The Story of Esther Ahn Kim

Dear friends,

In 2007 and 2009, our Providence Home Educators 7th-8th grade English class did a literature study on the Biblical book of Esther. In conjunction with this, I told them the story of a young Korean woman named Esther Ahn Kim who defied Japanese idol worship in 1939 and courageously endured the consequences. The audio presentation below, recorded during class in September 2007, is a little over 11 minutes long.

Paintings about the Story of Esther

The titles, artists, years, and links for the three paintings above are...

The Triumph of Mordecai by Pieter Pietersz Lastman, 1624

The Banquet of Esther and Ahasueras by Jan Victors 1670

The Death of Haman, unknown artist, 1372

The three paintings shown here are from the Biblical story of Esther. They are part of a literature assignment for the 7th-8th Grade English class in the school week of September 14-18, 2009. There are three more paintings that I can't copy into this blog post. Right click on the links and open new windows to see the pictures. Then write a sentence for each of the five paintings telling some details that you notice.

Ahasueras Sends Vashti Away by Marc Chagall, 1960 and Esther by Marc Chagall, 1960 Note: Marc Chagall was a Russian born Jew who settled in France. During the 1940's, an American diplomat named Harry Bingham persuaded Chagall to flee France, giving him an unauthorized visa, as he did for hundreds of others. So Chagall could certainly relate to the story of Esther rescuiing the Jews. Chagall wrote: "Ever since my earliest youth I have been fascinated by the Bible. I have always believed that it is the greatest source of poetry of all time...The Bible is an echo of nature, and this I have endeavoured to transmit.... In art everything is possible, so long as it is based on love." You can read more here: Bingham's List: Saving the Jews of Nazi France.

Haman Begging Esther for Mercy by Rembrandt van Rijn, 1655

P.S. Note the similarities between the Jan Victors painting above and the Jan Lievens painting below, which is from 1625. Jan Lievens painted at about the same time as Rembrandt (whose painting "Haman Begging Esther for Mercy" is linked above) -- and this painting by Lievens was thought to have been painted by Rembrandt until this past century. I found it an article about it in the Smithsonian Magazine March 2009 issue, which you can read on-line here: Out of Rembrandt's Shadow by Matthew Gurewitsch.

For Such A Time As This Wayne Watson @ Yahoo! Video

Esther: For Such a Time as This

ESTHER: FOR SUCH AS TIME AS THIS
Literature Study Questions

Esther 1

1. In at least three full sentences, summarize what happened in this passage and your reaction to it.

Esther 2

1. What are the positive character qualities in Mordecai's life?
2. Why didn’t Mordecai want Esther to tell anyone that she was a Jew?

Esther 3

1. What negative character qualities do you see in Haman's life?
2. What do the words homage, edict, and annihilate mean?

Esther 4

1. What is Esther’s first reaction when she found out what the problem was with Mordecai?
2. Mordecai responded with this question: “And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” What could this mean to you in the way you live your life?
3. What did Esther ultimately decide to do? What preparations did she ask Mordecai to make before this?

Esther 5

1. Why did Esther ask the king and Haman to come to a banquet instead of coming right out and telling the king her problem?
2. What is Haman’s reaction to the banquet? What is still upsetting him?

Esther 6

1. Look up these verses and tell how they apply to this story: Proverbs 16:5 & 18, Proverbs 26:27
2. Haman being forced to honor Mordecai with the very privileges he had intended for himself is a classic example of IRONY. The plot is definitely turning in this story! What is your reaction to this part of the story?

Esther 7

1. What does the king promise to Esther in verse 2?
2. What does the king think that Haman is doing when he comes back into the room?
3. Why did they cover Haman’s face?
4. Verses 9-10 bring a second irony in this story. The first one (in chapter 6) was that Mordecai received the reward the Haman had planned for himself. Tell what the second one is here.
5. In verse 10, we find that “the wrath of the king abated.” What does the word abated mean?
6. If a cubit is about 18 inches high, how many feet high is a 50 cubit gallows?

Esther 8

1. How does Esther continue to show honor to the king in his passage?
2. What is the plan for the protection of the Jews?
3. Draw a picture of Mordecai as he is described in verse 15.

Esther 9 & 10

1. The next Purim will be celebrated on February 27, 2010. What is Purim, and how is it celebrated now? You can look here for your answers: www.biblicalholidays.com/jewish_customs.htm. Click some of the links at the bottom of that page, too.
2. With information from the web site in question 1, list at least two other Jewish holidays that are still celebrated, and tell what they are about.
3. Write a full paragraph about your overall impression of the story of Esther and how it applies to your life.