II. ILLUSTRATIONS FROM THEIR PAST HISTORY, vs. 6, 7. The Lord executeth righteousness, Am. R., "righteous acts." "The Hebrew word being in the plural to denote the several acts in which Jehovah had displayed his righteousPerowne. And judgment, also plural as Am. R., referring to various acts of judgment, manifestations of divine jus ness. tice against the oppressor. He always is on the side of the oppressed. "Woe unto them that turn aside the needy from judgment (justice), and take away the right from the poor." (Isa. 10: 2.) This principle runs through God's dealings with his people. 7. He made known his ways unto Moses. That is we learn the principles of God's dealings with individuals and with nations, then and now by reviewing what he did for and through Moses. A glance at the story is all we can take at this time. The preparation for his work by his training in a royal palace, and by his receiving all the learning of the Egyptians. His deliverance of his people from the oppression of Pharaoh. The institution of the Passover, to train the people in the true religion. The miracle of crossing the Red Sea, to prove the power and loving-kindness of God. Moses' 40 days communion with God on Mt. Sinai. The law given from Sinai in the most impressive way. The tabernacle, and the institutions of religion. Many wonderful acts of mercy direct from God on the long journey. The book of Deuteronomy, especially the blessing's upon obedience, and the warning against evils that follow disobedience, and make the way of transgressors hard. (Deut. 28.) Etc., etc., etc. Moses. St. Peter in Vinculi, Rome. Michael Angelo. And his acts unto the children of Israel. The story of the children of Israel is a commentary on this Psalm. It would be very interesting if the scholars should, at home, look up the dealings of God in the history of the Israelites that illustrate various verses in this Psalm. Not only in the history of the Jews, but in "the march of God through history" can we find illustrations of his character and acts. III. GOD'S FORGIVING LOVE, vs. 8-12. For us who have often failed in doing our best, have yielded to temptation, have been sick and disappointed, and cannot understand the "why " of many things, any more than Job did when misfortunes came upon him thick and fast, "This is the cry That echoes through the wilderness of earth, Through song and sorrow, day of death and birth: 'WHY?' Then how like " "It is the high Wail of the child with all his life to face, sweet fragments of the songs above," come to us the words of this The Lord is merciful and gracious; Slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness. God is never 66 He will not always chide, Neither will he keep his anger forever. angry" in the sense of passion, or desire to punish, but is intensely indignant with his whole nature against sin and wrong. 10. He hath not dealt with us after our sins; Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For we cannot blot out our own sins. They cling to us in memory and in character. We can no more cleanse away the fact than Lady Macbeth could wash away the blood spot from her hand. That is the terror of sin. We cannot blot it out ourselves. It is like the sin in Hawthorne's Scarlet Letter. Hence that wonderful promise of v. II. For as the heaven is high above the earth, So great is his lovingkindness toward them that fear him. Astronomy helps us to imagine, if not realize, what a wonderful distance this is. In that interesting book, Curiosities of the Sky, it states that a certain star is distant from us at least 200,000,000,000,000 miles. Again the author states that in "the mighty voyage of our Solar system, every year of our lives we advance at least 375,000,000 miles. Still greater is the mercy of our Heavenly Father who fills infinite space. No greater blessing can come to us from that infinite mercy, than is expressed in the next two lines, As far as the East is from the West So far hath he removed our transgressions from us. The Conditions for Pardon. "It goes without saying that there must be sorrow for the wrong done and a genuine breaking away from it in order to obtain forgiveness. The son who came back from the far country found welcome and forgiveness in his father's house even though he had wasted his substance with the disreputable and had tarnished the family honor. He would not have found welcome, however, had he undertaken to bring his evil habits and associates with him from the far country into his father's house." The Heavy Cost of Forgiveness. "Real forgiveness costs something. It is no lighthearted carelessness toward the wrong-doing of others because we wish them to view our faults in the same superficial way. Genuine forgiveness is coupled with a clear recognition of the awfulness of wrong-doing in every form. Sin is high-handed rebellion against God. It is an act of treason against the government whose protection we enjoy. "The act of forgiveness therefore takes deep hold upon that which is vital in the life of the one who forgives. These are they who have washed their robes and made them white. Where? Not in the river