Middletown transcript., 1899-10-07

Text of the Lesson, Est. iii, ILL.
Memory Verses, 8, G-Golden Text,
Rom. will, 81 Commentary Pre-
pared by the Rev. D. NJ. stearns.
copyright, 1899. by D. M. Stearns.1
1. "After these things did King Ahasu-
erus promote Haman, the son of Ham
medatha, the Agagite, and advanced
him and set his seat above all the princes
that were with him." This wicked man
and other wicked men, placed in positions
Of power and authority, make us think
OF Dan. iv, IL, '"The Most High ruleth In
the kingdom of men and giveth it to
whomsoever He will and setteth up over
it the basest of men," We have seen IN
the book Of Ezra how the enemies Of God
and His people were permitted to pros
per up to certain point, but were in due
time overcome. In this book Of Esther
we see the enemy prospering wonder
fully for time, but sudden and fearful
was his downfall.
2. "And all the kings servants that
were In the kings gate bowed and rever-
enced Haman, for the king had SO COM
manded concerning him, but Mordecai
bowed not nor did him reverence" Here
Is man who, like Daniel and his friends,
fears not the face of man because he
fears God, and to an enemy Of God he
will not bow, let the result be what 1t
NAV, Because Of Amalek's rebellion
against God and His people it had been
determined to blot out the remembrance
of him from under heaven (Ex. xvii, 16;
Deut, XIV, 17-19). Had Mordecai bowed
4. hau go m O n
enemy of God, and this he would not do.
3. "Then the kings servants which
were in the kings gate said unto Nor
decai, Why transgressest thou the kings
commandments These servants knew
no king but Ahasuerus. Like the jews
in the time of Christ, they would say,
We have no king but Caesar (John xix,
15). How many who bear the name OF
Christian would have to confess IL they
spoke truly? o Lord, our God, other
Lords besides thee have dominion over US
Isa. XVI, 13). Many there are who con-
tinually break the first commandment,
Thou shalt have no other gods before me
(Ex. xx, 81. Mordecai could truthfully
say: The Lord is my lawgiver, the Lord
Is my Judge, the Lord is my king. He
will save me Qsa. xxxiii, 22).
4. "Now, it came to pass, when they
spake daily unto him and he hearkened
not unto them, that they told Haman to
see whether Mordecai's matters would
stand, for he had told them that he was
a Jew" Mordecai was established and
therefore unmoved by the continual
words of the kings servants. He believed
God, for that is the only way to be estab-
lished QI Chron. Xxx, 20; Isa. vii, 81. The
word for us Is, Be ye therefore stead
fast, unmovable, always abounding in
the work Of the Lord Il Cor. xv, 5S).
We should say with Paul: With me 1t Is
a very small thing that should be judged
of you or of mans judgment. He that
judgeth me Is the Lord q Cor. iv, 3, AZ.
5. "And when Haman saw that Nor
decai bowed not nor did him reverence
then was Haman full of wrath" Just
SO did Nebuchadnezzar act when Dan
iePs friends bowed not to him. It is all
of satan when any one wants to be wor-
SHIPPED or reverenced instead OF giving
all the glory to God. He wanted even
the Son Of God to worship him (Math. iv,
81, and his followers have the same spir-
it, making out that they are some great
ones to whom others must bow down
(Acts v, SO; viii, 81. This spirit, which
has been so fully seen since they said at
Babel, Let us make US a name (Gen.
d, a., shall be finally and most fully seen
In the antichrist or man of sin, or law
less one of the last days dan. Il, S6, 81;
II Thess. II, 4, 8, etc..
6. Sand he thought scorn to lay hands
on Mordecai alone, wherefore Ha-
man sought to destroy all the Jews"
Death is the devils weapon (Hab. Il, 14).
Therefore Cain killed Abel, Pharaoh kill
ed the male children Of Israel, Herod
killed the babes in Bethlehem, and so 1t
goes and will 60 till the last enemy, death,
shall be destroyed q Cor. xv, 26. 1t is
| the nature Of the wicked to watch the
| righteous and seek to slay him, but the
Lord will not suffer it unless it is for the
| highest good and greatest glory Of the
righteous (Ps. xxxvii, 80, 33.
Z. It would seem from this verse, when
| compared with chapter tx, "a, that for
| about year Haman was plotting and
| planning the destruction Of the Jews. It
/ Is said Of the wicked that they devise
| mischief upon their beds and set them
| selves in a way that is not good (Ps.
xxxvi, Al. 1t is bad enough when enc
mics speak evil Of us, whisper together
| against us and devise our hurt, but it is
worse il those who were our familiar
friends turn against us, yet even that is
but phase Of our fellowship with Christ
| Cps. xii, 80; John XIV, 20, 21).
8. "And Haman said unto King Ahas-
uerus, There Is certain people scattered
abroad and dispersed among the people In
all the provinces Of the kingdom, and
their laws are diverse from all people;
neither keep they the kings laws. There
fore 1t Is not for the kings profit to
suffer them" Thus were the Jews SLAM
dered to the king when the temple was
being builded Gee. vi, II, 13). The testi-
| mony against Paul and Silas was, These
| men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble
| our city and teach customs which are
/ not lawful for us to receive, neither to
| observe, being Romans (Acts xvi, 20,
| 21). But nothing was ever said about
any one quite SO bad as that which our
Lords enemies said about Him, the pure
and holy Lamb Of God.
0. "If it please the king, let it be writ
ten that they may be destroyed, and |
will pay 10000 talents Of silver to the
hands Of those that have the charge of
the business to bring 1t into the kings
treasures" What truly devilish plot
this was to destroy thousands OF people
SO as to be avenged upon Mordecai!
10.s"And the king took his ring from
his hand and gave 1t unto Haman, the
son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the
Jews enemy" Thus the doom OF the
Jews seemed about to be accomplished by
their enemy, but God was watching and
saying: Thus far shalt thou come. Kings
and rulers may set themselves and take
counsel together against the anointed 81
the Lord, but He that sitteth In the heav.
ems shall laugh. The Lord shall have
them in division CPS. II, 1-4).
| IL. And the king said unto Haman,
The silver Is given to thee, the people
also, to do with them as 1t seemeth good
! to thee Shall God allow His peonle
\ fhus n he given into kha hard ~ fka -.