Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1899-11-17
READING OF THE SCRIPTURES
International Sunday school l.eEsoR
for November 10, 1S9o-Text, N~he-
miah S:1-12-Memory Va. Is.

READ Nehemiah and Luke 4: 1872.
T1ME.-The first day of the seventh
month. l. E., the middle or last Of Septenn-
Der, A D. IA. about two months after the
arrival of Nehemiah in Jerusalem, and a
week after the completion of the walls on
the 25th of EluI, the sixth month august
September). The first day of the seventh
month was September p in 1892, September
II in 1888. and October in 1894.
EXPLANATORY.
L. The Circumstances section
of Nehemiah embracing Chaps. $40
differs from the opening and from the
closing chapters in that here Nehemiah
is spoken of in the third person, while
in the rest of the book he himself
writes in the first person. In the prayer
(Chap. 81 and the covenant (Chap. 10Y
the first person plural is used. 1T was
series of events of the greatest impor-
lance. Nehemiah's design was to renew
and enlarge the reforms which Ezra
had begun IL years before. Chaps. $40
are an account of transactions running
through "a days or more, by which Ne
hemiah brought this and other reforms
into active operation. Our lesson is the
first section of the account, and tells
what happened in one day-the first
| day of the seventh month (V. p.
II. The Great Meeting.-V. 1. This
clause of the last verse of the previous
chapter: And when the seventh
month was come,' etc. The first day
of this month was the feast of trum-
pets, which proclaimed a day of re-
! joicing, like our Christmas bells. This
was a week after the walls were fin
ished. V. 1. "A1 the people gathered
themselves together" From the city
and from the surrounding country. LAS
one:" In one place, with one purpose.
Into the street," Rather, into the
broad place, the public square. Before
the water gate" The open space south
of the temple, called Ophel, lying be-
| tween the temple wall and the city wall.
''They spake unto Ezra, the scribe:"
This is the first time Ezra's name oc-
ours in the book of Nehemiah
III. The Text-Book.-Vs. 1-3. "Book
of the law of Moses:" This ''testifies to
general knowledge of the existence of
a book the contents of which, so far
as they are known, agreed substantial
| ly with our Pentateuch.'- Prof. II. E.
Ryle. (Which the Lord, Jehovah had
commanded to Israeli" This was not
merely human book, but one inspired
and revealed by God. V. 2. 'The law"
/
in a sense which afterwards became uni
PROF. Ryle. Both of men and
women:" Both have equal need of
studying Gods Word. 'And all that
could hear with Understandings" The
children, all who were old enough"
V. 3. HE read therein =. from
the morning until midday" Or, from
daylight, for six hours or more. 1.-THE
| 81 oil
Though there is no word in the Hebrew
| for ''attentive," yet the meaning is
quite correctly given.
". Studying the Word of Cody. 5.
Preceded by Worship. V. 5. "Opened
the book" ENROLLED the scroll, or roll.
"A:I the people stood up:" Rose to
their feet as an act of respect and rev.
erence for God and His Word. V. 6.
Ezra blessed the Lord" Praised God
in prayer. 'All the people answered."
Responsive worship is no new thing.
"Amen:" Lit, THAT which is true
Sc let it be-" Lifting up their hands,"
An appeal to God that they accepted the
law thus read and would obey it.
Bowed their heads and worshiped the
Lord with their faces to the ground"
They sank down into the posture of
humble, earnest prayer, first falling on
their knees, and then bending forward
and down till their faces came "be-
tween their knees" Il Kings 1s:42).
Two Ways of Studying the Bible
First. V. 8. $50 they read dis
tinctly:'' It required clear enunciation
to be heard by the many thousands as
sembled. The manner of reading made
a great difference as to the sense.
4 Z
planning the unusual words, expound-
ing the meaning and the application of
the law, interpreting the illusions to
history and in every way possible caus-
| ing 'them to understand the reading"
So Christ in the synagogue at Nazareth
caused the people to understand Isaiah.
| (See Luke 4:16-22.)
V. The Fruits of Bible Study.-Vs-
s-12 9. 1.-The Tirshatha:" Allied to our
word pasta. 1t was the Persian title for
local or provincial governor.-Ryle.
First Fruit-Repentance. For all
the people wept:" I'm the new light of
the higher truth we suddenly discover
which we have been parading is but as
filthy rags PROF. Adeney.
Second Fruit-Joy in the Lord.
Mourn not. nor weep" You have
wept long enough; you have fastened
your eyes on your sins too exclusively.
v. 10. go your way, eat the fat and
drink the SWEET" These were express
sions of Joy and aids to joy. "And send
portions" ETC.: Another way of ex-
pressing and of increasing true joy.
Neither be ye Sorry" Sorrow and
repentance are never required for their
own sake, but for the better things
which grow out of them. For the JOY
of the Lord is your strength" Your