Bible Stories The Story of Queen Esther Jesus Christ Stories

Today, we will learn all about Queen Esther, one of the most important figures in the Bible. She was an incredibly kind and strong woman who went on to become a great queen in ancient Persia and ultimately saved her people from great suffering. In ancient times, Persia was a vast and powerful empire. They enjoyed great riches and prosperity. Leading the empire was a powerful king named Xerxes. Xerxes lived a lifestyle befitting the king of a mighty empire. He would throw great banquets where he and his guests would eat the finest food and drink the finest wine. One night at one of these banquets, Xerxes and his guests became rather drunk. As the festivities continued, King Xerxes decided he wanted to show off the beauty of his wife, Queen Vashti, to his guests. But Vashti refused to join the party. She hated these banquets, filled with shouting, loud music, and drunken guests. She said she would not come with the servants. This enraged King Xerxes. The next day, to punish Vashti for her disobedience, the king banished his queen out of the kingdom of Persia and sent her away, never to return. Over time, King Xerxes' anger at his wife began to fade, and he started to feel lonely. His advisors were worried about him, so they came up with a plan. They suggested to the king that he invite all the beautiful young women of the kingdom to the palace, so they could undergo beauty treatments, and from them, the king could pick a new queen. King Xerxes liked this idea and agreed at once. Soon the search began. And the king's men went all around Persia, gathering the most beautiful young women they could find. And it was through this search that a young woman named Esther began her journey to becoming queen of Persia. Esther was an orphan. Both her mother and her father died when she was young, and so she was raised by a man named Mordecai. Her family were Jews from the Holy Land, who had fled to Persia many years earlier when their homeland was captured. The people around Esther did not know she and her cousin Mordecai were Jewish, but they did know that she was very, very beautiful. Not only in her appearance, but also in her soul. Esther possessed a kind and open soul that only made her outward beauty even greater. The king's men came to Esther and Mordecai's home and instructed the young woman to go to the palace. Esther agreed to go with them, but before she left, Mordecai made her swear to keep her Jewish identity a secret. My precious Esther, I have raised you, and I love you as if you were my own daughter. My only wish is for you to be safe. Most people here in Persia are not Jewish, and there are those who hate us and wish to get rid of us. You must promise me that when you go to the palace, you will never reveal that you are a Jew, as it may put you in great danger. Esther listened carefully to Mordecai's warning and agreed to keep the secret. As you wish. If you believe that being Jewish may put us in danger, I will indeed keep it a secret. I must go now. The king awaits. When all the beautiful women of the land were brought together and made to look their best, Esther's beauty still set her apart. Of all the beautiful women that were presented to King Xerxes, he selected Esther, and so she became his wife. When they were wed, Esther kept her promise to Mordecai, and not a soul knew that she was in fact a Jew. Not long after the wedding, Esther and Mordecai won even more favor when they uncovered a plot to kill the king. In recognition for saving his life, King Xerxes added Mordecai's name to the royal record book. Even though Queen Esther and Mordecai were greatly respected, they kept the fact that they were Jews a secret and didn't tell a soul about their true identity. Five years after Queen Esther and Mordecai saved the king's life, the king appointed a new advisor named Haman. Haman was an evil man, and his heart was filled with hatred. When he was first appointed, he insisted that everyone bow to him, and when Mordecai refused, saying he would only bow to God, Haman developed a hatred for Mordecai that he would never forget. He swore to get revenge on Mordecai. How dare he? I will teach him a lesson someday. Haman came up with a vicious plan to kill Mordecai and all the other Jews in Persia. My king, the Jews are plotting to kill you very soon. Their snipers have already reached our city. We must act soon. He convinced the king to agree to a new law, which would sentence the Jews in Persia to death. This whole time, the king had no idea that his beloved Esther was in fact a Jew, and it would be his wife's people who would suffer at the hands of this new law. When Mordecai heard of this terrible plot, he immediately ran to Esther and begged her to speak to King Xerxes and save her people. But Esther was wary. She knew that if she revealed her identity to the king, it might result in her too being executed. In Persia at this time, it was illegal for anybody to approach the king without an invitation. So even if Esther tried to speak to him, this alone might be enough to get her arrested. But Mordecai assured her that this was the right thing to do. Esther, you have been placed by the king's side for a reason. God has given you the opportunity to save your people from suffering and death. You must use this gift that God has given you and do what you can to save your people. Queen Esther had a big heart and she knew that Mordecai was right. You're right. It is my duty from God. I will save my people. I just need to come up with a plan. And so Esther thought long and hard and eventually came up with a plan she hoped would work. Esther invited both King Xerxes and the evil Haman to a banquet. They both agreed, but Haman was still focused on getting rid of Mordecai. He planned to ask the king at the banquet if they could execute Mordecai immediately. Finally, the day of the banquet arrived and everybody gathered together. The king came and so did Haman, who was entirely focused on his evil plot to kill Mordecai and the rest of the Jews. The guests ate the finest food and drank delicious wine made from the most ripe grapes in all of Persia. They talked and sang and danced and the king was pleased that his wife could throw such a merry party. He was also pleased that all of the guests could see and admire what a beautiful wife he had. In fact, King Xerxes was so pleased that he decided to show Esther his gratitude. He promised he would grant her anything she desired. Esther, my dear wife, for this splendid banquet you have thrown for us, I want to reward you by granting you absolutely anything your heart desires. You hear that? Whatever you want, it shall be yours. Esther knew this was her chance. If she was ever going to save her people, it had to be now. Well, my love, there is something I would like to say. And so Esther explained everything to the king. She told him of her true identity and of Haman's evil plot to have her, Mordecai, and all of their fellow Jews killed. She is lying! You must not believe her! When the king realized Haman's true intentions, he was furious. He ordered for his guards to seize Haman and have him executed. And so that was the end of Haman. The king passed a new law that prevented the Jews from being killed and so their fate was spared. Now that Haman was gone, King Xerxes promoted Mordecai to be his new chief advisor. Together with Queen Esther, they continued to rule over Persia for many years to come. The tale of Queen Esther teaches us to be Esther accepted God's plan for her and was willing to put herself at risk to save her people. To this day, she is a figure that inspires us to be dedicated, brave, and trust that God does everything for a reason.