The Watertown news. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1917-1919, 1917-12-07

by Rev. D. M. stearns.
The wall being finished, the doors
set up, pOrters, singers and Levites
appointed, Nehemiah gave to his broth
er Hanani and to Hananiah, the ruler
of the palace, charge over Jerusalem,
for they were faithful men and feared
God G:1, p. These men did not
find their position an easy one, but
such men would find it more difficult
to rule in righteousness in any city on
earth today, for, while iniquity has al
ways abounded, our Lord Jesus taught
that when he shall come in glory at
the end of this age it shall be as it
was in the days of Noah and Lot Uuke
q :26-30) From chapter 1860, 81, it
would seem that about $4,000 had now
returned from captivity, and from II,
l conclude that meant the total of the
three companies who returned with
Zerubbabel, with Ezra and with Ne
| hemiah, for as they were taken cap
| tive In three deportations, so they re-
| turned at three different times. If we
| are right in believing that 1914 began
| to end the times of the gentiles, there
may be two or three great events ere
| they finally close, but probably all
within a comparatively few years.
Our lesson chapter tells Of the peo-
| pie gathered to hear the book Of the
| law Of Moses, the law of God, read to
| them by Ezra, the scribe, probably
| with assistance from others either In
| reading or explaining or both. 1t was
| q full weeks Bible conference at
| which the book Of the law of the Lord
| their God was read to them one
| fourth part of each day, and another
| fourth part they confessed and wOr-
SHIPPED the Lord their God (9:3).
| The book of the law Is the heart Of
the lesson, and it Is mentioned eight
| times In chapter and 9:1-3. There
| Is nothing on earth to be compared
| to the word Of God, and, while they
| had only part of what we call the
| Bible, we have the complete book, and
| the wonder Is that we can find time
! for aught else for there alone can we
| learn to know God and his eternal
| purpose in Christ. 1t is interesting to
| note that 1t was before the water gate
| that the people gathered to drink the
| living water of the Word Of Life (8:1,
| 8, 16), for water represents the word
| (Eph. 5:26; Ps. 1919.
We noticed in a previous lesson that
| the sheep gate at which the building
| of the wall began and ended suggested
| the great sacrifice apart from which
| nothing is ever truly begun. Lesson
verse 8 is to me an epitome Of all
| that is comprehended in good reading,
"They read in the book in the law of
| God distinctly and gave the sense and
caused them to understand the read
| ing" Whether it be reading or sing
| ing, it ought to be according to this.
Paul speaks Of uttering words easy to
| be understood and says, II had rather
| speak five words with my understand
| ing, that I might teach others also,
| than ten thousand words in an IN
| known tongue" q Cor. IA g, 19). The
| effect upon the people as they heard
the word of God is beautifully set
| forth in verses 10, II. They had great
mirth because they understood the
words that were declared unto them,
| and they went their way to eat and
| drink and send portions to others not
so fortunate. The portions were food
| for their bodies as a result of their joy
| in the Lord, which was their strength.
| For full thirty years (June, 1870 l
have seen real joy in peoples hearts
| in my own congregation and at the BIZ
BILE classes because of the simple ex-
| position of the WI ole word of God,
| taken literally, except when plainly
| figure of speech, and in twenty-seven
years and five months of that time I
| have received from grateful hearts
| without any solicitation over $S5O,OOO
| to help give portions of living bread
and water to multitudes who other
| wise might not have heard it. l tell
| them that if their JOY in the Lord does
not make them long to have others
receive the same they are not as glad
as they might be. These people had
very great gladness oversees II, I'D,
and their service was the result. An
other result was that they kept the
feast Of tabernacles as it had not been
kept since the days Of Joshua, the son
Of Nun. They also confessed their
sins and separated themselves from
the ungodly (S:17; 81, p. God made
them rejoice with great joy, so that
the joy of Jerusalem was heard afar
off az :43).
So it shall be to the ends of the
earth when the Lord shall have finally
comforted Jerusalem lisa. 80 10; 81:
: II; So @, 10Y. SO should it be now on
the part of all true believers that who