Lesson 26: A legacy forever

Read Esther 9 and 10

Queen Esther told the king how she and her people had been sentenced to die. The king had left the room in anger to try to find a way to defeat his own law. Haman, in desperation, came to Esther to beg for mercy, but in his fear, he came too close to Esther – so when the king returned to the room he thought Haman was trying to hurt Queen Esther. The king immediately demanded Haman’s death and one of Esther’s servants suggested to the king that Haman should be hung on the gallows he had built for Mordecai. The king agreed, and Haman died on his own instrument of death.

The king could not disobey his own law, and the date had been set for anyone in the kingdom to kill any Jewish person they could find. But God gave the king the way out – the law did not state that the Jews were not allowed to defend themselves against these attacks!

The king immediately issued another decree that the Jews should defend themselves against the attacks on the two days they would be attacked. He also made Mordecai his new “chief of staff” in place of Haman. A celebration, called the Feast of Purim, began on the day after the attacks, and is still celebrated today by the Jewish people. Even though the king had given permission for the Jewish people who defended themselves from these assaults to also plunder the belongings of the people they killed in self-defense, the Jewish people did not take anything from them. Their celebration today remains a praise to God for deliverance from the hands of their enemies.


*What do you want to be remembered for in years to come, when you are gone from this world?

We might want to be famous for our skills or gifts – such as painting or singing or a sport we could play. We might want to be remembered for how much we had – money or knowledge or beautiful homes. We might want our legacy to be children or grandchildren who would remember us with love.

But the greatest thing of value for our lives is that which lasts for eternity. Jesus said that nothing we store here on earth would last forever – see Matthew 6:19-21. These same verses tell us that what we treasure most is also where our heart is. Therefore, if our greatest desires are for things here – money, job, fame, education, or even a relationship with another person – nothing of these things can last forever.

*What does heaven mean to you?

Most religions of this world teach that heaven is having everything we want, having it our way, and never having to work for anything again. If this is the heaven you desire, it will be a lonely place; there could never be another human being in the same heaven with you.

God’s Heaven is perfect relationship in perfect unity with perfect peace and love forever. This Heaven will be full of joy and fellowship with everyone else there! Our greatest eternal legacy is in those whom we have encouraged to join us in God’s Heaven!