The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-02-21

Eunday-School Lesson for Feb. %, 1885,
NEHEMIAH's PRAyER-Neh. !. ILL.
GOLDEN TExT-Give us help from trouble, for vain
Is the help OF man.--Psa. cviil, LIZ
The progress Of the nation after the building
Of the second temple was very slow. This re-
suited very largely from divided counsels and
Che lack OF leadership. The people who would
not accept the help offered by their own scat
tered tribes to rebuild the city and re-
establish the glory of their former worship,
slowly formed alliances and marriages
with the heather nations about them. Instead
Of one bold, united front. with clear purpose
and strong faith in God. they were broken and
divided, so that ''the feeble Jews" became by
word to their neighbors. Neh. iv, 2 The Sec
cnd temple had been completed seventy years.
and the Jewish ritual fully established, but the
city and its walls were not rebuilt the crops had
Sften failed the people were discouraged, and
there was no brave strong leader in the land to
rouse their hopes and stimulate them to success.
Ion, God had a man in the palace Of the King at
Shushan who was to do the work We know
only little of the birth of Nehemiah, beyond the
fact that it occurred during the captivity. We
not even the tribe to which he belonged. The
legend is that he overheard by acci-
dent the sad story Of some Hebrews con-
cerning the desolations in Palestine.
Knowing their language. and being OF their
lineage, and finding by chance that one OF these
men was his own brother, he became greatly in
terested in the condition of the people and the
city OF Jerusalem The Book of Nehemiah. which
takes up the story Of Judah after Ezra, was writ
ten by Nehemiah, aud it gives an account Of the
rebuilding of the walls and gates of the city, the
organization Of the community on a better social
and political basis, and history of the reforms
instituted by him in the country TO make the
Bible record more real and life like, it would be
.. AhAu 60 rsxxn AhA hnIo nc
Bome idea Of the times and heroes of other
lions who lived at this period. If we date this
lesson at AS B. c., Herodotus. the historian,
was writing the first great history outside the
Bible. Pericles ruled and Socrates taught In
Greece. The great battles of Salamis and
Thermopylse were fought only few years be-
fore.
LESSONS FOR EVERYDAY LIFE.
/. The story of the souls renewal The
Book of nehemiah contains the story OF the re-
building of the city, and every step of it is
capable Of spiritual meaning. It is probable
that Bunyan got his idea Of his allegory man
SOUP from this book. This is q good lesson to
use with those who may have wandered, and
who have desire to be restored to Gods favor.
God has somewhere, for every great emer-
gency of the church. man like Nehemiah who
comes to the front at the right time. study
Of his character.
3. A splendid illustration Of the God who
keepeth covenant and mercy to all generations.
have not given to in the text of the lesson the
fact that the prayer was answered. But it was,
and in way that shows Us the real power of
faithful petition.
s. One can be faithful to the king in high
worldly place and yet be true to God and His
weak and suffering church. Too many men at
such q time forget their vows to God and neg
lect the church.
THE GREAT TEACHING.
l. For Belief-One of the hardest things to
believe is in the possible renewal and restoration
Of . thoroughly fallen. depraved soul. There
seems to be nothing in it to build on or to take
hold Of. We need frequent lessons to teach us
that Gods grace is equal to mans largest needs.
We want to get sinners to look at themselves
long enough to despair, and then to Jesus for
hope.
z For Practice--The above teaching stand
ing alone puts the whole question on God. But
side by side with that truth ia this other one,
that Christians have great deal to do in getting
men to look to Jesus. Our persistent prayers
do not so much move God, they do not make
Him more willing stir Him to do the things
He would not otherwise do but they do react
upon ourselves, and there come to us ways in
which we can answer our own prayers. But the
thought and the feeling are from God. He
works in the idea; we work it out into life and
character.