The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1905-12-07
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS
FOR DECEMBER 10.
Subject: Reading and Obeying the Law.
Neh. WILL, S-1S-Golden Text, Luke
IL. 2S-Memory Verses, IL, 18-Com.
mentary on the Days Lesson.


The people were gathered in this great
meeting from the surrounding country
from 10000 to $4,000 in number. 1t
was the time Of the feast of Trumpets.
Trumpets were blown everywhere.
They proclaimed a day of rejoicing.
The people called for Ezra. the scribe.
to bring out the book of the law and
read to them. Here Is the first men.
ton Of Ezra's name in the book Of Ne
hemiah. 1t is thought that he had
been absent during the past thirteen
years. perhaps working as scribe in
copying and studying. and perhaps put
ting in shape the book Of the law. He
seems to have returned at the oppor-
tune moment. This great company
had gathered on purpose to hear the
words Of the book he haG copied and
probably edited"
8. $50 they read" Ezra and thir-
teen representative men from Jerusa-
lem. standing upon an elevated plat
form. read the Scriptures, in turn, for
six hours or more. I'm the book"
Books in those days were wide strips
of parchment rolled upon sticks. one at
either end, so that one side was rolled
up as the other was unrolled to read.
The writing was in parallel columns
across the strip and read from right to
left. Distinctly" So that every word
could be distinctly heard. This was
the first way in which they caused the
people to understand. Gave the
sense" The Israelites having been
lately brought out Of Babyionish cap
tivity. in which they had continued
seventy years. were not only corrupt.
but they had in general lost the knowl-
edge Of the ancient Hebrew to such a
degree that when the book Of the law
was read they did not understand it.
Therefore the Levites translated it into
the Chaldean dialect. Caused them
to understand" They gave both
translation Of the Hebrew words into
the Chaldee and an exposition Of the
things contained in them. and of the
duty incumbent upon them.
II. A day Of rejoicing proclaimed
Tvs. 9-12).
9. Nehemiah - the Tirshatha."
Hitherto Nehemiah has called himself
pechah-the ordinary word for gov
ernor." Now he is called Tirshatha, a
more honorable and reverential Ii
tie for governor. The new title is
among the indications that this por-
ton Of the book is written by an
other. "This day is holy" Mourning
was unsuitable for day Of high fes-
tivity, the opening day Of the civil
year and of theosabbatical month, IL
self a sabbath or day Of rest, and one
to be kept by blowing Of trumpets
Iey. 1924. %; Mum. 29:1-6). 1t ap-
pears that the people were not only ig-
norant of their ancient language, out
90 of the rites and ceremonies of their
religion. not being permitted to observe
them in Babylon. "All the people
wept." They realized how different
their lives had been from the lives com
manded by God. They had failed in
personal duty. They had failed in the
public worship Of God. They had
failed as nation.
10. Eat and drink" Observe Gods
appointment. They should testify the
genuineness Of their repentance by the
faithfulness with which they kept the
feast. Send portions" 1t was an Or
dinance of God that in these feasts the
poor should be specially and liDeraily
provided for Deut. 15:I-11; 16:11-lo).
"Neither be ye sorry" We must not
be merry when God calls us to mourn
ing. We must not aftiict ourselves
when God has given us occasion to re-
ioice. Even our sorrow for sinners
must not hinder our JOY in Gods ser
vice. "Joy of the Lord" A conscious
uass of Gods favor, mercy and long
suffering. II. "Levites stilled all the
people." flushed their loud lamenta-
ton. Emotion needs control when 1t
is in danger of running into mere pny-
sical excitement. 49,
II. Because they - understood.
They now, knew Gods will and their
own duty, which they resolved to prac-
tice. This gave them ground of hope
and trust in Gods mercy, and there
fore gave them great JOY.
III. Directions concerning the teast
of the tabernacles Tvs. 1873. during
the reading Of the law the people saw
how they had neglected to keep the
feasts as they ought and they lmmedi.
ately proceeded to observe the feast OF
the tabernacles.
IA. Found written" See Lev. %:
333-44. Booths" The people were
commanded to leave their houses and
dwell in tents or booths made OF the
branches Of :"thick trees" Seventh
month" The month Tishri or Etha-
MIN. This was the seventh month IN
the sacred or ecclesiastical year and
the first month in the civil year.
Is. SHOULD publish" The meaning
here is that they found it written tnat
they should do the things mentioned
i'm this verse. 1.-The mount" the
mount of Olives which was near by
where were many olive trees and prob
ably the other trees here mentioned.
16. THE roof The roofs of tie
houses were 1e nd easy OF access.
"In their court etc. There were
booths everywhere; the city was hlied
with them. II. "Sat under the
booths" They were to dwell in booths
seven days. from the 18th to the "a
OF the month. Their dwelling in booths
commemorated their forty years so.
iourn in the wilderness when they had
no fixed habitationS. Since the days.
etc. The meaning cannot be that this
feast had not been observed since the
time of Joshua. for it was kept at their
return from Babylon ezra 3:i), but
since Joshua's time the JOY had never
beer, so great as now. Is. Solemn
ass nbly." The first and last days OF
thefeast were kept as sabbaths.