The Sunday School Lesson A Courageous Queen (Esther) by David McGee
Mar 24, 2019
A Courageous Queen (Esther) (44:49)
Referenced Scriptures: Esther 3:1-15; Esther 4:10-17; Esther 5:1-4; Esther 7:1-10; Esther 8:1-17
Audio
Click To View Notes & Scriptures
-
The scriptures below are from the WEB Bible.
Esther 3:1-15
1) After these things did king Ahasuerus promote Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him, and set his seat above all the princes who were with him.
2) All the king‘s servants, who were in the king‘s gate, bowed down, and did reverence to Haman; for the king had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai didn‘t bow down, nor did him reverence.
3) Then the king‘s servants, who were in the king‘s gate, said to Mordecai, Why disobey you the king‘s commandment?
4) Now it came to pass, when they spoke daily to him, and he didn‘t listen to them, that they told Haman, to see whether Mordecai‘s matters would stand: for he had told those who he was a Jew.
5) When Haman saw that Mordecai didn‘t bow down, nor did him reverence, then was Haman full of wrath.
6) But he thought scorn to lay hands on Mordecai alone; for they had made known to him the people of Mordecai: why Haman sought to destroy all the Jews who were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, even the people of Mordecai.
7) In the first month, which is the month Nisan, in the twelfth year of king Ahasuerus, they cast Pur, that is, the lot, before Haman from day to day, and from month to month, [to] the twelfth [month], which is the month Adar.
8) Haman said to king Ahasuerus, There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom; and their laws are diverse from [those of] every people; neither keep they the king‘s laws: therefore it is not for the king‘s profit to allow them.
9) If it please the king, let it be written that they be destroyed: and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver into the hands of those who have the charge of the [king‘s] business, to bring it into the king‘s treasuries.
10) The king took his ring from his hand, and gave it to Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the Jews‘ enemy.
11) The king said to Haman, The silver is given to you, the people also, to do with them as it seems good to you.
12) Then were the king‘s scribes called in the first month, on the thirteenth day of it; and there was written according to all that Haman commanded to the king‘s satraps, and to the governors who were over every province, and to the princes of every people, to every province according to the writing of it, and to every people after their language; in the name of king Ahasuerus was it written, and it was sealed with the king‘s ring.
13) Letters were sent by posts into all the king‘s provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish, all Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, even on the thirteenth [day] of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to take the spoil of them for a prey.
14) A copy of the writing, that the decree should be given out in every province, was published to all the peoples, that they should be ready against that day.
15) The posts went forth in haste by the king‘s commandment, and the decree was given out in Shushan the palace. The king and Haman sat down to drink; but the city of Shushan was perplexed.
Esther 4:10-17
10) Then Esther spoke to Hathach, and gave him a message to Mordecai [saying]:
11) All the king‘s servants, and the people of the king‘s provinces, do know, that whoever, whether man or woman, shall come to the king into the inner court, who is not called, there is one law for him, that he be put to death, except those to whom the king shall hold out the golden scepter, that he may live: but I have not been called to come in to the king these thirty days.
12) They told to Mordecai Esther‘s words.
13) Then Mordecai bade them return answer to Esther, Don‘t think to yourself that you shall escape in the king‘s house, more than all the Jews.
14) For if you altogether hold your peace at this time, then will relief and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place, but you and your father‘s house will perish: and who knows whether you haven‘t come to the kingdom for such a time as this?
15) Then Esther bade them return answer to Mordecai,
16) Go, gather together all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast you for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast in like manner; and so will I go in to the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish.
17) So Mordecai went his way, and did according to all that Esther had commanded him.
Esther 5:1-4
1) Now it happened on the third day, that Esther put on her royal clothing, and stood in the inner court of the king‘s house, over against the king‘s house: and the king sat on his royal throne in the royal house, over against the entrance of the house.
2) It was so, when the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, that she obtained favor in his sight; and the king held out to Esther the golden scepter that was in his hand. So Esther drew near, and touched the top of the scepter.
3) Then said the king to her, What will you, queen Esther? and what is your request? it shall be given you even to the half of the kingdom.
4) Esther said, If it seem good to the king, let the king and Haman come this day to the banquet that I have prepared for him.
