The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1917-11-22


Nehemiah journeying to Jerusalem.
After his arrival he spent three days
In looking over the work; then he
told the priests and other leaders his
plans. Enthusiasm was awakened, all
classes were aroused. the work Of the
building Of the wall Of the city was
apportioned among the people, and
soon half 81 the wall was completed
"for the people had mind to work"
I. The Wrath OF the Enemy, w. 10.
The progress Of the work kept up
the anger of Sanbnllat the Toronto
and his friends who formed an ALL
nnce TO hinder the wall being built
wv Z. 81. When God begins to work
through his people, Satan Is aroused
Apd tries to interfere. II Is no sign
lat Christian II out Of the will
of God when opposition Is felt. The
enemy Will always be on hand TO try
20 hinder whenever real work for
God Is going forward. Dead formal
Christianity runs smoothly and with
deadly monotony and Satan lets II
alone, but as soon as some results Of
real work are seen. opposition Is nj
once felt. Thus II was when God
sent his Son into the world. and so
II has been In every movement for
God In the church. and 50 II will he
In the individual Christian life. From
the next verse COY we would almost
think that Nehemiah had heard our
Lords injunction to ''watch and pray"
Oil
many do much praying and fail; hut
none ever turns 10 watching and pray
Ing without finding victory. Prayer
alone means sloth; watching alone
means pride; but watching and pray
Ing victory.
u. internal Opposition, w. 10-1t
Sanballat and his friends were not
the only ones Nehemiah had TO con-
tend with. Among those that worked
ON the wall were some shlrkers and
grumblers. They had become discour-
aged In the work and began 10 say
they could never complete II ". 10).
II Satan falls 20 hinder the work
from the outside. he will attempt TO
create dissatisfaction on the inside.
Internal confusion OF the church Is
more to he dreaded than open opposl-
ton from known enemy. Dissension
and confusion In the church can usu-
ally be traced 10 workers becoming dis
c0uraged The plot Of the enemy TO
make surprise attack was dis
covered by the Jews who lived out.
side the city They reported II not
once. but ten times. with the sugges-
ton that the work on the wall he
stopped. and safety sought by leav.
Ing the city altogether wv. II, 12).
when the enemy's open opposition
fails and discourngement has IN
tried an attempt Is made 10 bring fear
upon the workers. But the Bible is
full OF cxhortations for Christians To
"fcar not" Could these workers on
the walls Of Jerusalem have seen the
unseen. Il would have made little diff
fcrences 10 them whether the enemies
were numbered by tens or thousands,
and could Christians today realize that
God Is for them, all opposition would
be as nothing. q Cor. 1913; Rom.
S:31; Phil. 4 :13). Nehemiah nj once
proceeded 10 allay the fears Oh,
14). Armed forces were arranged
about the walls 10 guard against the
reported surprise attack. The warri'
ors were placed so that In the event
OF battle they would be protecting
their own particular families. Then
Nehemiah made short speech Of en-
enlargement TO the people, the heart
Of which was Remember the Lord
which Is great and terrible" Remem'
berlng him would drive the fear away. !
They who are on the Lords side are /
already victors even before the bat |
tie has begun. Someone said to n
great general before certain bat |
tie began: II hope the Lord Is on our /
side" The reply was: 81 trust we
are on the Lords side" When this is
true. there need be no fear whether
the enemies be few or many. Nehe-
mlah then exhorted them TO fight for
their families and their homes. This
two-fold secret of the victory Is pre-
scented to us over and over In this book
OF Nehemiah. and nowhere Is so prom
inent as In this lessen. Victory for
tht SnfiStiuu utl'tHuS WI tNo 'uihENs
We must trust In the Lord as though
all depended on him. and we must
work and fight as though all depended
on us. This Is the secret OF the sue
cess Of Nehemiah.
~. The Progress OF the Work. wv.
1h"-b. The speech Of Nehemiah hav-
ing quleted the fears of the people and
the enemy having heard that their
plans were known and that God had
brought their counsel 10 nought, all
the people returned To the work with
renewed enthusiasm and purpose (i5).
There was n rearrangement OF forces
(16-2D. Half Of the people worked;
half, full armed, stood guard, A trum
peter was beside Nehemiah, so that at
the first alarm from outside all the
workers ana warriors could be called
To the threatened spot. Then they
went ahead with budding OF the wall.