SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON The Captivity

Transcription

1 Elementary Lesson Year Two, Quarter Two, Lesson Eleven SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON The Captivity AIM: to use the story of Esther to teach my class to stand for what is right, no matter what the cost. OBJECTS TO HAVE: A queen s crown A picture of a king A picture of a mean man (Haman) A picture of a good man (Mordecai) Your Bible POINT OF CONTACT: Have you ever been a stranger in a brand new place? Like, remember the first time you ever came to Sunday School, and you didn t know anybody? Or, did you ever move to a new house, and you didn t know anybody in your new neighborhood? Then you went to a new school, and you didn t know anybody in your new school? Or, did your parents ever take you over to visit some people, and your parents said that they were old friends, but you had never met them before, and you didn t know anybody? Well, I don t know about you, but I know what happens to me when I go to new places like that. First, I m really nervous, because I don t know anybody. Then, I begin to talk to somebody, and I find out that they are not so scary after all. Soon, I meet some of their friends, and I begin to feel comfortable. And after a while, I feel right at home. That s the way it always happens. Now for a few Sundays we have learned about Daniel, a young man who was kidnapped and taken to a new place far from home. Today I am going to tell you about Esther. Esther was a young girl whose family was kidnapped and taken to a new place far from home. STORY: Esther lived a long way from home. Her homeland was the country of Israel, but she grew up in a place called Babylon. She was a stranger in the land of Babylon, and she never felt like she fit in. She was an Israelite, and all of the people who lived in Babylon knew that the Israelites were strangers in the land. One day, the news came throughout the land that a brand new queen must be chosen to marry the king. The king s name was Ahasuerus. All of the young girls that were old enough would be taken to the palace, to see if they would be chosen to be the new queen over the whole land. Because Esther was old enough, she was taken to the palace, along with many other young ladies. They made Esther live there for many days. Esther was a very good girl. She worked hard to take good care of herself. That means that first, she took care of her body. For one thing, she made sure that she was always clean. That means that she took a bath every day. She washed her hair every day. She made sure that her hair was always brushed neatly, and that her clothes were always clean and neat. She brushed her teeth twice a day, she washed her hands many times a day, and she always cleaned up after herself no matter what she was doing. She was very clean. She also made sure that she always dressed properly, and she never let a boy touch her. Not only that, but Esther also took good care of her mind. Esther studied hard. She may not have been the smartest girl in the land, but that didn t matter. She read every book that she could find. She did her homework, and learned her math, her English, her science, and her history. She tried not to ever let her mind get lazy. She took good care of her mind. She did not think wrong thoughts. She did not sit around and think about all the things she wished she had. She did not think thoughts of hatred about anybody. She took care of her mind. Esther also took care of her spirit. She kept a good attitude. She was pleasant to be around. She didn t gossip and criticize. She didn t say bad things about people, but she always talked good about people. And most importantly, she prayed and read her Bible every day. This is the most important way to keep a good spirit.

2 Because Esther took such good care of herself, and she did it better than any of the other young ladies in the kingdom, guess what happened she was chosen to be the new queen!!! Wow, here she was a stranger in the land of Babylon, and now all of a sudden she finds that she has been chosen to be the new queen in the land. Esther was so excited that she had been chosen to marry the king. And there was someone who was just as excited about it as she was. Esther had an uncle named Mordecai. When Esther was a little girl, her parents were killed. Esther was left all alone. Mordecai loved the little girl so much that he took her to be like his own daughter. He raised her to be the godly young lady that she became. When Esther was chosen to be the new queen, Uncle Mordecai was so proud of her! They rejoiced together at the news. One day, a while after Esther had become queen, Mordecai came by for a visit. He said, Esther, I have some very bad news. There is a man in the land named Haman. Haman hates all of the Jews (that s another name for the Israelites). He hates us so much that he wants to have all of us killed. In fact, he is so serious about it that he tricked the king into passing a law that declares that in just a few days, all of the Jews will be killed. Esther, all of your people are going to die! Why would a man hate a group of people so much that he wanted them to die? Because Haman was filled with pride. You see, Haman was a very important man in the land. It was the custom in that place that when an important government official walked by, people would bow down before him. But one day Haman noticed that the Jews would not bow down before him when he walked by. He found out that it was because of their God, that their God commanded that they should bow down to Him, and not to anyone else. That is what made Haman so mad that he wanted all of the Jews to die. Esther couldn t believe what she was hearing. She couldn t believe that her own husband, the king, was going to have all of her people killed. In such a short time, everything had gone from being so great, to being so scary and bad. But wait a second, kids. Maybe just maybe nobody would figure out that Esther was one of the Jews. Maybe if she didn t say anything about it, even though her people were put to death, her own life would be spared. After all a law like that shouldn t apply to the queen, should it? Hadn t she earned the right to not be killed, even if she was a Jew? Esther had a decision to make: should she risk her life and stand up for her people; or should she keep quiet, and hope nobody would know she was one of the Jews? This was a big, big decision. This was a decision between right and wrong. Kids, anytime you have to make a decision between right and wrong, it should not be a hard decision for you to make. You just do right!! When it s time to obey your parents, even if they tell you to do something you don t feel like doing, there is no choice to make: you just do right, and obey them. When it s time to say no to cigarettes or beer or drugs, or anybody who messes around with those things, there is no choice to make: you just do right, and say no to sin. When it s time to go to church, and your friend invites you to go to the park or to the beach, there is no choice to make: you just do right, and go to church. The decision between right and wrong is an easy one: you just do right!! Esther knew that there was only one right thing for her to do. She had to go before the king and stand for what was right. Even if it made him mad, and even in she wound up losing her crown and her life for it, she had to stand for what was right. Esther did just that. She prepared a beautiful banquet for the king and for Haman, the man who was trying to kill all of the Jews. At that banquet, Esther boldly told the king that his own friend Haman had tricked him into having her and all of her people put to death in just a few days. The king was so angry at Haman that he could not speak! But before it was all over, the king had ordered that the law against the Jews be done away with, and that instead Haman himself be put to death as punishment for such a wicked plan. God s people, the Jews, had been spared! Why? Because one young lady stood for what was right, no matter what the cost. You ought to decide today to stand for what is right as long as you live, no matter what the cost. You will be glad that you did. Let s learn our memory verse - Psalm 23:5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

