Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-09-20
Third Quarter: Lesson Nil.

or we are Elad.-Psulm cxxvi. 3.
Looking ""es T,n,%. over Three
uRcvicw: The Exile and the Res
toration.)
There IL splendid stir aud move
mont. cumulative TN It's interest in
this epoch Of 200 years just covered.
Wien tairly tascinatcs The reader.
dhere Is iife and continuity in the
narrative; Each event and person,
the picture OF n nation at school.
The term Is seventy years The dis
cipiinc is severe. the training riKor-
9ns. The end ie the correc,io ion OF
the exile results In a higher pricing
OF religion. temple. ritual and
Scripture. Ono plainly sees who
Divine evolution. Raphael. with
tho daring Of his genius. attempts
TO picture Ezekioi's vision. That
scene transccnds art as II does hu-
partition was given to harden the
prophet FOR his stubborn task OF
being Waterman for Maynard
Israel. The Hook OF Daniel was
political tract the purpose OF which
was TO keep alive the harnc OF, pa
tr!otism in the bad days 81 An
tiochus. when the effort was dc.
!toerat-iy made 10 stamp out the
religion "f Israel. Nothing could be
better suited for the purpose than
thcsc thrilling stories Of hcrN!sm
ana constancy among the cap.lves
or babylon. The BOOK OF Esther
ie like mountain stream. clear.
strong. sw!!,. II runs It's course IN a
Few brief chapters. Tht seen. ia
laid in Shushan. capital or Persia.
Mordcci. the Jew, and Esther. the
Hebrew maiden called to the throne:
iiaman. the rilla!nous prime min
ister. who plots massacre OF the
Il ~ a. If :.
s,ancy. patriotism. pIcty shine like
tho Queens own Jewels In the set
Ting OF IN" familiar story. E.
mere is not In literature a more
Describes the las; night in Babylon
cyrus Is at The gate. hut tho incl
dcnt or Stage does not interfere
with a banquet Bc!shnzzar has
planned. The rcvclers are sobcrcd
by sight Of handwriting some
mystic legend on tho wall which
daniel interprets as being tho last
page In Babylonian history.
prise undertaken under more dis
couraHinS conditions than the re-
hui.clng OF Jerusalem after the
:h Woman captivity The remnant
and poor white trash OF syria They
were dead weight on the new
GomeFs Again. the latter had ideal
glorious MI. Zion where there was
only "a heap OF ashes In The mids,
OF the gloom God gave Ills people
song. Marsr!laise. IA Battle Hymn
OF the RepuhiI. 49,. History has
n" parallel 10 tn" caravan from
babylon laden with treasure. guard
ct by thousand hors"mcn ana
TT :; dE 'narchinT hmm OF ZIoa.
incidental statements The I.orl
stirred up the spirit OF cyrus mo
rcsronsc OF the lsraclItns was as
surprising as tho decree Itself. Their.
VAS double stirring UP nrxt OF
Cyrus and then OF Israel. 1t was a
diamond point OF history. The dcs.
iS,hE OF tho world turned on Il. Had
hecn absorbed Hebrew scripture md
ritual would have perishcd and the
ruling Ideas Of the Jewish faith
would have faded irom the minds OF
praise that arose a, the dedication
OF the second temple. strans-.
weird. paradoS!cal sound WAS heard
IL was The weeping OF the elders
WAS not the disparity OF size that
caused their grief. but the COM
parativc pla!ancss OF Tho second tenn
re. NJ the significant and costly
furniture q: SoloUOn's house WAS
gone. VIVA, could tho temple DO
without It's ark? But they ought not
70 nave been disappointed. On tho
contrary. they ought 10 have rccog-
nous" as an advanced step In the cvo-
! luton o! the spirit OF worship. The
paraphernaiia OF the old temple was
| ,er me k!ndersartcn age. which
needed maicria! and visible symbols
In the splendid galaxy in arms
ana letters at the close OF the NTH
century r. G. there was small clus-
yer; Herrubhabel. Joshua, Ezra, lIag-
lat!on Ezra shines like a star OF tirst
inh6hitudc His journey II Jcru-
sJ'ein was courageous adventure.
He led band OF rcvivulIs;s whosc
| purpose was 10 infuse new life in
me decaycd service of tho temple AT
Ierusa!ern. They carried WITH them
NOT merely the material requisites.
| the oil ana spices for ohla,Ion ana
incenss aud the money for main
| tenan nee. but what was more import
.nt iIr. TIC spirit or evangelism on
she nitaF o, their hearts. History
repeats itself When Nehemiah
heard 81 ,h9 peril of Jerusalem no
wept. But he did better than that,
he prayed. Ills story is a fine com
,hhG n on prayer; its utility and
cess'ul. The audncity OF Sche-
mihh'S reGu!siiions on Artaxerxes II
astonishing until one considers that
n ne haa taair.ady prevailed with a
Nehemiah,s diary modestly says: Il
came to Jerusalem." On arrival he
sara nothing OF his purpose or the
| .v!a le'ters IN MS pocket. The nrst
three days he lid nothing but Oh
serve: record and think Then he
called conference OF the leaders.
he did not say: Il have come TO
Put this city IN detens!ble cordi-
tinn." but "Ye see this distress" The
naturai reply To such diplomatic
ioadersh!p was Let liz rise up and
! build. In spite OF unfavorabie cir.
| cuInsthnc"s. laborcrs few and un-
| trained. enemies many and crafty.
IN tao short space OF nf,y-two days
| the work was done. What 10Y 10
KNOW after its long exposure IA.
House OF God was safe. In a
history fun of the Spectacular few
scenes surpaSs that Of Ezra on his
pulpit of wood holding aloft the
| yellow scroll OF the law in sight OF
| vast cohcoursc OF the people In the
wide plaza of Jerusalem. Good read :
| ing was matched by equally good
nearing that day. Ezra read dis
timely and gave the sense and
caused the people to understand.
The people on their part were at I,
tentive. rapt, deyout, sympathetic
:. The Jews call Mhlachi The
| Seal because he was the last of
| the prophets. He is like a golden
| clasp binding the sacred volume to-
sether lie faced a degenerate age.
In which worship was a sham, a
people brazen enough to attempt 10
defend themselves. saying queril-