Women in the Bible – Lesson 4: Esther

Practice Duration 60 minutes

Lesson developed byJill Olds and Victoria Crook

Materials Checklist

Activity 1: Play Barnga

This is a card game where everyone has different rules (and they don’t know it) and at each table they have to negotiate who is the winner, though they are not allowed to talk during the game.
After there is a “winner” or the game runs out, debrief with some questions provided in the link. What was it like to have different rules? To not be able to speak to each other about it?
The game usually discusses culture shock, but what does it mean when people have to change their own understandings/way of doing things in order to “play the game”?
If you have time/desire play again but change the rules or allow people to talk and see how things change.

Activity 2: Video

Watch this scene “Recruitment” from Ocean’s 8 together

Read the focal scripture and discuss the following questions together:

What was Esther risking, in approaching the king in this way? Should she have been more forceful, more demure?
How did Esther show her cunning, in order to save her people? How do you think she might have felt in doing this?
What types of strength do you see here, even as a woman needs to “play the game” in order to sway public policy?
How does it make you feel to hear that Esther had to function in such a way, at the risk of her own life? How is this similar or different from today?

Close the meeting in prayer (either the leader or a group member).