Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-08-17
SABBATH SCHOOL LESSON
For Aug. 20. Ezra 7, 8
BY DIR. MARION MICH. HULL

| the road one going across the desert
the longer going up by Syria and
down to Jerusalem.
When Ezra looked over his follow
ers he didn't find a single Levite
Unfortunately those who should be
the spiritual leaders are not always
so. Ezra knew they would be needed
so he sent committee to lido, the
head of a colony of Levites near by
and told them they had to send min
listers for the house of God. AS q
result 258 of these were added tC
the company, bringing the total tC
| LAO men, with their families.
Then Ezra was up against it. He
realized that a small body of men
like this would be an easy prey tc
the fierce marauders he would like
! ly encounter on the way, particularly
if they suspected that these were
the guardians of a vast treasure OF
gold and silver and vessels which
they were carrying to Jerusalem
from the royal storehouse of Baby
lon, He thought it might be wise tC
| ask the king for an escort Of sol
dfers to protect them; he knew the
king would give him anything he
wanted.
talked to the king about his God
how he would protect and provide
for all those who seek Him, but ex
ercise His power against those who
forsake Him. May be he had brag
ged too much? De did really believe
what he had told ArtaXerxes about
his God. Could he dare to depend
on Him alone to protect them now
that he was really to make the jour
ney? Was it case of trust in Goo
and keep your powder dry (Which is
really depending on your powder), or
was God sufficient, powder or nc
powder, wet or drye,
Well, he had talked so much
about what his God would do that he
was ashamed to ask the king. He
determined to depend upon God and
not trust in God plus a band of sol
diers. So he and his companions
tasted and prayed, asking God very
| definitely to show them the right
way for them to go, and to protect
! them, their little ones, the property
that was entrusted to them. Nc
doubt Ezra's knowledge of the scrip
lures strengthened him and his
friends then as he recalled how God
had dealt with His people in the past
how He had guided Abraham safe
ly over that same route when he went
out of the Chaldees, how He had
taken care of Moses and the great
number of people who had come out
or Egypt, how He had fought for
them against their enemies time and
again, and turned their enemies tC
destruction without stroke from
Israel. He remembered also how
more recently He had delivered Dan
lei out of the lions den; and how He
had prevented their enemies from
being successful in their attacks on
them to prevent the rebuilding of the
temple. He recognized his own ina
blllty and weakness and cast himself
wholly on God. And before they got
up from their knees, they had the
assurance that God had heard them
and would protect them.
1t was not until the twelfth day
| that they left Abava-but the DELAY
was not wasted time. Sometimes we
| gain time when we wait; we always
gain time when we wait on God. You
can do your work better and more
quickly each day if you will wait
for the first half hour or hour on
| OO' NAASA JOoA my was IllCOS Will
out incident, although there were lay
| lng\ in wait for them all along the
way those who would like to have
plundered them. They reached
Jerusalem on the first day of the
fifth month of the seventh year OF
| Artoxeres and three days later
turned over their treasures to the
proper authorities and made a great
| offering unto God.
The Secret of Success
| Ezra was a successful leader be
cause he was an humble follower
He knew his task, he planned his
work, and he knew his ability, OF
rather his inability. He knew HI
was insufficient but that God i.
sufficient. Reverently he coupled
! God up to his task. He said to God
1T is too big a task for me; 1 cam
do it; it is up to you, O. God" AND
he knew God would do it.
This faith grew out of his determ
ined purpose to seek Gods law anC
to do it, for faith cometh by hearing
and bearing by the word of God. The
man of faith is always the devou
student of the word of God. No
the man who studies the Bible to fine
a text for his sermon, but the mar
who studies it to find light for hi!
own life's duties. In finding this HI
will find light for the other man.
duties, he need not bother about the
texts.
God assumed the task; He Away!
Will when we come to Him as Ezra
did, in utter dependence uDOn Him
This was the real secret of Ezra!
success-"the' good hand of our God
was upon him. This expression oc
ours six times in Ezra and twice il
Nehemiah-eight times in all, as tn,
books of Ezra and Nehemiah arr
one in the original Hebrew. The'\oc
currence of these numbers is worry
suggestive and significant. In Err;
there are three references to tn
hand of God on himself; three to tn,
hand of God with others than him
self; and in Nehemiah two to tn,
hand of God on him., Now, three il
the number of divinity (the thre
persons of the Trinity, and two Il
the number of incarnation (the sec
ond person of the Godhea0, anC
eight is the number peculiarly as
ISOLATED with Jesus Christ. TAX
these now: In Ezra three times twt
plus two Tin Nehemiah equals s
The peculiar significance of the eX
preston being so used is that
gives us the secret of Ezra's won
derful life and influence; he wa
! filled with God, he had come int
| oneness with Him,