Middletown transcript., 1899-10-14
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON III, FOURTH QUARTER, INTER
NATIONAL SERIES. OCT. 10.

NAltOtNS46 0GntESs OGbs bOs
Tezt of the Lesson, Est. via, S-S, rs
17-Memory Verses, 15-1y = GoIden
Text, Ps. xxxvil, s. Commentary
Prepared by the Rev. ID. N. stearns.
copyright, 1899. by D. NJ. stearns.1
3. "And Esther spake vet again before
the king and fell down at his feet and be-
sought him with tears to put away the
mischief of Haman, the Agagite, and his
device that he had devised against the
Jews" The topic is Esther pleading for
her people, but this and the following
chapters are only t conclusion OF the
story Of Gods overthrow OF Haman and
his plot through Esther and Mordecai.
The kings sleepless night, his request for
the book OF records, his hearing there
from that Mordecai had saved his life,
and no honor had been conferred upon
him for it; Haman being found in the
court just then, his being called in and
asked what should be done for the man
whom the king delighteth TO honor, his
answer, thinking that it meant himself;
his being compelled to do this for the man
whom he had hoped to hang on the gal
lows he had caused to be made and his
being hanged himself on the same gal
lows so soon afterward all give a most
striking illustration Of one falling into
the pit he had digged for another.
4. ''Then the king held out the golden
scepter toward Esther. So Esther arose
and stood before the king" So had the
king done when Esther came the first
time, and he had said to her at that time:
What wilt thou, Queen Esther, and
what is thy request? 1t shall be even
given thee to the half Of the kingdom
(chapter v, 2, 81. II any one came to the
king without being called and the golden
scepter was not held out to them, 1t
meant death to the one thus intruding
(chapter iy, III. How unspeakably great
is the privilege OF every sinner to come
to God through Jesus Christ, sure that
he will not be cast out John iii, 10; Rev.
xii, II; John vi, 80 and OF every saint
to come as often as he will, relying upon
the promises In John xiv, Is, IA!
5. "And said, II it please the king, and
if have found favor In his sight, and the
thing seem right before the king, and be
pleasing in his eyes, let it be written to
reverse the letters devised by Haman."
These letters, the verse goes on to say,
were written to destroy the Jews In all
the kings provinces, and for the lives Of /
these Jews Esther was pleading. Moses
and Samuel are two of the greatest inter-
cessors on record among mere men, but
there came time in Israel's history when
even such intercession as theirs would
not avail Ger. XIV, u. In answering one
Of Moses prayers the Lord said unto
him, / viii do this thing also that thou
hast spoken, for thou hast found grace In |
my sight. and know thee by name Ex. 1
xxxiii, ID.
6. "For how can i endure to see the |
evil that shall come unto my people, or |
how can endure to see the destruction 4
Of my kindred?" Consider the sorrow OF 4
heart and intercession of Moses, Nehe- |
miah, Daniel and Paul eek, xxxii, 80;
Neh. ix; Dan. *: Rom. X, 1-3). Consid- |
er Jeremiah also as he suffers with his 1
people in their sorrows because of their l
sins Liam. l. IL, 10, and as we think Of |
our Lord actually taking our place and /
bearing our sins In His own body may /
Jeremiah,s question search us, Is it moth |
ing to your
Z. "Behold have given Esther the |
house Of Haman and him they have |
hanged upon the gallows, because he laid l
his hand upon the Jews" Thus said the 4
king to Esther and to Mordecai, and In |
verses and 2 1t Is more fully stated how
Mordecai was put In Hamanss place Of /
authority and the kings ring which Ha- l
man had worn was given to Mordecai. |
To touch the people Of God is to touch /
God Himself, even as It Is written. He 4
that toucheth you toucheth the apple Of /
His eye Zach. Il, 81, and when Saul per-
secuted the Christians the Lord Jesus
said from heaven that Saul was perse-
cutting Him tActs tx, ~.
8. Write ye also for the Jews, as it /
hketh You. in the kings name and seal 1t
with the kings ring" The rest Of the
verse says that such writing so sealed
may no man reverse. A law of the Medes
and Persians once made could not be al
tered (chapter !, 10; Dan. vi, 8, IL, 15). But
as the letters which had gone forth had
given power to all the people Of the PROV
inces to kin all Jews, young and old, on
the 18th day of the twelfth month 1t was
possible now to send forth other letters
authorizing the Jews to be ready against
that day to avenge themselves on their
enemies, and this was done speedily
(yerses Ola: compare chapter Iii, 12-15).
10. "And Mordecai went out from the Il
presence Of the king In royal apparel Of
blue and white and with great crown |
Of gold and with a garment Of fine linen
and purple, and the city of Shuchan re-
joiced. and was glad" See also what Is
written of him in chapters tx, A; Z, 3, his
greatness In the kings house and In all
the provinces as well as among his own
people and how he was next to the king,
seeking the wealth Of his people and
speaking peace to all his seed. He makes
us think Of Joseph and his position In
Egypt and the blessing which he was |
made to his people. Both came up from
great humiliation and from the place Of
death to be pre-eminent and q source OF
blessing to multitudes.
10. 1.-THE Jews had light and gIadness
and joy and honor The first half OF the
next verse says that this was the case In
every province and city where the kings
commandment and decree came. Had
Mordecai bowed to Haman this would
not have been, but because he was faith If
full to his God. like Joseph and Daniel
and his friends, he, like they, was great
ly blessed and honored and made bless
ing to many. All are typical OF Him
through whom alone true Joy and honor
and gladness comes, the only light OF the
world.
II. "And many OF the people OF the Il
land became Jews, for the fear OF the
Jews fell upon them" 50 We are re-
minded that when the glory OF the Lord
shall be seen upon Israel In the latter
days all nations shall through them be
blessed and that people out of alI nations
shall take hold OF q Jew, saying, We win
80 with you. Tor God u with y0u, and al
nations shall go up 20 Jerusalem from
year to year TO worship the Lord Of hosts
lisa. X, 1-3; Zach. viii %: NV. 161s IL
was very evident Ii this case that Col /,
was with the Jews. and thcrrfose the !
people turned to them. When the Phil
istines came % Isaac. desiring to have
lis favor, the reason fhey gave wns. NE
saw certainly thnt tha Lord waS with