A Sunday School Lesson On Esther

Here is a Sunday school lesson on Esther.

Queen Vashti Demise

Esther 2:17 “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.”

After Queen Vashti’s demise by refusing to obey King Ahasuerus’ command, the king decided to choose for himself a new queen and “So when the king’s order and his edict were proclaimed, and when many young women were gathered in Susa the citadel in custody of Hegai, Esther also was taken into the king’s palace and put in custody of Hegai, who had charge of the women” (Esther 2:8) but “Esther had not made known her kindred or her people, as Mordecai had commanded her, for Esther obeyed Mordecai just as when she was brought up by him” (Esther 2:20). It is possible it could have changed things but not in God’s sovereignty as Queen Esther would be in the right place at the right time no matter what man did.

Why didn’t Mordecai want Esther to say anything about her being a Jew?

What caused Queen Vashti’s downfall (Esther 1:10-12)?

Did Esther have a way of finding favor with people (Esther 2:15-18)?

The Plot to kill the Jews

Esther 4:1 “When Mordecai learned all that had been done, Mordecai tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, and he cried out with a loud and bitter cry.”

Mordecai had learned about a plot to kill all of the Jews and he didn’t know what to do so “Mordecai also gave him a copy of the written decree issued in Susa for their destruction, that he might show it to Esther and explain it to her and command her to go to the king to beg his favor and plead with him on behalf of her people” (Esther 4:8). At first, Esther hesitated, probably because if someone went before the king and he didn’t raise his scepter, it meant death, so Mordecai a reply to Queen Esther, “Do not think to yourself that in the king’s palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews” (Esther 4:13) and told her, “if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this” (Esther 4:14). It could mean death for Esther but if she did nothing, it would mean death for her and all the other Jews.

What was Queen Esther and Mordecai’s other options?

Did Mordecai believe that God had His hand in the timing of Queen Esther’s sitting on the throne?

Why did Haman want to destroy Mordecai and all of the Jews (Esther 3:1-6)?

For Such a Time as This

Esther 5:2 “And when the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court, she won favor in his sight, and he held out to Esther the golden scepter that was in his hand. Then Esther approached and touched the tip of the scepter.”

Just before Queen Esther tried to stand before the king, King Ahasuerus honored Mordecai for discovering a plot to kill the king (Esther 6:1-3) and thankfully, when Queen Esther stood in the king’s court, she won the kings’ favor “and he held out to Esther the golden scepter” so she lived to talk to the king but she wanted to ask the king for something at a feast so and “the king’s eunuchs arrived and hurried to bring Haman to the feast that Esther had prepared” (Esther 6:14) and “on the second day, as they were drinking wine after the feast, the king again said to Esther, “What is your wish, Queen Esther? It shall be granted you. And what is your request? Even to the half of my kingdom, it shall be fulfilled” (Esther 7:2). Esther replied, “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” (Esther 7:4). “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” (Esther 7:5-6)

Did Mordecai’s discovery help Queen Esther’s cause for the Jews?

How was Esther able to win everyone’s favor so much?

Do you believe Esther was afraid of approaching the king?

Conclusion

I urge you in your study to look at all of the Bible verses and read them aloud in the class so that you can get the most out of this lesson on Esther and it may be summed up with the conspirator’s end; “Moreover, the gallows that Haman has prepared for Mordecai, whose word saved the king, is standing at Haman’s house, fifty cubits high.” And the king said, “Hang him on that.” So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then the wrath of the king abated” (Esther 7:9-10). It was for such a time as this for Haman too.

Was God’s hand in the timing of everything in the Book of Esther?

Did Haman receive proper justice?

What has changed in your understanding about Esther after this study?

Article by Jack Wellman

Jack Wellman is Pastor of the Mulvane Brethren Church in Mulvane Kansas. Jack is also the Senior Writer at What Christians Want To Know whose mission is to equip, encourage, and energize Christians and to address questions about the believer’s daily walk with God and the Bible. You can follow Jack on Google Plus or check out his book Teaching Children the Gospel available on Amazon.