Imperial Valley press., 1911-11-24
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson lx.-F0urth Quarter, For
Nov. rs, 1911.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.

Text of the Lesson, Neh. i-Memory
Verse, 9-Goiden Text, Jas. v, 16.
Commentary Prepared by Rev. D. M.
Stearns.
The lesson today may include Chap
ters and ii and might be entitled
Nehemiah praying and God working.
The name Nehemiah signifies comfort
of Jehovah. and his fathers name,
Hachaliah. signifies hidden of Jehovah,
or perhaps Jehovah is hidden, the
former suggesting the safety of His
people and the latter that His ways
are great deep. Verify, thou art a
God that hidest Thyself, O God Of Is
rael, the Saviour" Qsa. xiv, 15j. The
time Of the book, is supposed to be
about seventy years after the dedica-
tion Of the temple that was rebuilt by
Zerubbabel and thirteen years after
Ezra's reform, as recorded in EZ. iA
and X. For some reason Nehemiah
had remained at Babylon instead o.!
returning with Ezra's company, but
his heart was at Jerusalem. He was
a true Israeiite, at. Il gentle court. lik
Joseph. Moses. Daniel and Mordecai,
loving his people and burdened fo!
them. He knew the God of heaven
ii, 4. 8: ii. I. 20. and. although he
knew Him as the great and terrible
h, NJ. [ Him fNo1 I'D
ing covenant and mercy for them that
love Him. ready To pardon, gracious
and merciful. and be could call Him
my God" ii. 3: tx. Il, 81. 80; ii, 8. -.
1Sl. The Jews at Jerusalem were not
yet as Isaiah had said they would be.
ruling over their oppresSors and rest
ing from their sorrow and fear. but
were still servants in the land. with
others ruling over them and having
dominion over them and their posses
sions at their pleasure (Neh tx, SO. 30
So we know that the restoration from
Babylon did not fulfil isa. xi. S-l2; xiv
1-3; xXxv. 10. or any other of the great
predictions concerning Israe'S glorious
future. all of which will be fulfilled
when the Lord Jesus shall come the
restore all things of which the prOph-
cts have spoken (Acts Iii. 2D. He has
said that He will not rest till these
things are fulfilled. and we are not as
right with Him as we should be un-
less we take no rest and give Him
no rest until He make Jerusalem
praise in the earth Qsa xii. 10. Some
one may say, II am more interested in
our own Zion" meaning his own
church or denomination. not under
standing the purpose of the Lord in
this age to gather out from all nations
an elect church. that so the marriage
Of the Lamb may take place and He
may return with His bride to bless
Israel and through her all nations in
an the earth.
Reproach Is brought upon the Lord
today by His people who are more in
terested in their own affairs than in
His. When Nehemiah heard ef the
great afff1ction and reprOach resting
upon Jerusalem he gave himself to
fasting and prayer, as did Daniel
dan. K, 2, -.
Nehemiah might truly be said to be
o man Of prayer. Of confidence In God
and separation unto Him chapters i, &
II; ii. 4, s, 1920: iv. IA, 20). He was also
q man Of patience. for it seems to have
been many months after he began to
fast and pray before the opportune
time came to speak to the King. He
might perhaps have forced an oppOr-
tunity. but he had learned better and
knew that the Lords time and way
were the best In his prayer in our
lesson chapter let us learn from verse
8 alteration. Compare Jer. K, 6. Z. 10;
xxi, II: Acts iv. "a. In verses G. Z.
note the confession Of sin and compare
Dan. TX, 4-6. 20. and see Prov. xviii.
13; John i. 0; Ps. xxxii. 5. See in
verse 8 how he recalls the threat Of
Lev. XVI, q. 33: Deut. iv. &c. n. and
IN verse the promise Of forgive
ness In Deut. Xxx. 1-S See how all
through he leans upon and pleads the
word Of the Lord. AS God had done
as He said He would concerning their
sins. SO he pleads that He would re-
member His word concerning their re-
pentance. Verse 10, is strong. bold.
pleading. See the stand he takes in
spite Of all their sims. ''Now. these are
Thy servants, and Thy people. whom
Thou hast redeemed. by Thy great
power. and by Thy strong hand" We
are reminded Of Moses pleading in
Deut. tx. 20. "Yet they are Thy people
and Thine Inheritance. which Thou
broughtest out by Thy mighty power
and by Thy stretched ont arm"
Watching day by day for q favor-
able opportunity to speak to the King
and all the while in constant COM