Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1899-10-14
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
LESSON Ill FOURTH QUARTER, IN
TERNATlONAL SERIES. OcTf5.

"
Itaman's Plot Against the Jews. Esther
3.1-11-Read Chapters, I-3. Commit Yer
ses Sc Golden Text: III God be For as
Who Can be Against us Rom. s:31.
The author OF the Book Of Esther 1:
unknown. Neither is there any GER
tainty as to the date of writing, nj
though it is claimed that the minute
ness of detail shows that the author
lived before the overthrow of the Per
sim power, b. G. 33I. and from thai
point of view tbs date of writing i
placed at Il. G. LID, but some place Il
at later date.
Like the history of Daniel, some OF
our higher critics tell us that II Is
at most historical romance founded
on fact. 1t is pity that these servers
of doubt are numbered among the be
levers. The very day these lines were
written duly 2Il the great leader OF
the doubters, who acknowledge that
they do not believe, passed out OF this
life to try the realities of the Other
world. AS awful as the thought is, we
believe he receivd the fate of the rlcl
man to whom Jesus referred in the
parable. He received a certain amount
of "scorching' in this world, and was
Justly denounced for spreading unbe-
lief among his fellow men; yet the
thought comes to lis, Elf he deserved
his fate what is in store for these pro
fessed friends of the Word who un
dermine the faith of others in it?
No good can come of the spirit OF
criticism. and all thoughts or state
ments that are given to show why our
lessons cannot help but do harm. II
certainly will be much better to be
mistaken in accepting lit as history
than afterwards to be shown that we
rejected as fiction that which was the
inspired word of God.
Prof. Adeney says: This book is
marvelously true to Persian manners
1t is redolent of the atmosphere OF the
court of Susa. It's accuracy in this re-
spect has been traced down to the
most minute details. The character OF
Ahasuerus is drawn to the life, point
after point in it may be matched ID
Xerxes of Heradotus."
/. after these things did King
Ahasuerus promote Haman, the son OF
Hmmedatha the Agagite and advanced
him, and set his seal above all the
princes that were with him.
Nothing further is known Of Haman
"the Agagite" is thought by some to be
a term of reproach. by Others 1t is
thought to be the name of his birth
place, while Prof. Adeney thinks It is
a later Jewish nickname, derived from
Agag. the Amalekite king. who was
hewn to pieces q Sam. Is, 81.
2. ..And all the kings servants that
were in the kings gate bowed and
reverenced Hannah: for the king had
so commanded concerning him. But
Mordecai bowed not, nor did him rev
erence.'
Curtius SAYS: '1The Persians not only
from motives Of piety, but from pfu-
dence also, worship their kings as
gods Mordecai. Jew, and an elder
cousin of Esther (who was his adopt.
ed daughter) did not bow down OF
do reverence to Hannah, for in so do
ing he would have been unfaithful to
God nd untrue to his religion. Like
Daniel and the Hebrew children, he
feared God with a loving fear more
than he dreaded an earthly potentate.
3. "Then the kings servants which
were in the kings gate said unto Nor
decai, Why transgressest thou the
kings commandments? y
ssrhe kings gate" was IAN open
space before the gate of his palace,
used as place of assembly for the
administration of justice. and for au-
diences for kings. rulers and ambassa-
doris. like the Gate of Justice in the
Alhambra. or the Sublime Porte at
Stamboul."
4. Now it came to pass. when they
1..,l Il no RI
ened not unto them. that they told
Hannah. to see whether Mordecai's
matters would stand; for he had told
them that he was a jew"
5. "And when Hannah saw that Nor
decai bowed not. nor did him rever-
ence. then was Hannah full OF wrath.
6. s'And he thought scorn to lay
hands on Mordecai alone; for they had
showed him the people of Mordecai;
wherefore Haman sought TO destroy
all the Jews that We're throughout the
kingdom of Ahasuereus, even the peo-
pie of Mordecai.'
If Haman had simply Said to Alias
uerus There is one of your menials
who persistently disobeys a royal edict
and at the same time insults me-
Ahasuerus would as matter of
course. have told him TO put the mental
to death. But the revengefui temper of
the man was such that this seemed 10
him insufficient. Mordecai had insulted
him as a Jew, and the Jews should
pay the penalty Mordecai should be
punished not only In prison. but in his
kindred, If he had any. and in his ma
ton. Some claim that it is not
reasonable to suppose this story true,
as one would attempt the destruction
of an entire nation: but massacres on
a large scale are Of common occur
ence in those parts of the world where
human life is not held in much regard,
and the caprices Of absolute monarchs
determine the course of history
T. 'In the first month THAT is. the
month Nisan). in the twelfth year Of
King Ahasuerus, they cast Pur, that
is, the lot before Hannah from day to
day and from month to month. to the
twelfth month that is, the month
Adar."
The first month was the first of the
Jewish year; corresponding to our
March. April, the middle of which is
our Easter" There were not eleven
months pa9ffnV lntS huf fhav tried