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130   THE CONVENTION TEACHER

the same, yearly, That this day of triumph should not be over-looked or forgotten they seek a festival to be observed yearly on the fourteenth day of the last month of the year. They must keep in remembrance the months that were past, even the days when God preserved them. They kept two days together as thanksgiving days, and did not think that too much to spend in praising God. They did not keep the days when they fought but when they rested; on the fourteenth day the country Jews rested and on the fifteenth those in Shushan, and both of these they kept. The Sabbath was appointed, not on the day that God finished His work, but on the day that He rested from it. The modern Jews observed the thirteenth day; the day appointed for their destruction as a fasting day, grounding on the matters of their fasting and joy. But that refers to what was in the day of their distress (Ch. 4:3, 16) which was not to be continued, when God had turned their fasts into joy and gladness.

(22) As the days wherein the Jews rested from their enemies, and the month which was turned unto them from sorrow to joy, and from mourning into a good day: that they should make them days of feasting and joy, and of sending portions one to another, and gifts to the poor. How was it to be observed? What was here ordered is that they should make it a day of cheerfulness, a day of feasting and joy, a feast was made for laughter. When God gives us cause to rejoice why should we not express our joy? A day of thanksgiving sending portions one to another, in token of their pleasantness and mutual respect, and their being tied by this and other public dangers and deliverances so much the closer to each other in love.

III. THE PEOPLE TRIUMPH. (VV. 26-27.) (26) Wherefore they called these days Purim after the name Pur. Therefore for all the words of this letter, and of that which they had seen concerning this matter, and which had come unto them, This triumph was called the feast of Purim from Pur, a Persian word, which signifies a lot, because Haman by lot determined this to be the time of the Jews destruction. The Lord, at whose disposal the lot is had, determined it to be the time of their triumph. The name of this festival would remind them of the sovereign dominion of the God of Israel, who served His own purposes by the foolish superstitions of the heathen, and established the prognosticators to their own craft, frustrating the tokens of the liars, and making the devourers their own enemies.

(27) The Jews ordained, and took upon them, and upon their seed, and upon all such as joined themselves unto them, so as it should not fail, that they would keep these two days according to their writing, and according to their appointed time every year. This festival was instituted, to be observed every year. It was a divine institution therefore it is not called a holy day, but a human appointment by which it was made a great day. The Jews ordained it and took it upon themselves willingly and voluntarily and took to do as they had begun, they obliged them to it by common consent. 

A QUEEN WHO WAS BRAVE

Esther was queen and she loved her people very much. But there were some people in her kingdom who did not love the Jews. Esther was a Jewess. A very wicked man had influenced the king to sign a decree that all the Jews should be put to death in the kingdom at a certain time. When the news of this terrible edict reached the queen she was much disturbed. There was but one thing for her to do. She could ask the king to make it possible for this command to be retracted or changed in some way. No one was allowed to appear before the king unless he sent for them. Whoever broke this law was very likely to be put to death. The queen knew this but she thought more of her people than she did of her own life. She made a plan and asked all her people to fast with her for three days. At the end of that time the queen presented herself to the king. He received her kindly and when she made her petition for the lives of her people, the king granted it. They were given permission to defend themselves against their enemies. Had the queen not been brave and good she could never have accomplished her desire. Our heavenly Father is always near to help us when we are brave and good.

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THE CONVENTION TEACHER   131

QUESTIONS ON THE LESSON

1. How did Esther arrange to help the people?
2. How did Esther become queen?
3. Why was the feast named for Esther?
4. How was the loyalty of the queen shown?
5. How can we imitate zeal of Esther?
6. What is true courage?

Lights on the Lesson
By REV. BERNARD O. BYRD, D. D.

LIGHT NO. 1-Esther is the Persian name given to a beautiful Jewish girl whose attractiveness won for her the queenship with Ahasuerus the king.

LIGHT NO. 2-Haman, who was envious of Esther's cousin Mordecai because of the office he held in the kingdom. This official position might have been engineered by Esther as a repayment for the kindness received from Mordecai who took her, an orphan girl and raised her to womanhood. The enmity of Haman towards Mordecai was so great that he sought to engineer the signing of a decree by the king, providing for the killing of all Jews, mostly that he might get Mordecai.

LIGHT NO. 3-It seems that they were either ignorant of the fact or overlooking the fact that Esther also was Jewish.

LIGHT NO. 4-Customary laws of kingdoms provided for extreme punishment to persons who approached the king without invitation or permission. Esther took advantage of her beauty as she risked her life to save her people, and herself.

Editorial Reflections
By REV. S. A. PLEASANTS, D. D.

When any matter that brings any of God's chosen into trouble comes to them, instead of taking it to those who cannot help, take it always to the higher powers. In order to do this properly, the ones in trouble should take it first to our Father in prayer, and get His directions on it. Never any trouble, even the greatest known to man, but God, the Power That is above all, will gladly tell whoever comes to Him what to do. 

Here we have the Jews threatened to be destroyed, because of hatred in the heart, brought on by one, who hated one individual in a group, who would not bow to his dictates. The devil in men will destroy a whole people just to wreak vengeance on one he hates. Even though a decree is procured to destroy any people, and it is thought that it cannot be changed, when any people will do what God commands them to do brings on a change, it will be done as God wills it, and not as man and the devil want. This is God's world, and man and the devil cannot run it when God says not.

Esther the Queen, and Mordecai did what was put in their hearts by the Holy Spirit, and they and their people were saved by our Father. "God moves in a mysterious way His wonders to perform." Here he put Esther in the heart of the King to be chosen as Queen. She was a Jewish woman, and in the right place to help save her people. To begin with, the thought of such a thing did not enter her heart, nor the King's, but God knew, and it was He that prepared the way in this to carry out His purpose. She did not conduct herself in the on going of her life, that the providence of God would fail, but allowed herself to follow Divine directions, and here is the place now to fail or succeed. She did not allow her past record to be her failure here, but so lived with God, and conducted her life with the people, that the Lord was pleased to grant their request. As said of Esther, so of Mordecai.

With joy in their hearts, and praises to our Father, on their tongues, they set aside a time to keep an annual feast to praise our Father for their salvation. In all that they would do they would send portions to another, and gifts to the poor. When any people is grateful to our Father for what He does, they always prove it by doing what He wants done afterward. 

The preparations, made by Haman to destroy the Jews, were used for him and his sons. To prepare for the downfall of others put in the heart by the Devil, is but a preparation for our own, and those who are allied with us in our tricks. This lesson here should make all who can think rightly, to so live with God, and humanity, that we would never do evil to any one.