The Progress., 1893-02-11
THE WALL REBUILT.
LESSON vn, FIRST QUARTER, INTER
NATIONAL SERIES, FEB. t9.

,-s 1o-e1-GnIden Text, Nrh.
=, o-Commcntary by the Kew d. VI
Stcarns.
q ..Nevertheless we made our prayer
rnto our God, and set "A Watch "~"ih0
,bau dav and night" Nehemiah ue'eI
mines to have dealings with uod ai""''
and with men only as God may use thCin
and rive them to him. His strength - ','e
Good hand OF his God upon him and reh-
ance upon God to prosper MN chaP'er
!; 1s 2M His refuge is prayer (ch"p-
ters ii. 4; iv, 4, 81 His helpers "n"iii "oi
gave him, goldsmiths, apothecarIeS, ilei
chants. priests, rulers and their uauSh,Ti =,
Zach had a mind to work and took hold OF
the work nearest to them (chapterS H. -
~ oS. etc.:iv, o.. The enemies were those
who hated the welfare OF lsraeI anu
scorned. mocked, despised anu iough'
AGAINST the servants OF GOD IN, w. ~ w.
81 The difficulties were great the
enemy was strong. the helpers compare
tivelv few. but the God of heaven, lie
will prosper us" chapter ii, 2O) was Meme
I miahs strength.
10 And Judah said, We are not able to
/ huild the wall" The enemies without
were bad enough. but to hear the people "l
, God talk so discOuragingly was trying
indeed. The laborers' strength giving out
and the amount of work TO he done beng
considered. the men of Judah became
1 faint hearted.
II. And our adversaries said, They
/ shall not know. neither see, till we come
and cause the work to ceas..
Enemies within in the last verse, for If We
| are not helpers we are hinderers. ard u"N
/ the clenics without, who talk oi ir1-.
/ and desOlati0u. Enemies on every si1f
/ ever since satan began TO fight against Gou
and man See our marching order a. l.pn.
( Vi, II. L.; Pet. Y, 8, 8; Math. Y, 2S.
/ p And il came to pass that when the
/ Jews which dwell by them came" 1t is
| bad to live near bad neighbors or gloomy OF
| discouraged people unless by the grace OF
| God you have sunshine enough to dispei
! the clouds. Every Christian is expected to
/ be a comforter and encourager of others,
/ as when They helped every one his neigh
| bor, and every one said to his brother, BE
| of good courage" lisa. XII, O..
13. Therefore | even set the people after
| their families, with their swords, their
! spears and their bows" The people Of
/ God in the days of Israel were oft called
upon to fight. Even Abram had quite an
army of trained servants whom he could
rely upon TO 90 to battle for him Gen.
! xiv, Il, 15). But the weapons of our war
! fare are not carnal, but mighty through
| God to the pulling down of strongholds,
casting down reasonings and every high
thing that exalteth itself against the
knowledge of God, and bringing into cap
tivity every thought to the obedience of
Christ" II Cor. X, 4, 81.
II. BE not ye afraid of them; remember
the Lord" These are somewhat like the
words of Isaiah, "Who art thou that thou
shouldst be afraid of a man and forgettest
the Lord thy maker, that hath stretched
forth the heavens and laid the foundations
of the earth" Qsa. Ii, II, 13). 1t becomes us
under all circumstances to say, Behold,
God is my salvation (savior, helper, health.
delivererl; will trust and not be afraid"
lisa. xii, p
ID. God brought their counsel to naught;
we returned all of us to the wall. every
one unto his work" This last phrase is
suggestive Of the words of the Lord Jesus,
ITO every man his work" Mark xiii, 81
He has work for every member of His
body in the building up of His church, for
1--WE are His workmanship created in Christ
Jesus unto good works which God hath
before ordained prepared, margin) that we
should walk in them" (Eph. ii, lO). If we
are only ready to do whatsoever He may
appoint GI Sam. XIV, 15), lie will surely
show it to us.
10. And 1T came to pass from that time
forth that half of my servants wrought in
the work, and the other half of them held
both the spears, Shields" etc. An illus
tration Of the fact that they also serve who
only stand and wait (Milton), and suggest
i've also of the law that David made in
Israel, "As his part is that goeth down to
the battle, so shall his part be that tarrieth
by the stuff; they shall part alike" q Sam.
xxx, 2I.
IL. Every one with one of his hands
wrought in the work, and with the other
hand held a weapon" This refers to the
builders and the bearers Of burdens and is
somewhat explained by the next verse
surely this work was carried on under
great difficulties, but, as we have read.
The people had a mind to work" (verse g.
Is. For the builders every one had his
sword girded by his side, and so builded
and he that sounded the trumpet was bv
me-" Our instructions are to have our
loins girt about with truth, and to take the
sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of
God, praying always (Eph. vi, IA. II. Isl
We, too, are to be ever listening for the
trumpet, which may sound any moment to
call us to meet Him in the air q Thess iv.
10, ~, there to join Him ere He comes with
the armies of heaven as the man Of war ON
behalf of Israel (Rev. xix, IA, Is; Tx. XIV.
-. While the trumpet is silent we are TO
be ever building by winning souls unto
Him.
10. The work is great and large. and
we are separated upon the wall, one far
from another" How every statement
concerning this great work of Nehemiah
comes right to our hearts as laborers
with God in building up the church Of