Simon Wallace - I went through Confirmation classes to "confirm my faith in God" and become a member of the church. I don't remember the Bible being opened during these classes to have God's way of salvation explained. I had been baptised as a child and after these sessions was now a member of the church, and yet I remained ignorant as to the very reason for which Christ came into the world...
Memory Verse: Psalm 143:8 Memory Verse Text: Cause me to know the way wherein I should walk, For I lift up my soul to Thee.
Point 1: King Ahasuerus - a mighty king over Persia and Media - had a party to show his riches, his majesty and to be honoured by all his princes. The party went on for a full six months! Hard for us to imagine the power and pomp and splendour and excesses of such a grand party. Point 2: On a whim, he called for Vashti his queen to be brought before him and she refused. Worried about what effect that might have on other women - she was demoted from being queen and another queen was to chosen in her place. Point 3: God worked behind the scenes in order to preserve his people from an enemy's hatred and a scheme that would have wiped out all Jews. Esther was a most beautiful young orphaned Jewess (raised by her older cousin) and she not only attracted the king's interest but became the loved wife and was crowned queen of the land. Though in all of this she had not revealed that she was a Jew. Point 4: Her cousin, Mordecai, had also saved the king by warning him, through Esther, of a plot against his life, and when they were found out they were hung on a tree to die.
Notes: In those days women had very few rights, and it was a very dangerous thing to disappoint or anger a mighty king like Ahasuerus. Nevertheless, God is far more mighty than any earthly monarch.
This Sunday School Curriculum guide is part of a 254 Sunday School Lesson Book available at www.gospelhall.org. See the Downloads Section of the site for a complete copy.
Simon Wallace
