The National tribune., 1893-02-09

Our last lesson was dated Il. I. ol3. 1t re
lated 10 the dedication of Zerubbabel's Temple
We now pass on go years. The most importan
event relating to the returned captives at in
dea was the coming to them of Ezra from Pcrsi
| by permit of Artaxerxes When Ezra had de
| termined to go to Judea he stirred up the cap
| tves who yet remained in Babylon not havin,
! listened to the exhortations of Zerubbahel to q
| back when he and Joshua returned Err
secured 5000 of these. They all wont quit
| loaded down with presents for their brethre
| at Jerusalem. Not only Artaxerxes gave lber
| ally. but the captives who decided not yet Il
return to their " Promised Land" were yer,
generous in their offerings. Ezra did an amaz
ing amount of good, but for some reason his
reformation languished aud things at ,Terusa.
lem went fearfully amiss. News of this state
of things reached Nehemiah. The bearer oil
the message was Hanani. (Vs p 1t seems
from - that Hanani was real brother oil
Nehemiah. He was accompanied by certain
men Of Judah" tV q
Josephus tells Us how Nehemiah learned oil
the condition OF his nation (the Jews He
says: Nehemiah, being somewhat out OF
ShuShan seeing some strangers and hearing
them converse in the Hebrew tongue. he went
near; aud, finding they were Jews from Jeru-
salem. he asked them how matters went with
their brethren in the city. and what was their
state"
The account as given in the lesson is very
beautiful:
That Hanani, one of my brethren. came, he
and certain men of Judah; and ! asked them
concerning the Jews that bad escaped, which
were left of the captivity. and concerning Jeru-
salem. And they said unto me- the remnant
that are left of the captivity there in the pro-
vince GTe in great affection aud reproach: the
wall of Jerusalem also is broken down. and the
gates thereof are burned with fire." US. 9. 81
We may believe the Temple was in good
der as Ierubbsbel had constructed it and as
Ezra had beantfed it, But the City of Jeru-
salem WAS open to foes and was surrounded by
enemies. The walls were down. Means of
sef-protection were wanted. Their very posi-
ton invited insult aud attack.
Nehemiah
Very little is knowu of Nehemiah We have
the name of his father Hachaliah We do not
know his tribal relation further than that it
was probably Of Judah enjamn, since it is
quite clear he belonged to the Kingdom of
Judah.
it is evident the ancestors of Nehemiah de.
clined to accept Cyruss permit 10 leave his
Kingdom and return TO Judea. So Nehemiah
was boru at Shushau. tho Winter Capital of the
Persian Empire. $50 miles from Babylon, and
by the usual route Of travel (via Tadmor) 1000
miles from Jerusalem. He was cup bearer for
son of Xerxes known in the Book
Of Esther as Ahasuerns) This office brought
him into intimacy with the King, and gave
him chance to secure many favors under ausp.
cious circumstances, since. bringing wine to
the King, he often found him in pleasing
moods. The office of cup-bearer was royal
one and carried Influence. The selection Of
Nehemiah implies he WAS Of superior parent
aye and of unusual personal address. TIE posi-
tion was lucrative, and Nehemiah became
very wealthy. When at Jerusalem he found
riches are =" the sinews Of war"
Nehemiah has been called THE Man for the
Times" The Model Mayor" The Man of
Prayer" Rev. ]. Hepburn Hargs says Nehe-
niah was "A Colossal Bible Character"
We know very little as to the end of Nehe.
mahs life. Josephus says. When Nehemiah
had done many other excellent things :
ne came to great age and then died" 1t
must be Josephus knows little about the last
lays of Nehemiah, or he would have given
more details. There is a conjecture lie returned
% Persia and died there, but it is only conjec
ure.
The article in Smiths Bible Dictionary as to |
his matter says: On reviewing he character
IF Nehemiah, we seem unable to fluid a single |
anlt TO eounterbalamce his many and great |
virtues. For pure and disinterested patriotism
ne stands uurivaied. Every act of |
his during his Government bespeaks one who |
mad no seiGshness in his nature. All he did |
was noble, generous, high minded courageous, |
md to the highest degree upright. But to stern
integrity he united great humility and kind. |
sess, and a princey hospitality. AS a states |
man he combined foreth0ught prudence and
'agacity in counsel with vgor, promptitude.
md decision in action. q But in nothing
vas he moro remarkable than for his piety. !
,nd the singleness of eye with which he |
walked before God. He seems to have under
aiken everything in dependence upon God,
with prayer for his blessing and guidance. and
70 have sought his reward only from God"
Book Of Nehemiah.
No quotations from this book occur 10 the
New Testament. II covers history of 12
years-from b. &. 445 to Il. e. 433-from the |
goth year of Araxerxes Longimanus to the |
end OF the 32d. 1t is quite likely he wrote all |
but some few additions at the end of the book.
II is evident the first seven chapters were from
The pen Of Nehemiah. We find in them the
first person dramatically. In tone and con-
tinuity of events the work is practically the |
Book of Ezra continued. The first seven chap
bers were doubtless sort of journal or memo
randa written by him who gives name to the |
entire book.
DIR. Howard Crosby once considered the book |
Of Nehemiah from purely spiritual, or practi- |
caliy religious standpoint with the following |
result: In the first chapter is tho conviction |
and oniession of sin and wretchednees in the |
grace, III the third the actual rebuilding of the
'oul's defenses in Specification, in the fourth
The attacks upon the soul from without, in the |
fifth the assaults from within, i'm the sixth the |
sly temptations of the adv ersary in the guise of
feasonableness, in the seventh the successful
of the spiritual work and or
iering of the soul in godliness, in the eighth
the study of the Word, in the ninth the Chris
Iian's faith confessing its weakness, in the 10th
The covenant relation emphasized in the 18th
the systematizing of the advanced soul in the
godly life, in the 18th the thankful acknowl-
edgement of God in everything, and in the
18th the sad exhibition of the Christians fall |
and need of the renewed influences of the
Spirit"
One may think this somewhat fanciful and |
yet If the student read the book from such
standpoint as that taken by DR.. Crosby, he will
lind that there some grounds for the con-
clusiOns thus reached. If the method be i'm
aginative, the background of spiritual process
and religious unfolding is correct.
We come to the study for few weeks of this
Book. We remember that, for some time before
Nehemiah went to Jerusalem, worship had
been neglected and the reading Of the Scrip
lures sighted. He stirred up the people to
renewed devotion, so in little me it could be
'ad of the Levites: They read in a book dis
,inctly, and gave the sense, and caused the
people to understand the reading"
Let a similar work be done now Our aim
will be to give help in special to cause "the
people to understand" the Book. AS DIR.
Crosby intimates, it was full of thought not
'nly for ancient Jews, but is suggestive also to
modern Christians