ESTHER - LESSON 3
HAMAN'S PLOT

1. Describe the characters introduced in these two chapters:
   Haman (3:1ff) --

   Hathach (4:5ff) --

2. 1. What had King Xerxes commanded concerning Haman that Mordecai refused to do? (3:2)

   2. Who confronted Mordecai regarding this? (3:3)

   3. According to verse 4, what "reason" did Mordecai give for disobeying the command?

   4.   (Thought question) What did Mordecai's being a Jew have to do with his refusal to honor or bow down to Haman?

3. What was Haman's reaction to Mordecai's refusal? (3:5)

4. Why did Haman decide he wanted to destroy ALL the Jews? (3:6)

5. Many times, even today, widespread racial generalizations and prejudices form because of the behavior of one or of only a few.    How do Christians guard against these types of generalizations and prejudices?

6. The word "Pur" is mentioned in 3:7. Tell what this is.

7. How did Haman begin to turn the king against the Jews? (3:8)

8. What proposal did Haman make to the king in regard to the Jews? (3:9)

9. The king agreed with this ugly plot and even gave his signet ring to make the decree official. How completely did the king play into Haman's plot? (3:10-11)

10. 1. What was the edict Haman had sent out? (3:12-13)

    2. How long from the time the edict was published did the Jews have to prepare before it was to come about? (3:12-13)

11. 1. Contrast the reaction of Mordecai to the publishing of the edict (4:1) with that of Haman and the king. (3:15)

    2. What was the response of the Jews, in general, to the edict? (4:3)

12. 1. When Queen Esther heard about Mordecai, what did she do? (4:4)

    2. When Mordecai refused her gift, what did she want to know? (4:5)

    3. What information did Mordecai give Hathach? (4:6 & 7)

    4. What was Mordecai's purpose in giving the messenger an actual copy of the edict? (4:8)

13. 1. How did Esther reply to Mordecai? (4:10-11)

    2.   (Thought question) What is implied from the last sentence in 4:11?

    3.   Think of a time when you were placed in a position to help someone else, but at personal discomfort or inconvenience. Were you able to step up and follow through anyway? (See what Jesus said in John 15:13.)

14. 1. How did Mordecai answer the queen? (4:13-14)

    2.   (Thought question) Mordecai realized that God would preserve a remnant of the Jewish nation, even if not through Esther, as he had already done through Joseph. (Refer to Genesis 45:5-7.) Discuss the fact that God's overall plans and purposes are bigger than any one person.

15. 1. Before going in to the king, what request did Esther make of her people, the Jews? (4:16)

    2. What were Esther and her maidens going to be doing during this time? (4:16)

    3. Contrast this behavior with that of Haman and the king in 3:15.

    4.   Recall a time of great decision-making in your life. How did you approach this time? Did you ask others to participate with you in the process?

Verse to ponder: Esther 4:14

The name of God is not mentioned in the book of Esther. However, it is obvious that Mordecai is expressing deep conviction in a Higher Being. How can we show God to the world without even mentioning His name?

Challenge: Do something for someone that only you are in a position to do.

When she was "between a rock and a hard place," Esther could have chosen NOT to go to the hard place. But if she had not, she would have ended up under the rock with her people. It may have seemed to her like a lose-lose situation.

ALL JEWS TO BE KILLED

QUEEN ESTHER

KING XERXES

Women IN God's Service

Esther - lesson 3
Ladies Bible Class Lesson, 23 Sep 2003
West-Ark Church of Christ, Fort Smith, Arkansas

contents | lesson four