$10,000 PYRAMID

The title of this blog tells my age.  I think it is now the $100,000 Pyramid.

Our Sunday School class is studying the Book of Esther.  If you like a good mystery, this is the book for you.  Who done it?  Secrets!  Lies and hate.  This book has it all.  How will it end?  Will the good Queen save the day?

We were ready to begin chapter four.  The lesson was prepared.  I had answered the questions and had thrown in a few extra.  Hey, I don’t want the class to be too easy.  Hubby and I were headed to church when, WHAM!  An idea on how to start the class:  A game show.  It is a good thing I was not driving.  I would have had to pull over.  When an idea hits ……

Using the $10,000 or $100,000 Pyramid as the game show of choice, I started hitting the keys.  The category:  THINGS THEY THINK.

I hate the Jews

I hate Mordecai

The King has no idea

This ring gives me power

(Answer 1)

I didn’t think he would go this far

He is evil

Should I have bowed

This is my fault

Will Esther help

(Answer 2)

Is this why I never told the king I was Jewish

Mordecai is asking a lot

Is this why I am the Queen

If I die, I die

(Answer 3)

You looked on down to the answers didn’t you?  Anyway, it was a fun way to start and generated a discussion on what would they have been thinking and feeling.

The Book of Esther is named after , duh, Esther.  A young, beautiful orphan.  Orphan… that immediately tells you she has suffered the loss of her parents and we learned she was raised by her cousin, Mordecai.  After Queen Vashti disappeared from the scene, the king got a bit lonely.  He wanted a Queen, so a search was made for a replacement.  There was no long list of qualifications.  The candidate had to be beautiful and a virgin.  Young Esther fit the bill and was taken to the palace.  That gives you the cliff notes for how the book begins.  You can read to find out the rest of the story.

The point of this week’s blog is that Esther had no idea what was going to happen.  Would she become queen?  Why had Mordecai told her not to tell anyone that she was Jewish?  And why was Haman so hateful?  Esther had no idea, but she trusted Mordecai and took his advice.  

She trusted.  Part of the class discussion has been on who to trust and why do we trust them?  Is it their reputation for honesty?  Is it a person we respect?  If so, why do we respect that person?  If you are in need of advice, where do you turn?  To the town gossip?  To someone who will hold your conversation private?  Do you take their advice?

The Book of Esther is a mystery with turns and twists in the plot.  BUT it is also a story of trust.  It is a short book.  Won’t take you long and it is so much more than the story of a beautiful queen which you heard in Sunday School all those years ago.  

ANSWERS:

1 — THINGS HAMAN THINKS

2 — THINGS MORDECAI THINKS

3 — THINGS ESTHER THINKS