Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-09
for Sunday Scb0ols.
STAR LESSON FOR DECEMBER 10.
READING AND oBEY1Se THE LAW. NEH. VIII SIS
BY Rev. !. E. Gilbert, DID,,

was required In the law of Moses In tho
administration of the affairs of govern
ment Ezra was determined that the ma
oon. restored from captivity and settled
again IN It's own land. should conform TO
the statutes of the almighty. A search OF
the sacred books disclosed the fact that
Moses had commanded that the people
should dwell IN booths during this feast.
OeV. KILL 40 These booths were to be
constructed of branches taken from tho
trees, and an order was issued for tho
gathering OF these from the woods near by
This was a kind of camp meeting orc,,r-
ring once each year, the influence of which
would tend to restore all classes to conn
mon level, to promote simplicity of life
and to add to the festivities of the .occa-
sion, very proper memorial. moreover OF
the deliverance from bondage In Egypt,
This occasion was called the feast of tab
ernacles, Qev. xiii. ~
CUSTOM REVISED. verses l6 and
I'D Gladly did the people respond to this
requirement. In large numbers they went
iorth into the surrounding hills, plucked OF
branches from the olive, the pine. the nyr-
tie and the palm trees and bore them into
Jerusalem On the tops of dwellings which
mad fiat roofs. in the courts of the Lords
mouse. and IN the streets, these were ar
ranged so as to provide shelter from thu
suns rays. And there men, women and
children gathered, mingled together social
~, ate their bread and enjoyed the varied
engagements of daily life. This was in the
year AS b. c., a thousand years after
Joshua's time, who was the last 10 nro-
claim such observance. During all those
intervening centuries in the times of the
judges, kings and prophets the custom had
been neglected. Its revival now was a
proof of Ezras good purpose of loyalty to
the Mosaic CODE
DAILY READING. Verse 49, Hav-
Ing thus placed the entire population. bv
the help of the chief OF the fathers and Of
the priests, under booths Ezra resumed
his teaching. Each day an assembly was
called. and section was read out of the
IA In md
thereon. The feast continued for seven
days. q kind of protracted meeting when
reading and teaching chiefly occupied the
time. Other business was suspended.
Every man and his household were de.
voted to this one thing. 1t is not difficult
TO picture the scene. Moving about the
city stranger would have observed these
general arrangements, resembling deoora-
tons, and would have seen the men, women
and children joyfully engaging In private
acts of meditation and devotion or repair
ing at the stated time to 1.-The street be-
fore the water gate There the great
scribe lifted each day the holy book be-
fore all and read and explained. On the
eighth day, at the close OF the feast. there
was a solemn assembly. after the pre-
scribed manner. Numb. xxx. 35.)
CLOSING THOUGHTS. We have seen
how the word of God had become the rule
OF action In the Jewish state. Under we'll
trained teachers the people were anxious
to learn and to do the divine will. Bad
kings had set wicked examples and led the
nation astray. Seventy years of bondage in
Babylon had given opportunity for schol-
ars who on the return became instructors,
and the governor himself bowed humbly
and gladly before the authority of the
book. This condition was a promise of a
better day In the nations after history 1t
Is only when truth becomes dominant In
the mind and heart that security and
righteousness abound. Alas, the Jewish
nation perverted the very lesson that God
gave them-they regarded with much ex-
actness the letter of the law but they
missed its substance and spirit.