Esther the Jew, chosen to be queen; Who was the King?

The King was the Persian king Ahasuerus (Xerxes I).

Mordechai informed her of Hyman’s wicked scheme. Who was Mordechai?

Esther’s parents had both died and Mordechai was her uncle who was caring for her as his own daughter. Mordechai’s great grandfather had been taken into exile from Jerusalem when the Babylonians had invaded.

Who was Haman?

Haman was like a prime minister to the king and the king had commanded all of the kings servants bow to Haman. Mordechai refused to do this when he would see Haman at the gate, and this made Haman very angry.

What was Haman’s wicked scheme?

Because of his position he could issue decrees and orders and he got King Ahasuerus to sign an order to have all the Jewish people destroyed/killed, but the king did not actually realize what he had signed.

Esther the Queen, chose to risk her life, How and why did she risk her life?

It was dangerous to go to the king without being invited, because you could be killed if he decided he did not want to see you. She had her people praying for her and she went before the king, to reveal to him that she and all her people would be killed according to this decree.

God’s faithful to unfaithful Jews How were the Jews being unfaithful?

Many of the faithful Jews, referred to as the faithful remnant, had returned to Jerusalem when given the opportunity. Many of the Jewish people living in this Persian empire where not following God’s laws.

And kept them through the strife. What does this mean?

The king issued a decree that the Jews could defend themselves and as a result many enemies of the Jewish people were destroyed.

Check out something archeologists have found about Xerxes I palace in What the Bible Is All About Bible Handbook for Kids, p.117 and What the Bible is All About for Young Explorers, p.119.