The Mississippi enterprise., 1962-09-01
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON

SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
September 2, 1862
BY Rev. George A. Harper,
511 Avenue G.,
Greenwood, Miss.
REBUILDING THE HOME
LAND.
Temperance
Scripture Lesson - Ezra /:
81 Print - Ezra 1881,
2; 7:6-10
M E DRY SELECTION
Ezra had prepared his heart
to seek the law of the Lord,
and to do it, and to teach in
Israel statutes and judgments.
ezra 7:10) Ezra is desig-
mated as a ready scribe. He
was a highly educated man
who knew the Scriptures and
whose all consuming passion
was to make Gods Word
known to his people. Tradit-
ion claims that he wrote the
entire Old Testament from
memory. Ezra was a direct
descendant of Aaron, and Un-
Gle. Ezra was a direct des-
centant of Aaron, and uncle of
the high priest Joshua who
was priest of the captives that
had returned from Babylon.
Ezra set his heart to seek to
know the mind and will of
God and Gods way of saliva
ton. He did not seek this
knowledge from himself, but
from the law of God. Three
facts are mentioned in this
text which are: First, his de-
termination to know Gods
way of salvation. Second, his
purpose of heart to obey Gods
revealed will. And thirdly, his
determination to teach Gods
Word to others. This harmon
ICES with the New Testament
commands that men hear the
gospel, then obey the gospel,
and make the gospel known to
other men.
LIGHT SHINING THROUGH
DARKNESS:
At the first point of today's
lesson, a century of sin and
suffering gathers clear mean
ing for the first time. Like
wise after decades, Joseph
says to his brethren, "what
ye intended for evil the Lord
worked out for good" And
Paul after a long imprison-
ment wrote Brethren, would
have you know the things that
happened to me have turned
out to the progress of the COS
pei. The facts of this lesson
have great support for faith
among the most discriminat-
ing. During the decline and
fall of Judah the prophets in
sisted on the fact of Divine
retribution. In captivity, the
nation was still Gods Suf-
fering Servant, still working
out the Divine purpose in all
the hard experiences with the
conqueror. The prophets also
predicted that when Babylon
had finished its work as Gods
agent, then God would take
Babylon to task. 1t all hap
pened and now the conqueror
of Babylon, Cyrus, becomes,
in his own words, the agent
of God in the restoration of
the captives. The Creator of
the ends of the earth, fainteth
not, neither is weary. There
is on searching of His under
standing. He giveth power to
the faint and them that have
no m j G h t. He increaseth
strength. Even the Youth shall
faint and be weary, and the
young warriors shall utterly
fail. But they that wait on the
Lord shall renew their streng-
tn. They shall rise up on wings
like eagles. They shall run
and not weary; they shall
walk and shall not faint.
ORGANIZING THE RE-
TURN:
The people who led the cap
tives in the return to Jerusa-
lem while apparently full of
God-consciousness proceeded
to take practical measure for
the return. They did not want
to leave the celestials the work
that the terrestials could do!
The people gathered them
selves together as one man.
mo one compels another to
wonder about his concern.
None are worn out waiting
for the arrival of the others.
as sometimes happens. The