The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1905-11-29
sSIIIlD ElH0Ol5
IS. |: ! "
LESSON EN-pEcEMReR ).
GOLDEN TEXT.-Wateh and pray--Aatt 2s4l.


iem.-- Neh. 2;6-11. The answer to Ne
hemiahs prayer Iesson VIII.) came
in due time, and he set forth on his
journey to Jerusalem, with an armed
escort Of cavalry, and bearing his com
mission from the king, and letters to
the governors, and orders upon the
keepers Of the forest He was one of
the greatest Of the officers of the en-
pire, and he marched with a princely
retinue. He started about the first OF
April and reached the city after three
or four months travel some time in
July Compare Neh. 2:1 with Ezra
7.9.)
Note that Ezra had refused to ask
for an escort, because to do so, in his
case, after his profession. would have
seemed to the heather a distrust Of
God Nehemiah, with equal faith, ac-
cepted of an escort. the use Of means
being one proof OF faith not a proof
Of unbelief. His position and his
wealth and his retinue were among
the powers through which he could
attain success.
III. How the Wall Was Built.-Neh.
2:l6-3:32. Nehemiah summoned the
leaders to a council and told them OF
his experience, how he had heard how
he had prayed, how Gods good hand
had been with him, how the great king
had favored the enterprise. and the
permisslons granted to him. And they
said in reply Yet us rise up and
build"
The wall was parceled out among
forty-four working parties, the leading
families, some women, among them
the daughters Of the ruler Of the hait
part of Jerusalem (Neh. 3:12), some
mobiles, others priests. Levites. corpor.
ations or guilds, as Of merchants, and
goldsmiths.
Great progress was made because
the people had a mind to work (Neh.
4;6); they were interested in It, and
earnest to have il done.
Nehemiah the leader did more jhan
any one else. He did not say Go"
but Come" He supported himself.
he gave liberally, he braved danger,
he worked night and day
Each one built over against his own
house. He did 4the next thing" Each
piece OF work was a memorial to the
builder. The honor OF welldoing or
the disgrace OF illdoing clung to him
who did It, and affected his credit and
influence.
The work was done with great rapid
ity. before the interest OF zeal could
die out. or their enemies had time to
stop them. twas completed in fifty-
two days. The results endured for
ages So II is With many a sincere
revival.
". Bitter Opposition, and How Ne
hemiah Met It-Neh. 4:4-20 AS is
usual in all reforms and new move
ments in progress there arose bitter
opposition to Nehemiah and his work.
It came from three sources:
/. The rival province Of Samaria,
with its mongrel population Of Jews
and heather.
?. From Jewish settlers adjoining
the Samaritans.
3. From some OF the Jews Of the city
and neighborhood those who were
discouraged. and the rich men who
oppressed the poor
The Samaritans We're Opposed.-Be-
cause the Jews had slighted them in
the past. They we're rivals. and il
palned them to see their rivals flour
ish. For the Jews to prosper under
God would be a slur upon their re
licion. and the higher morality OF the
Jews would disturb their conscience.
The building or the walls would pre-
vent them from plundering the inhabi'
tants in various ways. It took away a
source OF gain.
Almost every possible form OF oppo-
sltlon was brought to bear from these
sources. and it is well to consider
how they were overcome.
First-S -Sneers and Ridicule.-Neh.
2,lg; ALB. Z. "Sanballat" A Moab
lie chief from beyond Jordan. who
seems to have been the Persian Off
cial at the head of the Samaritan prov
ince. A grandson OF the high priest
had married Sanballats daughter
(Neh. 1929. "And Tobiah." "A chief
Of the little trans-Jordanic tribe Of the
Ammonites," and probably vizier OF
chief adviser to Sanballat. "Arabi-
ans" The wandering Arabs Of the
desert "The Arab would scent prey
in the project Of a warlike expedition
sAshdodltes." From Ashdod,' Phil
istine city near the Mediterranean
coast. "The Philistlnes were always
hostile to Israel" Thus "all the Hot
sam and jetsam Of humanity, the
ragged edges OF society swept up by
the broom of the war sod" were op-
posed to the rebuilding of the walls
and were very wroth." These leaders
of the heather Knocked the Jews and
laughed them to scorn.
Assured of whst he meant to do,
and conscious Of his power to do 1t,
Nehemiah took no notice Of the sneers
of his enemy.
second.-Plans to attack the city
before its defenses we're completed