The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1905-11-03
Esther Pleading
for Her People
s,0d,y school Lesson Tor Nov. Q. 1905
spseialy Fls9ared for This Paper.


.rs before Ezra came TO Jerusalem. Tho
t.tos OF interest IN connection with the
,.sson are Reign Of Ahasuerus (AerHes)
a. as The great feast u. &. RS.
Esther made queen, b. G. i79. Esther saves
formation. y q. 49,
PACE shushan, the winter palac. OF
,te Persian empire. about 200 miles south
n cas-, from Babylon.
Comment and Suggestive Thought.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Book OF
Esther The author Is unknown, but
must have been some one living in
the heart Of Persia, man who was
intimately acquainted with the seen.
ery no describes. Prof. Adeney.
The date OF writing is also unknown.
Prof Sayce places II at b. C. 425.
Tie saws that the minuteness Of ce
f9l shows that the author lived Dc.
fore the overthrow OF the Persian
p0wcr. b. C. 331 Some place the date
slim later. The Great Feast al
Smshan. The Ahasuerus OF Esther
has been Identified almost beyond
doubt with Xerxes, the famous son
and success sor OF Darius Hystaspes OF
our last lesson. lie reigned over near
liz all Asia and in his first years, ass.
asa. he conquered Egypt. But Greece
was still unconquered. Xerxes, there
FORE determined ito lay bridge over
the Hellespont. and to transport an
army into Greece to punish the
Athenians" for their defeat OF his IA.
thcr Darius at Marathon. For this
..r.,ra Xarxoc oc.ordfnU IN Harodo~
rus. held a great assembly OF the
noblest Persians. TO arrange for the ex
pedlion against Greece. II Is prob
able that this was the feast described
In the first chapter OF Esther as TAX
ing place in Susa. IL was at this
feast that Ahasuerus. in his drunken
excitement. insultingly commanded
his queen vashti 10 come into this
reckless assembly OF men TO show
OF her royal beauty, thus outraging
the most sacred rules Of oriental ell
Quette She refused 10 obey, and, as
a consequence. the king deposed her
from being queen.
v IL whatsoever shall
come unto the king into the inner
court who Is not called, there is one
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-he -lust
suffer death. Except such to whom
tho King shall hold out The golden
scep-or." There was, therefore. pos
- - frRrr 20
Of me king, but with the greatest I'M
certainty as 10 how such a capricious
King would act. especially as his love
for her had cooled. The mission
NlrIecai committed 10 Esther was
one d great danger and difficulty
v l3 Then Mordeca; command
"a % answer Esther" He gives four
reasons why Esther should undertake
the mission. C1) She could not escape
the massacre. even II she should re-
fuse 10 undergo this danger. CD She
was pr0videntially endowed with
beauty and raised to her position as
queen for this very purpose II this
wa true. God would make her sue
cessfnl II Is a blessed thing TO find
ont What one is sent into this world
for CD All her relatives would be
destroyed Every motive OF patriotism
and religion urged her on. ca Then
a great privilege was presented 10 her.
such an opportunity as seldom falls
20 tho lot OF anyone. The work Is
certain TO be accomplished in some
way but the Joy and blessing Of doing
L Is offered TO Esther.
49, Then Esther babe them re-
turn answer" She accepted
the dangerous mission, but she went
about her work in the wisest and most
skllful way % Religious prepare
ton l6. Neither eat nor drink
three days" Fasting implies prayer,
earnestness. confession OF sin, be
lief in God. an intense desire to be
fitted 10 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
GU She used every means within her
power
Oh 5. V. !. Esther put on her royal
apparel" She was sensible, practical
woman. and used her beauty and
charm of person and of dress to &C
complish her object.
,. The king held out
the golden scepter:" The sign that
ne 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 Q
feast by delays that keyed up the
kings curiosity to the highest pitch
and gave her and Mordecai time &
make the wiscst plans for overcoming
the interchangeable law OF the Medel
ana Persians. ti She was aided by
the strange providence OF the king
sieeplcss night. and the consequent be
havior OF Hannah.
Application.
Great crises. great trials. great dan
GERS, have mission in the building
up OF every nation. They awaken