3 Teen and Adult Lesson Year Two, Quarter Two, Lesson Eleven SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON The Captivity Teacher, choose one of the following truths to expand upon in teaching this portion of Scripture to your teen/adult class. Teach and apply the truth that you choose using statements and illustrations that are most helpful and applicable to your students. I. GOD GIVES US GREAT OPPORTUNITIES, SO THAT WE CAN USE THEM FOR HIS GLORY. This was a wonderful opportunity for Esther, one that easily could have caused her to be filled with pride. But she came to realize, through Mordecai s guidance, that this all happened so that she would be in the right position to be used of God to deliver her people from destruction. When we are given personal opportunities, it is not because of how good we are; it is God s grace, putting us in the position where we can do what He needs us to do. In every new opportunity in our lives we ought to be seeking God for how we can use it to please Him. II. IT IS A PRIVELEGE TO BE USED OF GOD. 4:14. It is not a good thing when we think we have been used by people. But to be used by God is the greatest opportunity in the world. Mordecai told Esther that, one way or another, God would see to it that His purposes in this situation would be accomplished; but Esther had the chance to be the one that God would use. We ought to hunger to be used by God. III. DO NOT LET PRIDE CONSUME YOU. Haman, though he was being promoted and honored by the king, could not enjoy it while he felt he was being dishonored and disrespected by one man. He was blinded from all the good things in his life by one negative that offended his pride. Pride filled his heart with hate and deceit, and his hatred for one man led to hatred for an entire race of people. Fight pride in your life, lest it consume you. IV. OBEY THE SIMPLE INSTRUCTION OF GODLY AUTHORITY. 2:10. Esther was in the position to make a difference because she had not told anyone that she was a Jew, as her uncle had instructed her. No doubt, his instructions seemed of little importance when she first received them; but because she followed them, she was able to deliver her people. V. GOD PROVIDES PROTECTION FOR HIS PEOPLE. God s name is not even mentioned in Esther. It is the only book of the Bible that does not mention His name. Yet His hand of protection is never clearer anywhere else in the Bible. God protects His people, no matter how venomous the enemy, no matter how impossible the situation.

4 God Honors A Young Lady s Courage I. ESTHER 1 Vashti Removed from being Queen 12, 19 King Ahasuerus dismisses his wife for refusing to obey his instructions II. ESTHER 2 Esther becomes the New Queen 17 After a long selection process, a young Jewish woman named Esther is chosen 21- III. ESTHER 3 Haman Passes a Law to Kill the Jews 2, 5 Mordecai refuses to bow when Haman passes by 8-9 Haman seeks to take revenge on all of the Jews in the kingdom IV. ESTHER 4 Mordecai Convinces Esther to Approach the King Esther risks her life by approaching the king without being summoned V. ESTHER 5 The King Meets with Esther 3-4 VI. ESTHER 6 The King Honors Mordecai Esther VII. 10 Haman is hanged on the gallows that he had built for Mordecai VIII. ESTHER 8 The Jews are Permitted to Defend Themselves 11 The king passes a law empowering the Jews to stand against their enemies IX. ESTHER 9 The Day of Destruction becomes a Holiday 5, 17 The Jews are victorious over those who would have killed them X. ESTHER 10 Mordecai is Promoted 3 second in power to Ahasuerus Adult Bible Class

5 Esther bravely risked her life and used her position as queen to save her people from destruction. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Psalm 23:5

6 From today s Bible story, write TRUE next to each true statement below, and FALSE next to each false statement. 1. Esther lived a long way away from her homeland of Israel. 2. The king in the land where Esther lived was named Andrew. 3. A new queen had to be chosen to marry the king. 4. Esther was chosen to be the new king. 5. Esther s uncle Mordecai was a godly man. 6. Haman, a wicked man in the kingdom, came up with a plan to have all of the Jews in the land put to death. 7. Even though Esther was a Jew, she could be sure that nothing bad would happen to her because she was queen. 8. Esther risked her life to go in and tell the king about Haman s wicked plan to kill all of the Jews. 9. God delivered His people from being killed through the bravery of Esther. 10. Even though Haman was an angry, hateful man, nothing bad happened to him for his wicked plan. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Psalm 23:5

7 The answers to this week s puzzle TRUE 1. Esther lived a long way away from her homeland of Israel. FALSE 2. The king in the land where Esther lived was named Andrew. TRUE 3. A new queen had to be chosen to marry the king. FALSE 4. Esther was chosen to be the new king. TRUE 5. Esther s uncle Mordecai was a godly man. TRUE 6. Haman, a wicked man in the kingdom, came up with a plan to have all of the Jews in the land put to death. FALSE 7. Even though Esther was a Jew, she could be sure that nothing bad would happen to her because she was queen. TRUE 8. Esther risked her life to go in and tell the king about Haman s wicked plan to kill all of the Jews. TRUE 9. God delivered His people from being killed through the bravery of Esther. FALSE 10. Even though Haman was an angry, hateful man, nothing bad happened to him for his wicked plan.