The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1899-10-20

copyright 1899. by D. M. Stearns,1
81. 'Then proclaimed fast there at
the river Of Ahava, that we might afiict
ourselves before our God, to seek of Him
a right way for us and for our little ones
and for all our substance" In the sew
enth year Of Artaxerxes, the king of Per
STA, Ezra and some 1900 of his people
went up to Jerusalem to see to the well
fare of those who were there, to carry up
much silver and gold, free will offering
from the king and his counselors unto the
God Of Israel, for the temple and for sac
rifice and for the will of God, as Ezra
might be directed Chapter vi) Ezra was
a ready scribe in the law of Moses and
had prepared his heart to seek the law of
the Lord and to do it and to teach 1t
(chapter vii, 6, 10). Notice the order of
doing and teaching and compare Acts J,
/; Mark vi, 80. Our lesson begins with
Ezra about to start on the journey and
making final preparation by season of
special waiting upon God.
o. "For l was ashamed to require Of
the king band of soldiers and horsemen
to help us against the enemy in the way,
because we had spoken unto the king,
saying, The hand of our God is upon all
them for good that seek Him." See his
references to the hand of the Lord upon
him in chapters vii, 6, 8, %; viii, IS, 81;
also Neh. ii, g. 10; EZek iii, IA, Y; viii,
/, etc 1t is no use to say that we trust
in the Lord if we don't do it, and, while
there would have been no sin in Ezra's
having band of soldiers, he would not
thus have shown as much faith in God.
%. $50 we tasted and besought our God
for this, and He was entreated of u.s."
Esther and her people tasted and prayed,
and God heard and delivered (Est. iv,
16. Our Lord said concerning the evil
spirit which He cast out of the child aft
er His TRANSPORTATION, Howbeit this kind
goeth not out but by prayer and fasting
(Math xvii, 2D. Barnabas and Paul
were set apart to missionary work with
prayer and fasting (Acts xiii, 2, 81. 1t is
true that overindulgence of appetite does
not tend to spirituality, yet there is no
special credit in doing without food, but
when we want something from God for
Gods glory more than we want anything
else we will be very apt to give ourselves
heartily to prayer and fasting. See Dan.
TX, 3; x, 3.
"a, rs. "Then 1 separated ~ of the
chief of the priests and weighed I'M
to them the silver and the gold
which the king and his counselors had Of
fered." These two verses tell us that
these offerings included also that which
was given to all Israel there present and
that all was for the house of God. do
not know of any giving on record that
can compare with the gifts of Israel, both
rulers and people, for the tabernacle and
the temple (Ex, xxxvi, 6, Z; xxxviii, "a
81; Chron. xxi, IA, 16; xxx, 40. If
there was the same zeal for the house of
God today-that is, the church of God,
composed of all true believers-to COM
plete it, what an abundance of mission
aries and of money there would be seen
to the glory of God.
26, 81. In these two verses he tells the
exact weight of the silver and gold and
of the vessels, and, knowing the value of
talent of gold or silver, the current val
ne of all could be estimated, but value
among men and value before God are Of
ten two wholly different things, though
we make no reference to this particular
case. We know that in the temple one
day our Lord saw the rich people casting
In of their abundance, and He saw poor
widow cast in mites, which make far
thing, and He said that she had cast in
more than they all. She cast in all that
she had, even all her living.
IS. "And said unto them, Ye are holy
unto the Lord the vessels are holy also,
and the silver and the gold are free win
offering unto the Lord God of your ia
TIERS" AS the Lord who called the priests
and Levites to their Office was holy, SO
they were to be holy also-set apart who'll
" for Him Uev. xxi, 6, s.. The Lord
chose them to stand before Him, to serve
Him, to minister unto Him, and it is even
so with true believers now, for all believ-
ers are priests, and all are chosen vessels
to be holy unto Him and to bear His
name JI Chron. xxx, IL; Pet. ii, 5, 8;
Actsix, 15).
.,Y'29. "Watch We and keep them until ye
weigh them before the chief Of the priests
at Jerusalem in the chambers of the house
of the Lord" We think of our Great
High Priest who will never lose any YES
sci which the Father has given to Him,
for no power can ever pluck us out of
His hand, and we may gladly say, l know
whom have believed and am persuaded
that He is able to keep that which have
committed unto Him against that day
(John X, %; xvii, II; xviii, 81.
30. $50 took the priests and the Levites
the weight of the silver and the gold and
the vessels to bring them to Jerusalem
unto the house Of our God" In verses
30 and "a we read that all the silver and
gold and the vessels were safely delivered
by weight and number at Jerusalem, and
thus their work was successfully per-
formed Not at Jerusalem, but at the
judgment seat of Christ, we will give ac-
count of our stewardship of all that with
which He has intrusted us in His serv-
ice, and it may help us to remember day
by day that the Lord weigheth actions
and spirits and trieth heart and veins and
will give every one according to his ways
and the fruit of his doings Il Sam. ii, 3;
Prov. xvi, 2; Jer. xvii, 10Y.
81. "The hand of our God was upon us,
and He delivered us from the hand of the
enemy and of such as lay in wait by the
way" When we become children of God
by faith in Christ Jesus, we have from
that time the world and the flesh and the
devil as our enemies, but we need not
fear, for He who is in us is greater than
all, and victory is sure while we rely up
on Him and cry, Chime is the power"
We may say, God who raiseth the dead,
delivered us and doth deliver and will de-
liver. The Lord shall deliver me from
every evil work and will preserve me I'M
to His heavenly kingdom III Cor. i, 8, 10;
III Tim. iy, 49, He is able. We will
trust Him.
80. "And we came to Jerusalem and
abode there three days" On the next
day they gave in their report and burnt