The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1911-11-23
PRAYER OF
NEHEMIAH
Sunday School Lesson for Nov. 26, 1911
Specially Arranged Tor This Paper
LESSON TEXT-Nehemiah /.

Il
vember, December He went to Jeru-
salem the next spring. B. G.. 44
| fLACE-Shushan, or Susa one Of ths
| three capitals OF the Persian Empire at
the time OF this lesson. II is now called
Sus, In southwest Persia. The ancient
city has been excavated, and various In
scrlptlons and remains OF buildings have
been brought to light
RuLERS-Artaxerxes called Longma.
nus tor long-handed). began to reign b.
{. 465; regned til Dec. II. 423 Athens
came under Pericles go. Military trib-
unes In Rome go
JEWISH Nehemiah. who
became governor OF Judea. Ezra the
scribe had returned to Babylon. Malachi
the last prophet OF the Old Testament,
must have been living at this time
Ezras home was In Babylon. Nehe-
miah's in Shushan, 25O miles further
east, with fewer persons OF his own
nationality, and farther away from
news of what was going on In Jerusa-
lem. II Is this separation of homes
that explains why there was so little
working together Of these two men,
till both had been at Jerusalem.
Nehemiah was walking one day out
side the walls OF Shushan, so Jose
phus tells us, when some strangers,
making for the city, travelworn as II
by long journey, we're overheard by
him discoursing in his own language,
the Hebrew Nothing touches the
heart In a strange land more than
ones mother tongue. He went up to
them, therefore, and, introducing him
self, found they were from Judah. and
one was his own brother. Hananl.
Naturally Nehemiah asked them
about the state OF things in Judea.
He learned that Ezra's reforms in re-
lation to marriages with the heather,
made the surrounding nations very
bitter. The leaders on both sides
were many OF them allied by mar.
riage, and for the Jews to repudiate
their foreign wives, as II claiming TO
be so much better than their neigh.
bors, must have infurlated them. Il
struck the divorced women as a cruel
and insulting outrage. Driven back
to their paternal homes with their
burning wrongs. these poor women
must have aroused the utmost lndig.
nation among their people Thus the
reformer had stirred up hornets
nest. 1t is apparent that the persist
ent enmity of the colonists, their mis-.
representations and perhaps their
bribes had resulted in lnstlgating OPP
position to the Jews In very high
places.
Nehemiah was true patriot. He
was a deeply religious man, a man Of
prayer and conservation, God.fearlng,
true to his convictions. He showed
remarkable wisdom and shrewdness.
II any fault is recorded OF Nehe-
mish, 1t is one which he himself re-
veals, fault that for long time pre-
vented Alexander Whyte from loving
him--"and, worst OF all, thought
him a man who was always well
pleased with himself"
Max Muller, In his autobiography,
says that the story OF man. which
leaves out his faults. is like a picture
deficient In shadows, and fails to
bring out the bright points OF his
character I'VE want to know his
faults-that is probably the most in
teresting part OF him." certainly often
very helpful
Charles Reade calls him: Faithful |
courtier. yet true patriot; child OF |
luxury, yet patient OF hardship; In.
ventive builder, lmpromptu general. |
astute politician, high-spirited gentle.
man, inspired orator, resolute reform
er; born leader Of men yet humble be- |
fore God"
The first thing, the absolutely nee. |
essary thing, for Nehemiah was to
find divine help, wisdom. guidance, for |
himself, and the source Of power over
the kings mind For this he prayed |
TO the only being who could answer
his prayer, and he kept on praying for |
four months. while the double answer |
was being prepared-in himself that |
he. by deep thought, and new light |
and divine wisdom, might be fitted to |
receive the answer. and In the king /
that he might be inclined to do his
part toward the answer.
That for whish Nehemiah prayed /
was like the first petitions in the
Lords prayer, THY kingdom come"
For his prayer was not for merely
few people and the city that were in
danger. but for the kingdom OF God |
on earth. The condition OF things at |
Jerusalem was dishonor to Jehovah
and to his religion
His prayer had been so far answered |
that he knew what he had to do. and |
that the time had come for doing It. |
His prayer now at the end OF four |
months. was for guidance and help |
and success In this crisis.
The answer came through and in
the man who prayed SO Jesus bade |
his disciples to pray for more labor
ers to gather in the spiritual harvest. /
The answer came through their own |
work in that harvest field II came
also In their being better laborers,
wiser more earnest. more self.deny /
ing, more skilful, In all sincere pray
er one must be willing to do his part
toward the answer. Frederick Doug |
lass used to say that he often prayed |
for freedom, but his prayer was never
answered till he prayed with his feet.
The answer was coming during all |
this time OF delay, The answers are
often long preparing. AS one prays
for fruit, and the answer is begun by
the planting OF seed. followed by the
nurture Of sun and rain. But the fruit