The Watertown news. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1917-1919, 1917-12-14
SUNDAY SCHOOL
Lesson 11.-Fourth Quarter, for
December is, 1917.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES

Text Of the Lesson, Neh. 1852.
Memory Verses, II, 19-GoIden Text,
Elk. 2o:s-commentary Prepared by
Rev. .. M. Stearns.
The prayer Of Nehemiah in chapter
and that of Daniel in Dan. 8 are two
of the most remarkable prayers in the
Bible, apart from John 17--full Of
alteration, confession, humiliation and
true penitence. The words of Neh. 9 9
are notable, "Thou art just in all that
Is brought upon US, for thou hast done
right, but we have done wickedly?"
Neh. 8 1851, is clear and conclusive
proof that the return from Babylon
was not fulf1llment of lisa. ii :1-3.
Mark well the contrast and note that
Babylon must yet be rebuilt to fulfill
prophecy. Neh. 10, IL, tells Of sep
arations from the ungodly and the
appointment of priests and Levites and
others to their service and provision
for the same. Chapter ID begins with
q reference to Balaam and his sin and
how he could not curse those whom
God had blessed. Then we meet again
one TObiah, bad one, who had sought
to make Nehemiah afraid, the mobiles
of Judah standing for him against
Nehemiah. After acting as governor
for II years Nehemiah returned to
Babylon, but very soon came back to
Jerusalem and found TObiah occupy
chamber in the courts of the house of
God. He quickly cast out him and his
stuff and cleansed the chambers (Neh.
6:17-19; 3:4-9).
He also chased from him son-in-
law Of Sanballat the Toronto (13 :28).
Finding that the tithes had not been
provided for the Levites, he contended
with the rulers because they had thus
forsaken the house of God, and he
caused that matter to be rectified Q3:
1O-14). Finding that Jews had inter-
married with the heather and that
their children spoke partly in the lam
guage Of the Jews and partly in an
other tongue, he cleansed them from
all strangers, reminding them Of Gods
hatred of such alliances and that even
Solomon brought trouble upon himself
and upon Israel by these sins. He was
beloved of his God, king over all Israel.
among many nations no king like him,
get even him did women Of other lands
cause to sin (13 :23-31).
We might think that after the long
captivity of Judah and the mercy Of
the Lord to them In restoring them,
they, of all the tribes, would be careful
not to sin against such q God of love
and mercy, but they seem to have been
the leaders in all manner of sin, and
now, after the temple had been rebuilt
and dedicated, the city rebuilt and the
worship of God restored, we find in
our lesson portion wv. 1929 that
they deliberately and persistently
broke the Sabbath day. Nehemiah,
with his usual firmness testified
againt them and against those of other
nations who sought to do business on
the Sabbath and was able to rectify
this matter also. We cannot help won
dering what a few Ezras and Nehe-
miahs and Daniels might accomplish
in these days of Astounding and in
creasing iniquity. Worldliness on the
part Of Gods processing people, ne
glect of his house and worship and
deliberate breaking of the Sabbath are
some of the prominent sins, and, be-
cause sentence against an evil work
is not executed speedily, therefore the
heart of the sons Of men Is fully set in
them to do evil (Eccl. SID.
The fourth commandment has the
word remember" in it because the
resting on one day in seven takes us
back to Gen. 2 :1-3, and, while in Scrip
ture the Sabbath always means the
seventh day, our Lord rose from the
dead on the first day of the week and
honOred that day by several appear
ances to his disciples and just week
later by appearing to them again, and
1t was honored by the early church as
their day of gathering and worship
(Acts 20:7; I Cor. 1922. Rev. 10
may possibly refer to that day also. 1t
certainly seems fitting that those who
are risen with Christ should honor that
day instead of the day on which His
body lay in the grave. If any find
fault with us for keeping the first day
instead Of the seventh we simply say
as kindly as possible, You are forbid
den to judge US in reference to the
Sabbath, and you must excuse US for
preferring the substance to the shadow
(Col. 2 :16-17).
AS to how we should keep the one
day in seven which God asks for him
self, I know of no better instruction
than lisa. SO :13-14, which is as ap-
plicable to the first day as to the sew
enth. That which is merely our own
ways, our pleasure Of our words must
give place to his word, his pleasure
and his ways. The day must be set
apart for him that he may come spe-
cially near to us and reveal himself to