Preschool Teacher Guide Session Title: Esther Saved Her People Bible Passage: Esther 1-10 Big Picture Question: How did God use Esther? God used Esther to help save His people. Key Passage: Zechariah 9:9 Unit Christ Connection: God saved His people who were in physical captivity as He would one day send Jesus to save and restore His people who are in spiritual captivity. TEACHER BIBLE STUDY Prep Time Let s set the scene for the story of how Esther saved her people. The Babylonian captivity had ended while Cyrus was king. Some of God s people now referred to as Jews (people from Judah) traveled back to Judah to rebuild the temple, the city, and their lives. Others, however, stayed in Persia where life among the pagans was relatively comfortable. The king of Persia was now Ahasuerus (uh haz yoo EHR uhs), also known by his Greek name, Xerxes (ZUHRK seez). Esther was a young Jewish girl who became queen of Persia by winning a beauty contest of sorts. The former queen had defied the king and was promptly replaced. Esther had been an orphan, so her cousin Mordecai adopted her. Mordecai kept in touch with Esther while she lived in the palace. One day, the king gave Haman the Agagite a very important position in the kingdom. The king even commanded the people to bow down to Haman. But Mordecai refused. Haman was a descendant of Agag, king of the Amalekites. The nations of Israel and Amalek did not get along. Haman was angry, but instead of just punishing Mordecai, he planned to kill all the Jews in the kingdom. In today s Bible story, Mordecai turned to Esther for help. After all, she was in a position of power, and the Jews were her people. The stakes were high, but Esther approached the king and explained her people s plight. Review the details in Esther 7. The king ordered Haman to be killed on the very gallows Haman constructed for killing Mordecai. Note how Esther described Haman: The adversary and enemy is this evil Haman (Esth. 7:6). We too have an adversary the Devil. He prowls around like a lion, seeking people to devour. (1 Pet. 5:8) He loves nothing more than to destroy believers and hinder the work of God. Satan thought he had succeeded when Jesus died on the cross, but God raised Jesus from the dead and defeated Satan once and for all. (See Heb. 2:14-15.) Welcome/Transition Time (15 minutes) Lesson Snack/Video Activities WELCOME/TRANSITION TIME (15 minutes) Greet boys and girls as they arrive. Direct them to work on the color/activity page. After that, they may choose to play with a favorite toy or do another activity that you have provided. 1 2013 LifeWay Christian Resources
Color Page/Activity Sheet: Help Esther Find the Crown - provided Crayons or colored pencils Color/activity sheet, 1 per child On the activity page, help the kids trace the path for Esther to reach the crown. Say God created us so we could work with Him to do good things. He gives us the strength, love, and patience we need to do the things He calls us to do. We never know how God will use us in His plan. Our story today is about a girl named Esther whom God used in His plan. Examine Kings and Queens - provided Use the pictures of kings and queens. Show each picture to the children and talk about what it means to be a king or queen. Define a scepter and talk about the importance of a king s decree or order. Say Kings and queens have a lot of power and wealth. In the time of Esther, the king was in charge of all the people in the Persian Empire. He could do whatever he wanted. When he made a decree, or a law, no one could change it not even the king himself. WORSHIP Classroom DVD contains worship songs for each unit that the children will enjoy learning. Unit 21 DVD Transition to Lesson Use your usual transition cue to signal that it is time for Bible study. Ring the bell, show the countdown video, flip the lights, or clap a simple rhythm for children to copy to gain attention. LESSON Story Time Point to the story in your Bible in the Book of Esther. Say After being away from Judah for so long, God s people were allowed to return, but not all the people went back. Many people stayed in Persia. God took care of His people who went back to their old home. Do you think He also took care of the people who stayed in their new home? Of course He did! 2 2013 LifeWay Christian Resources
