The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1917-12-07
LESSON FOR DECEMBER 9
EZRA AND NEHEMIAH TEACH
THE LAW.

LESSON TExT-Nehemiah 81. 4, s,
s-12. Read entire chapter.
GOLDEN TEXT-Thy word is LAM
unto my feet. and a light unto my path
Ps. 119:l06
The first day Of the seventh month
(8:2) was about October "A B. G.
Seven days feast wv. 1879 was the
feast of the Tabernacles beginning
the 18th Of the seventh month (Octo-
ber) and continuing for seven or
eight days (Lev. 23). Nehemiah was
the governor; Ezra the scribe, chief
priest; and Artaxerxes, king of Per-
STA, ruler over Palestine. It would be
interesting to look up the sudden in
terjection of Ezra's name into this
discourse; also the special reasons for
teaching the Bible. There Is In this
chapter q record Of full week and
Of the daily events OF that week.
| I. The Preparation. Go back to
verse 70 OF the preceding chapter, and
you will find that the temple had just
been receiving some large gifts. The
task of finishing the wall was also
completed, all Of which gives point to
verse one, where 1t says that the peo-
pie gathered themselves together as
one man. This was an ancient open
air meeting, one we do well to study.
| The people requested Ezra to "brfng
the book" 1t needed no catch-penny
| operations to draw the crowd togeth-
er. The writer of Nehemiah calls the
book 'the law which the Lord hath
commanded unto Moses" (See v.
CT. v. 14.) This, of course, would In
clude Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuter-
onomy, an indication as to the Mosaic
authorship of the Pentateuch, which is
In line with the statement that Jesus
Christ made that it was God who had
written it as he had commanded
Moses. 1t was not a mob there was
organization and equipment. (See v.
3 and ~ The Bible was also read so |
that the people could understand 1t
". y; certainly something that is In |
demand in our present day. Ezra
opened the book in the sight of all the
people, for he stood on an elevation
above them ". 81 and read "dis-
tinctly."
II. The Reading of the Word. They
read the book, not from some COM
mentary or quarterly, though these
have value in their place. The read
ing began with reverence. Reverence
for but not a worship Of the book.
The Bible is not fetish or a charm
against sickness or accident. The
verse "caused the people to under
stand the law" ". y probably means
that is was translated into the YER
nacular, the language Of the common
people. While Gods word Is a plain
book and easy to read, nevertheless
men of spiritual understanding are '
needed to rightly divide" it unto the |
people (v. y. However, the great In :
terpreter of the Bible given by the Fa-
Their is the Holy Spirit himself (John
16 :12-15; l John 2:20-27). This J
method of beginning the study of the
word and its continuance as presented
n these verses is a good suggestion
'or modern Sunday school workers
I'll. The Hearing of the Word. wv.
I'D. As Ezra and Nehemiah and ',
heir associates and Levites taught
he people, there was five-fold result.
Ffrsts There was conviction and
The word of God always
onvicts of sin, but the people were :
old not to mourn over the past, nor
we're they to weep, for all the people :
vept ~. 81. When men hear the v
words of the law there will be con-
lotion of sin. (See Eph. 81; Heb.
:12.) Weeping may not, however be =
onviction e Cor. 7:10). Weeping
but that was not designed, :
ather the exhilaration of joy. More F,
yer, they were to seek the refresh
lent Of food and drink. Indeed, the
~ of the Lord was to be their
trength ". 10Y "And there was very
reat gladness" ". ~. In verse IL
e are told that the Levites exhorted ~
le people to hold their peace, that
lie day was holy and that they should
2 grieved To this the people re- NJ
bonded w. 12), and made great mirth,
ecause they had understood the dec
ration OF the word of the Lord. Mo-
&c that joy and gladness came after
Dedience, also that Nehemiah, the
,vernor, had part In the teaching.
is great thing for any people when
cir civil rulers are genuine, intellf-
mt, and spiritual leaders. The peo- -
e were instructed to show their graft FC
de as well as their piety by remem-
ring ssthose for whom nothing had
en prepared" ". 10) The fourth
suit was peace ". 1D-the peace -
right relation with God (Rom. g.; &c
Phil 4 70. 8
Fifth Result: Service.
can very easily be con- .
lued too long, and, therefore, 1t was
cessary to employ the emotion OF !
nth and the exercise of work that 4
e people might enter into this peace. -
lie fifth result, therefore, was serv- ~
". 12). Notice that their thanks I
ing portions and their service were a
sed upon an intelligent knowledge
Gods word. If there is anything -
1T present-day social service needs,
Is the illumination which comes -
m q kuouy1odU o of GOd,a word last TO