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Show AA'. iffifijj !'oUonoi Uniform fT " "jUf School U.ion fV ;S y lfui g ; P.- H W T 0 N o. d; SCRIPTURE: Nohemlah 1 7. DEVOTIONAL READING; Paalms 122: 1-9. Nehemiah Rebuilds Jerusalem Lesson for May 2, 1948 BORN and reared in Persia, Nehemiah appears in the opening open-ing scene of his prophecy as cup bearer to .King Artaxerxes in the royal palace at i ; -'At:: j :j Shushan. He was AJ- a favorite at court, ; f'V . due, no doubt, to J 4 ns personality and training, plus : P v a keen desire to ' f:'Ji "ST" serve his people. 'SSrt He obtained, a v TbI royal order from x rL' Artaxerxes, grant-ASjM grant-ASjM ing him passage to laawnn J Jerusalem. It was Dr. Newton a long and danger-. ous journey, but Nehemiah travelled not only with letters from the king, but assurance assur-ance in his heart that he was on the Lord's mission. He was given -authority to seek help from other nations. Just how much help he received from other nations Is not definitely certified, but we do know that he achieved the high purpose which God had put in his heart He governed the city wisely for a dozen years, and wrought many notable reforms. Read the first seven chapters of Nehemiah for the complete story. Read also Psalms 122:1-9. WHEN FRIENDS WORK TOGETHER UPON arrival in Jerusalem, Nehemiah made a tour of the city by night. He was shocked and amazed at the ruins. He called upon up-on the people to come and help rebuild re-build the walls. And they were impressed im-pressed with the earnestness and sincerity and courage of his call. "So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof; for the people had a mind to work," Nehemiah 4:6. There is work for everyone who is of a willing mind. There Is work in the home. Boys and girls who pitch in and share in the everyday work of the home make glad the hearts of their parents, and at the same time they are learning how to care for their own homes when they crow ud. STRENGTH AND ENCOURAGEMENT ENCOURAGE-MENT NEHEMIAH .set the people together to-gether in families, with tools for work and weapons for defense against the enemy. And in this union of numbers there was both strength and courage. We need today to-day to learn anew this lesson of working together. So often we witness wit-ness evidence of people pulling against one another. We see it in the home and in the school and in the wider areas of life in politics and in the clash between capital and labor. THOSE WHO OPPOSED N EII EM I AH OUR lesson describes not only the courage end wisdom of Nehemiah in getting the Jews to work and work together, but it tells us about those who opposed the rebuilding of Jerusalem. San-ballat San-ballat was the governor of Samaria, and when he heard that Nehemiah was rebuilding Jerusalem, he put in to defeat him by many schemes of sabotage. He began with ridicule. "What do these feeble Jews?" he scof-fingly scof-fingly asked. Ridicule Is always " one of the weapons of those who would tear down and destroy. Young people will do well to guard themselves against the snare of cynicism. It is a dangerous thing. Sanballat and his cohorts, Tobiah, and certain Arabians and Ammonites Am-monites and Ashdodites, conspired to hinder Nehemiah in many devious devi-ous attacks; but the people worked and fought, In the name of the Lord. WHAT MAKES A REAL LEADER? THIS is the question which will inevitably arise as we study this lesson. How could one man inspire people to undertake the impossible? im-possible? First, Nehemiah relied implicitly upon God's help. Second, he threw himself into the task, fearlessly and intelligently. Third, he possessed -the quality of inspiring inspir-ing faith and hope in others. These are the qualities that make a real leader, anywhere, any lime. How we do need such leaders today! to-day! And the Bible speaks to us, in the story of Nehemiah, reminding remind-ing us how real leaders are produced. pro-duced. Read the 122nd Psalm. Mere is the secret of it all "They shall prosper that love thee." Every difficulty confronting the home, the community, the nation, the world, can be met and mastered, provided we tackle it in the name of the Lord, relying upon his wisdom, his strength, his poise. (Copyriqht by th JnfernerfonaJ Council of Bollgloua Education on behall ot 40 Protestant denominations. Rmleasid ' br WNU feature.) |