Imperial Valley press., 1911-12-15
SUNDl Y SCHOOL.
Lesson XII. Fourth Quarter. For
Dc :. II, 1911.
THE INTE lNATI0NAL SERIES.
Text of the Lesson, Neh. viii, liz
Memory V,rses, 2, @GoIden Text
Ps. xix, ? Commentary Prepared by
Rev. .. M. Ctcarns.

"S'bSIy - SSSj o-NA0tGSH CNI
Ps. xix, ? Commentary Prepared by
Rev. D. M. ctcarns.
The tempt being finished and also
the wall arc lGd the city Chapter vi,
IS; Ez. vi. l.. 10. they are better pre-
pared to iiear the word of God in or.
Ger to do it. The Lord Jesus said one
day when so ne one said what bless
ed woman rs mother was. YEA, rath-
er blessed ar they that hear the word
Of God and keep it." On another oc-
casion He ss id. my mother and My
brethren are these which hear the
word Of God and do it" luke XII, cS:
viii, 2D. Z; "A was a priest and Il
ready scribe - the law of Moses ard
had prepared h;s heart to seek the law
Of the Lord nd to do it and to teach
1t verses !. :; EZ. vii, 6, 10). He
was therefor Just the right man to
conduct this 'i%!e conference. 1t was
attended bF oh men and women and
ell that con hear with understand
ing oversees :, -. and they were an
earnestly at 'Aiive congregation. AS
III the buiit = OF the wall, it was
strikingly :, Hcstive that they should
begin and 4 ut the sheep gate, in
asmuch us | work will stand that is
not connect. with the blood of the
Lamb. SO il dis lesson it seems most
appropriate nat the people should
drink of the ling water Of the word
at the water gate verses l, 81, or, as
in xii. 81, It : fountain gate In Jer.
ii, 13, the lord calls Himself the
fountain Of living waters, and in Eph.
v,.26 he is 81 id to sanctify and cleanse
His people ith the washing Of water
by the word Compare also Ps. cxix, 9.
1t was 10 q session from morning
until midda! verse -. and they kept
it up from ne first day unto the last
day of the feast verse 1S). and
there was very great gladness. with
confession o. sin and separation from
the world (viii. II; ix. 1-3). 1t is in
to-esting 70 notice just thirteen men
associated With Ezra in verses , and
I. and Dr. Eullinger calls attention to
the first rsc of thirteen as associated
with rebellion (Gen. xiv, d. 1t was
from the results of persistent rebel
lion that Ezra was seeking to lead the
people back to God. 1t was-at the
thirteenth march around Jericho that
the walls fell. and this coming back
to God from all their wanderings was
like the overthrow of spiritual Jer
icho. There We're just fourteen with
Ezra. a twice seven. suggesting the
perfection of Gods dealings with His
people. There was one with Ezra in
visible to ordinary eyes. the only one
worth considering. and His great word
of encouragement is always, II am
with you CEX. iii, II: Josh. i, 3: Judg
vi, 16; lisa. xii. 10; Hag. i. 13; ii. A..
The response of the people and their
attitude before God seem to indicate
that their hearts We're right with Him.
and the heart is everything Ul Chron
xvi, 8: Sam. xvi. y.
Reading and exposition of the word
of God are the great need of souls ev
erywhere, and verse s seems to cover
it simply and fully, 'They read in the
book in the law of God distinctly and
gave the sense and caused them to
understand the reading" In Deut
xvii. s; Hab. ii, .. the instructio
We're to write plainly that those read
ing might run and tell. The way OF
Baruch in Jer. XxXvi, s, is a good way,
Reading in the book the words of
the Lord in the Lords house. Just
the word of God without note OF
comment or explanation has often
wrought the salvation Of soul by the
power of the Holy Spirit. Sometimes
the Lord uses the human instrument
to open up the word more fully. as il
the case of Philip and the Ethiopian
who said to him. How can | under
stand except some man should guide
me?" (Acts viii. 80. 81. On the resur
rectiOn day the Lord Jesus eXpounded
or interpreted the Scriptures to the
two men With whom He walked to
Emmaus and the same evening open
ed the understanding of the disciples
that they might understand the Scrip
lures duke XXiv, 27, A. 4J).
The words of the Lord, in the power
Of the Spirit. as Ezra and the Levites
taught the people. convinced them OF
sin. and they wept, but the same spir
it who convinces of sin also convinces
Of righteousness Uohn xvi. S-1W and
shows that where there is true peni-
tence there are the blotting out of sin
and the imparting of perfect right
eousness, so that one can say, In
the Lord have Righteousness and
strength" Qsa. xiii, %; xiv, 24). Com
pare III Cor. V. 81: Rom. X, A. Our
lesson chapter is seventh month
chapter (verses >, IA, beginning with
the feast of trumpets and ending with
the. feast of tabernacles. but between
the two came the great day of atone
ment LEV xiii, "a. o7. 3D, the only
true ground of all real JOY uev. xvii
Il: Gal. iii, 13). ''Mourn not nor weep;
neither be We grieved; neither be ye'
sorry" verses 8. 10, III. reminds us OF
the words of the Lord Jesus to peni-
tent sinners, "Son, be of good cheer: