The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1905-11-01
TIE SUNDAY SCHOOL
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS
FOR NOVEMBER S.

Subject: Esther Pleading For Her People,
Esth. w., 10 to W., 3-GoIden Text
Pisa. oxlv., 2o-Memory Verses. l3, IA
documentary on the Days Lesion.
I. Mordecai and Esther Tvs. 1919.
Mordeca1 learned Of this terrible de-
cree and sent word to Queen Esther
and asked her to intercede with the
king for the preservation Of her c
10. "Hatach." An officer appointed tv
wait on the queen. II. "All-do
know" etc. 1t was a universal rule,
known by all. The object Of this law
was to maintain both the dignity and
safety of the king. Golden sceptre."
Persian monarchs are always repre-
scented as holding a long tapering stan
in the right hand. Have not been
called" She therefore had just cause
to fear that the kings affections were
alienated from her, land that neither
her person or her petition would be &C.
ceptable to him." Oriental monarchs
were tickle and despotic. In attempt.
ing to save her people the queen must
risk everything. The ardor for the
king had for the time cooled toward
Esther, and she feared she had lost
her influence with the monarch, and
If 80 how could she hope to influence
him for the salvation of the despised'
Jews. We must not be surprised that
Esther shrank from obeying the sum-
mons of Mordecai. She proved her he
rojsm by deciding to go In unto the
king, knowing as she did the danger
IN ryhtnIr chn rvn nOranIA1 ~ Mt fYc
learn (y that it is right to carefully
estimate difficulties; () that we should
never be discouraged because there
are difficulties; 81 that those who, go
at the call of duty, in the face Of diff
cultieg, may expect divine support.
10. Think not" etc. It seems that
Esther had not been known as a jew,
but the fact would be brought to light
and in. the general slaughter she would
perish with her people? "A. f"Then will
relief and deliverance arise" (R. w
| Mordecai had strong faith that God
would not allow the Jewish nation TO
be destroyed. ""But thou" etc. You
will not escape destruction, but yoE
will lose an opportunity of saving your
people. who knoweth." God may
have put you in your present position
that you might be the means of saving
| your people in this hour of darkness.
1t is a great blessing to have some
work assigned US by God, and to see
| Gods hand in our lives. accomplishing
that work. This makes US strong, and
| renders life glorious, since 1t is a plan
| IF the almighty and all-wise God. Sew
| eral motives Influenced Esther in this
hazardous undertaking: /. She was
! in danger. 2. Mordecai's words that
leliverance would come from some
| other source and tEat she would lose
the opportunity Of saving her people.
g. The suggestion that God had
brought her to her present position that
she might be a deliverer in this terrible
hour. 4. The assurance she had that
God would give her success.
II. The three days fast Tvs. 15-10.
16. "Fast We for Me-" In My behalf.
Fasting implies humiliation, repent
ance, conservation to God, faith in
God, prayer to God. 1t was the ex-
preston, outwardly, Of the intense de-
sires of the heart. Only God could
give success to her efforts. "Three
days" It has been supposed that
Esther could not have meant an abso-
lutte ~fast-complete abstinence from
both food and drink-for so long a
period as three days; but the time in
| tended, from the evening of the first to
the morning of the third day, need not
have much exceeded thirty-six hours.
my maidens." They were probably
either Jews or pr~oselytes to- that re-
ligion. and thus would be- in sympathy
with her. eff / perish."r*I will put
forth every possible effort to save my
people even though I perish in the. at
tempt. The great danger to which
Esther was exposed will be seen more
| clearly when we consider the despotic
nature Of Xerxes. When he was on
his way to Greece he halted at Gel
aenae, a city of Phrygia, where he was
entertained by Pythias with incredible
magnifcence. Pythias even offered to
contribute some millions Of dollars to-
ward the expenses of the war. But
when PythiaS begged as q favor that,
of his five sons in the kings army, the
oldest might be left with him in his
old age, the brutal monarch went into
a rage, and caused the son to be slain
In the presence of his father. the body
to be divided into two parts, and
placed the one part on one side of the
| road, and the other on the other, and
ordered the whole army to march be.
| tween them. IT. "Mordecai went his
way" He went (1) believing. ~ obey.
ing. 81 praising.
III. Esther's success Tvs. 49,. 1.
t'The king sat-" The position of the
king was such that he could see all
who came into the court.
2. "Saw Esther" AS the king sat
upon the throne, the two were face to
face, though there was quite q distance
between them. 1t was a critical mo.
mcnt, though Esther did not forget
that "the heart of the king was in the
hand of the Lord" "Touched... -.
sceptre." This was, no doubt, the usual
way of accepting the kings favor. las
the sceptrc was the ensignOf the highest
and most absolute authority II the king.
so the queens touching it, or, as some
say, kissing it, was a token Of her sub
lection and thankfulneSS for his favor.
Thus Esther's mission was so far sue
cessful. At this time she invited the
king and Hannah 10 a banquet, though
the king doubtless understood that This
was preliminary to a request of greater
Importance. The banquet was held;
and yet Esther did not dare to present
her real request. She simply asked
her guests to come again the next day.
Then follows Humans downfall and
death and Mordecai's elevation to
power. The remaining chapters of the
hook of Esther tell us how the Jews