The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1905-11-15
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
LEssoNvilI, FOURTH QUARTER, INTER
NATIONAL SERIES, NOV. 49,

Israel IS the center, us size - ue SeAIel
of all Gods purposes concerning the
whole earth. When He divided the
earth among the Iatious after the DEL
uce He did it with reference to the
children Of Israel Gen. Y, %; Deut.
XXI. s., and some day We shall look
back from the gloryland and be sur
prised to see, as we cannot now, how
all Gods dealings with the nations in
all ages have had some reference to
his people Israel, for it is His purpose
that Israel shall blossom and bud and
fill the face Of the earth with fruit and
that all nations shall so up from year
to year to worship the King, the Lord
of Hosts, at Jerusalem Qsa. xvii, g.;
Jer. iii, Ii, IS; Zech. xiv, 1G). All na-
tional disputes shall be settled there,
and the work Of righteousness shall be
peace on all the earth, for the king
dom shall be the Lords (Obad. 21.
The time Of our lesson is the twen-
tieth year Of ArtaXerIes q, /; il, y, or
thirteen years after Ezra went up to
Jerusalem with his company ezra VII,
y. Nehemiah is the kings cupbearer,
a Jew at i gentle court, like Joseph,
Moses, Daniel Or Mordecai, but his
heart is with his people at Jerusalem.
From certain Jews who had returned
from Jerusalem he learned the sad
condition Of affairs there-that the peo-
pie were in great afaiction and re-
proach and the wall Of the city had
never been rebuilt (verse g.. he took
it greatly to heart and wept and
mourned and tasted before the God Of
heaven (yerse 4), and the burden Of
our lesson today is bis prayer at this
time. Another great prayer at another
time is recorded in chapter ix, and
these and other prayers recorded IN
Scripture, notably our Lords prayer
In John xviii, are the most helpful Of
studies If we would learn how to pray.
By comparing j, /, and ii, 1, we see
that Nehemiah had been praying full
three months before his opportunity
came to speak to the king. he had the
ear Of the King Of Kings for three
months before his time came to make
request Of Artaxerxes. Doubtless he
was always watching for the time to
speak and to be ready when 1t should
come. This should be the attitude Of
every prayerful one expectant, but
patient, not trying to make occasions
or opportunities, but trusting God to
do that, and then, obedient to I Sam.
3, Z, "Do as occasion serve thee. for
God is with thee" When the time had
fully come he stated the matter frank
ly and in one breath prayed to God and
spoke to the king Gi, I, S, 8, !. c., and
his petition was granted according to
the good hand Of his God upon him.
It is beautiful to behold his walk with
God, his trust in God, and therefore his
fearlessness. Neither told man what
my God had put in my heart to do"
The God Of Heaven, He will prosper
u.s. Iii, u, 16, 20).
The opening verses Of our lesson
show his oneness Of heart with his peo-
pie at Jerusalem, and when we are in
some measure like him and have on
our hearts, as he had, the interests and
welfare Of the people Of God we, too,
shall see some answers to our prayers.
In verse 5 see his reverent alteration
Of God and compare Jer. ), 6, {, 10;
xxxii, II; Ex. xxxiv, 8, {; Acts iv, a,
and be encouraged to trust more fully
the God Of heaven and earth, the Liv-
Ing God who giveth us richly all things
to enjoy q Tim. Vi, ID. See how Ne
hemiah says again and again "My God"
and "Our God" o., 8, II, Is; ", 9, 20;
Vi, 1G), reminding US Of David's Our
own God" Ps. xvii, g. and Of Thomas
"My Lord and my God' John xx, 2S.
Day and night be continued to confess
before God the sins Of his people, tax
ing his place with them as one Of them,
excusing nothing, palliating nothing.
This is the only way Of blessing prov.
xviii. 13; John /, 81. Turn to Him
who actually took our place and suf-
fered our sins to be laid upon Him,
who was made sin for US Oh Cor. Y, q;
I Pet. ii, 24}, and, as we see Him doing
this In love to our souls, If our whole
being does not go out to Him in glad
surrender either we do not believe the
record and receive Him as our personal
Saviour or we only see men as trees
walking.
Then In verses and 9 he pleads
with God His promises to Moses; be
rests on the word Of God and pleads
Gods faithrulness. This also did Da-
vid in Ps. cxix, 40, Remember the
word unto thy servant, upon which
thou hast caused me to hope" God
loves to have US remind Him Of His
word and even calls US His remem-
brancers Gsa. 1liii, 26; xii, 6, margin).
How few in these days seem to re-
member or to care that He has chosen
Jerusalem to put Ills name there.
Nehemiah is very bold In his plead
ing and says Notwithstanding their sin
fulness, ''These are Thy servants, Thy
people, whom Thou hast redeemed"
So pleaded Moses and Daniel Deut.
ix, 20; Dan. *, 19), and jeremiah
prayed, 90 Lord, though our iniquites
testify against Us, do Thou 1t for Thy
names sake. > Thou, o Lord, art
In the midst Of US, and we are called
BY Thy name (Jer. xiv, Z, 81.
Having poured out bis soul on be-
half Of his people, In verse II Ne
hemiah asks special favor on his own
behalf, and yet it was for their sakes
as their benefactor. For this special
personal favor he patiently waited
month after month, though the distress
at Jerusalem made it seem as If he
needed an immediate answer. Blessed
are those who have learned to rest In
the Lord and wait patiently for Him
CPS. x1xvii, q.