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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 1, 1922)
. r' The Commoner VOL. 22, No. 10 8 tvT H f fT" i ir"' Mr. Bryan's Bible Talks TEACHING THE LAW OF GOD By WILLIAM JENNINGS BRYAN BIBLE TEXT LESSON FOR SEPTEMBER 10 (Nohemlah 8:1-3, 5, 6, 8-12) And all tho peoplo gathered themselves together as one man Into the street that was before tho water gate; and they spake unto Ezra the scribe to bring the book of tho law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded to Israel. And Ezra tho priest brought the law before tho congregation both of men and women, and all that could hear with understanding, upon the- flrst day of the soventh month. And ho road therein before the street that was beforo the water gate from tho morning until mid day, before tho men and tho women, and thoso that could understand; and the ears of all tho peoplo wore attcntlvo unto the book of the law. And Ezra opened tho book In the sight of all tho people; (for he was above all tho people;) and Wherf ho opened It, all tho peoplo stood up: And Ezra blessed tho Lord, tho great God. And all the peoplo answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up tholr hands; and they bowed their heads, and worshipped the Lord with their faces to the ground. So they read In tho book in the law of God dis tinctly, and gave tho sense, and caused them to un derstand tho reading. And Nehemlah, which is tho Tlrshatha, and Ezra tho priest tho scribe, and the Levltes that taught tho people, said Unto all tho people, This day Is holy unto tho Lord your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all tho people wept, when they heard tho words of the law. Thon ho said unto them. Go you, way eat tho fat, and drink tho sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared; fon this day is holy unto our Lord: neither bo ye sorry; for tho joy of the Lord is your strength. So tho Levltes stilled all the people, saying, Hold your peace, for tho day Is holy; neither bo yo grieved. ' . And all tho peoplo went their way to eat,, and to drink, and 'to send portions, and to mako great mirth, because they had understood tho words1 that wore declared unto them. For several-weeks past we have been studying the lessons contained for all of us of today in the return to Jerusalem of the Jews carried into a long and bitter exile after the sack of their city by Nebuchadnezzar. v We have seen the great temple of Solomon re stored by the friendly aid of Cyrus and furnished by the aid of Darius, and the city's walls rebuilt by the assistance of a third famous Persian king, the Artaxorxes of secular history. We have seen the noble Ezra leading back and sustaining the second band of exiles. We have followed the indefatigable and resourceful Nehe miah as he erected the walls and organized tho people even in the face of the weak-hearted within and the threatening enemies without. The Jews are once more firmly established in their beloved home land; now the people are called back to worship and obedience; and we have Ezra and Nehemiah brought together be fore us on this highly important and impressive occasion. "And all the people gathered themselves to gether as one man into the street (or the broad place, as the Revised Version has it) before the water gate; and they spake unto Ezra the scribe to bring.the book of the law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded to Israel." There was unity among the people; all desired to hear tho reading of tho law. There had been disobedience and wanderings, repentance and punishments; now with one accord they sought instruction as to their duty. WHAT OF AMERICA? What if tho same, could be said of all tho peo ple of this groat nation? Statistics show that more than one-half of tho adult males in the United States are not connected with any church, organization. Ten" years ago the people of the United States were spending five times as much for intoxicants as for religion five dollars were laid on the altar of the drink god for every dol lar dedicated to God. Ezra brought the law before the assembly and road therein "from tho morning until mid day, beforo the men and the women, and those that could understand." Ho did not read to a sleeping congregation; "tho ears of all the neo ple were attentive unto the book of the law " They were not so exhausted by the social functions of Saturday night as to be dull on Sunday morning; they were not so occupied with trial balances and plans for the coming week as to be oblivious to what was boing'said. Having ears, they heard. "And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God. And all tho people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands; and they bowed their heads, and worshipped the Lord with their faces to the ground." It was a very solemn occasion, as every occasion is that calls us back to funda mental things. "And Nehemiah (the governor) and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the peoplo, said unto all the people. This day is holy unto .the Lord your God, mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard , tho words of the law." It was a day for enjoy ment rather than for weeping. They were told to "eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing iB pre pared." THE INESTIMABLE VALUE OF THE LAW And yet there are those who would discredit the Bible who spend their years endeavoring to prove that there was no such person as Moses or that the books atttributed to him were writ ten by others critics who see nothing extra ordinary in the Pentateuch. Instead of elaborating upon the verses sug gested by the text, I venture to call attention to the inestimable value of the Law, the reading of which so impressed the Children of Israel nearly twenty-five hundred years ago. The Christian faith rests upon the Bible. The Bible is either true or false; it is either the Word of God or the work of man. The Chris tian church must either defend it or abandon it. If it is not inspired, as it claims to be, it has practised an imposition upon the world for cen turies. If it can be convicted of being an impos tor of fiction which have not laid claim to in spiration. It cannot be taught in a doubtful way with in terrogation marks questioning its authority. If it is in fact the Word of God, the revealed will of the Heavenly Father, there is no' other book in-the same class with it. Those who accept it as the Book of Books will be