The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1922-08-31


us-Neh. 40
REFERENCE MATERIAL-Neh. 2s-o.
l Cor. 3.g-l1.
PRIMARY ToPIC-IIow God helped Me-
hemiah Build a wall
JUNIOR TOPlC-Iiow a city Wall Was
Rebuilt.
INTERMEDIATES AND SENIOR TOPIC
Praying Watching. Working
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT TOPIC
Success Through Leadership and CO.
operation.
Having secured leave Of absence
from the Persian court, and creden.
tials from the king. Nehemiah jour
neyed 10 Jerusalem. After resting
three days without disclosing his pur.
pose to any one. he made survey
VI the walls by night. Having thus OBJ
tanned trst-hand Information he called
the representatives Of the Jews to-
gethcr and said. Let us build the
walls of Jerusalem" lie then made
known the hand Of providence in
bringing him to Jerusalem with the
authority to rebuild its walls. lie thus
showed great wisdom IN finding out
for himself the real conditions and
what work would be- required to re
store the walls. The one who Is quail
flied To lead in n great undertaking
Is the one who has mastered the stu
alton and is thus able To remove OBJ
Jections and show how the work can
be done
l.-Preparstion for the Building
(ch. -.
The division of labor In this project
shows Nehemiah's administrative abil.
lily. A wise distribution OF labor makes
difficult tasks easy.
Note some outstanding features III
this great work.
|. Stress Laid Upon Indifference
$50 In administrative tasks II Is
just that unfaithfulness should he
pointed out Such action will he a
warning to some and an encourage
ment Ia others ny showing the In.
tegrlty ~ the director
=. Help Rendered by the Women
(3:l2). Perhaps Shallum had no sons
10 aid him. II l. fine thing for
In building avail when there are no
men to do H. Gods word carefully
notes such extraordinary acts
3. stress Laid Upon Earnestness ~
Some (3:2O). II one knows thar his
faithfulness will be- recognized he will
earnestly pursue his tasks.
T. Every one Built over Against
His own House t3;1O. -, 2s). Mans
chief concern Is for his family M In
centlye to exertion Is quite so strong
as that which concerns his own fam
lily.
:. Certain Guilds of Men Undertook
Certain Work (ch. as, n, ~. Wise
administration sometimes calls for
such alignment of efforts. Men of the
same class and craft viii usually work
better together
%. Hindranees Encountered (4:l-8:
~.
l. Scoffing OF Sanballot and Toblah
(I:l-6; Ct. 2:l9-2O). The opposers of
Gods servants usually begin by hurl-
lng at them shafts Of ridicule. They
called the Jews hut feeble folk and
asserted that the tread Of n prowling
fox would break down their stone wall
. Conspiracy Of n Sudden Attack
I:7-O. When the enemy saw that
the work was actually succeeding they
changed from ridicule 10 an attempt
To throw the wOrkmen into a panic
and thus hinder the work. When the
enemy cannot sucteed by Scofring then
he resorts to intimidation.
3. Conspiracy With the Jews @:
1923. They sought by means Of the
Jews from the outside 10 discourage
their brethren by showing that the
task was hopeless and that at any
time they were subject To IA sudden
and secret attack.
4. Greed and oppression of the
Rulers (5:l-l3l. The Jews OF that
day. like the proilteers IN the recent
World war, took advantage Of the
poor and oppressed them so that they
mOrtgaged their land and sold their
daughters into slavery. Nehemiah
boldly rebuked them for their crimes
and ordered restoration To be- made,
eXaCting an oath Of them that they
would fulfil their promises
=. Scheme 10 Take Nehemiah's Life
6:1-1D. when Sanballat and Toblah
failed in every other way they sought
by craft to get Nehemiah away that
they might XIII him
~. The Wall Completed (6:15-7:D.
So energetically did they pursue
their tasks that In fifty-two days the
wall was completed. When the en-
emics heard that In spite If all their
schemes the work was actually com
pleted, they We're east down, for they
perceived that the work was of God.