Unit 14: Captivity Daniel and Esther OT14.7 Esther Becomes … · 2020. 5. 18. · Everyone bragged about how rich they were. They wanted to impress everyone else. They all drank

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OT14.7 Esther Becomes Queen ©Beverly Wilson 2020

Unit 14: Captivity Daniel and Esther OT14.7 Esther Becomes Queen Lesson

Scripture: Esther 1-2:20

Lesson Goal: Esther was a young beautiful girl who became the Queen of Persia. God had a special

plan and purpose for her life just like He has for us.

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: “Pretending” Did you ever pretend that you were a prince or princess? Sometimes children have dress up clothes that look like a king or queen. Pretending to be a queen or king is fun. It is also fun to be the Prince or Princess. Sometimes children play like their favorite character from a Disney movie! This girl is wearing a Cinderella dress. In this lesson we are going to learn about a girl named Esther who really was chosen to become the Queen of Persia. Her story is found in the book of Esther.

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/Ck6VbM228zc Toward the end of the Old Testament times, King Nebuchadnezzar invaded Judah and took the children of Israel captive. He marched them 900 miles to Babylon, which is in present day Iraq. The Israelites were enslaved there for 70 years. Towards the end of their captivity the Babylonian kingdom was taken away from Belshazzar, Nebuchadnezzar's son. It was divided between the Medes and the Persians. This happened while the prophet Daniel was still alive. Now some 100 years have passed and Daniel has died. Many of the Jewish people are still living in the land of Babylon. King Xerxes also known as Ahasuerus is now the King of the Persian Empire. He lived in the palace which was in Susa, the capital of Persia. King Xerxes ruled over the empire of the Medes and Persians which stretched over 127 provinces from Ethiopia to India. It was a huge empire so the king had seven princes who each looked after a section of the kingdom. Living in his empire were many Jews.

https://youtu.be/Ck6VbM228zc

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Living in Susa, Persia was a beautiful young girl named Esther. When Esther's parents died, her cousin Mordecai adopted Esther and took her into his home. He raised her like a father. Mordecai loved Esther and taught her to be good and kind and to love God with all her heart. Esther and Mordecai were Jews and they worshipped God not the wooden and stone idols of the Persians. Mordecai was determined to have faith in God even though he worked in the palace of the king as one of the king's officials. At that time King Xerxes was the most powerful king in the world. In the third year of his reign he invited the nobles and princes to a feast which lasted 180 days. He wanted to show off his beautiful palace and his riches and to plan an attack against Greece. What a party it must have been to last six months! After the feast the King invited everyone at his palace in Susa (Shushan) to another feast which lasted 7 days. This time is was in the palace garden. There were white, green, and blue hangings fastened with fine linen cord to silver rings. There were couches of silver and gold sitting on a marble floor. The floor had costly stones of pearl embedded with red, blue, black and white marble. Everyone bragged about how rich they were. They wanted to impress everyone else. They all drank from cups of gold. At the same time Queen Vashti was giving a banquet party for the women in another part of the palace. Then on the final day of the feast, when the King was feeling high, half drunk from the wine, he told his servant to bring Queen Vashti to him. He wanted to show all his princes his beautiful wife. But Queen Vashti did not like the idea of being put on display. It was very bold of Vashti to refuse the King! No one ever refused him! When the king's servant reported back that the queen refused to join him, the king was furious. His wise men advised him saying, "The queen has not only insulted you but everyone. She has set a bad example in not showing honor to her husband. The Queen's title and estate should be taken away from her." This thought sounded like a good idea so he made a decree or law. The law said that all wives must honor and obey their husbands. The law was read aloud throughout the land. Now according to the laws of the Medes and the Persians once a king made a law, no one could ever change it--not even the king. But after King Aharsurer's anger cooled off, he realized he would never see Vashti again and he began to be sorry. He missed her. So his officials suggested that they have a beauty contest and let the king choose the most beautiful girl to take the place of Vashti. This naturally pleased the king very much, and he put the plan into immediate effect. Who would replace Vashti as queen? The announcement of the beauty contest was made throughout the land. A search began for the most beautiful young women and they were brought to the palace under the supervision of Hegai, the King's servant. When Mordecai heard about this beauty contest he decided to let Esther enter in to it. After all, she was a very beautiful girl. But before she entered the contest, Mordecai gave her a warning. He said, "Don't tell anyone that you are a Jew." Mordecai knew that many people in Persia hated the Jews. Besides, Mordecai thought that he could watch out for her while he was working in the palace! Esther was taken to the palace and put into the care of Hegai, who was in charge over all the girls. When Hegai saw Esther he was very impressed. He gave Esther the best place in the palace. He gave her seven maids, a beautiful home to live in and a whole year's worth of beauty treatments.

