LESSON III.—SUNDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1899.
ESTHER PLEADING FOR HER PEOPLE.
3 "And Esther spake yet again before the king, and fell down at his feet, and besought him with tears to put away the mischief of Haman the Agagite, and his device that he had devised against the Jews. 4 Then the king held out to Esther the golden scepter. So Esther arose, and stood before the king. And she said, If it please the king, and if I have found favor in his sight, and the thing seem right before the king, and I be pleasing in his eyes, let it be written to reverse the letters devised by Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote to destroy the Jews which are in 6 all the king's provinces: for how can I endure to see the evil that shall come unto my people? or how can I endure to see the destruction of my kindred? 7 Then the king Ahasuerus said unto Esther the queen and to Mordecai the Jew, Behold, I have given Esther the house of Haman, and him they have hanged upon the gallows, because he laid his hand upon the 8 Jews. Write ye also to the Jews, as it liketh you, in the king's name, and seal it with the king's ring: for the writing which is written in the king's name, and sealed with the king's ring, may no man reverse." 15 "And Mordecai went forth from the presence of the king in royal apparel of blue and white, and with a great crown of gold, and with a robe of fine linen and purple; and the city of Shushan shouted and was glad. 16 The Jews had light and 17 gladness, and joy and honor. And in every province, and in every city, whithersoever the king's commandment and his decree came, the Jews had gladness and joy, a feast and a good day. And many from among the peoples of the land became Jews; for the fear of the Jews was fallen upon them." Golden Text: "Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in Him; and He shall bring it to pass." Ps. 37:5. (1) Give the events which intervene between this and the last lesson. Note 1. (2) What did Esther further appeal to the king to do? V. 3. (3) How did the king receive her? V. 4. Note 2. (4) What particular request did she prefer? V. 5. (5) What reasons did she present? V. 6. (6) What did the king say he had given? V. 7. (7) What authority did he give her to carry out her request? V. 8. Note 3. (8) What followed? See vs. 9-14, note 3. (9) How was Mordecai honored? and how was the city of Shushan affected? V. 15. (10) How were the Jews affected? V. 16. (11) In what way did the Jews celebrate their deliverance? and how were others affected? V. 17. Note 4. (12) What lessons may we draw from this book of Esther? Note 5. 1. Our last lesson closed with chapter 3:11, with the king's grant to Haman. Then followed the royal decree for the destruction of the Jews on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month Adar, and the people were enjoined to be ready. The king and Haman drank, but Shushan was perplexed; evidently the best citizens were Jews. The weeping and mourning of the Jews, Haman's plotting and exaltation, honor to Mordecai, the revelation of Haman's treachery, the death of Haman on the gallows he had caused to be erected for Mordecai, and the giving of Haman's property to the faithful Jew, are given. Read the whole book to our lesson, which begins here. 2. The golden scepter.—A token of favor, held out to those who came into his court unsummoned. Esther's mission was dangerous. The king was wicked and fickle. He had not summoned her for a month; his love had probably cooled. It was not an uncommon thing for an Eastern monarch to kill his favorite. She took the step only after prayer by herself and people, and the king held out to her the token of favor. 3. May no man reverse.—The decree by Haman could not be reversed. The people may destroy the Jews if they will; but the king permitted Esther under royal authority to give a counter decree, as Mordecai dictated, to give the Jews permission to slay their enemies. All who were not especial enemies of the Jews of course would not slay them; and the Jews slew their enemies, under royal authority. The second decree was a practical reversal of the first, tho not technically so. 4. A feast.—Here was the beginning of the feast of Purim. See chapter 9:14, 26. Read the rest of the book. Many from among the peoples.—God made the wrath of man to praise Him. He turned all the wicked devices to bring to honest souls throughout the world the knowledge of the true God. 5. The lessons are many. Note the evils of drunkenness, licentiousness, and fickleness, as manifest in the king; of pride and selfish ambition and hatred, as seen in Haman; of virtue, as seen in Vashti; of integrity, faith, and courage on the part of Mordecai and Esther; and of God's power and wisdom to deliver, despite all the power and machinations of men.