Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1923-06-16

Women are always stepping into
the breach and saving the day IN the
affairs of men by their silf-sacrihce.
, accidental and service. In every
emergency they come TO the front, as
they did in all the nations of the
world during the world war. They
proyed their patriotism and Demon
strated that they could help "heh
their nation was endangered. our
lesson takes us to the winter palace
Of Herxes. the Persian ruler whose
dominion extended from India to
Egypt, where an orphan Jewish exile
girl. who in the providence Of God
had been raised TO the rank of queen,
by her patriotic endeavor saved her
nation from destruction. The record
of her provioential rescue OF the Jew
ish people has made the name or
Esther revered among the Jews during
the last twenty-four centuries. Her
patriotic effort to save her nation mas
won for her unique honor In not only
having one of the books OF the Old
Testament called by her name, but In
connection with the annual feast or
Pur:m whose historical origin IL eX-
plains. she is remembered annually
If as it seems quite propaole. our
Lord honored the Feast Of Purim In
taking part in the observance or the
same, He must have credited the
national life of His people with
great and worthy mission. He must
have joined with His fellow country
men in honoring the memory OF the
patriot queen. whose life we are
called upon to survey today. The
curious providence that elevated the
orphaned Jewish maiden to her eX-
allied position came as a result OF
Nasthi's courageous refusal to COM
ply with her drunken husbands re-
quest that she commit a fragrant VIC
lation of Asiatic modesty. While
there is an absence of the name of
God from this thrilling historic mar
rative, 1t is inconceivable how one
can read the Book of Esther without
guiding and preparing the handsome
queen to save the Jewish people In
the crisis that threatened their ex-
iStence as people.
malignant plot, that had its birth
in a petty quarrel between two court
officials. threatened the Jewish race with
annihilation. The pride Of an Agagite,
Hannah. had been hurt by the refusal
Of Mordecai, the Jew: to bow before
who had been lifted into the principal
position Of influence in the nation next
to the emperor. did not consider that
the other official was prompted not by
any antipathy. although there had been
an antagonsm that was centuries old
between their races, but by Mordecafs
religious principles. There is some
thing that resembles the modern at
tacks which every follower OF Christ
breaks forth today in the racial and
religious prejudices against the race
that Graded the Christian church and
gave to them their Lord. Haman did
for his plot was a personal one against
Mordecai, who had saved the rulers
life, but he put it on apparently ma
tional expectancy, claiming that the
Jews. who had remained in Persia vol
unfairly when they were allowed to
return to the holy land to help rebuild
. the temple and restore the worship of
Jehovah, were disloyal.
Probably the selfish and unworthy
motives that prompted the prosperous
to remain in Babylon, had resulted in
their drifting easily into life Of ire
ligion and open sin. They had kept
themselves separated from the Per-
This made them to be called foreigners.
Their prosperity filled others with
jealousy. Haman took advantage Of all
these we'll known facts and distorted
them In such a manner that he OBJ
tanned the permission of xerxes to issue
an edict that threatened the complete
extinction of the whole Jewish nation.
In this dark hour that Mordecai recog-
niZed was due to Haman's personal an
taeonism to himself, the noble religious
leader clearly saw that the destiny of
his fellow countrymen rested providen-
TALLY upon Esther. who had suddenly
been lifted from the obscurity of his
home into the fierce spotlight that beat
upon those attached to the court. He
let her know of her opportunity and
duty.
Mordecai's bitter cry for help has
been echoed down the centuries, as
nation after nation have prosecuted
the Jews. The history of Gods
chosen people has been marked by a
series of tragedies. Today in our
own land they have been called upon
TO suffer because of their loyalty to
their faith. as in the days of Xerxes,
the bitterness of hostile criticism
that Is without foundation. The fact
that several men, who were born
Jews. have been the leaders in the
bolshevist ranks of modern Russia is
no reason for the bloody pogrom
that has filled the life of the modern
Hebrew with such sorrow. Hostility
born of hate reacts. The only pa
triotism that is destined to survive
Is that founded upon love that en-
ables one to help advance his country
SO that 1t can aid other lands.
When Mordecafs petition for help
reached Esther, he pointed out that
the edict must stand and that she
alone stood between her countrymen