The Green Forest tribune., 1917-11-30

The lesson of November IS spoke of 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 of the wall was completed flor the people had mind to work"
 l. The Wrath of the Enemy, w. 7-9. The progress of the work kept up the anger of Sanballat the Horonite and his friends who formed an alli- ance to hinder the wall being built (vv. T, S). When God begins to work through his people, Satan is aroused and tries to interfere. It is no sign that a Christian is out of the will of God when opposition is felt. The enemy will always be on hand to try to hinder whenever a real work for God is going forward. Dead formal Christianity runs smoothly and with deadly monotony and Satan lets it alone, but as soon as some results of real work are seen, opposition is at once felt. Thus 1t was when God sent his Son into the world, and so It has been in every movement for God In the church. and so it will be In the individual Christian life. From the next verse (9) we would almost think that Nehemiah had heard our Lords injunction to "watch and pray" Many do much watching and fail; many do much praying and fail; but none ever turns to watching and pray Ing without finding victory. Prayer alone means sloth; watching alone means pride but watching and pray Ing victory.
 II. Internal Opposition, w. 10-14. Sanballat and his friends were not the only ones Nehemiah had to con- tend with. Among those that worked on the wall were some shirkers and grumblers. They had become discour- aged in the work and began to say they could never complete it (y. 10). If Satan fails to hinder the work HUH IIIt outSidC, 1it VIII dtl0idpt tO create dissatisfaction on the inside. Internal confusion of the church is more to be dreaded than open opposi- ton from known enemy. Dissension and confusion in the church can usu- ally be traced to workers becoming dis couraged. The plot of the enemy to make surprise attack was dis covered by the Jews who lived out side the city. They reported it not once, but ten times, with the sugges- tion that the work on the wall be stopped, and safety sought by leav- Ing the city altogether (vv. II, 12). When the enemy's open opposition fails and Encouragement has been tried, an attempt is made to bring fear upon the workers. But the Bible is full of exhortations for Christians to fear not" Could these workers on the walls of Jerusalem have seen the unseen, it would have made little diff ferences to 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. 10:13; Rom. 5:31; Phil. 4:13). Nehemiah at once proceeded to allay the fears (13, i4). Armed forces were arranged about the walls to guard against the reported surprise attack. The warri- DTS were placed so that In the event of battle they would be protecting their own particular families. Then Nehemiah made short speech of en- couragement to the people, the heart of which was Remember the Lord which is great and terrible" Remem- bering him would drive the fear away. They who are on the Lords side are already victors even before the bat tle has begun. Someone said to great general before certain bat tle began: T hope the Lord is on our side" The reply was: T trust we are on the Lords side." When this Is true, there need be no fear whether the enemies be few or many. Nehe- miah then exhorted them to fight for their families and their homes. This two-fold secret of the victory is pre- sented to us over and over in this book of Nehemiah and nowhere Is so prom nent as in this lesson. Victory for the Christian depends on two things: 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 ress of Nehemiah.
 Ill. The Progress of the Work, (yv. i5-21). The speech of Nehemiah hav- Ing quieted the fears of the people and the enemy having heard that their plans were known and that God had brought their counsel to nought, all the people returned to the work with renewed enthusiasm and purpose (15). There was encouragement of forces (18-2D. 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 and warriors could be called to the threatened spot. Then, after all was done that could be done in the way of protection, they went ahead with the building of the wall, encour- aged with the word of their leader .Our God shall fight for us." So the Christian is going ahead in spite of all opposition being Gods instrument doing Gods work with Gods power, knowing that TOur God shall fight for