THE BIBLE STORY Esther Saved Her People Esther 1 10 Preschool Teacher Guide Some of God s people were in Jerusalem. They had finished building God s temple. Some of God s people were in a land called Persia. Persia was ruled by a king. His name was King Ahasuerus (uh haz yoo EHR uhs). The king needed a queen. He chose Esther. Esther was very beautiful. She was one of God s people. God s people were called Jews because they were from the land of Judah. Esther did not tell the king that she was a Jew. One day, Esther s cousin Mordecai (MAWR duh kigh) heard some bad news. One of the king s leaders a man named Haman had a very evil plan. Haman did not like the Jews. He wanted to kill them. Mordecai was scared! He was upset. Mordecai was a Jew; he did not want his family to be killed. He did not want his friends to be killed. Mordecai and all the Jews cried. What is wrong? Esther asked. She saw that the Jews were upset, but she did not know why. Why are you crying? Esther sent someone to ask Mordecai what was wrong. Mordecai told the messenger about Haman s evil plan. Do something! Mordecai said. You are the queen. Ask the king to stop Haman. Ask him to save us! Esther wanted to help her people. But the king had a rule: No one can go to the king unless the king asks that person to come first. If anyone broke the rule, that punishment was death. The only way to not be punished was if the king held out his scepter. That meant, You may live. Esther was afraid. She was not supposed to go to the king unless he called her. But she needed to talk to him! She needed to tell him about Haman s evil plan. Mordecai reminded Esther that she was a Jew. Maybe God made Esther the queen just for this time so she could save her people! Esther asked Mordecai and all the Jews to pray to God for three days. So they prayed. They asked God to help them. Then Esther went to the king. The king was sitting on his throne. He saw Esther and held out his scepter. That meant she would live! Esther touched the tip of the scepter. What can I do for you, Queen Esther? the king asked. I will give you anything up to half of the kingdom. Esther asked the king and Haman to come to a feast. I made it, Esther said. So the king and Haman went to Esther s feast. When they were done eating, the king said, What can I do for you, Queen Esther? I will give you anything up to half of the kingdom. Esther said, Please come to my feast tomorrow. The next day, the king and Haman went to Esther s feast. When they were done eating, the king said, What can I do for you, Queen Esther? I will give you anything up to half of the kingdom. Esther said, There is a plan to kill me and my people. Who made that plan? the king asked. This evil man Haman! Esther said. The king was angry! He ordered Haman to be taken away. Then the king made a law to keep the Jews safe from their enemies. Christ Connection: The Jews were in danger, and they needed someone to save them. God made Esther the queen so she could help the Jews. Today, everyone sins and is in danger. We need someone to save us. God sent His Son, Jesus, to save people from sin. * Use only the words in bold to review the Bible story or tell it to younger preschoolers. 3 2013 LifeWay Christian Resources
Review/Key Passage Key Passage Poster Big Picture Question Poster Encourage children to ask questions about what happened in the story ( Were you scared? Yes, I was scared, but I trusted in God and did what was right. ) Esther can also ask children questions to help them remember her story. Review the big picture question and answer. Say How did God use Esther? God used Esther to help save His people. The Jews (God s people) were in danger, and they needed someone to save them. God made Esther the queen so she could help the Jews. Today, everyone sins and is separated from God. We need someone to save us from our sin. God sent His Son, Jesus, to save people from sin. Read the key passage, reminding the children that Jesus is the King of all. Sing the key passage song. SNACK/VIDEO Snack Signal for cleanup time using the countdown video or whatever method you prefer. Take a bathroom break and wash hands before the snack. Ask for volunteers to help set up and serve the snack. Remind kids to wait until everyone has been served before eating. Thank God for your snack. Watch Video Show the video Esther Saved Her People (from Classroom DVD) ACTIVITIES Make Esther s Crown - provided Help kids create crowns by threading beads onto chenille craft stems and shape the stems to form a tiara or crown shape. Twist two or more craft stems to the beaded crown at the ends to make the part that fits around each child s head. Make sure to tape any sharp ends when you have finished. Say God made Esther the queen of a huge nation. He gave her power and favor with the king. How did God use Esther? God used Esther to help save His people. 4 2013 LifeWay Christian Resources
Pick up Preschool children need to be picked up by a parent/grandparent and the adult must show the parent receipt with matching I.D. number. If the tag is missing, the adult can go to the Welcome Center and have a receipt reprinted. Welcome the second session teachers and tell them what they need to know about the children who are present. 5 2013 LifeWay Christian Resources