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Finally the day for Esther to meet the king arrived. The king looked at all the women but the one he loved most was Esther! She was so beautiful! The king chose her to be crowned as queen and to live in the royal household. The king gave a great feast was given in her honor. 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. It would have been dangerous for her if anyone knew that she was an Israelite. But God's hand protection was on her! In the next lesson we will learn how God's chosen people, the children of Israel were in danger. They were about to be wiped out by the enemies of God. A wicked scheme was being launched against them. As we continue the story, we will see that God's plan placed Esther in the palace just at the right time. God has a special plan and purpose for every life. You may not know or understand why things turn out the way they do, but you must learn to trust God. You might have to move to a new city or go to a new school. Perhaps it is so you will be there when a need arises, just like Queen Esther. 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. Remember "Follow God's plan for your life!"

Review Questions: “King’s Scepter” Preparation: You will need a golden scepter. Make one from a wrapping paper tube or rolled up newspapers. Procedure: Divide your children up into two teams. Tell them that you are going to pretend to be the king, and you will be holding the golden scepter. You will take turns asking questions of each team, but the only person who can answer the question is the person to which you extend the golden scepter. The person to whom you extend the golden scepter, should touch the top of the scepter with his or her finger and try to answer the question. Any child that speaks without having the golden scepter extended to them is out of the game. If a child does not know the answer to a question, he or she sits down. The team with the last person standing wins.

1. Who was the prophet of God that had lived during the Babylonian reign and into the beginning of the Media Persia Empire? (Daniel was the Major Prophet that had lived during the reign of King Nebuchadnezzar and then later reigned during the years of King Darius of the Media-Persia Empire.)

2. 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.)

3. 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.)

4. What made Mordecai and Esther different from all the others living in Media-Persia? (They were Jews and believed in God. They did not worship the idols like the Medes and Persian did.)

5. Why did King Xerxes throw a party for all his lords and nobles? (King Xerxes was the most powerful king in the world. In the third year of his reign he invited the nobles and princes to a feast which lasted 180 days. He wanted to show off his beautiful palace and his riches and to plan an attack against Greece.)

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6. What happened at this great party that was in the palace gardens? (King Xerxes and all the men got very drunk. King Xerxes wanted to show off Queen Vashti to all the men.)

7. What did Queen Vashti do that was so unusual and bold? (She refused to come to the King’s banquet and show off before all the drunken men. No one ever refused to do what the king commanded.)

8. What did King Xerxes’ advisors tell him to do about Queen Vashti? (His wise men advised him saying, "The queen has not only insulted you but everyone. She has set a bad example in not showing honor to her husband. The Queen's title and estate should be taken away from her.")

9. What happened to Queen Vashti? (The king listened to the wise men and Queen Vashti lost her right to be the Queen. She could never go again to see the King.)

10. When King Xerxes began to miss the Queen, what did the counselors suggest? (They suggested that a beauty pageant be held for King Xerxes to choose a new queen.)

11. Who allowed Esther to join the beauty pageant? (She was chosen as one of the most beautiful women in the land. Mordecai agreed to let her participate but warned her not to let anyone know that she was a Jew.)

12. Why did Mordecai give Esther this warning? (He knew that Jews were hated in Media-Persia and she would be treated badly if anyone knew. He worked in the palace and thought that he could watch out for her there.)

13. What happened when Esther enter the contest? (When Hegai who was in charge of the pageant saw Esther he was very impressed. He gave Esther the best place in the palace. He gave her seven maids, a beautiful home to live in and a whole year's worth of beauty treatments.)

14. When it was Esther’s turn to go before the King, what did Esther do that was different than the other girls? (She listened to the advice of Hegai who gave her all the secrets of what the king liked best.)

15. 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.)

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 Esther Becomes a 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.)

18. 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.”)

19. 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: “Stack and Twist Cups” 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 read aloud 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 one insulated cup for each word of the memory verse and marking pens. Before class you will need to stack the cups and draw three vertical lines along the sides to designate three equal sections around the cup.

