The Pulpit Commentary — Esther — Section 144

cons~crnte_ his best: the l~arned ~an can bring his kno:,vledge, the wise hie sagacit:y, the rich his wealth, the titled his Tank, the fearless lua courage, the energetic hie vigou! ; the engaging woman can bring her charms, the loving her affection, the be~ut1ful her beauty .. Our God "has c_ommanded our strength " (Ps. Ixviii. 28). It 1s true that he requires of us "accordmg to that we have, not according to that we have not'' (2 Cor. viii. 12) ; but he asks of each of us the best we have to bring, and of what be has given us freely to give him and his. • II. THE SPECIAL LOVE WE OWE TO OUR OWN PEOPLE. " How can I endure to see the evil that shall come upon my people? or how can I endure to see the destruction of my kindred?" (ver. 6). Our Lord had on more than one occasion to teach that the affec• tion of ordinary human friendship toward himself must give place to a purely spiritual attachment. In him we form and cultivate and magnify these spiritual affinities and relationships. Yet they are not inconsistent with special interest in those to whom the bonds of nature hind us. We know how intensely strong was the feeling of the Apostle Paul toward "his brethren, his kinsmen according to the flesh'' (Rom. ix. 1-3). If 1>.•e do not wish to endure the intolerable pain of witnessing the "evil" and destruction of our own kindred, but wish for the joy of seeing them "walking in the truth," we must bring all our influence to bear on their hearts in the time when we can teach them, touch them, lead them. III. THE FRAILTY OF HUMAN LAW, and, we might add, the presumption of human legislators. The decree which this great " king of kings" haci just issued was no sooner published than he wanted to reverse it. He and his brother kings, indeed, professed that the law of the Medes and Persians altered not ( ch.i. 19), and when Esther came with her petition, Ahasuerus declared that what was "written in the king's name, and sealed with the king's ring, may no man reverse" (ver. 8). Technically and formally it was so ; in part it was so truly. But in substance this was but a ,ain pretence. Measures were instantly taken to reduce the former decree to a nullity. Much of the most beneficent legislation of later years has been the undoing of what former acts had done, the repealing of old and evil laws. Solemnly and with ,dl the forms of state we enact, and then, a few years on, with the same solemnity we repeal. Such are the laws of man. . IV. THE IRREPARABLENESS OF HUMAN FOLLY (vers. 9-14). King Ahasuerue might hang Haman with great promptitude ; a word from him, and the exeoutioners were ready with willing hands ; but he could not easily UDdo the evil work of his favourite. That bad man's work left dark shadows behind. He himself was disposed of, but what of the decree he had been the mea.ns of passing? That could not be quickly reversed, or its effects removed. The custom, if not the constitution, ad. mitted of no formal repeal. Consequently the most energetic measures had to be taken to prevent a general massacre. The king's scribes bad to be called together (ver. 9); letters bad to be written in every language and sent to every province in the empire (ver. 9) ; horses had to be pressed into the service (ver. 10) ; and then all that coulq. be done was to sanction and encourage a stout resistance on the part of the Jews when they were attacked: they were" to stand for their life, to destroy, to slay," &c; (ver. 11). This, no doubt, led to severe and fatal strife in some, if not in many, places. In truth, the king could n:>t wholly undo what his thoughtless folly and excessive confidence had done. We never can wholly wipe out the evil consequencu of our jolly and our sin. We may do much to counteract, but we cannot wholly remove. Godlessness, selfishness, worldliness, vice, error, in former years. these have left their traces on our hearts and lives, and on those of others also, and all the waters of all the seas cannot wash them out. Sin may be forgiven, folly may be pardoned, but their miserable consequences flow on-who shall say how far ?-in a polluting stream. It does not take a royal hand to do what is irreparable. The hand of a little child is strong enough for that.-C. Vera. 15-17.-Sumliine. We have in this passage- . I. A FLASH OF HONOUR TO AN INDIVIDUAL (ver. 15). Mordecai goes forth, grandly attired, coronet on head, the recipient of highest royal favour, receiving also the honour of the acclaiming populace. He would not have been human if ho had no~ enjoyed bia triumph. Perhaps Oriental human nature counted such a public ceremony OH. VIII. 1-17.] THE BOOK OF ESTHEI.. 1.51