The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1905-11-11

standard, the $50 talents being a little
over $63O,O0O- BY the heavy standard
it would be twice that. "Of gold an
hundred talents" A gold talent was
worth about $f4,542, making not quite
$1,5O0,0OO in gold, light standard; 50
that the whole amount Of money
would be about 100000 or $4,000 .OOO
according to the standard used
n. DRAINS Darics, worth about
an English sovereign, or little over
$500.
rs. "A freewil offering unto the
Lord Cod The money was for re-
ligious purposes, and would be a great
help to the people at Jerusalem as
well as smooth the way OF Ezra to the
needed reforms.
20. THE chambers OF the house Of
the Lord" are the rooms placed on
either side Of the main building (see
Kings s: 3d. partly as chambers for
the priests, partly as storerooms (see
Neh. 49, 81.
~ The Journey to Jernsalem-Vs
81, 80. The returning exiles left their
homes and the city, and began to as
semble for their Journey on the first
day OF Nissan (March-ApriD, the begin
ming OF the Jewish sacred year ezra
Z: 81, but actually (v. 31) departed
from Ahava 'on the twelve day Of the
first month"; about the time of the
Passover (the 14th Of the month";, our
Easter, about the tirsS of April "And
the hand Of our God was upon us, the
hand that defends, the hand that
gives, the hand Of friendship.
80. "And we came to Jerusalem"
after journey Of four months. arriv-
ing there the first day Of the fifth
month. or about the middle of July
" Ezra's Work at Jerusalem
Chaps 9, TO- He brought the Book of
the Law into prominence He rein
I forced the ritual Of the temple and the
! order Of the priests. The deeply relig-
/, ious spirit Of Ezra is notable. His
one ambition was to glorify Cod and
to be of service to his nation He
was Puritan of the Purtans." He
was deadly in earnest Hunter Con
slider his prayer before the assembled
people Ezra g. 6-15) Ezra is re-
garded as having had much to do in
collecting, arranging and revising the
Old Testament and in bringing the
knowledge of the Bible to the peopie.
His work, with that of Nehemiah. was
turning point in the history of Is
| rael The chief reform of Ezra was
the abolishing Of mixed marriages
with the surrounding heather. After
fasting and prayer, at public solemn
meeting, the mobiles. the priests and
the people put away their heather
wives.
The course of the Israelites was
running and degrading the nation. The
whole history of Israel previous to
the exile was an argument against it.
The mixed race of Jews and Samari-
tans, with their half-heathenish GUS
toms, was living warning of the re-
suits of their course. There was only
one alternative-to purify the church.
or to let it go to ruin.
The suffering caused by this course
was the fruit, not OF Ezra's work, but
Of the wrong-doing The physician is
not to blame for the bitterness of his
medicine. nor the surgeon for ampu-
tating the limb.
This course is not narrow, it is sim
ply wise craftsmanship for the pres
ervation of our country. There are
things that must be shut out. unless
they will change, and some in our own
day need to learn this lesson.
True liberality is both Christian and
wise But even the wisest reformers
would not include rumsellers in the
Christian Temperance Union, nor
think that town blessed that did not
say to saloon Keepers, Repent or go.''
4 The choir is not narrow because it
does not include those who can only
make discords, nor is the sheepfold
intolerant that refuses to include
wolves, nor the medical society that
excludes quacks. nor the church that
does not invite the unrepentant wick
ed to its communion.
The Heart Of the Lesson.
In this section Of history we can
oluuy Tic pAoSiSSo anu nC-noA VI q
great revival of religion
We see the power OF a single mnn, a
deep student of the Bible, a keen OBJ
server of the times, filed with the
Spirit Of God, and ready to sacrifice
himself for the redemption Of his peo-
pie
Note the means used. 1l The call
was to volunteers (2) The prepara-
tion was through an awakening Bible
study. (3) The timeliness of the move
ment (4) Prayer and fasting. re-
pentance. putting away sin. 60 The
spirit of heroisni and conservation
!. (6) Free giving to the cause. Cd Hard
work in spite of great opposition. (S)
Concerted action. One ember alone
will not make a good fire. Two are
more than twice one. A hundred to
gether are ten times a hundred sep
arate individuals
1t was an ethical revival; a revival
of purer morals, of better living; oi
putting away wrong at the greatest
cost. We sometimes hear 1t said that
we do not need so much a revival Of