Story of Esther

WOW VBS Kick-off:  QUEEN ESTHER (Spark bible pp. 152-157)

Materials needed:  Fancy dress-up dress for Esther

                                    2 crowns (king and Esther)

                                    print out of Letter for Esther

                                   

Today we’re going to try something a little different.  I need you to help me act out the story, so can you listen for directions carefully and I have a few parts that I’ll need a specific person for!  I need someone to be Esther, someone to be the King, someone to be mordecai (Esther’s cousin),  and someone to play Haman.  Everyone else will be the Jewish people.  Are we ready?  Okay!  Let’s go! Today’s story is about a very brave woman named Esther.

Once there was a young girl named Esther.  Esther, can you wave?  Good.  Esther’s cousin, Mordecai, worked for the king and he lived in the Palace.  Esther’s parents died when she was very young, and so she went to live with Mordecai  (wave!) in the palace.

Esther learned new things, wore dazzling clothes, and grew into a beautiful young women.  When the king saw Esther, he was amazed—she was beautiful!  She was smart! He was so happy, he asked her to wear a crown and be his queen! (put a crown on Esther)

Now, Esther and Mordecai were Jewish, and many people did not like Esther’s cousin Mordecai or the Jewish people—and Haman was one of them!  Haman was an advisor to the king and a very, very proud man.  The GOOD news for the Jewish people was that the King was smart and he listened to what Esther and Mordecai.

One day the king had an idea.  He decided to give Haman a special job, and thought that because Haman was doing something SO important, everyone who saw him should kneel and bow to him! 

This made Haman very happy because he thought he thought he was important.  It made Mordecai sad because he knew that the only person he should bow to was God.  Mordecai refused to bow to Haman.  This made Haman very MAD!  When he found out that Mordecai was a Jew, he was even angrier!  He did not like the Jewish people and their God.

Haman decided that he was going to punish Mordecai and ALL the Jewish people—including Esther even though she was the queen!

The king did not know Esther was Jewish.  Haman made a plan to kill all the Jews, and convinced the king to make it a law.  OH NO!  Say it with me—oh NO!  Esther was SCARED! 

Mordecai asked her to be brave and to speak up for her people, to keep them from being killed.  She made a special dinner and invited Haman and the King to a banquet. 

There, though she was scared, she told the King that she and Mordecai were cousins and, more importantly, that they were Jewish.  She told him about Haman’s plans to kill all the Jews and about the law that made that possible. 

The king was very ANGRY.  He wasn’t angry that she was Jewish—he was angry at Haman!  Haman had tricked him!  He gave Mordecai Haman’s old job, his own ring and made a request—write a message to all of the Jews to apologize for the law and tell them that they would not die.  The king got rid of the law and because of Esther’s bravery in telling the truth, ALL of the Jews were saved!  HOORAY!  Say it with me: “HOORAY FOR QUEEN ESTHER!”

Esther did something scary—she imagined with God—she imagined a better future for her people than death, and God helped her protect them. Maybe you haven’t helped save someone from death, but I’m sure you’ve done brave things with God’s help!  What are some things God has helped you do? Let’s add some pictures to our God sighting board!