of water, clear as crystal, which flowed through the streets of the city of God. Paradoxical as it sounds, they had washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.' This bold expression indicates that the bestowal of forgiveness had cost the heart's blood of One who accomplished their redemption." Story from "The Bonnie Brier Bush." "When the penitent daughter in The Bonnie Brier Bush returned to the home of her father (that stern, exacting Scotch elder who had blotted her name out of the family register in his Bible) there was a scene to gladden the angels of God. The girl had repented her shameful escapade, and the father had repented his lack of compassion. He brought his Bible to show her what he had done, and then bowed his head with shame. She took her pen and wrote in the place where her name had been erased these words: FLORA CAMPBELL 'Her father fell on her neck and kissed her.'" - Dean Charles R. Brown of the Yale Theological School. "And this one thought of hope and trust comes with its healing balm 66 IV. OUR HEAVENLY FATHER · A CONTRAST, vs. 13-18. Like as a father pitieth his children. Man's weakness and transitoriness is itself an appeal to God's fatherly compassion. Fatherhood expresses that aspect of God which brings us nearest to him. He is not a mere " bright Essence increate," a power that makes for righteousness," but a Person, as really as our spirits are persons; infinite, omnipotent, omniscient, King, Creator, Ruler, but withal a Father whose qualities we learn from his Son, our Elder Brother Jesus. If from all literature, all history, all experience, all poetry, all imagination, we could gather together into one picture the noblest qualities of fatherhood and motherhood, loving-kindness and tender mercies, self-sacrifice, long-suffering, and forgiving love, a care that is wise and gracious, seeing the good more gladly than the evil have some faint vision of what our Heavenly Father is. we would So the Lord pitieth them that fear him, who are willing to be his faithful children, as he longs for all men to be. 14. For he knoweth our frame. "He knows how we are made, for he made us. Our make and build, our constitution and temperament, our prevailing infirmity and most besetting temptation, he well perceives, for he searches our inmost nature." Spurgeon. He remembereth that we are dust. Our souls live in bodies made of dust, liable to sickness and weakness, and they wear out in a few years, and we, our souls, fly away. 15. As a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. The flowers spring up, grow, blossom in loveliness, breathe forth sweet odors, make the fields exquisitely beautiful. "If so much loveliness is sent But soon The wind passeth over it and it is gone, And the place thereof shall know it no more." Then follows the ever blessed promise of v. 17. But the lovingkindness of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting. It extends not only through the present life, but throughout eternity, bringing ever-increasing blessedness and usefulness, and glorious spiritual bodies, like that of Christ when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality (1 Cor. 15: 53, 54). And his righteousness to children's children, whose parents have set a good example, and made a heavenly atmosphere in their home, and have trained their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord (Eph. 6 : 4) so that the children have chosen for themselves to keep his covenant. Again and again it is repeated that the promised blessing can come only to those who fear the Lord (" have respect and reverence for rightful authority, that leads to obedience." Century Dic.), and keep his covenant, and remember his commandments to do them. It is impossible in the very nature of things to have the blessings without striving to fulfil the conditions. "There is a love which they only know who have tasted that the Lord is gracious, who fear Him and walk in His ways, as well as a love which 'maketh the sun to shine, and sendeth rain upon the just and unjust.' Perowne. There is no other love so great as the love of God who desires all men, all beings, to partake of the blessings of this Psalm. V. THE CALL TO ALL BEINGS TO BLESS THE LORD, vs. 19-22. He who has "established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom ruleth over all," is worthy that the whole universe should praise him, for what he is and what he has done. Hence he calls on the angels that excel in strength; on the Hosts that do his will, angels, saints, all in heaven and on earth; on all ye His works, all creation; to bless the Creator and King. And then the Psalmist ends as he began, BLESS THE LORD, O MY SOUL. LESSON IX December 2. NEHEMIAH REBUILDS THE WALLS OF JERUSALEM. PRINT vs. 7-21. MEMORIZE vs. 17, 18. THE TEACHER AND HIS CLASS. Seven or eight years ago Amos R. Wells wrote some novelties for the Sunday School Times, to give variety and interest to the teaching. One of these novelties applies to this lesson. "A week in advance ask the boys to bring to this recitation cubes of wood two inches in each direction, covering them with stone-colored