Intermediate Level, Block 8—Recovery
Week 79
Esther—Standing Up for Her People
Point to Emphasize: We can stand up for God’s people.
Reading Reference: Esther 2—5; 7—8
Memory Verse: …Do not lose heart in doing good. (2 Thessalonians 3:13b)
Story Sample
Who remembers a woman in the Bible named Esther? That’s right! She was an Israelite who became a queen. As an orphan she was raised by her uncle, but in the end, the king chose her as his queen. How did this happen? It was by obedience to her uncle Mordecai’s instructions. Esther’s obedience to Mordecai didn’t just help her become the queen—it also helped her save God’s people! This is the story we are going to tell today.
King Ahasuerus was not an Israelite king. He was a Gentile king, and the Israelites were in captivity in his land. As Esther was accepted into the king’s court, Mordecai instructed her to keep her identity a secret. She was not to tell the king or anyone that she was one of the children of Israel. Esther obeyed Mordecai, and said nothing about who she was. But there was something evil going on in the kingdom. The king’s highest official, Haman, had made a plan to destroy all the Jewish people on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month. Mordecai heard about this plan, and became fully distressed. He asked Esther to go to the king and plead for her people.
To try and speak to the king without being invited was a crime. Anyone who did that would be punished, unless the king held out his scepter to pardon them. Esther knew this, and she told Mordecai how dangerous it would be for her. But Mordecai said, “Who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” Mordecai was saying that Esther might have become the queen so that she could save her people when they were in need.
When Esther heard these words, she told Mordecai to get all the nearby Israelites together and fast and pray for her for three days. And at the end of the three days, she approached the king. She knew that it was a risky thing to do, but she also realized she needed to stand up for God’s people, no matter what it cost.
Have you ever had to stand up for someone else? It can be a little scary, right? When I was younger, someone told me a story about a friend of mine—let’s call him John. A bunch of friends were making fun of someone, but John interrupted them. John stood up for the person everyone was teasing, and he asked everyone to stop. This story impressed me when I was young, and one day I found myself in a similar situation. Some friends were making fun of someone, and I felt very uncomfortable. I didn’t know if I should say anything—I didn’t want everyone to suddenly start making fun of ME—but then I remembered the story about John. I remembered that John had stood up for what was right. I was inspired and encouraged by that. If John could speak up in that way, I wanted to, too! And so I did. I was not rude or mean, but I gently asked everyone to stop making fun of that person. And they did! [Storyteller, insert your own story about standing up for God’s people.]
When the king saw Esther approaching, he was not angry. He held out his scepter. Esther would not be punished! Then the king asked Esther what was troubling her, and what she wanted to request from him. Esther didn’t tell him right away; instead, she invited him to a banquet. At the banquet, Esther made her request. Her request was for her life and the life of her people. She revealed to the king that she was one of God’s people who was in captivity in this land, and she told him about Haman’s plot to destroy her people.
Oh, the king was so angry at Haman! Haman was punished immediately. But because of the law, the decree could not be changed. Even the king himself could not change it. However, he COULD make a new decree! And that’s what King Ahasuerus did. He decreed that the Jewish people were allowed to fight back against those who came to destroy them. God’s people were so glad about this new decree. When the day came to fight, the Israelites assembled and fought, and they were victorious! Esther stood up for God’s people, and God used that to save them.
The time may come when you find yourself in a situation where someone needs to stand up for God’s people. I hope you will remember this story. And remember we should always be willing to help any of God’s people.