Los Angeles herald., 1909-03-01
PRIDE. HUMBLED AND
THE LOWLY EXALTED
REV. J. w. SH0AFF TELLS OF
CHRONICLE OF ESTHER
Declares Charge That Book Which
Treats of Ancient Persia Is With
out Religious Purpose Is
Groundless

Last evening Rev. ]. w. Shoaff, D. D..
pastor of Trinity Methodist Episcopal
church, south, South Grand avenue and
West Ninth street. began series of
lectures on the Life and Times OF
Queen Esther, or the Drama of Provi-
dence."
The speaker in entering on this series
said in part:
"The book of Esther is marked by
positive individuality, both as to its
structure and contents. AS narrative
it affords a most striking contrast with
the book OF Ruth. In Ruth we have
an idyl; in Esther, a chronicle. The
former relates to humble persons and
rural scenes, the latter to kings and
queens and a great oriental metropo-
lis. In the one we have the story OF
family, in the other we have an event
full period in the history of people
which deals with the intrigues of a
court and the policy of a state.
1.-THE charge that the book is with
out a religious purpose is groundless.
While Gods name does not appear in
the production, yet his unseen pres
ence confronts us at every turn AS we
study the ground plot of the book, we
are taught how God humbles the
proud and eXalts the lowly. Moreover,
great deliverance is wrought and
while the means employed are human,
the deliverance itself is divine. Shusan,
the scene of the chief events recorded
in the story before us, was the seat of
the magnificent royal palace rendered
famous by the feast given by Ahasue-
rus.
1,af haf
us are the Mede-P Persian king himself;
Queen Vashti, the victim of heartless
despotism; Haman, the embodiment of
proud, imperious. relentless selfshness:
Hadassah, the myrtle, who is to be
known through the ages as Esther the
star, and Mordecai, one of the greatest
characters that has enriched the his
tory of the Jewish people.
His Dominion Great
I'm the festal scene at Shusan the
central figure that rises before us on a
throne of splendor is Ahasuerus, the
Medo-Persian king, whose dominion ex-
tended from Ethiopia to India.
I'm the third year of his reign he
gave royal feast to all his princes
and servants, the power of Persia and
Media, at an immense cost, for hun
bred and eighty days, and then this
prodigal hospitality was extended some
days moro, to the citizens of Susa, and
all this was done that an ambitious
king might show the wealth and glory
of his kingdom and at the same time
fill the minds of the people with the
spirit of war and ambitious conquests.
Royal hospitality is often the instru-
ment for inspiring the spirit of am
bilious purpose. In this and in every
instance vain ambition despises sim
plicity. If it should stint the table, it
does it not on the ground of religious
economy, but that it may appear in
velvet gown and flashing diamonds.
VAIN ambition leads to the profiigate
waste OF wealth. Some say, it is the
duty of the rich to be eXtravagant for
the sake of the poor How often this
| false doctrine has been made the sub
terfuge for midnight revelry. Such
charity is as cold as the biting breath
of winter. and as cruel as the grave.
Real charity does not array itself in
the tawdry tinsel of earth and time.
Real charity clothes herself with hui
mility and goes forth upon her mission
in the silence and beauty of descending
morn. Mercy needs no adornment; she
is her own adornment. She sings not
her own praises; they are incarnated
in the mercy and kindness shown to
others. Mercy does not cry aloud in
the streets. With noiseless tread she
goes about doing good.
"The Shusan feast reminds us of the
transitory character of all earthly
pleasure and glory.
Thus hopes perish that hang wreaths
Around youths buoyant brow;
And joys like withered autumn leaves
Drop from the shaken bough.
But there is a feast that fills and
satisfies the hunger and thirst of the
soul, a feast as rich as heaven and as
enduring as the ages. In Christ we
have the full complement of deathless
DESIRE