The Tupelo journal., 1905-11-03
Esther Pleading
for Her People
Sunday School Lesson Tor Nov. S. 1905
Specially Prepared for This Paper.
LESSON rExr.-Esther GLOSS. Mem.
Specially Prepared for This Paper.

LESSON 4EAI.-EStuSE ~ EucAA~
! GOLDEN TExT.-"The Lord preserveth
all them that love Him 1920.
| TIME.-Forty-three years after the COM
pletion OF the temple In Il. G.. 516, and 10
years before Ezra came to Jerusalem. The
dates Of interest in connection with the
lesson are: Reign OF Ahasuerus (Xerxes)
b.. c. 1896. Tho great feast u. c. 4S3.
Esther made queen. B.. c.. 40. Esther saves
her nation. b. G. 473.
| PLACE.-Shushan. the winter palace OF
the Persian empire. about 200 miles south
OF east from Babylon.
Comment and Suggestive Thought.
| INTRODUCTORY.-The Book of
Esther.-The author is unknown, but
must have been some one Giving in
the heart OF Persia. a man who was
intimately acquainted with the seen.
cry he describes."-Prof. Adeney.
The date of writing is also unknown.
Prof. Sayce places 1t at b. C. AIS.
He says that the minuteness Of de-
tail shows that the author lived be-
fore the overthrow OF the Persian
power. B. c. 331. Some place the date
still later, The Great Feast at
Substantive Ahasuerus Of Esther
| udo UCcA lQcuIlucu diulOSL DGy Ouu
doubt with Xerxes. the famous son
and successor of Darius Hystaspes Of
our last lesson. He reigned over near.
ly all Asia, and In his first years. ass,
484. he conquered Egypt. But Greece
was still unconQuered. Xerxes. there.
fore. determined Ito lay a bridge over
the HellespOnt. and to transport an
1900 t~ rc4@~o -,-;eh thn
Athenians" for their defeat of his ia.
Their Darius at Marathon. For this
purpose Xerxes, according to Herodo-
tus. held q great assembly OF the
noblest Persians. to arrange for the ex.
petition against Greece. 1t Is prob
able that this was the feast described
in the first chapter OF Esther as TAX
ing place in Susa. 1t was at this
feast that Ahasuerus. in his drunken
excitement. insultingly commanded
his queen Vashti to come into this
reckless assembly OF men to show
of her royal beauty. thus outraging
the most sacred rules of oriental ETH
a consequence. the king deposed her
from being queen.
v. II. "Whosoever . . . shall
come unto the king into the inner
court, who Is not called. there is n
law Of his to put him to DEATH"
Rather, there Is one law for him"
Whoever he be. there is one and the
same law regarding him-hc must
suffer death. Except such to whom
the king shall hold ont he golden
scepter:" Their was. therefore. a pos
sibility OF Esther's reaching the ears
of the king, but with the greatest un-
certainty as to how such a capricious
king would act. especially as his love
for her had cooled. The mission
Mordecai committed to Esther was
one of great danger and difficulty.
". Is. Then Mordecai command.
ed to answer Esther" He gives four
reasons why Esther should undertake
the mission. % She could not escape
the massacre, even IL she should re-
fuse to undergo this danger. CD She
was ~providentially endowed with
| beauty and raised to her position as
queen for this very purpose. If this
was true, Cod would make her sue
| cessful. 1t is a blessed thing to find
| out what one is sent into this world
| for. (3) All her relatives would be
destroyed. Every motive of patriotism
and religion urged her on. ca Then
a great privilege was presented to her,
such an opportunity as seldom falls
to the lot of anyone. The work is
| certain to be accomplished in some
way, but the Joy and blessing of doing
It is offered to Esther.
IS. Then Esther babe them re-
turn answer" She accepted
| the dangerous mission. but she went
| about her work in the wisest and most
| skillful way. U) Religious prepare
| ton. 16. Neither eat nor drink
three days" Fasting implies prayer.
earnestness. confession of sin. a be-
| lief in God. an intense desire to be
| fitted to obtain the right spirit. This
was on the same principle as Christ's
| promise to His disciples when two or
| three agreed together touching any
| thing they shall ask Matt. 1919.
or She used every means within her
power.
Ch. S, ". 1. Esther put on her royal
| apparel" She was a sensible, practical
woman. and used her beauty and
| charm of person and Of dress to &C
complish her object.
v. 2. 1.-The king held out
| the golden scepter:" The sign that
he received her, and that the most
| dangerous part Of her mission was
over. But the most difficult was yet
| to come. CD She was very wise in
| her method of asking her favor, by a
| feast, by delays that Keyed up the
| kings curiosity to the highest pitch.
| and gave her and Mordecai time to
make the wisest plans for overcoming
| the Interchangeable law OF the Modes
| and Persians. ca She was aided by
| the strange providence of the kings
| s~leepless night. and the consequent be-
| havior Of Hannah.
Application.
Great crises. great trials. great dam
| gers, nave a mission in the building
up of every nation. They awaken
from spiritual lethargy; they cult
| vate a spirit of prayer, they lead to