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Procedure: Provide a marker and a set of insulated cups to each child in your class. Instruct everyone to stack their cups inside one another with the stack upside down. The lip of each cup should be visible. Have the students write each word of the memory verse along the visible portion of the cup. Be sure the word stays with within the section designated by the drawn lines. This means that each cup lip will have one word of the memory verse written on its lip. After the memory verse has been written one word on each cup lid, have the students mix the order of the cups and then stack them again in the wrong order. Have them write the memory verse again in another section of the cups. Again they will mix the order of the cups and then restack and write the memory verse on the third section. This should result in a different word being written in each section of the cup. Have all the cups removed from the stack and randomly placed to avoid any advantage. Allow the students to race to stack the cups in the order of the memory verse. They will also be able to twist the cups to reveal various options! The person to align the cups in the proper order wins!

Group Learning Activity: “What’s the Purpose?” (Grades K-5) Preparation: You will need a pillowcase, and household items such as a flashlight, pencil, hairbrush, napkin, phone, Bible, remote control and soap. Place the household items in the pillow case before students arrive. Procedure: Hold the pillowcase open so one child may look into it. He can put his hand in the bag to explore what items are in the pillowcase, but he must not take an item out. He should mentally choose an item. Without saying what the object is, he should tell the group what the purpose of the item is. Invite another child to come look in the pillow case and reveal the item that fulfills the purpose that was described. That item should be removed from the pillowcase while the next child comes to continue playing. When all the items have been removed lead the class in a discussion about the purpose of life. Say: “If you need to see in the dark, you would not grab your hairbrush because the purpose of the hair brush is not to provide light. You would get the flashlight! You would not use a bar of soap to turn the channels on the television! The remote control would work much better! In the same way God had a plan for Esther. He created her for a very special purpose that He specifically had set aside for her. We too have a special plan for our lives. We can trust God to protect and lead us in the way we should go.”

Group Learning Activity: “Pop the Question” (Grades K-5) Preparation: You will need a balloon and a small piece of paper for each child in your class. Before class write the following statements on a slip of paper and insert each one into a balloon. Use silly statements such as: “If I were the king or queen, I would….

Only eat _________________every day. Travel to __________________. Pass a law that _______________________________________. Buy _____________ (number) pairs of shoes. ______________________with my left over food. Help others by _________________________. Hire ____________________ (name) as my court jester.

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Say: “Today we are going to play a fun game of “Pop Statement.” This will help us to think about what it would be like if you were the King or Queen.” Procedure: Give each child in the class a balloon and a small piece of paper and a pencil. Have the children imagine that they were like Esther who was suddenly chosen to become the Queen. Say: “Each of you have a balloon and a slip of paper. You are to look at the slip of paper, read the sentence on it, and think of a way to finish the statement. What would you do if you were suddenly chosen to be the king or queen? Remember to give us a silly answer.” Have students finish their silly statements and put the silly statement inside the balloon. Have students blow up the balloons. Place all the blown up balloons in a pile. At the starting signal, have students find a balloon and “pop” the question. Read the silly statements aloud. Say: “We had fun pretending that we were the king or queen. In our lesson Esther must have been surprised at the fact that she was suddenly the queen. Sometimes we do not understand why things happen in our lives. We do not understand why we sometimes have good fortune and other times we must suffer bad things in our lives. When our lives are going along smoothly, we do not understand why God allows sudden change to upset our peaceful existence. We might be prone to question God for allowing these difficult circumstances. Yet, God has a reason and a plan for both the good and the bad things that happen in our lives. God sees the whole picture and He knows what is best for us.”

Group Learning Activity: “Re-enact the Bible Story” (Grades 2-5) Preparation: Before the lesson story is re-enacted, create a simple palace scene in one part of the room. Pillars cut from marbled pattern can be very effective on the walls. A throne may be created by draping a throw over a chair. Add a mat in front of the throne and some large garden pots will create the atmosphere of an exotic, ancient court. You will need Bible times costumes, a royal robe for King Xerxes, two crowns, perfume and hand cream. Procedure: Choose children to assume these roles: Esther, Mordecai, King Xerxes, and Hegai. King Xerxes should sit on the throne. Divide the rest of the children into four groups. Explain that each group will mime the part by performing a certain action when the name of their character is read aloud.

