The Holt County sentinel., 1911-12-08
NEHEMIAH AND
HIS ENEMIES
S1isy SeAssi lsssss fs Dee. 10. 1911
Specially Arranged Tor This Paper
LESSON rExT.Nehern,ahs 8.


LESSON Nehemiah g.
MEMORY vERSE-ii.
GOLDEN TEXT-"The Lord Ia the |
strength Of my life; Of whom shall I be |
afraid "-Psa. Tl.
TiME-B. &. w.
The wall was finished In 50 days In Au- |
gust and September |
PLACE-Jerusalem and vicinity.
There we're enemies within the Jew.
ish church. Some OF the mobiles and
richer men had been depressing their |
poorer brethren who were working at
great sacrifice In rebuilding the walls.
No wages were paid for this work, so
that many were thus reduced TO the
direst straits to support themselves
and their families. and pay the taxes
exacied by the Persian government.
Their misfortuncs were brought to q
climax by the condition Of hostilities.
which put an end to trade. and threat.
ened town and country with ruin. II
was impossible to obtain regular en-.
| ployment. and prices had gone up.
Those who had little property mort
-
considerable portion Of the property
| Of the poorer classes. their grain.
| fields vineyards. and dwellings. passed
into the hands OF wealthy money.
lenders. who demanded high usury.
| Some. having no means to pay their
| creditors. sold their children as slaves
The hungry ones we're threatening. II
the grain was not given to keep them
fro mstarvation. they would take It by
violence. or surrender the city to Its
enemies. The taxes for the Persian
government were very heavy and ex.
acting. The chief officers farmei out
the collection OF the taxes. both in
money and In the fruits Of the land.
These under officers were the same a.
those called publicans In the New
Testament. They We're required to
pay over to their superiors the eNorbi
tant sum fixed by law. and depended
for their profit on what they could
make by fraud and eNtortion. They
oycrchargcd. brought falls" charges ~
smuggling 10 eNtort hush money.
seized upon property In case oi dis.
putc and held It until their levy was
paid, forbade the farmer to reap his
standing crops until they had wruns
from him all that his penuiy could
produce. They were universally fear.
ed, hated. and despised. No money
known to have come from them was
received for religious uses
Now these. who profcsscd religion
and lived heathenisn. were the great.
est injury to tn" Cause for which
Nehemiah had come. II was against
such as these that Jesus launched tho
sharpest lightning Of his "Woeunto
you, hypocrites They are traitors to
their country. their church and their
God. The church stands for the high.
est expression Of mans life. A church
represents the permanent spiritual
ideals. II embodies the lOftiest human
aspirations: a nations hest express
sion ~ It's religious sentiment repre-.
sents that nation at Its best. Now
whosoever IN the name OF the church,
as a member Of Il. does actions con.
trary to tts whole spirit. In the great.
est enemy Of the kingdom OF God.
Nehemiah overcame these enemies.
lie changed them from enemies "a
friends. lie rebuked them with burn
ing Indignation. lie told them to their
face the wrong they were doing. tie
persuaded them to repent and undo
the wrongs they had done: II pray
YOU. let us leave on this usury. lie
store. I pray you. to them, even this
day. their lands. their vineyards. their
| all I'D ri hnl. -.