The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-12-07
INTERNATIONAL
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
BY w. 7. ELLIS

a lesson from Ezra's procedure, He
was Ezra, the great leader. and all
the people had special reason to give
heed to his words, but he organized
and planned for this rally as thor
oughly as churches make ready for a
Billy Sunday campaign. 1t was not
a one-man meeting; Ezra had with
him a corps of assistants. judiciously
placed. He was after results, and not
after reputation for himself. The
occasion was prepared one. an an
ticipated one, and an enthusiastic
one, for the "get-together'' spirit had
hold of the people.
sAnd Gave the Sense"
A man was speaking upon the pos
Sibilities of Mesopotamia'S cotton crop.
but he took it for granted that his
hearers were more familiar with geog-
raphy than was the case, so he was
surprised when a friend said to him,
"A man was telling me about your
speech upon the possibilities of cotton
in China" The speaker had not been
careful to make his hearers under
stand, which is as truly the speakers
responsibility as it is the listeners
Most persons listen to the Bible with
out expecting to understand 1t as they
understand the newspaper. Their
knowledge of Mesopota mia is as hay
as their knowledge of the Hittites, or
the lands of Pauls journeys. A Sun
day school teacher who exhibited with
pride a map of Bible lands, showing
Ur of the Chaldees as down in the
/ land of Edom was not very much en-
| barrassed when the mistake was
pointed out. The assumption is that
all that pertains to the Bible is some
what vague and conjectural. One does
not expect to comprehend the Bible
as he does book or travels or a his
tory or a novel.
That state of mind was given a Sc
we're jolt by Ezra, who in this great
Bible-reading assembly had the law
read so that the record runs, And
they read in the book of the law dis
tinctly and gave the sense, so that
they understood the reading" No
other book is read SO unintelligently
as the Scriptures. Philips question
| to the Eethiopian eunuch might we'll
| be repeated to many a Christian at
his private devotions, Understand
| est thou what thou readest?
OFTEN the Bible is treated as a sort
of charm or incarnation, to be read
because there is virtue in it, but not
| because it is understood. Some folk
following this good luck method, open
their Bible at random for their daily
reading, trusting to be guided thereby,
| tho it is usually the bookbinder and
not the Spirit who determines the
pages at which the volume will open
most easily. The only Bible reading
that is worth the time spent upon it
is Bible reading which gives the read
er the sense of what he has read.
! Otherwise, one might as well read last
year almanac, or a volume of cunei-
form inscriptions.
The Speaker Who Made a Hit.
At great Philadelphia convention
a few years ago a professor in Hayer-
/ ford college read theAScripture lesson,
have forgotten even the names of
the distinguished speakers of the eve
ming, but I have mot forgotten how
/ ha hi rfa
chapter of Corinthians, as if it were
| living literature, and as if it meant
! every word. That, 1 fancy, is the sort
| of reading of the Pentateuch which
the multitude of Jews alongside of the
water gate heard that day so long
ago.
Small wonder that they wept and
shouted "Amen!" and bowed them
selves to the earth in contrition, and
| listened for dear life for six short
hours No sermons are long when
they are messages of life, from living
men to living men. Emotions? OF
course there was emotion There is
always emotion when hearts are deep
ly stirred There is emotion when a
man tells women of his love- There
is emotion over the birth of the first
born. There is emotion at the death
bed. There is emotion when a coun-
try's call is heard by patriots. The
stirring of the deep always produces
ShAOtAOAis anu Iue dCdQem1c objection
to emotion in connection with religion
is little less than absurd
/ The lesson of this whole lesson is
| obvious 1t is that the surest way to
the most abiding religious revival is
| by the study of the word of God.
Give the people the Book and they
can do without an evangelist. The
entrance of the Word gives light and
| life and fortitude and conviction and
iowliness and peace. The people who
have come upon a revival of Bible
study have the best reason to be glad
and grateful, as the Jews after the
festival of study of the law. They
celebrated because they had learned
anew the Pentateuch: how much
greater should be the celebration of
those who have the living Gospel as
their light and their strength
Gods Volunteer Minute Men.
Terse Comments on the Uniform
Prayer Meeting Topic of the Young
Peoples Societies-Christian En-
deavor, Etc.-For December 8:
Here Am I; Send Me."-Isa- 6:6-S.