Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1917-11-30

GOLDEN TEXT-The Lord is my
Helper and I will not fear what man
shall do unto me.-Hebrews 1876.
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
"fOr the people had a mind to work"
|. The Wrath of the Enemy, w. 70.
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
wv. Z, 81. When God begins to work
through his people, Satan is aroused
and tries to interfere. 1t 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 monotoly and Satan lets it
alone, but as soon as some results of
real work are seen, opposition is at
once felt. Thus it 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. 1914.
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 ". 10Y.
| If Satan fails to hinder the work
from the outside, he will attempt to
create dissatisfaction on the inside.
Internal confusion of the church is
more to be dreaded than open OppOsi-
ton from a 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 q 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-
ton that the work on the wall be
stopped, and safety sought by leav-
ing the city altogether wv. IL, 12).
When the enemy's open opposition
fails and discouragement has been
tried, an attempt is made to bring fear
upon the workers. But the Bible is
full of exhortations for Christians tC
"fear not" Could these workers or
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. Il Cor. 10:13; Rom
81; Phil. :13). Nehemiah at once
proceeded to allay the fears Q3
14). Armed forces were, arranged
about the walls to guard against the
reported surprise attack. The warri
ors were placed so that in the even
of battle they would be protecting
their own particular families. TheI
Nehemiah made a short speech of en-
couragement to the people, the hear
of which was Remember the Lore
which is great and terrible" Remem
bering him would drive the fear away
They who are on the Lords side ar,
; already victors even before the bat
tie has begun. Someone said to ;
great general before a certain bat
tie began: 81 hope the Lord is on ou
, side" The reply was: 81 trust W
are on the Lords side" When this i
true, there need be no fear whethe
2 the enemies be few or many. Nehe
miah then exhorted them to fight fo
? their families and their homes. Thi
, two-fold secret of the victory is pre-
. sented to US over and over in this boo
, of Nehemiah, and nowhere is so prom
t Inent as in this lesson. Victory fo
! the Christian depends on two things
: We must trust in the Lord as thoug
r all depended on him, and we mus
. work and fight as though all depende
q on US. This is the secret of the SUI
q cess of Nehemiah.
I Ill. The Progress of the Work, (v'
I5-21). The speech of Nehemiah ha7
: ing quieted the fears of the people an
o the enemy having heard that the
4 plans were known and that God ha
n brought their counsel to nought, a
Il the people returned to the work wit
n renewed enthusiasm and purpose as
:, There was a rearrangement of force
(16-2D. Half of the people worked
half, full armed, stood guard. trun
peter was beside Nehemiah, SO that {
the first alarm from outside all th
workers and warriors could be calle
to the threatened spot. Then, afte
all was done that could be done
the way of protection, they went ahea
with the building Of the wall, encou
: aged with the word Of their leadc
q