The Monmouth inquirer., 1926-05-13
Great Personages
of the Bible
Esther
BY
REV. LEONARD A. BARRETT

Y 4 A0n1l IdQ lcll utI CISldn
v throne, and no queen reigned in
the palace, so a decree was sent out
ordering all the fair maidens In the
land to be brought to Ahasuerus, and
out of the number Esther, Jewish
maiden of the tribe of Benjamin, the
adopted daughter of Mordecai, was
selected as Vashtis successor. Ne
jewel placed in Esthers crown shone
with a brighter luster than the star
which sparkled brilliantly in her name.
Esther, thou truly hast come in very
timely hour. Vashti brought to Ahas-
uerus a high conception of womanli-
ness and an exceedingly fine strength
Of character. Esther, thou shalt bring
more. Thou hast come in very time
~ hour.
The Jewish nation was about to-
suffer at the hands of Hannah, tH9S
prime minister. who, having been an
gered at an insult which he attributed
to Mordecai, decided to seek venge-
ance, and succeeded in securing
from the king an order which COM
manded that on a certain day the en-
tire Jewish race should be massacred.
The news reached the ears of MOrde-
cal, who abode near the residence OF
Queen Esther He sought help from
her hands and urged that she go at
once to the king and intercede in be-
half of her people She consented to
do this, but the task must be under
taken with great peril, for we read,
whatsoever, whether man or woman,
shall come unto the King into the in
ner court, who is not called, there is
one law for him, that he be put to
death, except those to whom the King
shall hold out the golden scepter, that
he may live" Esther was strong
enough and high principled enough to
run the risk, and she made her way
into the presence Of the king. There
cruelty looked into the eyes of kind
ness and love; there fickleness saw
into the depth of constancy; there
wantoness beheld restrained and mas
tered emotion; there pride viewed
humility there the debase in man saw
the depth and height of a lofty woman
~ nature All, what in that eventful
hour appealed to Ahasuerus? What
did he see in Esther that prompted
him to touch her raven hair with the
golden scepter? Was it the royal robes
she wore? Not that. Was it her
beauty-fairest Of the East? Far more
than that Ahasuerus saw in Esther
woman, and those womanly qualities
for the time mastered his capricious
and cruel nature Thus do we behold
a woman holding the balance of power
which controls the golden scepters of
the worlds history. What are you
going to do with Ahasuerus, Esther
All honor to perhaps she could
do no more, but In Esthers time the
conditions were different. There is a
battle to be won, not only the triumph
of ones individuals righteousness, but
the welfare of a nation is at stake
and thou, o woman, hast come for
just such a time as this. Esther did
not win by the method which Vashti
refused to adopt. She conquered by
that power which infused into the life
and heart of Ahasuerus those high
qualities of her own nature. 1t was
crisis In the Jewish history. Esther
won the victory. Mordecai was pro-
NOTED to a place of authority next to
the king, and the Jewish nation was
spared.
There Is crisis in our own national
conscience, and American womanhood
must win. No charm could have
brought victory to Esther at the court
of Ahasuerus, especially if she came
unbidden, except the high qualities of
her womanly nature. This will alone
raise the golden scepter. 1t is the only
thing that will ever bring into the
hands of womanhood those scepters of
masculine strength and power, which
will ever be determinative force in
the proper adjustment of our social
and economic wrongs.
The day is coming, If 1t has not al
ready come, when every married wom-
an viii have to meet this question
what win do with the man into whose
shall / bring to him. A weak, de-
pendent nature with no ambition other
han to be admired, petted and loved?
Oh woman of this new and enlightened
century, you have come for an all
important hour. and it is your woman
" character which holds the balance
of power in the molding of great
national future You have come into
the life Of today at an aIl-important
time, even as Esther came into the
life of the Jewish nation. What timer
The time when social and economic
wrongs are to be solved and mastered
by your power to bring to yourself the
touch Of the golden scepter of mascu-
line strength. What hour? An hour
when mother sends her son and
daughter into the tasks of tomorrow
with high ideals burning like beacon
lights In their hearts. 1t is woman's
high prerogative to reincarnate her
self into the life of the world through
the life work of her husband and her
child. What hour7 An hour when there
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