The Yale expositor., 1905-12-01
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
LESSON X, FOURTH QUARTER, INTER
NATIONAL SERIES, DEC. 8.

copyright, 1905 by American Press Association.
The life of Nehemiah illustrated the
meaning of his name, 1.-The Comfort of
Jehovah" for in the midst OF all his
difficulties and discouragements-a
they were very many-he did find his
JOY and strength i'm the Lord. Having
returned to Jerusalem, accompanied by
captains OF the army and horsemen
and with authority to obtain what was
necessary to rebuild the wall of the
city, he spent three days quietly inves-
tigating before he told the rulers OF
the Jews or the priests what he had
come for. IL Is wise az rule not TO
talk TO others about your affairs. but il
is always safe to consult Him who
do whatever He says prov iii, 3, 81;
John ii, %. 1t is instructive to note
Nehemiah journeying with an escort
and Ezra without one, and God was
with each of them. In the New Tesla
ment story Barnabas sold his property
and put the money in the treasury,
while his sister Mary kept hers and
made it house of prayer. We must
not follow others, however wise and
good their ways may be, but follow
Jesus only" Our hand in His and
our whole being ut His disposn!, we
should say, rs Nehemiah did "Thc God
Of heaven. He will prosper us" "Our
God shall fight for us" Gil. 20: iy. 20.
The adversary is Away grievel Whom
any one becomes specially in earnc1t
In the 1.orC's work. ana he VIII do his
utmost TO hinder. but there hust he
neither fear nor compromise on t'f.
part of the servants Of God. All that
is required OF Us are Il mind to work
and a readiness for any manner Of
servi"c. ana then God will surely a..
comp h lis pleasure. Observe thlt
those who built this wall were g
smiths. merchants. apothecarieS. WON
en-. ETC Gil S, -. 80 most unit
people 10 build stone wall. but be-
cause they had Il mind to work ANA
God was with them they prospered.
and the work was finished in spite II
all their epemieS, and God was glori-
fed. Because the work was done ~
those who naturally had no talent for
such work their enemies had TO con-
fess that ihe work was wrought or
God wi. 10. 10.
We must never forget that there are
always enemies seeking to injure us
and to hi Ter the work-in fact, a
great adversary seeking to destroy US
and we must ever watch and pray as
did these builders 90. See JAS ".
Z; Pet. v. s. o: Eph. vi, 1918: Mark
xiii, 1881. When there are weak and
discouraged ones among the Lords
own whose motto seems to be, I'VE
are not able" O0O, matters are worse
than il there were only enemies with
out. Such were the ten spies because
OF whom all Israel became discour-
aged and were kept in the wilderness
many years (Num. xiii, 31-33). Our
motto should always be, Our God is
able" dan. iii. IL. or. as in verse IA OF
our lesson. BE not We afraid; remem-
Der the Lord"
God will always bring To naught the
counsel Of the adversary Verse 1jJ, but
His own counsel standeth forever, the
thoughts OF His heart TO all genera
tons Dps. XXXiii, 10, H. See also lisa.
viii, ., 10, concerning His counsel and
the breaking in pieces of the adver-
sary, and take comfort from Isa. XII,
II, Is. They that war against thee
shall be as nothing and as thing Of
naught, for l. the Lord thy God, win
hold fhxy r.iOlaf hand saving L'nO- mt
l will help thee" The words every
one unto his work" (verse 15) make us
think of the words of our Lord in Mark
Kill, 81, ITO every man his work." and
/ Cor. xii, IL, ITO every man severally
as He WILL" for we are taught in Eph.
II, 10, that all good works of all be-
levers are prepared beforehand for us
to walk in, and also that cit is God
who worketh In us both TO will and to
do OF His good pleasure" and that
apart from Him we can do nothing
Phil II, 13; John XIV. 81. From the
fact that the wall began and ended at
the sheep gate ill, 1. 32) we gather the
suggestion that whatever work is not
begun, continued and ended in and by
Him who was led as a lamb to the
slaughter, and done by those who are
redeemed with His precious blood, will
not count. From chapter ill, TO- "a, 20,
we learn that we are TO do the work
that is nearest to us, however lOwly it
may be, "every one over against his
house," or as elsewhere. Whatsoever
thy hand findeth TO do" "for any
manner of service, wholly at Ills
commandment" Gccl. tx, 10; ] Chron.
xviii. 2D. While some builded. others
held the weapons, ana even the build
ers had their swords glrded upon them
oversees 1918. our whole life is
warfare against the world. the flesh
and the devil, and Eph. vi. 1918, ~
the only way. F0r the many who are
compelled to wait or tarly by the stuff
while others work there IL word OF
great comfort in ! Sam. xxx. q. The
workmeu. being far separated one from
the other. were 20 be ever listening for
The sound OF ;he trumpet verses 1920,
30 we girt about with truth and With
the sword Of the Spirit, are 20 be ever
1fcfoufpcr fo,. tho f,.tap,r.t az 4 fI'boQc