Esther 7:1-10
1) So the king and Haman came to banquet with Esther the queen.
2) The king said again to Esther on the second day at the banquet of wine, What is your petition, queen Esther? and it shall be granted you: and what is your request? even to the half of the kingdom it shall be performed.
3) Then Esther the queen answered, If I have found favor in your sight, O king, and if it please the king, let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request:
4) for we are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish. But if we had been sold for bondservants and bondmaids, I had held my peace, although the adversary could not have compensated for the king‘s damage.
5) Then spoke the king Ahasuerus and said to Esther the queen, Who is he, and where is he, that dared presume in his heart to do so?
6) Esther said, An adversary and an enemy, even this wicked Haman. Then Haman was afraid before the king and the queen.
7) The king arose in his wrath from the banquet of wine [and went] into the palace garden: and Haman stood up to make request for his life to Esther the queen; for he saw that there was evil determined against him by the king.
8) Then the king returned out of the palace garden into the place of the banquet of wine; and Haman was fallen on the couch whereon Esther was. Then said the king, Will he even force the queen before me in the house? As the word went out of the king‘s mouth, they covered Haman‘s face.
9) Then said Harbonah, one of the chamberlains who were before the king, Behold also, the gallows fifty cubits high, which Haman has made for Mordecai, who spoke good for the king, stands in the house of Haman. The king said, Hang him thereon.
10) So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then was the king‘s wrath pacified.
Esther 8:1-17
1) On that day did the king Ahasuerus give the house of Haman the Jews‘ enemy to Esther the queen. Mordecai came before the king; for Esther had told what he was to her.
2) The king took off his ring, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai. Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman.
3) Esther spoke yet again before the king, and fell down at his feet, and begged him with tears to put away the mischief of Haman the Agagite, and his device that he had devised against the Jews.
4) Then the king held out to Esther the golden scepter. So Esther arose, and stood before the king.
5) She said, If it please the king, and if I have found favor in his sight, and the thing seem right before the king, and I be pleasing in his eyes, let it be written to reverse the letters devised by Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote to destroy the Jews who are in all the king‘s provinces:
6) for how can I endure to see the evil that shall come to my people? or how can I endure to see the destruction of my relatives?
7) Then the king Ahasuerus said to Esther the queen and to Mordecai the Jew, See, I have given Esther the house of Haman, and him they have hanged on the gallows, because he laid his hand on the Jews.
8) Write you also to the Jews, as it pleases you, in the king‘s name, and seal it with the king‘s ring; for the writing which is written in the king‘s name, and sealed with the king‘s ring, may no man reverse.
9) Then were the king‘s scribes called at that time, in the third month Sivan, on the three and twentieth [day] of it; and it was written according to all that Mordecai commanded to the Jews, and to the satraps, and the governors and princes of the provinces which are from India to Ethiopia, one hundred twenty-seven provinces, to every province according to the writing of it, and to every people after their language, and to the Jews according to their writing, and according to their language.
10) He wrote the name of king Ahasuerus, and sealed it with the king‘s ring, and sent letters by post on horseback, riding on swift steeds that were used in the king‘s service, bred of the stud:
11) in which the king granted the Jews who were in every city to gather themselves together, and to stand for their life, to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish, all the power of the people and province that would assault them, [their] little ones and women, and to take the spoil of them for a prey,
12) on one day in all the provinces of king Ahasuerus, [namely], on the thirteenth [day] of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar.
13) A copy of the writing, that the decree should be given out in every province, was published to all the peoples, and that the Jews should be ready against that day to avenge themselves on their enemies.
14) So the posts who rode on swift steeds that were used in the king‘s service went out, being hurried and pressed on by the king‘s commandment; and the decree was given out in Shushan the palace.
15) Mordecai went forth from the presence of the king in royal clothing of blue and white, and with a great crown of gold, and with a robe of fine linen and purple: and the city of Shushan shouted and was glad.
16) The Jews had light and gladness, and joy and honor.
17) In every province, and in every city, wherever the king‘s commandment and his decree came, the Jews had gladness and joy, a feast and a good day. Many from among the peoples of the land became Jews; for the fear of the Jews was fallen on them.
The WEB Bible is provided by Public Domain.