The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1899-10-12

the Lord; trust also in Him, and He shall
bring It TO pass.-Paa 81: 5,
~; Ennt =, =, ImaplerS ,,ii ,--'' -, ~
or Trno
PLhCC.-T'he nailce at Shushan.
liECH IN BIBLE EIiTORY.-Retweeu
'"' ''N''' "''u - ''.i ."'p'o'' Vi iN'a
LANA 'Ni
l. Danger to the People of God.-We
saw III our last lesson how !Iaman, the
prime minister Of NerNcs, had succeed
ed in obtaining decree from the EN-.
peror for the destruction of the whole
race OF Jews including OF course, those
III "e'"S''eih' ne "hoic people OF Hod
were 10 pe wipe" OH from 'he lace OF
'he '"rlh' Itr'I"h "rcree once pro-
AhuIS"'eu was lrreNerSih!e.
ii. queen Esther to the Ecscue.-
Esther had beeh queen FOR four or i've
years when notice was sent to her by
Mord'cal of the great danger which
threatened her people, with the sug-
gestIon that she intercede with the king
Tor rheir salvation. The mission com
united to Esther was one of great dan
ger ana dlihcuIty. She had not been
summoned to the king for month.
Apparently ms love for her had cooled,
10 what degree she knew not. 1t was
rule OF the palace that no one unsum-
mnned should come into the inner court
OF the palace, on pain of death, unless
me hckle monarch should hold out his
golden scepter. From oriental customs
II Is prooable that women were not al
ioWcd IN inns court at all (lialey), so
that 1t would be doubly dangerous for
Esther to go uninvited.
Reasons Why Esther Undertook the
Task: l. 1t was to save her whole peo-
pie. She was patriotic. =. She was APP
parcntly the only one who could do it,
3. She was proNiGcntally endowed with
beauty and raised to her position as
queen for this very purpose. T. She
would doubtless have perished herself
IN the general massacre. This was not
only right motive in itself, but it en-
PhaSlZed all the others, enabling her TO
reali2e the danger and the need more
clearly than otherwise would be possi-
bic. .. We must keep in mind the hero
Ism IN her girlish soul. The queen,
therefore, In attempting to save her peo-
pie, must " FISK everything-her po-
sition, her husband, her wealth, her
NE. t2) She must do 1t on the mere
.chance that such king would look up
on her with favor. (3) "She must at
tempt' py the mere weight OF personal
lhhuehce' 10 reverse the DEGREES OF an
empire mat prldes itself on infallibility
-"hose laws are unalterable. l4)
Ana she must DO TINS against the lnfiu-
encc OF the kings favorite, who had
easiest access and largest influence with
me monarch, and was the most power
iui subject i'll the kingdom and the enc
my or her people. (5) She belonged to
a deSpised race, and must reveal that
Ia'' 10 'he caprlci"us KING
Ill. Esther's Plan.--Ns. 3-S. vi. She
asked her friends to fast three days
IN her behalf. Fasting implies prayer,
confession OF sin and belief in God.
Ihis was on the same principle as
Ihrlsts promise TO His disciples when
two or three agreed together touching
anything they shall ask Matt. 1S:19).
\. j. Esther Spake yet again:' The
execution of Haman did not save her or
her people for the decree of llaman was
stili in force. VI, The king held out
The golden scepter:' The usual sign
OF his favor. '. .. Reverse the letters
devised by Haman:' The former de-
cree must stand. The king could not re-
verse it as Esther proposed, but anoth-
rr decree was issued which practically
annullcd the former one. VS.. Write
&. as it liketh you:" The plan was
TO give the Jews permission to stand in
self-deicnse and repel every attack. and
take possession of the property Of those
who attacked them. kings
seal
". The Deliverance.-Ns. 1917. The
rest Of the book relates the result of
this decree. The Jews stood up in self
defense and large numbers of their enc
mics were slain, including the ten sons
Of llaman, who may have thought to