McNairy County independent. (Selmer, McNairy County, Tenn.) 1902-1969, 1917-11-30
INTERNATIONAL
SUNDMSQlOOL
LESSON
(By REV. B. B. SUTCLIFFE. Extension
Department Moody Bible Institute)
Copyright. 1917, Western Newspaper
Union.)-
LESSON FOR DECEMBER
NEHEMIAH BUILDS THE WALL or
JERUSALEM.

LESSON TExT-Nehemiah l:T-eL
GOLDEN TExT-The Lord is my
Helper and I will not fear what man
shall do unto me.-Hebrews 1876.
The lesson of November is spoke Of
Nehemiah journeSing 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
apportioned 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 Sanballat the Toronto
and his friends who formed an ALL
ance to hinder the wall being built
wv. Z. 81. When God begins TO work
through his people, Satan is aroused
and tries to interfere. II Is no sign
that Christian is out of the will
Of God when opposition is felt. The
enemy viii always be on hand to try
to hinder whenever a real work for
God is going forward. Dead formal
Christianity runs smoothly and with
deadly monotony and Satan lets II
alone, but as soon as some results Of
real work are seen, opposition Is at
once felt. Thus II was when God
sent his Son into the world, and so
II has been in every movement for
God in the church. and so IL will be
In the individual Christian life. From
the next verse co. we would almost
think that Nehemiah had heard our
Lords Injunction to swatch and pray"
Many do much watching and fail:
many do much praying and fall, but
none ever turns to watching and pray
Ing without finding victory. Prayer
alone means sloth; watching alone
means pride: but watching and pray
Ing victory.
". internal Opposition, w. 10-14.
Sanbailat and his friends were not
the only ones Nehemiah had to cor
tend with. Among those that worked
on the wall were some shirkers and
grumbiers. They had become discour-
aged in the work and began to say
they could never complete II ". 10Y.
II Satan fails to hinder the work
from the outside. he win attempt to
create dissatisfaction on the inside
confusion OF the church is
more to be dreaded than open opposi-
don from known enemy Dissension
and confusion in the church can usu-
ally be traced to workers becoming dis
The plot Of the enemy to
make surprise attack was dis
covered by the Jews who lived out
ode the city. They reported It not
once, but ten times. with the sugges-
Hon that the work on the wall be
stopped. and safety sought by ieav-
ing the city altogether wv. III. 12).
When the enemy's open opposition
fails and encouragement has been
tried. an attempt is made to bring fear
upon the workers. But the Bible is
hull of exhortations for Christians to
fear not" Could these workers on
the walls of jerusalem have seen the
unseen. 1t would have made little DIFF
,erences to them whether the enemies
we're numbered by tens or thousands.
md could Christians today realize that
Scd is for them. all opposition would
be as nothing. Il Cor. 10 10: Rom.
, 81: Phil. 4:13). Nehemiah at once
proceeded to allay the fears (13.
I'd. Armed forces were arranged
about the wallis to guard against the
exported surprise attack. The warri-
,rs were placed 80 that In the event
II battle they would be protecting |
heir own particular families. Then
Nehemiah made a short speech of en-
to the people. the heart |
Il which was Remember the Lord |
which Is great and terrible Remem-
,ering him would drive the fear away.
they. who arc on the Lords side are
.lready victors even before the bat
lie has begun. Someone said to
reat general before certnin bat
lie began: Il hope the Lord Is on our
ide." The reply was: 81 trust we
re on the Lords side" When this Is
rue. there need be no fear whether
he enemies be few or many. Nehe-
NAH then exhorted them to fight for /
heir families and their homes. This
wo-foid secret Of the victory Is pre-
ented to us over and over in this book
4 Nehemiah. and nowhere is SO prom
nent as in this lesson. Victory for
he Christian depends on two things: |
We must trust in the Lord as though
N depended on him. and we must
rork and fight as though all depended
n us. This is the secret of the sue
ess Of Nehemiah.
nj. The Progress Of the Work. wv.
SOD. The speech of Nehemiah hav-
ne quieted the fears Of the people and
he enemy having heard that their
lans were known and that God had
rought their counsel TO nought. all
&c people returned to the work with
euewed enthusiasm and purpose t15).
here was n Encouragement Of forces
1921. Half Of the people worked:
nlf. full armed. stood guard A strum-
etar was beside Nehemiah. 90 that nj
be FIRST alarm from outside oil the
'orkers and warriors could be called
, the threatened spot Then. after
n was done that could be done In
be way Of protection. they went ahead
nth the building Of the wall. encour,
red with the word Of their leader