The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1899-10-12
ESTHER PLEADING.
International sunday school Lesson
for October 15, 1s00-Text, Esther
ss8-S, 16-17-Memory vs.. 16-15.


Especially Arranged from Peloubet's Eotes.1
GOLDEN TExT.-Commit thy way unto
the Lord; trust also In Him, and He shall
bring 1t to pass.-Psa. N:k
READ Chapters $40
THE TIME Of the story, B. c. l73, May
or June.
PLACE.-The palace at Shushan.
, PLACE IN BIBLE H1STORY.-Between
the sixth and seventh chapters Of Ezra.
EXPLANATORY.
I. Danger to the People of God.-We
saw in our last lesson how Haman, the
prime minister of Xerxes, had succeed
ed in obtaining decree from the en-
peror for the destruction of the whole
race of Jews, including, of course, those
at Jerusalem. The whole people of God
were to be wiped of from the face Of
the earth. A Persian decree once pro-
mulgated was irreversible.
II. Queen Esther to the Rescue
Esther had been queen for four or five
years when notice was sent to her by
Mordecai of the great danger which
threatened her people, with the sug-
gestion that she intercede with the king
for their salvation. The mission COM
mitted to Esther was one of great dam
ger and difficulty. She had not been
summoned to the king for month.
Apparently his love for her had cooled,
to what degree she knew not. It was
a rule of the palace that no one unsum-
moned should come into the inner court
of the palace, on pain of death, unless
Ha Eo1y L. II. L u IL
golden scepter. From oriental customs
it is probable that women were not al
lowed in this court at all (Haley), SO
that it would be doubly dangerous for
Esther to go unlimited.
Reasons Why Esther Undertook the
Task: 1. 1t was to save her whole peo-
pie. She was patriotic. 2. She was ap-
parently the only one who could do it.
8. She was providentially endowed with
beauty and raised to her position as
queen for this very purpose. 4. She
would doubtless have perished herself
in the general massacre. This was not
only a right motive in itself, but it en-
phasized all the others, enabling her to
realize the danger and the need more
clearly than otherwise would be posi-
BILE. s. We must keep in mind the hero
ism in her girlish soul. The queen,
therefore, In attempting to save her peo-
pie, must (1) risk everything-her po-
sition, her husband, her wealth, her
life. (2) She must do it on the mere
chance that such king would look up
on her with favor. (3) "She must at
tempt, by the mere weight of personal
influence, to reverse the DEGREES of an
empire that prides itself on infallibiity
whose laws are unalterable." "a
And she must do this against the infiu-
ence Of the kings favorite, who had
easiest access and largest influence with
the monarch, and was the most power
full subject in the kingdom and the enc
my of her people. (5) She belonged to
despised race, and must reveal that
fact to the capricious king.
III. Esther's Plan.-Vs. 3-S. VI. She
asked her friends to fast three days
in her behalf. Fasting implies prayer.
confession of sin and belief in God.
This was on the same principle as
Christ's promise to His disciples when
two or three agreed together touching
anything they shall ask Matt. 1910.
V. 8. Esther spake yet again." The
execution of Haman did not save her or
her people. for the decree of Haman was
still in force. V. 4. "The king held out
the golden scepter:" The usual sign
of his favor. VS.. Reverse the letters
devised by Haman:" The former de-
cree must stand. The king could not re-
verse it as Esther proposed, but anoth-
er decree was issued which practically
annulled the former one. V. 8. write
as it liketh you:" The plan was
to give the Jews permission to stand in
t tself-defense and repel every attack, and
take possession of the property of those
who attacked them. Kings j..
SEAL"
Nv. The Deliverance.-Vs. 1917. The
rest of the book relates the result of
this decree. The Jews stood up in self
defense and large numbers of their ene-
mics were slain, including the ten sons
Of Haman, who may have thought to
revenge their fathers death on the
Jews. The king told Esther what had
been done, and asked her what more
she desired, and she asked another day
of the same, and that Haman's sons be
hanged up before the people. The de-
liverance was wonder of providential
interference. The nation was saved.
Mordecai was exalted to Haman's place.
The feast of Purim was instituted with
great feasting and joy, and has been
celebrated annually ever since the l4th
of Adar (February-March), one month
before Easter.
LESSONS FROM ESTHER
The man or the woman for the emer-
gency is forthcoming, because God, who
foresees the emergency, makes ready
for it.
One of the most interesting studies
in the story of Esther is to trace the
ways of Divine providence and see how
God makes all things work together for
the good of His people.
The religious note in the book OF
I Al y