The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1905-11-10
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
LESSON VII, FOURTH QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, NOV. ~.


Ezra viii, 22-COmmentHry Prepared
by Rev. ID. VI. stearns.
Copyright, 1905, by American Press Association ]
We have before us today the record
of journey which occupied about four
months Vii, - and was participated in
by about 1.S00 people, carrying with
them b00 talents of silver and 100 tai
ents of gold about $3,500.000), in addi-
ton to vessels of gold and silver and
brass and, although the dangers OF the
journey were many, they were deliv-
cred from all their enemies and reached
their destination in safety without any
human protection whatever.
This Is something worth inquiring
into. for in these days of fear on eve"y
side" If we can learn TO "serve Him
without fear In holiness and righteous
ness before Him all the days of our
life, being delivered out of the hand
of our enemies" der. XXX, 3; Luke /, "A,
75). 1t woald greatly glorify God. All
these things were written for our bene-
tit Rom. Ky, A. that we may learn
how to have the hand of our God upon
us for good Verse %; vii, 6, o, .2S), in
the face Of our enemies. Many years
had passed since Zerubbabel and his
company of 10000 had gone up from
Babylon to Jerusalem by the deere of
Cyrus Chapter ii, 1, 81, G5)-the temple
had been rebuilded and the passover
had been kept wi, ii, 22)-but n time
sped OH the tendency to wander away
from God, which is common to Al. be-
came very manifest and Israel Lad be-
come very much mixed up with the
people of the land CX, /, %. 1t is the
purpose Of God that His people should
be specially His own. n, people for
Himself. in whom He can. live and
through whom He can make Himself
known TO others (Ex. xix, 4, O.; lisa.
xiii, 81; Ps. iv, 3; Tit. ii, IA, Il. W.
and all conformity to the ways, Of
those who are not Of God grieves
the Spirit of God and hinders Him in
His loving purpose. If this rebellion
against God is persisted in He viii
chastcn His people, for whom the
Lord loveth He chasteneth" QIeb. xii,
6; Rev. iii, 10; Amos iii, y. He had
just chastened Israel for seventy
years in Babylon and had restored
them, according to His promise by
jeremiah, but they were already prov
ing themselves the same rebellious,
stiff necked Israel Deut. tx, 6, pa. So
ii is always, and the men like Abel.
Enoch, Noah. Abraham, Elijah, Elisha,
Ezra, Nehemiah, are few indeed. When
such men are found. the way that God
can turn things in their favor is seen
in chapter vii, 1-23, supplying them
with abundance, to be freely used for
the work and according to the will of
God. The whole hcartedness of Ezra
toward God is seen in the first verse
of our lesson and in vii, 10.
When Ezra might have had soldiers
and horsemen for the asking to pro-
tect them on their journey it must
have seemed TO human wisdom great
folly not TO ask for them, for many
would say, Does not God use such in
styumentality But Ezra had become
acquainted with Him who was to
Israel a pillar Of cloud by day and n
pillar of fire by night. to guide and
protect Israel in all their wilderness
journeying. He knew of the hosts
which Elisha's servant saw when his
eyes were opened Oh Kings. vi, ~. \
real Christian is supernatural kind
Of person who walks by faith, not by
sight, and TO whom things unseen are
more real than all things seen by our
natural eyes. There Is no spiritual
benefit in fasting for its own sake, but
when we desire God and to know Him
more than we desire food for the body,
when we honestly humble ourselves
before Him and desire above all things
His will, His way, His glory, then He
will not fail to show Himself strong
In orr behalf.
We are always passing through an
enemy's country, and the prince Of
this world as q roaring lion Is ever
seeking whom he may devour, for we
wrestle not against flesh and blood
Visible things and people,, but against
the powers Of darkness and wicked
spirits In the heavenlies Il Pet. V, 8;
Eph. vi, 12); 50 we must never cease to
watch and pray, but we need have no
fears, for He that Is with us is strong
CT than our adversary, and ''if God be
for us who can be against usT AS
truly as Ezra and his company reached
Jerusalem In safety so shall all the
redeemed of the Lord be delivered out
OF the mouth of the lion and from
every evil work and be preserved unto
His heavenly kingdom III Tim. iv, II,
1S). Not our faithfulness. but the faith
fulness of our God and Saviour, is our
comfort as we journey on through life.
The silver and the gold and the YES
sells delivered TO The priests to be
watched over ana kept safely and
handed over 10 the proper persons at
Jerusalem Suggest 10 Che believer that
be also has certain things delivered 10
him for which he must give an Ge-.
count, as Ii is written. 80 then. every
one Of us shall give account OF himself
TO God" Rom. xiv. II. \ The analogy
IL. however. not a very good one, for
these priests delivered up at their
journeys end only what they had re-
ceived In Babylon. whereas the be-