The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1905-11-07


mentary ON the DAY . Lesson.
/. A fast proclaimed Tvs. 21-23). Fl.
Proclaimed FAST Ezra entered
upon his work with fasting and prayer.
| The journey was dangerous one, es-
pecially with all the treasure he car
ried. Ezra realized the danger. but be
went forward in faith His chief con-
| Germ was to have God with him. He
had procured Leyites to go with hind
| Tvs 1920. but even that would be OF
no avail if Jehovah did not direct their
steps "Affiict ourselves" Humble
ourselves Or. w and repent Of cur
sins. ITO seek Him" Era wanted the
people to commit themselves to The
| guidance and protection of divine PROV
idence and implore God to give them
a prosperous journey Their journey
lay chiefly through the desert, and tie
| Arabians and Samaritans were likely
| TO attack them.
p WAS ashamed etc, Ezra Lad
preached trust in God before tile
heather rulers and he would not dis-
honor God by asking the usual military
escort. He had represented God, TIE
object Of his worship; as Supremacy
| 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.
%. SO we tasted" The people 0iN
| as Ezra commanded. God heard ana
answered their prayers, and they weres
| kept in safety during the difficult and
dangerous journey
II. Ezra's charge to the priests sVs.
/ 24-30l "a Il separated twelve" There
/ is a difference Of opinion here as to tho
number of persons Ezra selected as
cust0dians OF the treasure and sacred
vessels. There were probably twelve
priests and twelve Levitcs; but some
| think there were twelve priests ana
only ten Levites Sherebiah and HASH
/ abiah were two Of the Levites. 25l
/ Weighed" We may gather from this
that the gold and silver were in.bars on
4 ing0ts, and not in coiEed money rs.
Unto their hand We have here tie
| particular care Ezra took of the treas-
/ ure of Gods sanctuary Having COM
Initted the Keeping Of it to God he CONS
| mitted the care of ii to proper men,
| though without God they would have
watched in vain. Our prayers shoyjn
always be seconded with our endeas-
0rs Do we expect God shoHld by His
| providence keep that which belongs o
us? Then ought wesby His grace 10
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
| Ion gave the solemn charge Elsa. 52.11l,
BE We clean that bear The vessels of
! fhe Lord, In Zerubbabel's time the
| vessels were delivered by number;
here by weight that it might easily
| appear if any were missing. This.intI-
mates that such as are intrusted with
| holy things are concerned to remember,
bothsin receiving their trust and in dls-l
| charging it, that they must shortly give.
very particular account of 1T. that
they may be faithful to it and so give
| up their account with joy lger.
! 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. drama." The word
translated dram" appears to be in tbel
! Hebrew representative of the PersiaiF
! word which the Greek rendered kyi
"daric.o This was gold coin, stamped
with the figure OF the Persian king,
| wearing his crown and armed witt II
bow and arrow. According to the 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 basinss
4 would be worth about two hundred and
seventy-five dollars each. Vessels of
4 fine copper" Probably some fctitious
| metal made there that took the poiishI
and assumed the brightness Of gold.
| and because of its hardness was more
/ durable There is still a metal of this
kind made among the Asiatics- 2Ss
"FreewilI Offering The silver and
gold were present to the house Of God!
that the king and his counselors lad
set apart
Ill The journey to Jerusalem Tvs
81, 32l. 81. We departed on The
twelfth day The company began to-
form and arrange for the Journey upon
the first day OF the month Nissan. Upom
/ review of his company Ezra observed
the lack of Levites, and the time ussE
in securing their union with the returD-
ing exiles, and in weighing the treasl
ure, etc, took up the time until the
twelfth day. Ahaya is the name both
of small town and stream. not far
| from the river Euphrates. This would
be natural course to pursue from
! Shushan. This account of Ezra's prep
aration and journey is beautiful ex-
ample OF method and thoroughnesa
which is Of great value in the work Of
God. Ezra sought first the prosperity
of Gods cause, but he did not count il
lost time to spend twelve days in prep
aration for the Journey. Time used
for prayer is never lost time. Time
consumed IN perfecting plans for Gods
work is not misspent time. Always
take time to do a thing right Things
done by half are never done well.
go. I'VE came to Jerusalem.H The
dangerous journey was completed with
safety at the END of four months
Abode. three days. That is. they
rested that long. On the fourth day
the treasures were weighed and hand
cd over to the custody Of the officiating
priests of the temple. The returned
cxiles offered burnt offerings. and Ezra
delivered the royal commission to the
magistrates, while the Levitlcal portion
of the company assisted in performing
the additional work which the arrival
Of SO many new wOTshipers occasi0ned.
4 Ifluess Made Hair GROW.
A case that has interested the ply
sicians not a little is that of James