The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1911-11-17
ERA'S JOURNEY
To JERUSALEM
SeAssl Lessaa fse New. -. lsl
Specially Arranged for This Papsr

GOLDEN TEXT-"The hand Of our
God 10 upon all them Tor good that seek
him "-E s:x2
TIME-B. c. As, the seventh year Of
.rta1erxes.
Ezra leaves Babylon with his ompany
on the LIST day of the LIST month, March:
and reaches Jerusalem on the 1st day OF
the 5th month. July.
The convocation was on the 10th day OF
the 9Th month I'm Nov.-Dec.).
His reforms were made during the win
Dec. ass, to March. Asst.
The nearly sixty years between the
sixth and seventh chapters OF Ezra, Of
which there is almost no direct rec
ord. could scarcely be called the
blank annals of well-being." Without
these happy periods of dullness u
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 a garden
the heavenly plants, while
still growing, were overrun with
weeds, and the vines and olive trees.
and neglected. bore but
small and scanty fruit.
The temple had been built. but the
opfOoASAoA a oSCh 81 SlSdl NhoS
the walls had not been restored and
the rubbish still arose in long-stretch-
ing mounds. The visions Of glory had
faded. They had expected a vast In.
hux of their brethren, from Babylon
and other lands, but had been to a
great extent disappointed.
Ezra, nc doubt knowing the condi-
ton Of things in Jerusalem, had mo-
only prepared his heart to seek the
law of the Lord, and to do 1t, but he
planned to go up to Jerusalem and
teach in Israel statutes and Judgments.
Moved by religious zeal, and also. it
would seem, with the statesmanlike
view Of making Jerusalem once more
the real spiritual metropolis Of Ju-
daism, Ezra conceived the idea Of in
fusing new life and new ideals into
the Judean community by leading a
fresh band of zealously religious ex-
lies back to Judea on a mission of re-
form.
They started from Babylon on the
first day of the first month, which
would be some time in the last of
March or the first of April, accord
ing to the date of Easter and Pass
ver 1t tool some time to reach
Ahava and get things thoroughly ar
ranged for the journey, so hat IL was
the twelfth day of the first month,
about the time Of the Passover, our
Easter, before they began their long
march. And the hand of our God was
upon us, the hand that defends, the
hand hat gives, the hand of friend
ship.
They came to Jerusalem, after a
journey Of four months, arriving there
the first day of the fifth month. or
about the middle of July. The dis
lance in a direct line was about 500
miles, but the road followed by Ezra's
caravan made a long detour to avoid
the desert and could hardly have been
less than 900 miles. From Ahava the
time was ITO days, SO that the cara
a averaged nine miles a day, omit
ting Sabbaths, which was as fast as a
caravan could easily go, with women
and children walking, and household
effects to be carried.
Ezra brought 50, 900. 900 for the re-
pair Of the temple, and for all that
was necessary to put the outward
forms Of worship in perfect condi-
ton. He infused the community with
his own devoted and ~consecrated spir-
ftual life and fervor. He brought with
him the Book OF the Law and the
Prophets, with It's strict morality, and
made 1t known to the people. In on
trast with this holy law the conduct
Of the people in adopting t abom-
nations" of the heather appeared in
all it's glazing wickedness.
Then Ezra entered Upon his great
reform. Some of the leaders pointed
out to Ezra that the people, even the
princes and rulers, were intermarry-
ing with the idolaters, and there was
danger that the religion of Israel
would be destroyed, that all the sins
which caused the exile would be re,
peated, and all that the exile had done
as a discipline would be lost
Ezra first by himself was astound
ed and TUNED by the report, and
showed all the signs of deepest sor
row and humiliation. Then there was
a meeting together with him of every
one that trembled at the words of the
God of Israel, because of the trans
gression of those that had bee car
ried away" They sat in bitter aston
ishment till the time of evening
prayer. Then they bowed themselve.
before the Lord, and wept and prayed
and confessed and e~ntreated.
Then followed a public meeting, {
great congregation of men and womer
and children. There came the grea
moral reform. There was a proclama
ton throughout all Judah and Jeru
salem, that all should gather them
selves unto Jerusalem, upon pain o
having their property confissated an,
themselves communicated from tn,
brotherhood of Israel. In a great rail
they confessed, repented n re
formed.
Those who are bribing and takin,
!, bribes-trying to get rich by graf
? and dishonesty, forging, cheatin
, banks, committing all kinds of crime
although the sinners are rich, and OF
1ceholders-are now working in Jail
separated from their wives and chi
dren, and are learning honest trades
1t is sad, indeed, but there is n
. other way of saving the nation.
! The suffering involved by Ezra
course vas not necessarily so grea