Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-08-16
The Field of Holy Writ
Save for my daily range
Among the pleasant fields of Holy
Writ
| might despair
-Tcnnyson.
tThe Improved Uniform Intorna-
tionai sunday school l.cssons)

Third Quarter: Lesson VIII.
Ezra VII 10. viii. 2l-32. Angus,
20. 1922.
Golden Te>, The hand of our
God is upon all them that seek
him for Hooi.-Ezra viii. %
The Second Return From Exile.
Ezra wac a savior OF Judaism. 1t
was II crisis III the national life.
Seventy years had passed since the
return from the captivity Icrub-
babel. the prince OF Judah, had left
the little colony IN Jerusalem and
gone back To Babylon. has birthplace.
To end his days. The dcfcnscs OF
was sort OF creeping paralysis Of
Indifference In church and stat.
There WAS no enthusiasm; no sturdy
between mobiles and rusticr. Pagan
ism was making subtle inroads The
days Of the Hebrew state and re
tho second Moses" The nobility
OF Ezra's personal character ana his
worth TO his nation can hardly be
overestimated. lie pu, AN imprint
this day. And as Christianity is
evolved from Judaism. Christianity
itself may be eaid 10 bear to som.
extent the marks Of the good
scribe" -. The character and
achievements Of Ezra would furnish
material! for shining and patriotic
!
ers are made Of lie had prepared
his heart TO seek the law Of tn" Lord
ana 70 do II and to teach In Israel
statutes and judgments" He was "a
man who could bring things 10 pass
IN spite Of most unfavorabl- condi-
lions So that "a heather monarch
put Il cart. blanche order into the
hands for such supplies and money
aS might b. necessary to tn" success
OF his enterprise. E:Zra'S splendid
faith and courap. shine out in the
q l,1g q
dangerous enterprise. His path
ir"WS brighter as he crosses Il thou
S Insn m'ies OF ne9"nin,i nies'ed
ne enters the Holy city and dis
charges his duty with unswcrving
and noble patriotism. Ezra's discre-
ton Is shown in his tire" days pause
Mt the River AhaNah. and his careful
inspection Of his company, and his re-
enforcing i with representatives 81
the priesthood. before starting on
the march. His declining the armed
calvacadc supplied by the King to
Euard the caravan Mas triumph of
real and great. Tn fac, that the
company Was trcasure-lHdcn was
matter 81 common report and there
were rohhcr bands in the way. But
ious one Ezra believed that the cdu-
WOULD ,n !! be iiscoan,ed q he leaned upon
ance OF safety before he started How
modest the record 80 We tasted
and beeousht our, ood for this and
He was cntrcatch Of us" The
conditions which Ezra found on en-
tcrins Jerusalem wcr" dcplorablc in
the last degree. All civic pride aud
Msre ",,m mop WSrH gone. TGc rsppls
propheci"s wer" unfuliillci The
city was d"fcnscicss: no gates. no
walls Predatory bands made incur
sions nj Will. They left their dead
and wounded in the streets. and car
ried away captivcs. to be sold into
slavery; Under these conditions faith
faltercd, religious services were
omitted. and as usual mutual sua-
picion and internccinc strife had be
gun Ezra was Gods name for
the hohr then strik ing in Jewish his
tory.
Under the Study Lamp.
Helpful Sidclights come from re-
memberlng the contemporaries uf
Ezra. For example, when the journcS
10 Jerusalem began Socrates was n
boy 10 years old playing in the
streets Of Athens: Hcrodotus. the
father OF history. was writing his
imnerishablc annals: Phidias. the i'm
inatchlcss Parthenon; Tcriclcs great
est Of Athenian statesmen and com
ma ndsrs; was delivering that unsur-
fallen in the Pcloponnesian war.
Ezra's scrupulosity in money matters
IS well worthy of note Nothing
oAh'h 90 MS myers. He took care
tn guard himself against even the i'm,
putation; So he Instituted a priestly
commission to hold the treasure or
route and required strict account
ing The pause at the River
Ahavah is very significant. The Kins
OF babylon had given the cxpcditi1T
line equipment. but the King of
heaven could give il n far more com
piete furnishing. The one was ma
terial; the other spiritual The Tor
mer was ingots of gold and silver
the latter; although hnmaterial, out
1t was subjective ana consisted in
moral qualities of the soul The LAT
Ter was obtained in the three davs
or religious retreat. Of abstinencc
meditation and communion with tho
nlEihe. Religious times. places
and mcrctricious. but they are foirIy
Indispensable as human nature il
constituted. The soul. on its march
10 the heavenly Jerusalem. will proh-
AMY never outgrow it's need of "A hall
at the River of Ahavah There