LESSON VII.—SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 1899
REBUILDING THE WALLS OF JERUSALEM.
7 "But it came to pass that, when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard that the repairing of the walls of Jerusalem went forward, and that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very 8 wroth; and they conspired all of them together to come and 9 fight against Jerusalem, and to cause confusion therein. But we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against 10 them day and night, because of them. And Judah said, The strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed, and there is 11 much rubbish; so that we are not able to build the wall. And our adversaries said, They shall not know, neither see, till we come into the midst of them, and slay them, and cause the 12 work to cease. And it came to pass that, when the Jews which dwelt by them came, they said unto us ten times from 13 all places, Ye must return unto us. Therefore set I in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, in the open places, 1 even set the people after their families with their swords, 14 their spears, and their bows. And I looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not ye afraid of them; remember the Lord, which is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons 15 and your daughters, your wives and your houses. And it came to pass, when our enemies heard that it was known unto us, and God had brought their counsel to naught, that 16 we returned all of us to the wall, every one unto his work. And it came to pass from that time forth, that half of my servants wrought in the work, and half of them held the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the coats of mail; and the 17 rulers were behind all the house of Judah. They that builded the wall and they that bare burdens laded themselves, every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the 18 other held his weapon; and the builders, every one had his sword girded by his side, and so builded. And he that sounded the trumpet was by me." (1) What is included in this lesson? Note 1. (2) Give an account of Nehemiah's preliminary work. Note 2. (3) What opposition did he meet? and what effect did it have? Note 3. (4) How did the Jews' success affect the adversaries? V. 7. (5) What did they do to hinder the Jews? V. 8. (6) What did the Jews do? V. 9. (7) Yet how were the people of Judah affected? V. 10. Note 4. (8) What did the adversaries say? V. 11. Note 5. (9) How did the Jews without, discourage those in the city? V. 12. (10) What additional precaution did Nehemiah take? V. 13. (11) How did he encourage the people? V. 14. (12) What did the withdrawal of the enemy permit them to do? V. 15. (13) How did Nehemiah manage his forces? Who supported the people? V. 16. Note 6. (14) How did the men go on with the work? Vs. 17, 18. 1. This lesson section includes from chap. 2: 11 to 7: 73, the whole account of rebuilding the wall. All should be carefully read, especially chapter 4. Artaxerxes Longimanus was still emperor of Persia; Nehemiah was governor, or pasha, of Judah, and Ezra was religious teacher and scribe. 2. In our last lesson we have an account of Nehemiah's praying; in this lesson is the fulfilment. Chapters 2 and 3 tell us how the king was moved by God to grant his request; of his journey to Jerusalem; of the opposition he met from Sanballat, a Horonite, Tobiah, an Ammonite, and Geshem, an Arabian; of his examination of the wall by night; of his meeting with the rulers, and acquainting them with his plan; and the division of the work among the people of every sort and condition, and its progress. 3. The enemies of the Jews, Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem, and others, mocked them, ridiculed their work, and were wroth, showing their ridicule to be15insincere. But Nehemiah and his people prayed and worked, "and all the wall was joined together unto half the height thereof; for the people had a mind to work." So it will always be. 4. We are not able.—It was the language of unbelief on the part of Judah. The work went hard; the burdens grew heavier as the wall went higher; some of the wealthier Jews oppressed their brethren—and, apart from God, it was discouraging. In God they were able, and this was the substance of the prophet's message years before, "God is able;" and prayer in faith brings God's power. 5. They shall not know.—All their conglomerate enemies were going to attack them in secret. Of this the Jews were warned, seemingly by their brethren without, who believed they should flee. Nehemiah's answer was to place his defenders, well armed, in the lowest places in the wall, and with them their families, and bid them to be of good courage, and faithful to God. When their enemies saw their determination and faith, they withdrew from the scene. It is often true that more than half the battle is the purpose, the will, the decision to stand. 6. Half of my servants.—Nehemiah divided the work of his own servants, half workers and half watchers, while the rest of the Jews worked in their armor. United working, praying, fighting with vigilance the good fight of faith, gave success to Nehemiah and his fellows; it will do the same today. But this means following God's plan.