The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1911-12-07
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson X.-Fourth Quarter, For
Dec. 10, 1911.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.

THE international SERIES.
Text Of the Lesson, Neh. vi, 1.12.
Memory Verse, 11-GoIden Text, Pc.
xvii, 1-commentary Prepared by
Rev. o. M. Stearns.
Chapter tells of great wrong
among the Jews themselves. for some
were holding mortgages on the lands
aud houses Of their poorer brethren
and lending money at 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 $50 Jews and
rulers besides those who came from
the nations about them. and all this at
his own expense.
Chapter vi is record OF his enemies
from without who earnestly sought to
do him personal harm. i'irst they
thought to do him mischief by enticing
him 10 meet them In one Of the VII
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 Ops. xxxvii, II. 32),
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 Nv.
1920; xvi. SO; II Tim. iii. 12), and it
should be accepted as gift from God
and special privilege phil. /. 20: l
Pet. II. II, 49,.
Nehemiah's reply to the first temp
tation, in verse 3. is worthy Of imita-
ton by all earnest Christian workers
who are asked to turn aside from that
to which God has called them: II am
doing great work. so that l cannot
come down. Why should the work
cease while leave 1t and come down
to youy It is always wrong kind
Of coming down to leave any work
directly for God. which He has in
trusted to us. to confer with woridlings
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 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 If 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
to 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. Ky, $50.
The fifth temptation was in the form
of an open letter by Sanballat's serv-
ant, in which was written 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 be reported to the king
i at Babylon he was invited to meet
these friends (D and take counsel to-
gether about the matter. for of course
! it would grieve them to see such 4
good man as Nehemiah in any trou.
BILE. The lie factory, under the super
intendence Of the father of lies. has
! 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 for 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 He re-
turned answer, "There are NO such
things done as thou sayest, but thou
feignest them out of thine own heart
oversees 8, 81. So he trusted God te
strengthen his hands. Adam was
! afraid and tried to hide from Goo
(Gen. ill., 1O), but he was guilty. Goo
does not give His people a spirit OF
fear III Tim. /, 2, and our Golden Tex
should be the bold utterance OF every
believer. Even worse than these enc
mics of Nehemiah were the false
prophets in the days of jeremiah
who in the name Of the Lord were
prophets of the deceit of their owl
heart. speaking a vision Of their owl
heart. causing the PEOPLE to err b,
their lies and by their lightness der
xiii, Is, &c, 32). What shall be sale
of the false teachers of today whs
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 t,
entice Nehemiah to meet them in tn,
house Of God and shut the doors of tn,
temple lest he should be slain tvers,
1O) But Nehemiah perceived tina
this messenger was hired by Tobial
and Sanballat to make him afraid. S,
that they might have matter for al
evil report against him. Nehemiah
reply is again brave and full of con
fdence in God: "Should such man a
fee? And who is there that. bein: