The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1905-11-09
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS
FOR NOVEMBER ".

| l. A fast proclaimed Tvs. LIB. Il.
''Proclaimed a fast" Ezra entered
upon his work with fasting and prayer.
The journey was dangerous one, es-
peciaIly with all the treasure he car
ried. Ezra realized the danger. but he
went forward in faith. His chief con-
Germ was to have God with him. He
had procured Levites to go with him
! Tvs. 1920, but even that would be of
| no avail if Jehovah did not direct their
| steps, ''Afflict ourselves Humble
ourselves R. W and repent of our
| sins. ITO seek Him." Era wanted the
peopla to commit themselves to the
guidance and protection of divine PROV
| idence and implore God to give them
| prosperous journey. Their journey
lay chiefly through the desert. and the
| Ara bians and Samaritans We're likely
| to attack them.
%. Il was ashamed" etc. Ezra Lad
| preached trust. in God before the
heather rulers and he would not dis
honor God by asking the usual military
escort. He had represented God, the
object of his worship, as supremely
powerful and as having the strongest
affection for His true followers. Thus
we see that this good man had more
anxiety for the glory of God than for
his own personal safety.
| %. 80 we tasted" The people did
as Ezra commanded. God heard and
| answered their prayers. and they We're
kept in safety during the difficult and
dangerous journey.
| II. Ezra's charge to the priests Tvs.
24-3O). p. Il separated twelve" There
| is difference Of opinion here as to the
number of persons Ezra selected as
| custOdians of the treasure and sacred
vessels There were probably twelve
i priests and twelve Levites; but some
think there were twelve priests and
only ten Levites. Sherebiah and Hash
abiah were two of the Levites. %.
weighed" We may gather from this
that the gold and silver were in bars or
ingots, and not in coined money. 70.
Unto their hand.'' We have here the
particular care Ezra took of the treas
ure of Gods sanctuary. Having COM
mitted the keeping of it to God, he COM
mitted the care of it to proper men,
though without God they would have
watched in vain. Our prayers should
| always be seconded with our endeav-
ors Do we expect God should by His
| providence keep that which belongs 10
| us: Then ought we by His grace to
care for that which belongs to Him: let
Gods honor and interest be our care.
; The prophet in foretelling the return Of
| Gods people and ministers out OF Baby-
| lon gave the solemn charge Usa. o2.11,
BE We clean that bear the vessels OF
| the Lord In Zerubbabel's time the
vessels were delivered by number;
here by weight. that it might easily
appear if any We're missing. This init
j mates that such as are Entrusted with
| holy things are concerned to remember,
| both in receiving their trust and in dis
charging it. that they must shortly give
very particular account of it. that
| they may be faithful to it and so give
uD their account with JOY. ''Silver.
| gold' The whole treasure has been
estimated at from four to six million
dollars. A talent Of silver was about
| $1,000; gold is usually worth sixteen
! times as much as silver.
%. ''Basons. :. .draEs." The word
| translated dram appears to be in the
| Hebrew representative of the Persian
word which the Greek rendered by
''daric." This was gold coin. stamped
With the figure OF the Persian king,
wearing his crown and armed wifi Il
| bow and arrow. According to tho most
| exact computation each such coin con-
/ tanned somewhat more pure gold than
| an English guinea. and was worth five
dollars Of our money. The basins
would be worth about two hundred and
| seventy-five dollars each. vessels Of
! fine copper Probably some fictitious
metal made there that took the polish
and assumed the brightness of gold,
and because of its hardness was more
durable. There is still metal of this
kind made among the Asiatics. r2S.
''Freewnl Offering The silver and
! <rni6 To of
that the king and his counselors had
set apart.
III. The journey to Jerusalem Tvs.
81, 32a. 81. I'VE departed. :. ON the
twelfth day" The company began 10
form and arrange for the journey upon
the first day of the month Nissan. Upon
a review OF his company Ezra observed:
the lack of Levites, and the time used
IN securing their union with the return
ing eXiles, and in weighing the treas
urc. etc. took up the time until the
twelfth day. Ahava is the name both
Of small town and stream, not far
from the river Euphrates. This would
be Il natural course to pursue from
Shushan. This account of Ezra's prep.
aration and journey is beautiful ex-
ample Of method and thoroughness
which is of great value in the work OF
y
Of Gods cause, but he did not count il
lost time to spend twelve days in prep
a"ation for the journey. Time used
for prayer is never lost time. Time
consumed i'll pelfectins plans for Gods
work is not missDent time. Always
take time to Go thing right. Thing:
done by half are never done well.
30. We came to jerusalem" Tht
dangerous journey was completed witt
safety 1T the end of four months
abode. three days That is, the.
rested that long. On the fourth da.
the treasures Were weighed and hand
ed over to the custody OF the officiatin;
priests of the temple. The returned
exiles offered burnt offerings, and Err
delivered the royal commission to tn
magistrates, while the Levitical portiO
of the company assisted in performing
the additional work which the arriva
OF so many new w0rshipers occasioned
Facts About Far Alaska.
Do you know that Nome, Alaska, i
800 miles west of Honolulu? Do yo7
know that Alaska has almost tw
and half times as much coast lin
as the rest of the United States?
The panhandle of Alaska include
2 1000 miles of inland sea, protects
: by range of islands.
! The Yukon carries as much waite
< as the Mississippi. 1t rises With