Roanoke Rapids herald. [volume] (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) 1914-192?, 1917-11-30
INTERNATIONAL
SUNDAySQ100L
LESSON
(By REV. b. h. SuTCLIFFE. Extension
Department Moody Bible instituted
Copyright. 1917, Western Newspaper
Union)
LESSON FOR DECEMBER
NEHEMIAH BUILDS THE WALL OF
JERUSALEM.


LESSON TEXT Nehemiah 4:7-2i,
GOLDEN TEXT-The Lord Is m,
Helper and ! will not fear what maj
shall do unto 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
apportloned among the people, and
soon half Of the wall was completed
"for the people had mind to work
|. The Wrath Of the Enemy, w. 10
The progress Of the work kept up
the anger Of Sanhallat the Toronto
and his friends who formed an ALL
ance TO hinder the wall being built
wv. I, 81. When God begins to work
through his people, Satan Is aroused
and tries 10 interfere. II Is no sign
that Christian Is out Of the Will
Of God when opposition is felt. The
enemy will always be on hand to try
to hinder whenever n real work for
God Is going forward. Dead formal
Christianity runs smoothly and with
deadly monotony and Satan lets 1t
alone. but as soon rs some results or
real work ARE seen. opposition Is at
once felt. Thus Il was when God
sent his Son Into the world, ana so
II has been In every movement for
God In the church. and so II will be
In the individual Christian life, From
the next verse (o) we would almost
think that Nehemiah had heard our
Lords Injunction 10 watch and pray"
Many do much watching ana fall;
many do much praying and fall but
none ever turns 10 watching and pray
ing without finding victory. Prayer
alone means slorh; watching plone
means pride; but wa ching and pray
ing victory
II. internal. oppo,'ticn. w. 1914.
AMI his friends were not
the only ones Nehen iah had TO con
tend with. Among tlnSe that worked
on the wall were some Shirkcrs and
grumhlers. They had become dlScour-
aged In the work and hogan 70 say
they could never complete it ". lO).
II Satan fails 10 hinder the work
from the outside, he will attempt 10
create dissatisfaction on the inside.
Internal confusion of the church Is
more 10 be dreaded than open oppoSl'
tion from n known enemy. Dissenslon
and confusion In the church can usu-
ally he traced 10 workers becoming dis
Outraged. The plot Of the enemy to
make II surprise attack was dis
covered by the Jews who lived out
side the city. They reported II not
once. hut ten times, with the sngges-
ton that the work on the wall be
stopped. and safety sought by leav-
Ing the city altogether tvv. II. 12).
When the cnemy's open opposition
falls and dlscouragcment has been
tried. nm attempt Is made to bring fear
upon the workers. But the Bible Is
full Of exhortations for Christians to
"fcnr not" Could these workers on
the walls Of Jerusalem have seen the
unseen It would have made little diff
ferenccs 10 them whether the enemies
were numbered by tens ar thousands,
and could Christians today realize that
God is for them. all opposition would
he MS nothing. Il Cor. 10:l3; Rom.
S:31 Phil. AID. Nehemiah At once
proceeded TO allay the fears u3,
14). Armed forces were arranged
about the walls to guard against the
reported surprise attack. The warri-
ors were placed so that in the event
of bn,tle they would be protecting
their own particular families. Then
Nehemiah made short speech of en-
enlargement 20 the people, the heart
of which was Remember the Lord
which is great and terrible Remem
herring him would drive the fear away
They who are on the Lords side are
already yictors even before the bat
tie has begun. Someone said to O
great general before certain bat
tie began: ~ hope the Lord Is ON our
side" The reply was. 81 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 fol
their families and their homes. This
two-fold secret OF the victory is pre-
sented to US over and over In this book
ef Nehemiah, and nowhere Is so prom
Inent rs in this lesson. Victory fol
the Christian depends on two things
We must trust In the Lord as though
NIL depended on him. and we must
work and fight ms though all depended
on us. This is the secret Of the sue
cess Of Nehemiah.
~. The Progress OF the Work, tvv
l5-2D. The speech of Nehemiah hav
ing quieted the fears Of the people md
the enemy having heard that theil
plans were known and that God hat
br Ight their counsel to nought. al
the pevpie returned to the work with
renewed enthusiasm and purpose tl5)
There was Encouragement Of forces
(16-21). Half of the people worked
half. full armed. stood guard. A trum
peter was beside Nehemiah. so that al
the first alarm from outside all tht
workers and warriors could be called
to the threatened spot. Then, after
all was done TINT could be done IL
the way of protection, they went ahead
with the building Of the wall, enc0ur
aged with the word of their leader
"Our God shall fight for us" So th'
Christian is going ahead In spite Of
MI opposition being Gods instrument