THE KING’S BUSINESS
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ware” thought that Nehemiah’s reforma tion, like so many political reforms, would be of short duration; so they came and lodged without Jerusalem once or twice, thinking the opportunity to disobey God would soon come back again. In this they were bitterly disappointed. Nehemiah dealt vigorously with them. He sternly said to them “if ye do so again I will lay hands on you.” They saw that Nehe miah meant business and from that time they quit altogether their nefarious attempt to lure the people of God into a desecration of God’s day. They did not much fear a tongue lashing, Jor morally they had the hide of a rhinofceros; but they did fear the severity of Nehemiah’s hand. v. 22. “And I commanded the Levites that they should cleanse {purify) them selves, and that they should come and keep the gates, to sanctify the sabbath day. Remember {unto) me, O my God, con cerning (omit, concerning) this also, and spare me according to the greatness of thy mercy.” Nehemiah committed the' details of his work to some of his own servants whom he had trained, and whom he there fore could trust. He was a man of sound sense and great executive ability. He did not attempt to do everything himself, but trained others to do it. The enemies of God and His holy day and His word never give up easily, but they will have to give up if we are persistent. While the enemies of God’s law did not give up, neither did Nehemiah give up. Before they under took the Tyork of correcting others, Nehe miah demanded that the Levites should first “cleanse themselves.” Anyone who would set others right must first see to it that he is thoroughly right himself.
indirectly due to the disregard for God and the Lord’s day. And now England, in her day of Peril, in the highest ecclesiasti cal authority of the church is Urging increasing disregard for that day by urging working on that day, as if any real benefit could come from disobeying God. England will reap an awful hafvest of misfortune; and unless America repents, similar evil to that that has already overtaken England and Francs will overtake her, in fact has already begun to overtake her. v. 19. “And it came to passr that { pass that,) when the gates of Jerusalem began to be dark before the Sabbath, I com manded that the gates {doors') should be shut, and charged {commanded) that they should not be opened until after the sab bath; md some of my servants set / at {over) the gates, that there should no bur den be brought in on the sabbath day." Nehemiah did not stop by words. He was governor and he followed his words up by actions. He took steps that made it impossible for them to continue their Sab bath desecration, even if they desired to do it. He was a man of action as well as a man of fearless speech. vs. 20, 21. “So the merchants and sell ers of -all kinds of ware lodged without Jerusalem once or twice. Then I testified against them, and said unfo them, Why lodge ye about the wallf if ye do so again, I will lay hands on you. From that time forth came they no more on the sabbath."’ Many of the people did not like what Nehemiah did, but that did not move Nehemiah. i He never asked what pleased men; he simply asked what was right in the sight of God (cf. Gal. 1:10). The “merchants and sellers of all kinds of
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