The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1911-11-23
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
| es son Ix.-F0urth Quarter, For
Nov. 26, 1911.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.

THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.
Text Of the Lesson, Neh. i-Memory
Verse, golden Text, Jas. v, 10.
Commentary Prepared by Rev. o. N.
Stearns.
The lesson today may include Chap
tiers 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 Il great deep. Verify, thou art a
God that hidest Thyself, o God Of Is
rael. the Saviour elsa. xiv, 15) The
time of the book Is supposed to be
about seventy years after the dcdica-
ton of the temple that W.: rebuilt by
Zcrubbabel and thirteen years after
EZra's reform, as recorded In Ez. tx
and X. For some reason Nehemiah
had remained at Babylon instead Of
returning with Ezra's company, bit
his heart was at JerLsalem. He Was
a true lsraelite at gentle court. Xix
Joseph. Moses. ]'ailiei and Morducai,
loving his people and burdened for
them. He knew the God of heaven
Il. 4. 5; Ii. 4. 20). and. although he
knew Him as the great and terrible
God. he also knew Him as a God keep
ing covenant and mercy for them that
love Him. ready to pardon. gracious
and merciful. and he could call Him
my God" q, 5; tx. II. 81. 80; ii. 8. II.
49,. The Jews at Jerusalem were not
yet rs 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. 81. 81.
Babylon did not fulfill lisa. ri. S-12; xiv.
1-3; xxxv. 10, or any other of the great
predictions concerning IsraePs glorious
future, all Of which viii be fulfilled
when the Lord Jesus shall come the
second time in power and glory to
restore all things of which the proph-
cts have spoken (Acts iii. 2n. 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 I'M
less we take no rest and give Him
no rest until He make Jerusalem Il
praise in the earth lisa. xii. 10. Some
one may say, Il 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
all 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 of the
great affliction and reproach resting
upon Jerusalem he gave himself to
fasting and prayer. as did Daniel
Dan. <. 2, 81.
Nehemiah might truly be said to be
man of prayer. of confidence in God
and separation unto Him chapters i. 5
II; IL. 4. S, 1920; iv. IA. 2O,. He was also
a 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
5 alteration. Compare Jer Z. 6. T. 10:
xxxii. II; Acts iv. "a. In verses 6. I.
note the confession of sin aud compare
Dan. tx. 4-6. 20. and see Prov. xviii.
13; John /. 8; Ps. xxi. :. Sec in
verse bow he recalls the threat Of
Lev. xvi. q. SO: Deut. iv. &c. -. and
in verse 8 the promise of forgive
ness in Deut. Xxx. 1-3. 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 sins. 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. %. Yet they are Thy people
and Thine inheritance. which Thou
broughtest out by Thy mighty power
and by Thy stretched out arm
Watching day by day for a favor
able opportunity to speak to the King
and all the while in constant COM
muniOn with the King of kings. the
time came by question from the King
concerning his apparent sorrow of heart
so in one breath he prayed to the
God Of heaven and spoke to the King.
and the King granted him his request
according to the good hand Of his Ged
upon him iii, 4. 5. s.. In due time Re
reached Jerusalem in safety. but for
days he kept the matter to himself and
told no one why he had come iii, 11-16,.
When he did tell them why he had
come and said, 'sLet us build up the
wall Of Jerusalem that we be no more
reproach." and also told them of the
hand Of God upon him and of the
kings favor they were ready to join
him and said. "Iet us rise un and