The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-02-08
NEHElIIAH'S PRAYER.
LESSON VII, FIRST QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, FEB. ~.

LESSON VII, FIRST QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, FEB. IL.
Text of the Lesson. Neh. 4, I-II-Mem-
o-y Verses, 8. 9-GOlden Text, Ps. XXX,
1O-COmmentary by the Rev. ID. VI
Stearns.
1. THE words of Nehemiah, the son Of
Hachalah." Nehemiah (comforted of
jehovah was one Of the Jewish captives
selected by Artaxerxes. the Persian mon
arch, to fill the office of cupbearer. He ar
rived at Jerusalem about thirteen years
after Ezra was governor of Judea, remain
ing about twelve years, and then returning
10 ArtaxerXes, from whom ne received
new commission. He went again 70 Jerusa-
lem and ruled there for another twenty
two years, 3. c. HES. He was one OF the
greatest men of the Hebrew nation, re-
nowned for his zeal, patriotism, courage,
humanity and earnest devotedness TO God
and 10 His service ('Searching the Scrip
lures" by Dr.. Anderson. One of the most
interesting things in the book is the edict
to rebuild the city Chapter ii, ., s., from
which begins Daniels seventy weeks.
2. Il asked them concerning the Jews
that had escaped, which were left of the
captivity, and concerning Jerusalem" The
church of today seems not TO appreciate the
fact that Jerusalem was and is and shall
yet be city very dear to Jehovah, and
more dear than we can understand to every
loyal Jew. The Lord hath chosen Zion
he hath desired it for his habitation''
The Lord shall vet comfort Zion and shall
yet choose Jerusalem" AT that time they
shall call Jerusalem the throne of the
Lord" FPS cxXxii, Is; Zech. /, IL Jer iii.
IL.
3. And they said unto me, The remnant
that are left of the captivity there in the
province are in great affection and re
proach." BY comparing verse l and chan
ter ii, l, with II. vii 6, 4 we find that this
desolatiOn was the condition Of things at
the Holy City thirteen years after the great
reformation wrought through Ezra, and
we feel inclined to ask why it was so. With
the temple finished, the worship restored
and such purifying a. Ezra had accom-
plished. why was there not more zeal for
God? II one question can help to answer
another we would ask, Why, with all the
open doors Of this generation to carry the
Gospel TO every creature and the vast
amount of money in the hands of Chris
tians, are there 50 many hundreds of mil
lions still without the Gospel?
4. And It came to pass, when heard
these words. that sat down and wept, and
mOurned certain days, and tasted and
prayed before the God of heaven" Here
is a man away of in Babylon so interested
in the welfare Of Jerusalem and in the
honor of the God Of Israel that for several
days he gives himself up TO mourning and
fasting and praying. Compare Daniel
fasting and praying for three full weeks
that he might know the mind Of God dan.
X, ?, -; see Paul three years at Ephesus,
warning the people night and day with
tears (Acts Xxx. 81, and remember that God
is a rewarder of them that diligently seek
Him (Hcb. xi, O..
5. And said, 1 beseech thee. o Lord God
of heaven, the great and terrible God, that
keepeth covenant and mercy for them that
love Him and observe His commandments"
From here to the end of the lesson we have
his prayer, and it is prayer that was
heard in heaven and answered Observe
that IN cha pter ii, T. he one day prayed
without uttering a word with his lips, for
at the same moment he prayed to God and
spake to the king. Compare this verse
4
and see in Jer, xxi, Il, the comfort to be
obtained from the God of heaven
6. Il pray before Thee now day and
night for the children OF Israel Thy serv-
ants, and confess the sins of the children
of Israel" Identifying himself with the
nation, he confesses their sins. He excuses
nothing, palliates nothing, but includes
himself. saying, "Both | and my Fathers
house have sinned." He that covereth His
sins shall not prosper. but whose confess
eth and forsaketh them shall obtain
mercy" prov. xviii, 49,. five confess our
sins lie is faithful and just TO forgive us
our sins and 20 cleanse us from all I'M
righteousness q John j, 81.
Z. I'VE have dealt very cOrruptly against
Thee, and have not kept the command
ments." The curses had come Just rs God
had said in Deut. xviii, Is, Is, and they
had brought it all upon themselves lisa.
EX, p. Nehemiah does well to make full
confession; but, oh, think of Him who
took all these sins upon Himself, who
allowed all sin to be heaped upon Him
making is His own that He might give
unto us His righteousness This He does
now for every individual believer Oh Cor.
V, p; Acts Xii. IS, 30, and this He will
yet do for Israel Qsa TX. 2D.
s. Remember, beseech thee, the word
that thou commandest thy servant Moses. ;"
He reminds God of the curse which He by
Moses had said should come and which
had come. He did not question the author
ship of Moses, nor did he doubt that Moses
spoke the words of God. He believed God,
condemned himself and mis- people and
justified God
O. But if ye turn unto lie, and keep My
commandments, and do them He is
quoting now in his prayer from Deut. xxx
10, where jehovah promised, on condition
of true repentance and obedience. to re-
store them 10 their land and bless them
and give them a heart TO love Him su-
premely; but the condition was, III thou
turn unto the Lord thy God with all thine
heart and with all thy soul" (Deut. xxx, 10.
As He chose Jerusalem TO put His name
there and magnify Himself from thence,
so He chooses rs TO bear His name and
magnify Him in these mortal bodies Acts