Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1899-11-09
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
A Pleasant, Interestins, and Instruct-
i've Lesson, and Where IT May Be
Feund-A Learned and Concise Re-
view Of the Same. ~

I've kcoeOps anu ~ mere ~ Way DO
Feund-A Learned asd Concise Re-
view Of the Same.
The lesson for Nov. IL is from Neh. A.:
7-1S; its subject Is Rebuilding the Walls
OF Jerusalem" Nehemiah's prayer was
answered. AS fully related in the second
chapter OF the book OF Nehemiah. IL hap
pened that King Artaxerxes noticed one
day the gloomy countenance OF his cup
bearer, and inquired as to the cause.
With fear and trembling Nehemiah told
him OF the sad news from Jerusalem, the
desperate state OF the city, and the need
! Of help. The king asked what could be
done, and Nehemiah answered with a re-
quest that he might be allowed to 60 to
Jerusalem and rebuild the city. The per-
mission was given, as well as all, needed
facilities for the journey; such as letters
or passports addressed to the satraps
west of the Euphrates c.the governors
beyond the river'D and orders to the
kings foresters- to supply timber for
building. Nehemiah left Susa under a
royal escort-quite necessary In taking
such journey through an empire parts
OF which were constantly in rebellion. 1t
was long trip to Jerusalem, and must
have occupied several months.
Nehemiah left this splendid palace and
the capital where he was so we'll and fav-
orably known, to undertake an apparent
ly hopeless task. At the very outset, be-
fore he even reached Jerusalem, hind
RANGES began to multiply. Samballat the
Toronto and Tobiah the Ammonite-
leaders of the Jew-baiters of that day
laid plans to defeat Nehemiah's purpose
They succeeded in stirring up a large
number of disaffected and lawless per-
sons to attack and harass the Jews, so
that the laborious work Of rebuilding the
walls had to be done under immense diff
culties.
An exceedingly vivid picture of Nehe-
miah's first inspection of the city is Civ
en- in Neh. >: HIS. He started out at
night, accompanied only by few men,
and rode about the city. Everywhere
he found ruin and desolation, the walls
broken, the gates gone, the streets and
paths choked with rubbish. A weaker
man would have been dismayed and dis
Outraged; would perhaps have started
back to Susa whence he came, with the
conviction that nothing could be done
But Nehemiah simply went to the rulers
of the city and leaders of the people and
proposed the rebuilding of the walls
Compare the condition of Chicago after
the great fire of 1S71-the wealth of
generations gone in a day. But Jerusa-
lens state was far less hopeful, for she
had to contend against shrewd and cruel
enemies, while Chicago had the generous
aid of her neighbors. The proposal was
nevertheless accepted. 1t caused great
meI1iment in the camp of Jerusalems
enemies. They laughed to scorn the idea
of this newcomer, and dared him to at
tempt its accomplishment.
The third chapter of Nehemiah is to
casual inspection a dry list Of names.
Studied with a good map Of Jerusalem in
Neheniah's time. such as can be found
in any biblical atlas or good dictionary, il
becomes an interesting example of sys-
tenn applied to seemingly impossible
task. Notice. first, that everybody
worked-high and low. noble and humble.
old and young. Notice, secondly, that
each man had his assigned place, no two
Tapping over" in their work. Notice,
thirdly, that each man was given what
he was best fitted to do, and yet no man
scorned to do that which seemed to be
beneath him or ''out of his line" Notice,
fourthly, that this was a case where the
mere contribution Of money would not
suffice. When the tabernacle was to- be
built, many centuries before, all that the
most Of the people were required to do
was to bring jewelry and valuable mate
rails, to be worked into shape by skilled
laborers. But here 1t would never do for
the people to establish Jerusalem Mu-
raj Restoration Society, with a president,
board Of trustees, secretary and treas
urer, to hold annual conventions and
vote resolutions to the effect that some
thing should be done, sending in their
spare cash to the treasurer after other
bills had been paid. 1t was not money,
not resolutions, but work, actual work,
with the pick and trowel and hammer,
that was needed. So the goldsmiths and
the meychants gave their money (presum-
ably-or its equivalent and their time as
well. They all took hold and helped
Explanatory.
1t was fortunate that Nehemiah had
his men working close together, and
that he had them prepared for emer-
gencies. Such work cannot be done by
scattered forces, and nobody need ex-
ptcl tudt IL Will De uOne IN peace. lnere
is always somebody standing ready to
pull down wall that you are trying to
rebuild. 1t is harder to rebuild properly
a wall that has once been down than
II Is to build it firmly in the first place;
and for that very reason greater care
is necessary. Let the teacher allegoric-
ally inclined make his own parable with
application to building up damaged
church; but we advise him to stick to the
lesson. The story is good enough in it.
self, without too much moralizing.
Sanballat and Tobiah were wide
awake. So were the Jews. They had
a mind to work." So it happened that
when the critical time came, the build
ers were ready to defend themselves.
The lesson passage tells of the manner in
which they did so.
A prayer was good way to begin; but
they did not stop with the prayer; they
set a watch day and night. Now 1t is
a very easy thing to pray and forget to
set watch.
A croaker within the walls was almost
the worst hindrance the Jews could have
had. 1t was not the worst-the worst
would have been secret traitor Judah
the croaker, who complained that 1.-THE