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THE CHRISTIAN NATION. Vol. B9.
Mfe. To our mind this was the severest test
cut off or the crop isl becoming a failure
of his courage. Failing in all otber means, ^=°L*^ Sabbath School they should remember that they are prest)mingIio
complain against'the wisdom and plan
at last tbese enemies resorted to conspiracy. Lesson VIII. Aug. 24,1913.
Pretending to have 'had a revelation from tbe
By the Rev. W. A. Aikin.
of the God of providence. 3rd. Because oi
Lord, Shemaiah came to Nehemiah with the
tbeir lack of faith. As jLuther has said, when
THE BREAD FROM HEAVEN.—Ex.
suggestion that tbey seek refugie in the temple.
Going into the temple would of course
come to an end. God's children so often
our provision ceases, our faith is wont to
16-.2 36.
Golden Text.—^Jesus said unto them I am
be a violation of itbe ceremonial law, but
live by bread alone and not by every word
the bread of life.—^Jno. 6:35.
when in the interest of life, Shemaiiah felt
that proceedeth out of the mouth of God
Psalms.—105:23-26. C. M.; 36:6-8. C.
that it would be justifiable.
The cure for s,uch a lack of faitb is to take
M.; 104:22-24 C. M.
God soon opened the eyes of his servant.
Christ as the example of life amd the surety
Time.—Six weeks after tbe depanture from
It was not long until Nehemiah saw through
for all needed blessings. "He that spared
Egypt.
thie entire plot. Had he gone into the temple
he would bave offended the more influ­
us all, how shall be not with him also freely
not his own Son, but delivered him up for
Place.—The Wlilderness of Sin, lying between
EHm and Sinai.
ential Jews as well as displayed the spirit
give us all things?"
ANALYSIS AND COMMENT.
of cowardice. Instead of wishing to preserve
his life, Shemaiah sought tbe very op­
This lesson sbould be studied in the light II. GOD HARKENS. (v. 4-12.) "^
of Israel's experience at Marah, the place of "Behold, I will rain bread from heaven
posite.
bitter waters. After traveling for three days for you."—"I have! heard the murmurings
How often today, brethren, our courage
without water, Israel came upon this pool of of tbe children of Israel." The injury
is put to the same test. As members of tbe
water, which was bitter and undrinkable because
of the nitre in .the soil at that place. against the providences of God, may be seen
which those often suffer who compbim
Covenanter Church, we are frequently urged
to set aside our position as to purity of
Israel murmured. And Gbd stilled their in the outcome of Israel's murmuring, God
worship,ini order to unlite withi some other
murmuringsl by directing Moses to a tree, granted their request. But they were greatly
damaged thereby. "He gave them their
churcb in a mass meeting of some kind.
wbicb when cast into the waters made then.
Equally the same lis true with our position
sweet. It was a miraculous work. The help request; but sent leanness into their soul."
on Voting. Occasionally we are urged to
had come directly from heaven. Therefore, It should be a cause for gratitude that God
set it aside ithat a bad man mght be kept
wben it was, done it was understood as said, doesi not always grant our requests for the
out of office. When we object saying tbat
"there he made for them a statute and an ordinance,
and there he proved them." By flesh. "Ye ask, and receive not, because ye
things which we desire to_ minister to the
such would be a violatiom of our profession,
the assertion is made En reply that the end
these words it is declared that God had by ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon
fully justifies ithe means. What is all this,
this aot at Marah and former acts of divine
interposition, established in Israel the III. MANNA FALLS, (v. 13-15.)
your lusts." James 4:3.
brethren, but a repetition of Nehemiah's sore
temptation ? Isit not a fledinginto the temple
to save life? To flee abng such lines
He "rained down manna upon them to
principle that im all "seasons of need and
'seeming impossibilty the Lord would send
as we have indicated would be a dishonor
eat." A certain shrub of the desertj the
deliverance straight from above, and that
done to Christ, the Head of the Church, and
tamarisk, is said to exude drops of white,
Israel might expect this during their wilderness
journey." But that the enjoyment of
also a display of a cowardice of wblich no
sweet, honey-Hike substance whenit is pricked
disciple ever should be guilty.
by a small insect. Tbis substance melts in
this right and privilege would depend upon
In closing, let us seek and pray that we
the sun. lit is known as the natural manna.
the constanit exerdise of their faith. In the
may have a courage like that possessed by
It is nothing like the manna which the children
of Israel received however. This natural
lesson before us, Israel is being tested according
to this principle.
Nehemiah. Although engaged in a difficult
work, and alone 5n the task, surrounded by
manna can be found only a few months in
I. ISRAEL MURMURS, (v. 2, 3.)
enemies, he refused to flee -Whtn even bis
the year and is not capable of being baked or
"And the whole congregation of the
own life was at stake. Let us be of the same
seethed. The supply of it is very small.
children of Israel murmured ." The
mind. "Tlierefore, my beloved brethren, be
Enough of it could never have been found
fault of murmuring was just as common
ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding
in a whole season to have supplied Israel for
among the congregation of Israel as it is
in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye
one day. The manna of our lessoni "was indeed
a miraculous provision, given immedi­
among God's children today. And the
know that your labour is not in vain in the
grounds of their murmurings were the ately from God; and not the production of
Lord."
same as those of God's people in our day. second causes." The manner of its coming
THE BIBLE.
The causes of it were:— ist. Because of was to teach Isfael that "every good gift, and
"Give the Bible to them unadulterated, pure, their forgetfulness of past favors and deliverances.
Beginning witb the breaking of down from the Father of lights, with, whom
every perfect gift is from above, and cometh
unaltered, unexplained, uncheapened and then see
it work its wholesome work through the whole the bonds of their servitude in Egypt, God is no variableness, neither shadow of turning."
,,
nature. It is very difficult, indeed, for a man or
had wrought out for them a succession of
a boy, who knows the Scripture, ever to get away
from it. It haunts him like an old song. It
wonderful deliverances within the weeks This bread also in its origin, adaptability
follows him like the memory of his mother. It that had just past. And yet when their provisions
began to get a little low, they could other features, served as a .type of Christ,
to Israel's need, its sweetness and many
reminds him like the word of an old and revered
teacher. It forms a part of the warp and woof see nothing but starvation and death, ahead "the bread of life."
of his life."—President Woodrow Wilson.
of them. How short the memory of God's IV. ORDER OBSERVED. (16-21.)
people often is! 2nd. Because of their "Gather it to every man according to his
shortsigbtediness tbey failed to see hjebind eating." This food is given out to Israel
this shortage of bread the presence and providence
of God. Moses told them that wben each day, and that early in the morning.
under wise regulations. It must be gathered
H
HAVE PATIENCE.
In the warld there's tribulation
In the warld there's wae;
But the warldit is bonnie,
For our Father made it sae;
Then brichten up your armor,
An' be happy as ye gang,
Though your sky be often clouded.
It winna be for lang. —Ex.
tbey commplained that it was not against
him but against the Lord that they murmured.
When God's children murmur because
the opportunity to bring in wages is
was to be taken in according to the need of
each bousehold. If one family found thai
it had in store more than was need,it wai
to be given to a family that did not hav(