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THE
STORY OF QUEEN ESTHER CHARACTERS
NARRATOR 1
NARRATOR
2 NARRATOR
3 ESTHER KING
AHASUERUS MORDECAI
(ESTHER’S UNCLE) HAMAN
(THE KING’S ADIVSOR) BANQUET
GUEST QUEEN
VASHTI GUARD Narrator
1:
About two thousand five hundred years ago, there was a very powerful kingdom
called Persia. A king named
Ahasuerus ruled it. He had a wife
named Vashti. In those days, women
were considered the property of their fathers or their husbands and had to do
what they were told. Once, the king
had a huge banquet for all his royal advisors and important people in the
kingdom. His wife gave a banquet in
another part of the palace for all the women.
One of the guests at the King’s banquet said… Banquet
guest:
King Ahasuerus, I hear that your wife, Queen Vashti, is very beautiful.
I would like to see her. Command
her to leave what she is doing and come here so we can check her out! King
Ahasuerus:
I will do that. Guards, go tell my
queen to stop what she is doing and come in hear so my guests can look at her. Narrator 2:
When the Queen heard the message she said…
Queen Vashti:
I am tired of being ordered around and treated like I’m not a real person.
Tell the king I will not come just so he can show me off like a piece of
property. Narrator 2:
When the King heard what the Queen had said, he became very angry and consulted
all his advisors about what to do to punish the Queen.
He called her before him and said… King Ahasuerus:
Because you have disobeyed me, I will banish you from the palace and replace you
as queen. Narrator 3:
So Queen Vashti left and the King called messengers together. King Ahasuerus:
Search all over the country for unmarried girls. I am looking for a new Queen. Narrator 1:
So girls from all over the kingdom were brought before the King so that he could
choose. There was a girl named Esther who lived with her Uncle
Mordecai. Her Uncle said to her… Mordecai:
Esther,
since you are a young unmarried woman they want you to go before the king who is
looking for a new wife. You know
that we are not from Persia. We are Jewish, and many people in this country
don’t like Jews because our customs are different from theirs, particularly
our worship of God. So please
don’t tell anyone you are Jewish. Esther:
But Uncle Mordecai, wouldn’t that be lying?
Why should I pretend I’m not Jewish? Mordecai:
Because it would be very dangerous for you to let them know, and I will not be
there all the time to protect you. Esther:
I will do as you say because I know you are worried about my safety. Narrator 2:
So Esther went to the palace and of all the young women in the kingdom, the King
liked her the best and made her the new queen. Narrator 3:
Esther’s Uncle, Mordecai, came to the palace gate everyday to get news of his
niece and make sure she was safe. The
King had an advisor named Haman who was just below the King in power.
Haman wanted everyone to bow down to him like they did to the King.
One day Haman was at the gate of the palace and everyone bowed down to
him except Mordecai. Haman was angry and said to Mordecai… Haman: You, what’s your name? Mordecai: Mordecai. Haman: Why aren’t you bowing down to me like everyone
else? Mordecai:
Because I believe that the only one you should bow down to is God. It is part of
my religious beliefs as a Jew. Narrator 1:
Haman went to the King and said… Haman:
King Ahasuerus, there is a group of people in our kingdom called Jews.
They will not bow down and worship us. They will only bow down to their
God. I think they are troublemakers
and should be killed. Narrator 2:
The King agreed and gave Haman the power to send out a decree throughout the
kingdom saying that in a month all the Jews who were left in the land would be
killed. Narrator 3:
When Mordecai heard this, he put on sackcloth and ashes and began crying and
wailing in front of the palace. Queen Esther heard what her uncle was doing and
came to him. Esther:
Uncle Mordecai, what’s wrong? Mordecai:
Your husband, the King, has ordered that everyone who is Jewish be killed in a
month. You must go to the King and
beg for the lives of our people. Esther:
Uncle Mordecai, everyone knows that if anyone goes before the King
without being called first, the King could put them to death.
The only thing that can save them is if the King holds out the Royal
Golden Scepter and spares them their lives. Mordecai:
If the King is going to let Haman kill all the Jews, they will kill you as well.
Maybe God made you Queen so that you could save your people. Esther:
Go and tell all our people that I will go to the King and beg him to save us.
Have them all fast and pray for me for three days and then I will go.
All my maids and I will also fast and pray for three days before I go. Narrator: So
on the third day Esther put on her best clothing and went to the King.
Everyone knew the King had not called for her, so they were sure he was
going to have her killed. But
instead he said… King Ahasuerus: Esther,
you know that no one is to come before me unless I have called for them.
But I will pardon you. Why
have you risked death to come and see me? I
will grant whatever you ask. Esther:
If it pleases the King, let the King and his advisor, Haman, come today to a
banquet I have prepared for you. King Ahasuerus: Guards
go call Haman and we will go to the banquet that Esther has prepared for us. Narrator 2:
So the King and Haman went to the banquet, and they ate and drank good food and
fine wine that Esther had prepared. King Ahasuerus:
Now, Queen Esther, tell me what you want and I will give it to you. Esther:
If I have won favor with you, O King, please give me my life and the lives of my
people. King
Ahasuerus: What do
you mean? Esther: Someone in your court hates my people and wants all
of us killed. King
Ahasuerus: Who is
the person who hates you and your people? Esther:
It is Haman. He told you my people were troublemakers and to have us
killed. If you kill my people, you
will also have to kill me. King Ahasuerus:
I cannot cancel the order that Haman sealed with my royal ring.
But I will send out a second order declaring that the killing be for one
specified day only, and for that day to be exactly one month from today. That will give your people time to plan, prepare, and protect
themselves. Narrator 3:
And so the brave Esther saved her people from being destroyed THE ENDDeepening Faith: Youth Ministry Resources and Some Miscellaneous Advice Rev. Lizann Bassham, Front Porch Spirit Press Copyright © 2001
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