Overview
9:45 sign-in, free play
10:05 opening prayer, introduction: Hair bows and Scepters
10:15 Bible lesson in flannel
10:25 Snack:
10:30 Bible craft: jewelry, medals, flowers, crowns
11:00 Bible craft: decorate your own cupcake
11:15 Bible lesson retold: Veggie Tales The Story of Esther
11:45 pick-up, coloring sheets
Bible Story: Esther
The king of Persia needed a new queen. The royal decree rang throughout the land. Every young pretty lady needed to come to the palace at once. This included a beautiful orphan girl named Esther.
Esther was lovely to look at and had a wonderful personality. But she had a big secret. She was a girl from Israel, a Jew. Her cousin Mordecai told her not to tell anyone this because Jews were foreigners in Persia and a lot of people did not like them.
Esther stayed at the palace and took lessons teaching her how to act like a queen. For 12 months she stayed there learning about manners and learning how to do her hair and makeup just right.
Finally the year was up and all the ladies went to see the king. As soon as the king saw Esther he fell in love with her. Taking the royal crown, he placed it on her head and made her the queen of Persia.
One day Esther told the king that Mordecai overheard two servants making plans to kill the king. The king believed Esther and arrested the men. Then he had it written down in his book of records that Esther and Mordecai saved his life.
Some time later the king made a man named Haman his chief minister to rule the land. Haman made all the people bow down to him. Mordecai refused to bow down to Haman because God had said that people should only bow to God. This made Haman made. He told the king that the Jews would be trouble for the kingdom and that the king should get rid of them. Because the king trusted Haman he told Haman to do whatever he thought was best for the kingdom.
Mordecai found out that the Jews were going to be killed so he went straight to Esther. He told Esther that God had made her queen for this very reason – only she could talk to the king and save God’s people of Israel.
Even though it was against the law for the queen to see the king without him calling her, Esther put on her finest clothes and went to see him. The king was very happy to see her and said that she could have whatever she asked for – even half of the kingdom.
All Esther asked for was that the king and Haman be her guests and come over to dinner. Esther made a wonderful dinner. The king was so impressed that he told her again that she could have whatever she wanted. She asked him to come with Haman again for dinner the next night.
That evening before the king went to bed he had the book of records read to him. The announcer read about Mordecai saving the kings life. Haman knocked on the king’s door and the king asked him what reward he should give to a man he wanted to honor. Haman smiled to himself knowing that the king wanted to honor him. So he told the king “such a person should be dressed in the kings clothes, ride the kings horse and be given a parade in his honor.” The king liked this and told Haman to do this for Mordecai in the morning.
Haman was mad. He hated Mordecai and planned to kill him. He did what the king said, though and by supper he was furious. But he had to have supper with the king and queen. So he tried to look nice.
Once again supper was very pleasing to the king and he told Esther to tell him what he really wanted. This time Esther threw herself at the king’s feet and begged him not to kill her. She said that orders had been given and she and all her family were to die.
The king was alarmed and asked her who would do such a thing. Who would dare kill his new, beautiful queen. Esther pointed at Haman sitting at the table.
The king got angry and punished Haman. He made Mordecai the chief minister and put him in charge of Haman’s house. He allowed the Jews to defend themselves against anyone wishing to hurt them.
Queen Esther had saved the Jews and they celebrated with Feasting and gladness, praising God, sending food to each other and to the poor. Mordecai decreed a feast called Purim “The Feast of Esther” was to be celebrated every year.
Even today, in the country of Israel Purim is celebrated in Esther’s honor at this time of the year. This is when we remember the beautiful girl named Esther that became queen and risked her life going to the king to save the lives of God’s chosen people.