Group 1: Esther (Use hands to make an action of putting a crown on their head.) Group 2: King Xerxes (Boys will bow and the girls will curtsy.) Group 3: Mordecai (Nod head) Group 4: Hegai (Rub checks with hands as if washing or rubbing cream on face.)

Read or retell the story using the following directions: “Cousin Mordecai,” said Esther, “did you hear? King Xerxes is sending his men to bring all the unmarried girls to the palace. He’s looking for a new queen.” [Esther stands up and looks excited.] “I heard,” said Mordecai. “But he’s not sending for all the unmarried girls. Just the pretty ones. I’m sure you’ll be chosen.” He smiled. [Mordecai smiles.]

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“Oh, Cousin Mordecai,” said Esther, “I can’t leave you. You’ve taken such good care of me since my parents died.” [Esther shakes her head.] “Don’t worry about me, Esther,” said Cousin Mordecai. “It will be a good opportunity for you. Remember everything that I’ve taught you. But no matter what happens, don’t let anyone know you are a Jew or that you are my cousin.” [Mordecai shakes finger to emphasize what is being said.] “But why, Cousin Mordecai?” asked Esther, looking puzzled. [Esther looks puzzled.] “Because this is not our home. We are Hebrews. Although our people have lived in Persia for a long time, a lot of people don’t like us. They want to get rid of us,” said Cousin Mordecai quietly. “I will do as you say, Cousin Mordecai,” said Esther sadly. [Esther looks sad.] “Don’t look so sad, Esther,” said Cousin Mordecai. “A lot of other beautiful girls will be at the palace. But remember, beauty is as beauty does. Be kind to everyone. That’s the best kind of beauty.” [Mordecai smiles.] When Esther was taken to King Xerxes’ palace, she remembered what her cousin Mordecai had told her. There were a lot of beautiful girls at the palace, and some of them were not very nice. But Esther remembered what Cousin Mordecai had said. She was kind to everyone. [Esther smiles.] The king’s helper, Hegai, noticed how kind Esther was. He liked Esther and quickly chose her to begin beauty treatments. [Give each child a little hand cream to rub into their hands.] He also gave her special food. Then he gave her seven servant girls and moved them all to the best part of the women’s quarters. For a whole year Esther received beauty treatments at the palace. She was bathed, oiled, and perfumed every day. [Pass around perfume to smell.] The beauticians fixed her hair, her face, and her fingernails. The designers made her new clothes and shoes. [Esther mimes trying on a new dress.] Meanwhile, Esther’s cousin Mordecai walked back and forth near her rooms every day. [Mordecai paces back and forth.] He couldn’t talk to Esther. And she couldn’t talk to him. But they could see each other from far away. [Esther and Mordecai wave to each other.] Cousin Mordecai wanted to make sure she was all right. But he didn’t want anyone to know that they were related. If they did, they would know Esther was a Jew. One day Hegai came to Esther, smiling. [Hegai comes to Esther, smiling.] “Esther,” he said, “the king wants to see you.” “Really? What shall I say to him?” asked Esther.

“Just be yourself,” said Hegai, smiling. “I’m so nervous,” said Esther, excitedly. “I can’t even think right now.” “Esther, I think the palace people and the king are really going to like you,” smiled Hegai. “You are ready to go there. You will say the right things.” Hegai was right. Everyone liked Esther, especially the king. He liked Esther more than any of the other young women he had seen. So he made her his queen. [Place crown on Esther’s head.]

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Say: “What advice did Mordecai give to Esther when she moved into the palace? (Be kind to everyone.) How did the king’s servant, Hegi, treat Esther? What kind of beauty treatments did Esther receive? Before Esther became queen she had a whole year of using lotions and creams and perfumes to make her more beautiful. What made her truly beautiful? (Her character or what she was like on the inside really made her beautiful.) God wants us to be beautiful on the inside so we can influence those around us to love and follow Him.”

