| The story of King Xerxes is really a story of Haman’s dislike for Mordecai fuelling, so it’s fitting that this layered picture shows the outcome of Haman’s unwitting recommendation and his humiliation. It has the bonus that both Mordecai and the robe he wears are not fixed, so they can be removed to ‘tell the story’ as they are put back together again. |  |
The hero in this story is the King Xerxes who honours Mordecai’s actions. These simple game ideas can be used, or any from the ‘Purim’ set which includes Esther and Mordecai.
Spin the crown – The child must spin the crown on it’s narrow edge, complete a given task, and retrieve the crown before it falls. Use any size hoop for the crown and set the task as far away as possible. Tasks could be a simple running course, putting on clothing, moving objects from place to place or solving a simple puzzle.
Just rewards – This idea can be incorporated into any game. Play 5 minute to win it games (here’s a lit of challenges). When one person completes the challenge, or wins, move onto the next selecting a different person to start. Reward winners with a small sweet for the first, 3rd, 4th and 5th games. If the winner of the second game asks for a reward say you have heard them and thank you for the reminder. At the end sit the youngsters down and ask them to review the games, which did they enjoy more. Ask the winner of the second game how it felt not to be rewarded.
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This worksheet concentrates on the notion of honouring challenging the children to think of how they can hour those around them. It uses a series of images of professionals that serve us, asking how we can hour their work. It then has a little reminder of the phrase – the man the king delights to honour – in the form of a little puzzle.
The sheet can be done individually or as group work.
The PDF can be downloaded by clicking on the images.
| The king Xerxes is usually depicted with the sceptre that held the fate of Esther, but for this story we concentrate on the reading of the daily report, while they would have probably been scrolls, the idea that long past events can hold truth for the future, as they did for Mordecai, has a beautiful biblical echo to it. this craft takes that a bit further, using the idea of books holding treasure! |  |
If you want the teacher sheet then click HERE
Xerxes is today’s hero because he shows us the importance of Honouring
Essential Teachers notes:
The story of King Xerxes honouring Mordecai comes in 2 parts, this is the second – Mordecai’s story is the first. They are designed to be used over 2 weeks or over one longer lesson. Mordecai’s gift of loyalty links up with the Kings gift of Honouring.
Main Passage : Esther 6
Additional Passages : Esther 2 and the whole book!
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Quick notes: This is probably the earliest version of ‘the bachelor’ game. These women had a full year of beauty treatments, Hegai would have been the shows presenter, and surprise-surprise, his favoured choice won! But, Esther is said to have pleased him, and won his favour, not a phrase about simply outward beauty but about character. The women were richly rewarded however, being able to claim palace treasures in the form of adornments for their time with the king. Esther is a testament to listening to good advice, for her not to chose riches when she went to see the king but rather to take only what was advised was a great restraint on her part and a great sign on wisdom. Esther is was not a Jewish name, but a rouse to help her conceal her Jewish identity, the name Hadassah would have given the game away far too soon. Concealed identities is a common theme to the modern day Purim celebrations where people dress in costume. As the famous verse echo’s ‘for such a time as this’, we too have a plan and a purpose for our lives. However glamorous it sounds, being queen in a foreign land, denying your Jewishness, and concealing your true name doesn’t sound like a good place to be if you want God to use you. This story is a call out to all those of us who feel like we’re feel trapped in secularism and those of us who feel like it would be easier to make a difference if we had a greater need presented to us. There is a modern movie about this story called ‘A night with the king’. |
Names you need to know
The King – Xerxes or Ahasuerus in the Hebrew (but may have been Darius)
Haman – the baddie, Agagite and therefore a sworn enemy of the Jewish nation
Modecai – wise kind uncle, had a position at the palace, devote Jew
Esther – also called Hadassah, young, beautiful, virginal
Hegai – king’s eunuch, in-charge of the harem of women
Historical significance
There is great debate about weather this is indeed a true tale or one that was used to proselytise a Persian celebration and surrounding story. The names of the characters are surprisingly similar to localised deities of the time. While scholars debated the acts of Esther, the powers that be agreed to allow it to continue as a minor Jewish feast. On the 13th day of Adar the celebration of Purim continues.
Who the king in the story really is has also been widely debated. Most modern translations use the name Xerxes though some retain the Jewish choice of Ahasuerus. Equally the text about Mordecai being brought into captivity is ambiguous, dependant on the reading of the text he could be over 100 years old, have the same name as his ancestor, or it may have been the names meaning misconstrued to refer to ‘servant of God’. Mordecai probably worked within the palace, to be at the kings gate is an indication of this.
Haman is an Agagite, a descendant of the Amalekites. This tribe of people have a long history of attacking the Jewish nation, sometimes alone and sometimes teaming up with other nations. As early as the book of Exodus (chapter 17), the word is given that God will ‘blot out the name’ of Agag (the traditional name of the leader of the Amalekites). Even modern day Purim traditions decree making loud noises to cover the name of Haman when the story of Esther is read.
Mordecai is described as a descendant of the king Saul. This is supposed to bring your mind back to the war where Saul fought the Amalakites. Saul is commanded to commit complete genocide, every man woman and infant alongside all their livestock is to be wiped out. Saul disobeys and this decision loses his favour with God and his kingship. Within the story Haman is portrayed as a direct descendant from Agag (the Amalekite king), bitter at the Jewish nation for the destruction of his people, and leaving Mordecai and Esther to do what Saul could not.
Each hero’s page set contains a high quality graphic of the character, a take home bible card and a colouring page.
The images are displayed small here, click on the image you wish to have, then save the image that loads.
(Please note : these images have no watermark but are not copyright free, they are only intended for classroom use.)
King Xerxes is part of a three character lesson which includes Esther and the Mordecai.
If you would like the king’s cards with a different name then let me know.
English
Other Hero Graphics for the Esther series
German
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