Esther Lesson Five

Esther Study Week 5
Esther 8:1-9:15

Bible Verse To Be Recited this week:
Proverbs 2:10-12
10 for wisdom will come into your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul; 11 discretion will watch over you, understanding will guard you,12 delivering you from the way of evil, from men of perverted speech,


Est 8:1  
On that day King Ahasuerus gave to Queen Esther the house of Haman, the enemy of the Jews. And Mordecai came before the king, for Esther had told what he was to her.
Why do you think that the King gave Esther Haman’s property?
Est 8:2  
And the king took off his signet ring, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai. And Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman.
Why do you think that the king gave Mordecai the ring?  Who has the power all of a sudden?
Est 8:3  
Then Esther spoke again to the king. She fell at his feet and wept and pleaded with him to avert the evil plan of Haman the Agagite and the plot that he had devised against the Jews.
Why do you think that Esther waited until this point to finally talk to the king about averting Haman’s plan?
Est 8:4  
When the king held out the golden scepter to Esther,
Est 8:5  
Esther rose and stood before the king. And she said, “If it please the king, and if I have found favor in his sight, and if the thing seems right before the king, and I am pleasing in his eyes, let an order be written to revoke the letters devised by Haman the Agagite, the son of Hammedatha, which he wrote to destroy the Jews who are in all the provinces of the king.
Est 8:6  
“For how can I bear to see the calamity that is coming to my people? Or how can I bear to see the destruction of my kindred?”
Why does Esther ask for another order to be written?  Why doesn’t she just ask the king to dismiss Haman’s decree?
Est 8:7  
Then King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther and to Mordecai the Jew, “Behold, I have given Esther the house of Haman, and they have hanged him on the gallows, because he intended to lay hands on the Jews.
Est 8:8  
“But you may write as you please with regard to the Jews, in the name of the king, and seal it with the king's ring, for an edict written in the name of the king and sealed with the king's ring cannot be revoked.”
Why do you think that the King doesn’t write his own decrees?
Est 8:9  
The king's scribes were summoned at that time, in the third month, which is the month of Sivan, on the twenty-third day. And an edict was written, according to all that Mordecai commanded concerning the Jews, to the satraps and the governors and the officials of the provinces from India to Ethiopia, 127 provinces, to each province in its own script and to each people in its own language, and also to the Jews in their script and their language.
Who actually wrote the new decree?  Why do you think it was Mordecai and not Esther?  Why was it important that the decree be written “to each province in tis own script and to each people in its own language, and also to the Jews in their script and their language?  Look at Haman’s decree in Chapter 3, verse 12. What do you notice that is different?
Est 8:10  
And he wrote in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed it with the king's signet ring. Then he sent the letters by mounted couriers riding on swift horses that were used in the king's service, bred from the royal stud,
Again, what do you notice that is different from the last time a decree was sent out by Haman?  Why is that important?
Est 8:11  
saying that the king allowed the Jews who were in every city to gather and defend their lives, to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate any armed force of any people or province that might attack them, children and women included, and to plunder their goods,
Notice that the Jews are allowed to plunder.  What does it mean to plunder?
Est 8:12  
on one day throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar.
See Haman’s decree Esther 4:12-15 What do you notice about this day?
Est 8:13  
A copy of what was written was to be issued as a decree in every province, being publicly displayed to all peoples, and the Jews were to be ready on that day to take vengeance on their enemies.
Est 8:14  
So the couriers, mounted on their swift horses that were used in the king's service, rode out hurriedly, urged by the king's command. And the decree was issued in Susa the citadel.
Why were they in a hurry?  Why was the decree issued in Susa, the citadel, too?  (Read verse 15 and compare to verse 3:15)
Est 8:15  
Then Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal robes of blue and white, with a great golden crown and a robe of fine linen and purple, and the city of Susa shouted and rejoiced.
What is the significance of the royal robes?  Why do you think the people of Susa rejoiced?
Est 8:16  
The Jews had light and gladness and joy and honor.
Est 8:17  
And in every province and in every city, wherever the king's command and his edict reached, there was gladness and joy among the Jews, a feast and a holiday. And many from the peoples of the country declared themselves Jews, for fear of the Jews had fallen on them.
Now, think about this for a minute. Why are the people rejoicing already?
Chapter 9:1-15

Est 9:1  
Now in the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, on the thirteenth day of the same, when the king's command and edict were about to be carried out, on the very day when the enemies of the Jews hoped to gain the mastery over them, the reverse occurred: the Jews gained mastery over those who hated them.
What are some of the ways God has totally reversed things in favor of the Jews?
Est 9:2  
The Jews gathered in their cities throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus to lay hands on those who sought their harm. And no one could stand against them, for the fear of them had fallen on all peoples.
Est 9:3  
All the officials of the provinces and the satraps and the governors and the royal agents also helped the Jews, for the fear of Mordecai had fallen on them.
Who is helping the Jews now?  Why?
Est 9:4  
For Mordecai was great in the king's house, and his fame spread throughout all the provinces, for the man Mordecai grew more and more powerful.
Where did Mordecai receive his power from?  What kind of power did Mordecai desire? Compare that to the desires of Haman.
Est 9:5  
The Jews struck all their enemies with the sword, killing and destroying them, and did as they pleased to those who hated them.
Who did the Jews kill and destroy?  
Est 9:6  
In Susa the citadel itself the Jews killed and destroyed 500 men,
Est 9:7  
and also killed Parshandatha and Dalphon and Aspatha
Est 9:8  
and Poratha and Adalia and Aridatha
Est 9:9  
and Parmashta and Arisai and Aridai and Vaizatha,
Est 9:10  
the ten sons of Haman the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews, but they laid no hand on the plunder.
Why do you think they didn’t plunder their enemies?  They were given permission but verse 7 says they did as they pleased against their enemies. What does that say about their motivation?
Read 1 Samuel 15:17-19 and compare the differences, both in what happened and in the outcome.
Est 9:11  
That very day the number of those killed in Susa the citadel was reported to the king.
Est 9:12  
And the king said to Queen Esther, “In Susa the citadel the Jews have killed and destroyed 500 men and also the ten sons of Haman. What then have they done in the rest of the king's provinces! Now what is your wish? It shall be granted you. And what further is your request? It shall be fulfilled.”
Est 9:13  
And Esther said, “If it please the king, let the Jews who are in Susa be allowed tomorrow also to do according to this day's edict. And let the ten sons of Haman be hanged on the gallows.”
Why do you think Esther asked for another day of killing? Why do you think she asks for the ten sons of Haman to be hanged when they are already dead?
Est 9:14  
So the king commanded this to be done. A decree was issued in Susa, and the ten sons of Haman were hanged.
Est 9:15  
The Jews who were in Susa gathered also on the fourteenth day of the month of Adar and they killed 300 men in Susa, but they laid no hands on the plunder.
They laid no hands on the plunder.  This is the third time this was stated.  Why do you think this is important?

    Bible Verse to be Memorized for next week:  Esther 8:17
17 And in every province and in every city, wherever the king's command and his edict reached, there was gladness and joy among the Jews, a feast and a holiday. And many from the peoples of the country declared themselves Jews, for fear of the Jews had fallen on them.

These lessons were written for elementary aged students.  You can find all of the Lessons in Esther here.