paper. You will need about two dozen, so you will ask the boys to bring one or two or more apiece, according to the number in your class. Make sure during the week that the boys are cutting out the blocks. Tell them that the blocks are to build a wall, and that each is to get ready to name his block or blocks by stating for each of them one thing done by Nehemiah or his people to strengthen the wall of Jerusalem. They should make a list of these deeds, so as to be able to name what has not been already named by other pupils. "Take to the class some oblong pieces of gummed paper. Build the wall on your table as the boys contribute the blocks, one at a time. Print a label for each block as the pupil tells what it stands for, and stick this label on the 'stone.' The labels may read about as follows: Investigation (referring to chap. 2: 12-15), Counsel (2:16-18), Decision (2:18), Organization (chap. 3), Coöperation (chap. 3), Personal Work (chap. 3), Zeal (4 : 6), Prayer (49), Watchfulness (4 : 9), Continuance (49), Courage (4:13, 14), Readiness (4: 16-18). Of course you will need to suggest some of these, and many of the one-word condensations. "Pause here, and, using a blackboard or a large sheet of paper, make a list of what they had to contend against: Ruins, Rubbish, Stagnation, Disorganization, Enemies, Ridicule, Discouragement, Fear. Draw these from the pupils so far as you can, and place them in a column. Set opposite these, in a parallel column, what they conquered these difficulties with : (1, 2) their hands, (3) Nehemiah's fresh spirit, (4) Nehemiah's leadership, (5) Prayer, (6) Zeal, (7) Progress, (8) Trust in God. ing such a wall as this in their lives — the will be their defence against all enemies wall of their characters, which (in Christ) that can really hurt them. Ask the boys what stones they are to build into this wall, if they are to be manly and successful like Nehemiah, and to dwell inside the wall safely and prosperously." THE LESSON IN ITS SETTING. Time. - Nehemiah heard the bad news from Jerusalem early in December, B.C. 445. For four months he prayed, thought, and waited. The following April (444), he obtained permission to go to Jerusalem. The journey occupied four months, and he arrived at Jerusalem in the first day of the fifth month, Ab = July-Aug. The first day (the New Moon) will be July 31 in 1917, and August 5 in 1921. Place. Shushan and Jerusalem. Rulers. Artaxerxes, Emperor of Persian Empire; Nehemiah, governor of Judea; Ezra, the scribe, the religious leader of the people in Babylon. LEARN BY HEART. Eph. 6:11, 12. THE ROUND TABLE. Nehemiah's investigation of the situation. Let us rise up and build, 2: 18. The ruler of Jerusalem, he and his daughters, 3:12. wall, 4:3. In one hand carried a weapon, with the other wrought The people had a mind to work, 4: 6. THE LESSON IN LITERATURE. The Tract Parley the Porter is a capital illustration on watching. Xenophon's Cyropedeia, 1. 3: 8, 9, 11. The story of Romulus and Remus, and "Tell the boys that they also are build- | the first wall of Rome. Bunyan's Capture Nehemiah was very wise. Viewing "He kept I. THE MIDNIGHT RIDE, 2: 12-16. quiet for three days, doing nothing, but learning everything." He showed no credentials, he proposed no plans, he told no one what he hoped to do. His first business was to learn the whole situation, the feelings of the people, who would oppose, and who would help, how able the people were, what obstacles must be overcome. Nehmiah presents a wise lesson to new-comers in a church or Sunday school, a new pastor, a new superintendent. When I was planning to go to India as a missionary, a veteran missionary gave me one of the best pieces of advice I ever received, never criticize the mission, or the work, or the methods, nor attempt to make any changes, till you have been on the ground a year." Study the new situation first. The advice has served me well many a time, and grows wiser with each experience. Nehemiah did not need so much time, but he took what was necessary. At the end of three days he rode at night unobserved, with a few devoted followers on foot, out of one of the gates of the city. He went in the night to avoid being seen. As Nehemiah arrived at Jerusalem at the time of the new moon, the three days waiting would give him a moon about halfway between new moon and the first quarter; so that in his nightride in those brilliant skies, he would have light enough to get a fair view of the dilapidated walls, while at the same time his presence would be little noticed by people with homes within the ruins of the wall. "Nehemiah had but one animal, to avoid suspicion. This he rode, while his servants would walk, just as is done in Palestine at the present time." New Century Bible. By means of this same authority, we trace Nehemiah's route around the city, with the accompanying map to help us. Nehemiah's Midnight Ride. Dore. 1. He started from the Valley Gate at the Southwest corner of the city wall. 2. He went nearly east to the Dragon's Fountain, which may have received its name from the belief that a mythical dragon once resided in the fountain. |