St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1935-12-06
Improved 0 SUNDAY
Uniform c~YTo~r
"LESSON ::
BY REV. p. B. FITZWATER. p. D.
Member Of Faculty, Moody Bible
Institute Of Chicago.
GWestern Newspaper Union.
Lesson for December 8
NEHEMIAH REBUILDING THE
3. WALL OF JERUSALEM

LESSON TExT-Nehemiah 1853,
1891. =
GOLDEN TExr-Ths people had
Q mind to work. Nehemiah &c.
PRIMARY TOPIC-When Friends
Work Together.
JUNIOR TOPIC-Team-Work
INTERMEDIARY AND SENIOR
TOPIC-Team-Wo Work.
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT
TOPIC-Co-operation In Religious,
Work.
!. Nehsmlah's Mission to Jerusa-
lem (Neh. y.
While performing his Official duty
as cupbearer to the Persian king,
Nehemiah learned Of the distress Of
his brethren at Jerusalem. The
walls Of the city were broken down,
its gates burnt, and the remnant
of the captives were in great afflic-
ton and reproach. This news great
~ moved him. He definitely asked
God to give the king a favorable at
titude toward his project. In an
swer to his prayer he was granted
q leave Of absence from the Per
sian court and credentials from the
king. He journeyed to Jerusalem
and made a survey Of the city by
night without disclosing his pur-
pose to anyone. Having thus OBJ,
tanned first-hand information, he
called the representatives Of the
Jews together and said, 'Let us,
build the walls Of jerusalem"
After he thus made known the hand,
Of God in bringing him to Jerusa-
lem, he revealed the authority vest
ed in him to rebuild the walls. !:
II. Preparation for the Building
(Neb. 81.
The division of labor In this prof.
ect displayed Nehemiah's admins
trative ability. A wise distribution
of labor makes difficult tasks easy.
Observe some outstanding features
Of his administrative work.
1. He laid stress upon indiffer-
ence. In administrative tasks it Is
proper that unfaithfulness should
be pointed out. Such action serves
as a warning to the unfaithful and
encouragement to the faithful.
2. Help rendered by the women
". 12). It is a fine thing for the
women to take hold even in build
ing q wall when there are no men
to. do 1t.
8. Stress laid upon earnestness Of
some ". 20). Recognition Of f1del-
ity will spur one on to faithful per-
Torrance Of his task.
4. Every one built over against
his own house wv. 10, %, 28).
There Is no incentive for exertion
quite so strong as that which con-
Germs a mans own family.
5. Certain guilds Of men under Z
took certain work wv. 8, 81, 32).
Wise administration sometimes calls
for such alignment Of efforts. Men
Of the same class and occupation
usually work best together.
III. Hindrance Encountered as
1919. -.
1. Scofing Of Sanballat and Tobi-
ali (4:1-6; ct, 2:19. 2O). The OPP
pressors Of Gods servants frequent
~ begin by hurting shafts Of ridi-
cule at them. They called the Jews
but a feeble folk and asserted that
the tread Of a prowling fox would
break down their stone wall.
2. Conspiracy for a sudden at
tack (4:7-9). When the enemy saw
that the work was actually succeed
ing, they changed from ridicule to
an attempt to throw the workmen
into q panic. When the enemy can
not succeed by scofing, he resorts
to intimidation.
8. Conspiracy with the Jews a:
1929. They sought, by means Of
the Jews from the outside, to dis
courage those on the inside, say
ing that the task was hopeless and
that at any time they were subject
to a sudden and secret attack.
A. Greed and oppression Of the,
rich (5:1-13).
The Jews Of that day, like the.
profteers Of our day, took advan-
tage Of the poor and oppressed them
so that they mortgaged their land
and even sold their daughters into
slavery.
3. Scheme to take Nehemiah's
life (6:1-14). When Sanballat and
TObiah failed In every other way,