interested in read ing it and in bringing it to the attention of dthers. A BOOK THAT NEVER WEARS OUT Its use may be considered from four stand points; first, the personal reading of it. It differs from other books in that it neyer wears out. No matter how often one re-reads it, it is ever revealing new truth or giving new emphasis to old truths. Sometimes a single verse or a single word, will stand out as never before and become the basis of a life resolve or of a line or argument,. The Pocket Testament League is gajning a large membership by cultivating the fiabit of carrying a copy of the New Testament in the pocket for daily consultation. It is astonishing how much one can read in odd moments if he chooses so to employ his time. Second, there is .the study of the Bible in the home. If parents regard the Bible as an infallible guide to life and conduct, they will, of course, bring it to the attention of the children Here is the first test of genuine belief in the Word of God. A parent's interest in the child is the su preme concern because the life of the parent is reflected in, and extended through, the children. THE HEART'S TWO ALTERNATIVES President Roosevelt regarded his speech on race suicide as one of the most important of his addresrss. He selected it from among all his speeches, up to 1906, as the one to be published with other of the world's great orations. Races as well as fanlilies, survive or die out according to the children born. The general interest which society has in each new generation can never be as great as the interest which members of each generation feel in their own descendants If the heart controls the life, then religion -which controls the heart, must be the dominat ing influence and the Bible is the expression of religion in the Christian world. The children must learn tho Bible and they must learn it while they are children. , Science tells us that nature abhors a vacuum there is likewise no vacuum in the moral world' The heart that it not filled with religion is filled with irreligion. No one can grow to manhood or womanhood in a Christian country without accepting or rejecting belief in God. THE SUNDAY SCHOOL'S FUNCTION Third, but while the home is the flrst nursery for religion, it is not the only place where the Bible should be taught. The Sunday School conies next. Though less than two hundred years old, it has become a largo and permanent factor in the training of children. Some have expressed a fear that it has been substituted for home training. It should not be the training of the Sunday School should bo added to the training of the home, not substi tuted for it. If there is less home training than there should be, the remedy is not to abandon the Sunday School, but to stimulate the study of the Bible at home. . , The Bible class is a distinct advance in the en couragement of study of the Bible by adults. Within the last few years there has been a not able growth in men's Bible classes. I have re cently been brought into contact with three. In one city of less than one hundred thousand there is a Bible class with an enrollment of twelve hundred and an average attendance of about six hundred. -In a city of less than ten thousand there, is a Bible class of three hundred fifty,-with other Bible classes that bring the total enrollment up to seven hundred. The attend ance has been doubled in two years and the whole moral tone of the town has been im proved. In another town of less than fifteen hundred there is a menl's Bible class of over three hun dred, nearly all railroad men. The meetings are held on Thursday night and thefeeacher is super intendent of a division of the road. Fourth, the subject of Bible study in the day schools is being discussed in many states. Local conditions so largely influence public opinion on this subject that no national rule, can be laid down. Sometimes religious differences in a community are -such -that agreement upon Bible teaching is difficult. In some places the prob lem has been solved by a plan which permits Bible instruction by different groups, each group supplying its own instruction all the groups being afforded equal opportunity. The lesson focuses attention upon the import ance of Bible instruction; out of tho discussion will come some plan which will adjust itself to local conditions a plan which will supply an universal ueed by entwining spiritual enlighten ment with intellectual development. x "WILL A MAN ROB GQD?: By WILLIAM JENNINGS BRYAN BIBLE TEXT LESSON FOR SEPTEMBER 17 (Malachi 111:7-18) Even from the days of your fathers ye are gono away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me,, and I will return unto you, saith tho Lord of hosts. But ye, said, Wherein shall we return? Will a man rob God? Yet yo have robbed mo. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. Bringr yo tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove mo now herewith, salth the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing1, that thero shall not bo room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke tho dovouror for your salces, and ho shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vino cast her fruit beforo tho 'time in tho field, saith tho Lord of hosts. And all nations shall call you blessed: for yo shall bo a delightsome land, saith the Lord of hosts. Your words have been stout against me, saith the Lord. Yet yo say, What-have wo spoken so much against theo? Ye have said, It is vain to .servo God: and what profit is it that wo have kept his ordinance, and that wo have walked mournfully, beforo tho Lord of hosts? " I And now wo jail the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, they that tempt God are oven delivered. Then they that feared tho Lord spake often one to another: and tho Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance Was written beforo him for them that feared tho Lord, and that thought upon hfs name. r And they shall be mine, saith tho Lord of hosts, in that day when I mako up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. Then shall yo return, and discern between tho righteous and tho wicked, between him that Berveth God and him that servoth him not. Ho is numbered1 among the minor prophets, but in the four short chapters that constitute the closing book of the Old Testament, Malachi brings us one of the most vital messages that we can study. Tho burdenof. his message was the dis- ! : ,!,,- i.j ;Vrfc,1Wyiifieaalij''wki&SS& U