their attitude, words and actions.) Why is it important to obey our parents? (When children obey parents they are really obeying God.) Who are some other authorities that children need to respect and obey? (Children are to respect teachers, caregivers, grandparents, police, bus drivers, etc.)

Craft Learning Activity: “King Xerxes’ Scepter” (Grades 2-5) Preparation: You will need one paper towel (or section of gift wrap tube), two 10 ounce Styrofoam cups, gold spray paint, and a selection of glitter, sequins, plastic craft “jewels” or metallic confetti, and glue. Say: “Esther risked her life to approach the king with her plea to save the Israelite people. By extending his golden scepter to Esther, the king indicated that he would spare Esther's life, even though by approaching him uninvited she could have been sentenced to death. We are going to make a scepter so you can act out Esther’s courage and God’s help to His people the Jews.” Procedure: Before class spray gold paint on the paper towel tubes and Styrofoam cups. Help the children glue the bottom of one cup to one end of the paper towel tube. Then glue the second cup to the mouth of the first one. Glue decorations to the cup to look like jewels. Say: “How do you think Esther felt when she thought about entering into the king’s chamber? (She was frightened and did not know what to expect.) Why did Mordecai tell Esther she should go to see the king and intervene for her people? (Mordecai knew that God had made Esther to be the queen for such a time as this. Mordecai trusted God to use Esther.)

Craft Learning Activity: “Make a “Megillah Scroll” (Grades 2-5) Preparation: You will need a large brown paper bag or brown wrapping paper, black marking pens, glue or tape, cord or twine and dowel rods. Say: “In this lesson we learned that the story of Esther is found in the book of Esther. The book of Esther is written on the Megillah scroll. The “Megillah” scroll is read each year by the Jews when they celebrate the festival of Purim. It is usually read on the eve of the Jewish festival. Today we are going to make our own mini “Megillah.”

14


Procedure: To make the scroll give child a large brown paper bag or some brown paper wrapping paper. Each sheet needs to be about 15" X 20". Crumple the paper into a large ball. Then unwrap the paper and smooth out with your hand. This gives the paper an "old" look. Teacher can then use a candle lighter to singe the edges of the paper to give it a parchment rough edge. Give each child two dowel rods and let the wrap the ends of the scroll onto the dowel rods. Glue or tape the ends of your scroll to the dowel rods. Have student use black marker to print the words of Jeremiah 29:11 or the key truth for this lesson, “God had a plan for Esther” onto the center of the scroll. Roll up the scroll and tie with cord or twine to hold the wooden scroll handles together.

Snack Learning Activity: “Scepter Snack” Preparation: You will need sprinkles, dipping chocolate, marshmallows, and pretzel sticks. Procedure: Have students create a scepter snack using the supplies provided. Students should slide the pretzel stick into the marshmallow. Students may then dip their “scepter” in chocolate and use sprinkles to decorate. Say: “Where in this lesson was a scepter important? If the king had not held out his scepter to Esther, she would have been killed. God was in control. The king held out his scepter and God used Esther to rescue His people from Haman.” Say: “Name a time you had to be courageous or brave. Do you think Esther struggled to overcome her fear and approach the king? What did Esther ask the people to do before she went to the king? She asked the people to fast. The people fasted for three days. Esther saved her people! How God use people? God uses ordinary people to carry out His plan.

Life Application Challenge: “Overcoming Fear” Say: “In this lesson we learned that Esther was frightened to go into see the King of Persia without an invitation. Have you ever been afraid to do the right thing? Let’s tell God that we are sorry for the times that we have been too scared to do what’s right. We can be sure that God will forgive us.” Lead your students in the four activities of prayer: Praise: “God saved his chosen people the Jews from death by using Mordecai’s boldness to save the king’s life and Esther’s willingness to go before the King. They were obedient to God. We can praise God that He wants to use each of us to accomplish His greater plan to bring the message of salvation to all people.” Ask: “Being under authority can be hard when you want to do something different that you are asked to do. Students can ask God to help them submit to a particular are of their lives to Him.” Confess: “Esther was scared to go before the king so she asked Mordecai and all the Jews living in Susa to pray and confess their sins to God. Forgiveness of sin is a requirement to enter into the presence of God through prayer. Students can confess their sins and ask God to forgive them. God promises to forgive.” Thank: “Lots of times we ask God for help and after He helps us we forget to thank Him. Now is the chance to thank God for what He’s done for you.”

15


Haman’s Wicked Plan

Jeremiah 29:11

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

16


The Jews in Susa were in danger. Queen Esther could try to save her

people but that might mean her death. To find out what Esther

decided, decode the message below.

17


18


19


20


21


22


23


24


25


26


27


28


Documents

Unit 14: Captivity Daniel and Esther OT14.8 Haman’s Wicked Plan … · 2020. 6. 2. · 2 OT14.8 Haman’s Wicked Plan ©Beverly Wilson 2020 One day King Xerxes decided to have a