The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1917-12-05
SUNDAY SCHOOL NOTES
Side Lights On Next Sundays
Lesson for Teachers and PuplIs
Edited by Charles K. Meyers.


President, Sears McHenry Denison.
First Vice-President, E. G. Dannett,
West Side.
Second Vice-President, E. G. Wig
gins, Dow City.
Third Vice-President. VIM. Lind
berg, Kiron.
Fourth Vice-President, Edward Ly-
on, Charter Oak.
Secretary-Treasurer, Chas. X. Mey
ers, Denison.
Elementary Superintendent, Mrs.
Anna Williams, Denison.
Secondary Superintendent, Frank
Woolston, Denison.
Adult and Home Superintendent
Mrs. E. w. Pierce, Denison.
Educational Superintendent, Miss
Monetta Jorgensen, Vail.
Supervision Superintendent, F. L.
Hoffman, Denison
December 9. Ezra and Nehemiah
Teach the Law. Nehemiah s.
Our lesson today is still in the book
of Nehemiah and the events told OF
come in close connection with the his
tory of the Jews we have been consld-
ering for some three weeks. The
scene of the lesson is at the city OF
Jerusalem, and the time some five hun
dred years before Jesus was born. 1t
was in the days after the return from
captivity in Babylon and when an ef-
fort was being made to get the Jews
back to the right worship of God. The
leaders at Jerusalem were Ezra and
Nehemiah. Ezra was a Jew well
versed in the Jewish law and an en-
thusiast for living up to the strict let
ter of the commandments of God as
delivered to Moses, and explained by
the learned Levites since that time. Ne
lemiah was the man who begged the
king of Babylon to allow him to go
with an expedition to Jerusalem to re-
build the city, and give vitality to the
Jews there to obey God. Our lesson
of last Sunday told how he built up
the walls of that city, under Difficult
ties, and his wisdom and prayer to
God for aid in his undertaking.
Nehemiah had now the protecting
walls up and was in shape to turn his
attention to the spiritual condition OF
the people. OF course the very ground
work for this was education in Gods
law. 1t can be generally said that most
people are willing to do the right
thing if informed just what they ought
to do. Ignorance of the law is no eX-
cuse to violators, yet in the minds OF
most people the penalty should not be
so severe on those who through ignor-
ance.
The reading of the scripture verses
tells US of genuine revival of re-
ligion in those far off days. Now such
things were not new, however. One
can easily recall that wonderful scene
where Joshua called the people to-
gether and made that declaration be-
fore them, which has made his name
famous to all time, "As for me and
for my house we will serve the Lord"
and how the people with unanimous
shout cried out, 1--WE. will serve the
Lord" (Joshua 24) That was a great
day in Jewish history There was an
other very much like it, and came in
the days of King Josiah e Chron. 34).
The book of the law had about van
ished from Israel IN those days, and
the temple worship neglected. Josiah
became king and began soon to make
amends for what his people had done.
He ordered the temple reopened. the
rubbish cleaned out, and during this
operation a copy of the Book of the
Law" was found. Soon after the king
ordered that it be read in the presence
of the people, and this was done. There
was great rejoicing. The passover
was celebrated, and there was again
a revival of religion.
The revival under Ezra and Nehe-
miah was much after the one when
Josiah was king. The people were
gathered together, the word Of God
was read in a clear voice, and the
sense explained. The effect was won