The Arvada enterprise. (Arvada, Colo.) 1908-1970, 1917-12-06
LESSON FOR DECEMBER 9

leSSUN tUk UeCeMbeh >
EZRA AND NEHEMIAH TEACH
THE LAW.
LESSON TEXT-Nehemiah 81, 1 ., &
k1z. Read entire chapter.
GOLDEN TExT-Thy word u . lamp
unto my feet. and light unto my PATH
PD. l11:1W.
The FIRST day of the seventh month
(6:2) was about October ~ B. @.
Seven days feast (vv. 1879 was the
feast of the Tabernacles beginning
the 18th of the seventh month tOcto-
ber) and continuing for seven or
eight days (Lev. 23). Nehemiah was
the governor; Ezra the scribe. chief
priest; and Artaxerxes, king Of Per-
STA, ruler over Palestine. It 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 a record Of full week and
Of the daily events Of that week.
I. 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 1t says that the peo-
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 '.
CT. Y. 14.) This, Of course. would In
clude Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuter-
onomy, an indication as to the Mosaic
authorship of the Pentateuch, which Is
In line with the statement that Jesus
Christ made that 1t was God who had
written it as he had commanded
Moses. 1t was not mob; there was
organization and equipment. (See v.
and ~ The Bible was also read 30
TINT the people could understand It
". p; certainly something that Is In
demand in our present day. Ezra
opened the book In the sight Of all the
people, for he stood on an elevation
above them ". 81 and read "dls-
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" ". " probably means
that Is was translated into the YER
nacular. the language Of the common
people. While Gods word Is 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-
Their is the Holy Spirit himself (John
18:l2-15: I John 2:202D. This
method Of beginning the study Of the
word and its continuance ms presented
In these verses is good suggestion
for modern Sunday school workers.
~. The Hearing Of the Word. (vv.
GID. As Ezra and Nehemiah and
their associates and Levltes taught
the people. there was tive-fold result.
First: There was conviction and
mourning. The word Of God always
rtntS - Sts hut hs,
told not to mourn over the past nor
were they to weep. for all the people
wept ~. ~. When men hear the
words Of the law there will he con.
viction Of sin. (Sec Eph. 81; Heb.
4:12.) Weeping may not. however. be
conviction e Cor. 7:4O). Weeping
wenkens. but that was not designed.
rather the exhilnrntIon Of Joy. More
over. they were to seek the refresh
ment Of food and drink. Indeed. the
Joy Of the Lord was to he their
strength ". 10Y. "And there was very
srent glndness" ". ~. In verse II
We nre told TINT the Levites exhorted
the people to hold their peace. TINT
the day WINS holy md that they should
he grlcved. To this the people re-
spon,icd ". l?). md made great inirth.
because they Ind understood the dec.
larnti0n Of the word Of the Lord. No.
tice That joy and glndness came after
obedience. ais" that Nehemiah, the
governor, hnd n pnrt In the teaching.
II Is a grent thing for any people when
their civil rulers arr genuine. intell''