Group Learning Activity: “Proverbs 31 Queen” (Grades 3-5) Purpose: To help students learn that real beauty is more than just on the outside. Preparation: You will need Bibles, spiritual journal page, pencils or pens. Say: “In this lesson we learned that Esther was chosen to be the Queen of Media Persia because she was beautiful. Esther’s beauty was not just on the outside; it was on the inside. She had a lot of good qualities because she loved the Lord. Today we are going to find out what qualities God desires of a “Proverbs 31 wife.” Procedure: Have students look up the Proverbs 31:10-31. You can divide the class into two teams and see which team can find the most “qualities.” Have each team go to a separate room and give them a piece of paper and pencil. Have one student who will keep notes. Give the team several minutes to go through the scripture and list all the qualities or virtues found in the verses. After you say “stop” have each team report their list to the group. Record the qualities on the whiteboard or on chart paper. Here are some qualities the group may find:

Proverbs 31: 10 “noble character”—A beautiful woman has inner qualities that are admired by everyone.

Proverbs 31:11 “husband has full confidence”—A beautiful woman is trustworthy and dependable. She always is working for the benefit of her husband and family.

Proverbs 31:12 “brings good…all the days of her life.” –A beautiful woman does good deeds consistently throughout her whole life.

Proverbs 31:13 “works with eager hands.”—A beautiful woman works hard and does so with a positive attitude.

Proverbs 31:14-15 “gets up early and …provides for her family” --A beautiful woman works hard and long so her family is well cared for and has no needs. She is a good manager.

Proverbs 31:16, 24 “considers a field and buys it” and “makes linen garments and sells them.” –A beautiful woman is a good business woman and makes a profit on her investments.

Proverbs 31:17 “her arms are strong” –A beautiful woman is physically strong and physically fit. Proverbs 31:18, 25 “her lamp does not go out at night”; “laugh at days to come.”—A beautiful

woman plans well for the future. Proverbs 31:19 “she holds the distaff and grasps the spindle”—A beautiful woman is creative and

makes beautiful crafts. Proverbs 31:20 “opens her hands to the poor” –A beautiful woman is generous to the poor and

needy. Proverbs 31:26 “speaks with wisdom” –A beautiful woman is wise and well educated. Proverbs 31:30 “fears the Lord” –A beautiful woman is godly and worships the Lord. Proverbs 31:31 “her works bring her praise”—A beautiful woman is honored.

Say: “In these verses we learned what true beauty is in the eyes of the Lord. Esther was not just beautiful physically she was beautifully inwardly.” Close in prayer asking children to make a commitment in prayer to trust the Lord in their lives no matter what the circumstances are—even if they do not understand everything that God is doing in their lives.

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Group Learning Activity: “Crown the Queen” Game (Grades K-4) Preparation: You will need a muffin tin, table tennis balls, paper, marker, tape, scissors, and a paper or dress-up crown. On small slips of paper write different point values and place them in each muffin tin. Say: “In this lesson we learned that Esther was an orphan. She was cared for by her cousin Mordecai. When Esther’s parents died, she may not have understood why she had to go through such an experience. She may not have understood why she would need to be adopted. But God had a plan for Esther which would include her becoming a queen. Today we are going to play a game that will help us remember that God has special plans for us!” Procedure: Place the muffin tin on a flat surface. Allow each student in your class three chances to throw and land the table tennis ball in a muffin tin cup. The player will add up the points earned from each muffin cup to determine his or her score. The player with the highest score will be crowned the queen or king. If there’s a tie, play a tie breaker round.

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 Esther.) What section of books is Esther 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 was chosen by God to save the people of Israel while they were in captivity? (Esther)

Craft Learning Activity: King and Queen Stick Puppets (GradesK-3) Preparation: You will need 2 large craft sticks, a copy of the Esther and King Xerxes figures for each child, colored makers, scissors, and glue. Procedure: Distribute the copies of the Esther and King Xerxes puppets and other supplies to each child. Have children color each of the puppets and cut out the puppets with scissors. Glue the puppet figures to the craft sticks. Use plenty of glue to be sure it sticks. Encourage the children to retell the story of Esther becoming queen using their puppets. Have them share with others the truth that God has a special plan for all our lives.

