Esther Lesson Four

Last Week’s Bible Verse to Recite:
    Bible Verse:  Psalm 94:21-22
21 They band together against the life of the righteous and condemn the innocent to death. 22 But the Lord has become my stronghold, and my God the rock of my refuge.

Chapter Six

Est 6:1   
On that night the king could not sleep. And he gave orders to bring the book of memorable deeds, the chronicles, and they were read before the king.
Why do you think the king could not sleep?  Was this a mere coincidence?
Est 6:2   
And it was found written how Mordecai had told about Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king's eunuchs, who guarded the threshold, and who had sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus.
Read Esther 2:21-23
Est 6:3   
And the king said, “What honor or distinction has been bestowed on Mordecai for this?” The king's young men who attended him said, “Nothing has been done for him.”
Est 6:4   
And the king said, “Who is in the court?” Now Haman had just entered the outer court of the king's palace to speak to the king about having Mordecai hanged on the gallows that he had prepared for him.

It was morning by this time.  What do you think about the timing of the discovery of the record of Mordecai’s having saved the king?  Was this “just a coincidence?”  How about the king asking who was in the court? Another coincidence?

Est 6:5   
And the king's young men told him, “Haman is there, standing in the court.” And the king said, “Let him come in.”
Est 6:6   
So Haman came in, and the king said to him, “What should be done to the man whom the king delights to honor?” And Haman said to himself, “Whom would the king delight to honor more than me?”
(notice that the King has concealed the identity of the one who was to be honored.  Compare this to Esther 3:8—who was concealing then?)
Est 6:7   
And Haman said to the king, “For the man whom the king delights to honor,
Est 6:8   
“let royal robes be brought, which the king has worn, and the horse that the king has ridden, and on whose head a royal crown is set.
Est 6:9   
“And let the robes and the horse be handed over to one of the king's most noble officials. Let them dress the man whom the king delights to honor, and let them lead him on the horse through the square of the city, proclaiming before him: ‘Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor.’”
Do you remember the story of David and Jonathan?  (1 Samuel 18:1-4)  (significance of clothing. . .)
What did Haman seek above all else?
Est 6:10   
Then the king said to Haman, “Hurry; take the robes and the horse, as you have said, and do so to Mordecai the Jew who sits at the king's gate. Leave out nothing that you have mentioned.”

Est 6:11   
So Haman took the robes and the horse, and he dressed Mordecai and led him through the square of the city, proclaiming before him, “Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor.”
The honor that Haman wanted for himself was given to the one he hated the most.
Est 6:12   
Then Mordecai returned to the king's gate. But Haman hurried to his house, mourning and with his head covered.
Est 6:13   
And Haman told his wife Zeresh and all his friends everything that had happened to him. Then his wise men and his wife Zeresh said to him, “If Mordecai, before whom you have begun to fall, is of the Jewish people, you will not overcome him but will surely fall before him.”
This is a strange thing for his wife to say to him.  Remember, Haman was an Amalekite.  Why do you think she said this to him about the Jewish people?  Can you think of any Bible stories that support the idea that the Jewish people cannot be overcome?  
Est 6:14   
While they were yet talking with him, the king's eunuchs arrived and hurried to bring Haman to the feast that Esther had prepared.

Chapter Seven

Est 7:1   
So the king and Haman went in to feast with Queen Esther.
Est 7:2   
And on the second day, as they were drinking wine after the feast, the king again said to Esther, “What is your wish, Queen Esther? It shall be granted you. And what is your request? Even to the half of my kingdom, it shall be fulfilled.”
Est 7:3   
Then Queen Esther answered, “If I have found favor in your sight, O king, and if it please the king, let my life be granted me for my wish, and my people for my request.
Est 7:4   
“For we have been sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be killed, and to be annihilated. If we had been sold merely as slaves, men and women, I would have been silent, for our affliction is not to be compared with the loss to the king.”
Esther tells the king that “we have been sold.”  Read 3:9 and 4:7.
She also uses the words, “destroyed, killed, annihilated” just like it the decree.  Why doesn’t the king remember that?
Then she mentions “the loss to the king.”  What did Esther know was the thing that the king most sought after?  To what interest of the King did she appeal?
Did it take faith for Esther to make her request to the King?  Why?
Est 7:5   
Then King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther, “Who is he, and where is he, who has dared to do this?”
Est 7:6   
And Esther said, “A foe and enemy! This wicked Haman!” Then Haman was terrified before the king and the queen.
Should the king have been surprised?  (Read Esther 3:8-11)  
Est 7:7   
And the king arose in his wrath from the wine-drinking and went into the palace garden, but Haman stayed to beg for his life from Queen Esther, for he saw that harm was determined against him by the king.
Why do you think the King left the banquet?  Why did Haman beg for his life from the Queen and not the King?
Est 7:8   
And the king returned from the palace garden to the place where they were drinking wine, as Haman was falling on the couch where Esther was. And the king said, “Will he even assault the queen in my presence, in my own house?” As the word left the mouth of the king, they covered Haman's face.
Look at verse 6:12—Haman covered his face in shame, now his face is covered in judgment.
Est 7:9   
Then Harbona, one of the eunuchs in attendance on the king, said, “Moreover, the gallows that Haman has prepared for Mordecai, whose word saved the king, is standing at Haman's house, fifty cubits high.”
Est 7:10   
And the king said, “Hang him on that.” So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then the wrath of the king abated.
Did he think for himself?  Has he ever done anything at all without consulting other people?  Who did he listen to before?  Who is he listening to now?
Lets discuss the way God providentially acted to bring about His plan in this situation.

Next Week’s Bible Verse to Memorize:  
Bible Verse:  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,

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