The Detroit times., 1917-12-14
in the Religious World



The International sunday-sehool
lesson for Dec. 10 is Nehemiah
Enforces the Law Of the Sab
bath Nehemiah t5:15-22.
Civil tunuit has often changed So
cial and even religious institutions.
Wars effects are not all folt only on
the battlefield There are vast con
sequences 90 civilization involved,
with which all teachers of morals
and religion should primarily con
cern themselves. Religion herself
needs 90 boz especially yigilant lest.
while deyotng her most sacred ener-
4 gies 90 tho protection by means OF
armed conflict. OF the ideals which
are Fundamental 90 civilization, she
lose certain hcTitHges as precious as
those for which civilization ie bat
Ting. These are grave days for all
who havc responsibility for the
conservation and extension off the
great teachings of the Gospel Only
the most stupid and unobservant
person can fail to see that the moral
and social consequences OF world
war are hv no means clear and as
sured
AS IN is now. so il was IN the days
Of Nehemiah In this pertinent old
story, which has been assigned for
study by the Sunday schools OF the
world. we learn how life had grown
lax I'm old Jerusalem, under the
ptress OF conquest and civil disor
ganization "Out west conditions
AS we knew them a generation ago.
prevailed. The usages OF the fathers
had been allowed 20 slip away. The
Jews who were dealing with the dis
turbed conditions OF the old city had
been so bent upon practical" quee.
tions that they had permitted the In
etitut0ns FOR which Jerusalem pecu-
liarly stood. 10 lapse, while they
borrowed freely of the laXer Gus
toms OF the surrounding peoples.
Amid AN environment largely heath
en-. the sons OF promise forget their
Inheritance
Especially shocked was Nehemiah
by tho violations OF the Mosaic laws
OF the Sabbath The foreigners IN
/ The cil} were largely responsible for
this. JUST as immigration has so deep
Jews ae Well as heather were buy
Ing and selling on the holy day ana
treating it Ike any other day of the
week They bad been "toO busy
20 take c0gnizance of the Sabbath
OF their fathers Like dwellers In
foreign lands. hey had impercep'i
bis slipped into The local disregard
for The day that had meant so much
whcu rog Wcrc back home IT, is
not unknown for persons who were
once church workers. and SUNDAY
school teachers, 20 grow slack even
IN church attendance when they
move 20 "a new community, where
laxer standards prevail.
a Strenuous Reformer.
Some OF US would have felt self
complacent sense OF superiority
over the conduct of these violarors
of Gods law. had We been in Nehe
wiah's position or else we should
have sa N.ad together Attle coih.
pany of The etricter sort minded
folk and bewailed the deterioration
OF tho times. Not SO Nehemiah. Hc
was like an American. IN that he
ever
Turned keen. untroubled tacs,
Home 10 the instant need " things.
SO Nehemiah spoke 20 The right per
sons IN condemnation OF the shock
ing la1ity; then he shut the city
gates against the non Sabbath-keep-
ing foreigners; then he threatened
persistent violators with the rigors
OF the law. But let us nave the
story Itself as Nehemiah told Il:
'Tn those days saw ! IN Judah
some treading winepresses on the
Sabbath. and bringing IN sheaves.
and lading asses as also wine,
grapes and 6gs. and all manner Of
burdens, which they brought into
Jerusalem on the sabbath day and
testified against them In tho day
wherein they sold victuals There
dwelt men OF Tyre also therein.
which brought fish. and all manner
OF ware, which they sold unto the
children Of Judah. and IN Jerusalem.
Then contended with the mobiles of
Judah. and said unto them, What
svil thing Is this ye do, and profane
the Sabbath day? Did not your
fathers thus, and did not our God
bring all this evil upon US. and upon
this city? yet ye bring more wrath
upon Israel by profaning the Sab.
bath And IL came 20 pass. before
the gates OF Jerusalem began TO be
dark before the Sabbath, command
ID that the gates be shut, and
charged that they should not be
opened until after the Sabbath and
some or my servants set az the
gates. that there should no burden
be brought in on the Sabbath day.
So The merchants and sellers OF all
kinds OF ware lodged without JeTu-
salem once or twice Then | testi-
fed against them. and said unto
them. Why lodge ye about the wall1
II ye do so again. I viii lay hands
on you Fromi that timo forth came
they no more on the sabbath. And
commanded the Levites that they
should cleanse themselves. and that
they should come and keep the gates
10 sanctifv the Sabbath day"
Dig Men for Hard Times.
Something like tho hard sense OF
Nehemiah Is needed. In this time OF
transformation. and observation Of
moral values, 20 save 90 civilization
its Christian Sabbath With "a sud
denness for which most of us were
not prepared our very life, as repre-
rcntod by our choicest young men.