The Holt County sentinel. (Oregon, Mo.) 1883-1980, 1911-11-17
.E1Al,S JOURNEY
TO JERUSALEM

LESSON TExT-EsrA s:ls-ss

LESSON TExT-EsrA s:iS-,s
MEMORY vERsEs-2i, n
GOLDEN TEXT-"The hand Of our
God Ia upon AN them for good that scel,
TiME-B. C. As. the seventh year Of
Artaxerxes
Ezra leaves Babylon with his company
on the list day of the list month. March
and reaches Jerusalem on tho list day OF
the 9Th month. July.
The convocation was on the 9th day OF
the 9Th month lin Sov.-Dec).
His reforms were made during the win
ter. Dec t6s. to March &s7.
The nearly sixty years between the
sixth and seventh chapters Of Ezra, OF
which there IL almost no direct rec.
ord. could scarcely be called the
blank annals Of wellbeing." without
these happy periods Of duliness our
lives would be hell. and our hearts
eternally bubbling and boiling in a
huge pot made hot with thorns. But
these were years Of slow progress. OF
dullness. and neglect. like q garden
wherein the heavenly plants. while
still growing. we're overrun with
weeds. and the vines aud olive trees.
untrimmed and neglected, bore but
IT.. 1919 u
. "v .e"p,e nA. oeen Quit. OUT the
~ .,, n.o oeen % sreat tnat
the rubbish still arose In long stretch.
Ing mounds. The visions Of glory had
faded. They had expected . vast In.
hux OF their brethren, from Babylon
80, ~. .'.u' ou. n.o oeen 70
A' u'..ppo'nu
a., =. nv uo".' "o"s ING condi'
~. "es =. 'us'em' hso NOT
yv p'.psrsu n's nesV 70 seek the
NV VI INC Ioro, sno 10 90 H. Out ne
n"".u 70 80 UP 10 Jerusalem ana
49," :" '.., s's'u'es Ano judgments.
o,es W re"s,ous REAR ana Also. u
' wou'a seem, win the ststesman''ke
~" VI "sH,ns 'erusaiem once more
."e rea, spiritual metropolis OF Ju'
u"'s"' nhra conceived the idea OF IN
.as"s new n'e ana new 'denis into
- nu 'u ., vo"'u.y oy 'eaa'hs =
~. oa"u y, hea'ous'y ,ens'ous eA'
90. . '"" '" '""ea y" " n''s''oh Oh 70
'o.
ihey came 10 Jerusalem AFTER .
!o"'ney o' TOUR months. arriving there
ue "'s. oay o. tne nith month. or
aoo"' 'ne miaa'e OF JhIy' Inc dis'
.ance ~ d'rect hne was ABOUT 900
""s' o"t 'ne roao 'ohoweo oy Etras
csI"'ah maze long detour 10 avoid
,he o.ser' ana cou'd haroiy nave Deen
'ess 'hah W" mics.
Ezra Drought S2.oOO.OOO FOR the re.
pair OF the temple. ana for all that
was necessary 10 put the outward
forms OF worship In perfect condi.
tioh. Tie Unused the community with
MS own devoted ana consecrated spir.
ituai ne ana fervor. Tie brought with
MN inc BOOK OF the Law ana the
r'ophets. win its strict morality. and
maae !" Known 10 the people. In con-
'ras. WIN th's ho'y law the conduct
'ne people III adophhg tho aoom'
NATIONS OF the heathen appeared In
sn "" sar'ng wlckedness'
Then Ezra entered upon his great
reform. Some OF the leaders pointed
out 10 Ezra that the people. even the
princes ana rulers. were intermarry'
ing with INC idolafers. and there was
Danger that the religion OF Israel
would be DESTROYED. that all the sins
which caused the exile would be re-
pea'ed. and all that the exile had done
AZ discipline would be lost.
Ezra hrst by himself WAS astound.
ca ana stunned by the report. and
showed all the signs OF deepest sor.
row ana humiliation. Then there was
meeting together with him OF every
one 'hat trembled at the words OF the
"od OF israel. because OF the trans
erosion OF those that had been car
ried away. They sat In bitter aston
ishment liii the time OF evening
prayer. Then they bowed themselves
peiore the LORD ana wept and prayed
ana confessed ana entreated.
a m