The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1917-12-06
LESSON FOR DECEMBER 9
EZRA AND NEHEMIAH TEACH
THE LAW.

GOLDEN TEXT-Thy word Is a lamp
into my feet. and light unto my path
Ps. 119:i6.
The first day of the seventh month
(8:2) was about October 444 b. @.
Seven days feast wv. 1919 was the
Seast of the Tabernacles beginning
the 18th of the seventh month (Octo-
ber) and continuing for seven or,
eight days Uev. 23). Nehemiah wasl
the governor Ezra the scribe, chief
prlest and Artaxerxes, king Of Per-
ha, ruler over Palestine. 1t would be
Interesting to look up the sudden In
terjection of Ezra's name into this
discourse; also the special reasons for,
teaching the Bible. There Is In this
chapter record of a full week and
Of the daily events Of that week.
!. The Preparation. Go back to
verse 70 Of the preceding chapter, and
you will find that the temple had just
been receiving some large gifts. The
task Of finishing the wall was also,
completed, all of which gives point to
verse one, where II says that the peO1
pie gathered themselves together as
one man. This was an ancient OPEN
air meeting, one we do well to study.
The people requested Ezra to,"bring
the book" 1t needed no catch-penny,
operations to draw the crowd togeth-,
er. The writer Of Nehemiah calls the,
book "the law which the Lord hath
commanded unto Moses" (See v. II
CT. V. 14) This, Of course, would in,
clude Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuter-i
onomy, IN indication as to the Mosaic,
authorship of the Pentateuch, which Isl
IN line with the statement that Jesus,
Christ made that 1t was God who had
written 1t as he had commanded
Moses. It was not mob; there was;
organization and equipment. (See ".
and A. The Bible was also read so
that the people could understand III
". p; certainly something that Is I'M
demand in our present day. Ezra
opened the book In the sight of all the
people, for he stood on an elevation
above them w. 81 and read dis
tinctly."
u. The Reading Of the Word. They
read the book, not from some COM.
mentary or quarterly, though these;
have value in their place. The read;
Ing began with reverence. Reverence
for but not worship of the book
The Bible is not fetish or a charm
against sickness or accident. The
verse caused the people to under
stand the law" ". y probably means
that is was translated into the ver-
nacular, the language Of the common
people. While Gods word Is q plain
book and easy to read, nevertheless
men of spiritual understanding are
needed to rightly divide" 1t unto the
people ". y. However, the great In.
terpreter Of the Bible given by the Fa-
ther is the Holy Spirit himself (John
16:12-15; John 2:20-27. This
method Of beginning the study Of the!
word and Its continuance as presented
In these verses Is good suggestiohi
for modern Sunday school workers.
There is blessing In being teacher
and Joy in being hearer.
~. The Hearing of the Word. wv.
DID. AS Ezra and Nehemiah and
their associates and Levites taught
the people. there was five-fold result.
First: There was conviction and
mourning. The word of God always
convicts of sin, but the people were,
told not to mourn over the past, nor
we're they to weep, for all the people
wept ". 81. When men hear the
words of the law there will be con-
viction of sin. (See Eph. 6:7; Heb.
4:12.) Weeping may not, however, be,
conviction e Cor. 7:10). Weeping
weakens, but that was not designed.
rather the exhllaration of JOY. More7
over, they were to seek the refresh
ment Of food and drink. Indeed, the,
Joy of the Lord was to be their
strength ". 10Y. "And there was very
great gladness" ". 1D. In verse II.
we are told that the Levites exhortedi
the people to hold their peace, that,
the day was holy and that they should
be grieved. To this the people re-,
sponded ". 12), and made great mlrth,
because they had understood the dec-l
laratlon of the word of the Lord. No
tice thnt Joy and gladness came after
obedience, also that Nehemiah, the
governor, had part In the teaching.
1t is great thing for any people when
their civil rulers are genuine, intelli-
gent and spiritual leaders. The peo-
pie were instructed to show their graft
tude as well as their plety by remem-'
bering "those for whom nothing had
been prepared ". 10Y. The fourth
result was peace ". 1D-the peace
of right relation with God (Rom. 8 =
1; Phil. 4:D. Mourning can be con-
tlnued too long, and, therefore, 1t was
necessary to employ the emotion Of,
mirth and the exercise of work that
the people might enter into this peace.
The fifth result, therefore, was serv-
Ice ". 12). Notice that their thanks
giving portions and their service were
based upon an intelligent knowledge
Of Gods word. If there is anything
that present-day social service needs,
1t is the illumination which comes
from knowledge of Gods word. Last
of all, worship (vv. 1919. Worship
Is compound of worth" and ship"
What is God worth to me7 Worship
is the answer. At its best 1t Is the
spontaneous exercise of the Joy of the
Lord in redeemed soul. 1t is not
spectacular, but quiet, reverent and