Adult
• 5 Sessions of Learner’s Materials
• 5 Sessions of Teaching Materials
• 5 Handouts
1. Esther 2:5-11; 15-17
2. Esther 4:4-8
3. Esther 4:9-17
4. Esther 5:1-8
5. Esther 7:1-6; 8:1-8
Like most people, I learned to love stories when I was a child. Not only did my mother read to me frequently, but also my dad wove his own share of tales at bedtime. In fact, I still remember a big Bible Story Book for Children placed conveniently beside my mother’s rocking chair. She read from that book almost every day of my childhood. In the meantime, most nights my Dad would go on and on as I drifted off to sleep, concocting some creative yarn or another. But his stories never changed, no matter how many times we revisited them, and more often than not, these also were made up of beloved Bible stories. Over time, I established two definite favorites: "Jonah and the Whale" and "Good Queen Esther." Every time I heard these stories, I was transported into a fascinating new world.
The book of Esther has not always enjoyed widespread popularity, the most apparent reason being that it is somewhat difficult to understand. God is never so much as mentioned in the story, but neither does the New Testament ever make any mention of Esther. Meanwhile, the characters’ adherence to strict Jewish religious practices is questionable. Furthermore, the story ends rather violently, with the Jews almost completely eliminating their enemies. As a matter of fact, the book of Esther did not come to be included in both Jewish and Christian Scriptures until after a good deal of heated debate. Martin Luther, a leader in the Protestant Reformation, once reported hostility toward the book so severe that he sometimes wished it did not exist at all (Huey, 36).
But the book of Esther communicates faith in a way that was most popular with the Hebrews: through a fascinating story. "Ask a rabbi a deep theological question," someone once mused, "and you’ll likely not get an answer; you’ll be told a story" (Lines, 228). Esther does just this, addressing God’s Providence and redemption as well as personal responsibility. One of the many "brands" of stories that shape the Bible as a whole is the exile-and-return account. The story of Esther is an example of this. Though the actual events of the story took place during the period of Persian dominance in the ancient Near East (between 539-332 BC), the masterful storyteller does more than merely recount a piece of history. The book of Esther offers its readers hope during our own times of exile. Through this story, we learn that we are not alone.
by Lawanda Smith
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