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Craft Learning Activity: “Queen Esther’s Crown” (Grades K-3) Preparation: Print out the crown template below on letter size cardstock one copy for each child. You can also use the outline of the crown to draw on colored craft foam. You will also need colored markers, scissors, glue or tape or a stapler. Say: “In this lesson we learned that God had a special play for Esther’s life. She would become the Queen of Media-Persia. We are going to make crowns to remind us that God has a plan for our lives too.” Procedure: Distribute the copy of the crown template to each child. Have students color the crown and the jewels in it. Cut out the crown along the outside edges. Glue the pair of straight bands onto the crown’s right and left sides. Glue or tape the ends of the bands together to complete the crown. You may wish to staple the ends together to stabilize the crown. Adjust the crown to fit the head of each student. You may want to have the students write “God Has a plan for me!” on the sides of the crown headband. Say: “What do you think it might have been like for Esther who was an orphan girl to go to live in the palace? (She might have been excited, frightened, or grateful.) When she was chosen to be the Queen what was given to her to wear? (She was given a golden crown as the Queen of Media-Persia.) Crowns are given as rewards and signify that one has power over others to reign. Why did God allow Esther to become Queen? (Esther never thought she would be queen but God had a special plan for her life.) We can trust God even when we do not understand His plan for us.” Say: “When you see these crowns, remember that Esther did not really understand what was happening to her, but she trusted God’s plan for her life.”

Craft Learning Activity: “Queen Esther’s Bracelet” (Grades 2-5) Preparation: You will need plastic drinking straws in various colors, scissors, and a tape T-Shirt yarn. Use and old t-shirt cut into strips to make the yarn. Procedure: Give each student approximately ten straws each. Have the students cut the straws into ½ to ¾” lengths. You may need more than ten straws depending on the length of the bracelet. Fold a t-shirt strip into half and tape the center to the table. Make a loop by crossing the strips. Thread one end of the strip through the straw. Then thread the opposite end of the t-shirt strip through the opposite end of the straw. Put a loop of tape on the ends of the strip to make threading through the straws easier. You can also use a crochet hook for threading the strips through the straw. Pull both ends of the strip so the straw moves up to the tape on the table. Repeat these steps until you reach the desired length of your bracelet. To finish the bracelet, tie the ends together and cut off the ends to finish the bracelet.

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Craft Learning Activity: “Make a Scepter Craft” (Grades 2-5) Preparation: You will need a Styrofoam ball (plastic ornament or small toy ball), purple paint, a wooden dowel rod, decorative tape or gold braid, ribbon, sequins, rhinestones or other fancy decorations, hot glue gun or strong craft glue and a paintbrush. Say: “In this lesson we learned that Esther became the Queen of Media-Persia. When she was crowned queen the king would touch her head with the royal scepter. We are going to make a scepter to help us remember that God planned for Esther to become queen.” Procedure: Have students paint the balls with purple paint and let dry. (The balls take several hours to dry so you may want to complete this step ahead of class time.) You will need quite a lot of paint if using textured Styrofoam balls because they tend to soak up a lot of paint. Encourage students to give the balls a thick coat of paint in order to cover all the spaces. Squeeze extra paint off the ball by squeezing the ball gently. Let dry overnight. Use fancy decorative tape to wrap the dowel rod. Use the hot glue gun or the strong craft glue to attach the decorative ribbon or gold braid to the Styrofoam ball. Wrap the braid around the all twice (see picture) and using a lot of glue when the parts of the ribbon join. Insert the decorated dowel rod into the hot glue and then insert into the Styrofoam ball. Hold the rod steady until the glue sets. Add sequins for other fancy decorations as desired. Encourage students to pretend to be Esther and have the king hold out the scepter to Esther. Have Esther touch the scepter! You can also have other jewelry items and clothes that a queen might wear. Allow children to dress up as Esther!

Life Application Challenge: “Comfort Zone Challenge” Preparation: You will need a large sheet of paper and markers. Procedure: Display the paper in front of the room. Record students’ answers to the following questions: Say: “In this lesson we learned that Esther became the queen of Media Persia. Entering the beauty pageant would have been moving out of her “comfort zone.” Being in our comfort zone means that we are doing something that we have already done, or really want to do.” Say: “Doing something that is unfamiliar or unknown is living outside our “comfort zone.” I want you to think about ways that you can get out of your “comfort zone.” What are some examples? (Possible answers are sit with a new kid at school, share the gospel, invite someone to sit with you, invite a friend to church, etc.)” Say: “Let’s make a list of ways we can step out of our comfort zone this week and when we return next week, let’s see how many of these we can accomplish. God has a plan for each of us and sometimes we need to do things that stretch us so we can understand His plan.”

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Esther Becomes Queen

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.”

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Stick Puppets

Documents

Unit 14: Captivity Daniel and Esther OT14.7 Esther Becomes … · 2020. 5. 18. · Everyone bragged about how rich they were. They wanted to impress everyone else. They all drank