Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1911-12-06
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson xl.-Fourth Quarter, For
Dec. 10, 1911.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.
Text Of the Lesson, Nsh. vi, ia
Memory Verse, 11-0eldsn Text. p.
xvii, f--Commentsry Prepared by
Rev. .. NJ. Stesrns.

Chapter tells OF a great wrong
were holding mortgages on the lands
and houses OF their poorer brethren
aud lending money at a high rate.
while for twelve years Nehemiah as
governor had refused TO be charge
able to the people or TO take any
thing from them. On the contrary. he
fed ut his own table 100 Jews and
rulers besides those who came from
the nations about them. and all this At
his own expense.
Chapter vi is a record OF his enemies
from without who earnestly sought To
do him personal harm First they
thought to do him mischief by enticing
him to meet them in one Of the viii
lagos in the plain OF Ono. 1t Is ever
true that the wicked plotteth against
the just watcheth the righteous and
seeketh TO stay him Ps. xxxvii, IL. go
But the Lord shall laugh at him. for
He seeth that his day Is coming. Ev-
cry child Of God must expect to be
hated by the world and to suffer
tribulation and persecution John XIV.
1870: XVI. 80: III Tim. iii, 12). and IT
should be accepted as 4 gift from God
and n special privilege phil 1. 30;
Pet. ". IL. 49,.
Nehemiah's reply to the first temp
tation. I'm verse 3. is worthy of imita
tlon by all earnest Christian workers
, who are asked TO turn aside from that
to which God has called them: 81 am
doing q great work. 50 that l cannot
come down. Why should the work
cease while leave 1t and come down
TO youT' II Is always a wrong kind
OF coming down to leave any work
directly for God. which he has In
trusted to US, 10 confer with worldlings
or even to attend some kinds OF COM
mittee meetings or so called ministers
meetings which do not profit. All
| coming down from any form OF pride
or self Is always right and profitable,
for our highest place is lying low at
our Redeemer's feet and the Lord
alone must be exalted, and with Him
alone must we be occupied
-Four times they tried In a similar
way to entice Him but he was enabled
to resist them every time verse a.
An old lady who endeavored to find
something good in every one and ev-
erything WAS once asked II she ever
saw anything good In the devil. She
thoughtfully replied. well, he is very
] persistent" These enemies Of Nehe-
/ miah were evidently in his employ As
10 Nehemiah. he was steadfast. unmov-
able, Astounding in the work Of the
Lord. knowing that his labor was not
IN vain in the Lord Il Cor. Nv, 5S).
The fifth temptation was in the form
OF an open letter by Sanballats serv-
ant. in which was written q report that
Nehemiah and the Jews thought to
rebel and make Nehemiah king. and
therefore they had built the wall and
appointed prophets to preach that he
was king In Jerusalem Because these
things would he reported TO the king
at Babylon he was invited 10 meet
these friends ~ and take counsel to-
gether about the matter. for Of course
II would grieve them TO see such a
good man las Nehemiah in any trou-
BILE. The lie factory under the super
intendence OF the father Of lies, has
y been at work ever since the business
started in Eden so long ago, and every
child of God must expect to have some
turned out Cor his special benefit.
Their object at this time was to
make Nehemiah and the people afraid
OF being reported TO the king and thus
to weaken their hands. But Nehemiah
had no guilt on HIS conscience in this
matter and nothing to fear. lie re-
turned answer. There are no such
things done as thou sayest, but thou
feignest them out of thine own heart
Oversees =. 81. SO he trusted God to
strengthen his hands. Adam was
afraid and tried TO hide from God
tGen. III. 1OO. but he was guilty. God
does not give His people spirit OF
fear Oh Tim. /. a, and our Golden Text
should be the bold utterance OF every
believer. Even worse than these enc
mics OF Nehemiah We're the false
prophets in the days OF jeremiah
I who in the name Of the Lord wer,
prophets OF the deceit OF their owl
heart. speaking vision OF their owl
heart, causing the people 10 err b!
p their lies and by their lghtncss der
xiii. Is. 26. 32. What shall be saiC
of fhe false teachers OF today wh'
with all the increased light Of the New
Testament speak lies out Of their owl
heart IN the name Of the Lord? What
ever is not according to Scripture is
lie.
The next step Of the enemy was 4
enticc Nehemiah to meet them III tn
house Of God and shut the doors OF tn
temple lest he should be slain tvers
10l. But Nehemiah perceived tina
this messenger was hired by TObial