The Yale expositor., 1905-11-17
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
LESSON VIll, FOURTH QUARTER, INTER
NATIONAL SERIES. NOV. 10.

Israel is the center, as she Is the center
of all Gods purposes concerning the
whole earth. When He divided the
earth among the nations after the del
uge He did 1t with reference TO the
children Of Israel Gen. Y, %; Deut.
xxi, 81, and some day we shall look
back from the gloryland and he sur
prsed 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, ut Jerusalem lisa. xvii, g;
Jer. iii, II, IS; Zech. xiv, 16). All ma
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. 2I.
The time of our lesson is the TWEEN
tieth year OF Artaxerxes q, 1; II, u, or
thirteen years after Ezra went Up 10
Jerusalem with his company EZRA vii,
y. Nehemiah is the kings cupbclrer,
a Jew at gentle court, like ] ;eph,
Moses, Daniel or Mordecai, but his
heart is with his people at Jeru ilem.
From certain Jews who had re armed
from Jerusalem he learned the sad
condition OF affairs there-that the peo-
pie We're in great afiiiction and re-
proach and the wall Of the city had
never been rebuilt Verse -. He took
it greatly to heart and wept and
mourned and tasted before the God of
heaven Verse A., and the burden OF
our lesson today is his prayer at this
time. Another great prayer at another
time is recorded ia chapter tx, and
these and other prayers recorded In
Scripture, notably our Lords prayer
In John xvii. are the most helpful of
studies If we would learn how to pray.
BY comparing /. 1, and Ii, /, 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 it should
come. This should be the attitude of
every prayerful one - eXpectant, but
patient, not trying to make occasions
or opportunities, but trusting God 10
do that, and then, obedient TO l Sam.
Y, Z, do as occasion serve thee, for
God is with thee" When the time had
fully come he stated the matter frank
~ and in one breath prayed to God and
spoke to the king iii, 4, 8. s, !. c., and
his petition was granted according to
the good hand of his God upon him.
1t 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." Gil, u, Is, 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 8 see his reverent alteration
Of God and compare Jer. Y, O. {, 10;
xxi, Il; Eek. xxxiv, O, Z; Acts Nv, "a,
and be encouraged to trust more fully
the God Of heaven and earth, the Liv-
ing God who glveth us richly all things
to enjoy q Tim. vi, 10. See how Ne
hemiah says again and again MY God"
and "Our God" I'll, 8, IL, IS: iv, o, 20;
vi, 1C), reminding us of David's "Our
own God" Ops. xvii, O. and of Thomas
''My Lord and my God" Gohn Xxx, 2S).
Day and night he 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, 10: John 1, o.. Turn to Him
who actually took our place and suf-
fered our sins to be laid upon Him,
who was made sin for US QI Cor. V, 81;
Pet. ii, 2D. and, rs we see Him doing
this In love to our souls, II 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 8 and he pleads
with God His promises to Moses; he
rests on the word Of God and pleads
Gods faithfulness This also did Da-
vld in rs. cxix, 40, "Rcmembcr 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 remcm-
brancer5 Qsa. xiii, 20; lxii. 6. margin).
How few in these days seem to re
mcEbcr or TO care that Re has chosen
Jerusalem to put His name there.
Nehemiah Is very bold IN his plead
Ing and says notwithstanding their sin
fitness. "These are Thy servants. Thy
people, whom Thou hast redeemed"
So pleaded Moses and Daniel Deut
*, 20; Dan. tx. 19), and jeremiah
prayed. 20 Lord, though our iniquities
testify against us, 10 Thou It for Thy
names sake Thou, o Lord, art
In the midst OF us, and we are called
by Thy name" der. xiv, z. 81.
Having poured out his soul on be-