The Progress., 1893-02-18
READING THE LAW.
#SsON TX, FIRST QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, FEB. 26.

stearns.
"a "And they spake unto Ezra, the scribe,
81 bring the book of the Law of Moses,
mich the Lord had commanded to Israel"
he temple had been finished, and also
8e building of the wall, and though the
ty was large and houses and people few,
et they would without further delay seek
worship the God of Israel according to
is law. The water gate was toward the
bst iii, 26), and therefore near the temple,
br the temple was at the east of the city,
Acing the Mount of Olives. Ezra was a
Xpady scribe in the Law of Moses, for he
ad prepared his heart to seek and to do
nd to teach the Law of the Lord in Israel
e. vii, 6, 10).
Q. "And Ezra, the priest, brought the Law
before the congregation upon the first day
kf the seventh month" This was the reg
lar day for the feast of trumpets Q-ev.
XIII, 24), to be followed on the tenth day
by the great atonement and on the fifteenth
hay by the feast of tabernacles LEV. xiii,
b, 34). The priest was the messenger OF
the Lord of Hosts, keeping knowledge
that the people might seek the Law at his
mouth (Mal. ii, y, and Ezra was by his ap-
kDlication to the study of the Law qualified
10 teach the people.
3. And he read therein from the morn
6ng until midday, and the ears Of all the
people were attentive unto the book of the
|I-aw" / wonder how many of an audience
. he would have in our day at the end of the
second or third hour a political speech
or a concert or something of that sort is
| all right, even if it is two hours long, but a
sermon or Bible reading must be within
the limits Of propriety, for too much Of re
lgion (as they say) is uncomfortable. One
can read a novel a whole day, but a chap
ter in the Bible is often more than enough.
4. "And Ezra, the scribe, stood upon G
pulpit of wood which they had made fo
| the purpose" Elevated above the peopl
that all might see, as well as hear, he j
supported by thirteen of his brethren, siI
on his right and seven on his left hand
but have no doubt that the Unseen On
who said TO Moses, Certainly l will v
with thee" and to Joshua, "As was wi
Moses, so will be with thee" and to Gi
con, Surely will be with thee" (Ex. )
l2, JOSH i, 3, Judg. vi, 49, was far more
Ezra than the brethren who were by ,
side
..
of all the people for he was above all
people,, and when he opened it all the p
pie stood up" With great reverence he'll
rolled the scroll of the Law, and with y
erence the people stood up to hear whatle
Lord, their God, would say to them. Wio
not worship the Bible, but we worshipm
who is therein revealed to us as our od
and Saviour, and when we open our Bjes
.l. l......
should do so with great humility.
6. "And Ezra blessed the LORD, the eat |
God, and they bowed their heads and |
worshiped the Lord with their fao to |
the ground" If they all meant it inlelr
hearts, then it was true worship; tt II
any bowed the body only without being
the heart before Cod then He did n re
gard it, for, though His eyes run to al
throughout the whole earth to show1im I
self strong on behalf of those whose earos
are perfect toward Him QI Chron. 81, 81,
He looketh on the heart and notn the
outward appearance q Sam. xvi, .
z. "And the Levites caused the people
to understand the law" Another tirteen
are here mentioned who with the Ievites
caused the people TO understand. 20 read
is good; to understand is better After
one of his discourses, in which Jens had
said that if one does not understnd the
word the wicked one catcheth it @ay, He
asked the disciples, Have ye unerstood
all these things2" (Math. xiii, 10, 81 When
Philip drew near to the the chart Of the
Ethiopian eunuch his first quefion was,
fUnderstandest thou what thoufeadestY"
(Acts viii, 30) If one should ask How can
] understandS" / should reply, 'Througl
faith we understand" QHeb. x 3; iv, y.
Receive it unquestioningly, AM thus un-
derstand.
s. so they read in the book, N the Law
of God, distinctly, and gave the sense, and
caused them to understand th reading"
This is the best rule for good rading that
have ever seen. Legible wiring and dis
tinct reading are two very hepful thing
Moses and Habakkuk were Nd to write
very plainly Deut. xvii, s Fab. ii, p,
and believe the whole Biblt be plain
book for plain people who a 3willing to
let the Holy Spirit be their t4cher.
9. This day is holy unto tie Lord, your
God: mourn not nor weep The Law,
which is holy and just and god, convinces
us of sin and gives occasion to weep, but
Jesus, who is the end of the law for right
eousness to every one that believeth,
teaches us when we receivs Him not to
weep, as well we might, because Of our
sin, but to rejoice in Him who became a
curse for us, and is now our righteousness
(Gal iii, 13; III Cor. V, 2l; Rom. X, ~. The
section of this chapter which follows oui
lesson brings before us the feast of taber
nacles, and as atonement came between
trumpets and tabernacles We seem face Il
face here with atonement and its results.
10. "The Joy of the Lord syour strength.
How passing wonderful is the grace of God
which not only takes away our sins, bu'
gives us His joy to be our strength HI
becomes our salvation, our strength an6
our song lisa. xii, q, so that it becomes u
to say, II will greatly rejoice in the Lord
My soul shall be joyful in my God, for H'
nath clothed me with the garments Of sal
Sation; He hath covered me with the ROB
of righteousness" Qsa. Xxi, 10.
IL. $50 the Levites stilied all the people
saying, Hold your Isace, for the day !
holy; neither be ye grieved." Stiffness
peace, holiness, joy, all because OF tn
loye of God to US in the gift of His dea
Son. Whether it be passover or pente
cost or atonement, whatever the feast