the question naturally arises, Who was the servant of whom the
prophet was speaking? Undoubtedly the tragic experiences of such prophets
as Jeremiah suggested many elements in the picture. For half a century
that faithful servant of Jehovah suffered, often shrinkingly, yet
voluntarily, a constant martyrdom. Upon him fell the persecutions of his
countrymen. Yet in the life of later Judaism those principles for which he
lived and died gained acceptance and application. Of him it may be truly
said:

He was numbered with trangressors,
And himself bore the sins of many,
And interposed for transgressors.

The unknown author of these immortal poems spoke out of the depth of his
own painful experience and doubtless in a large degree realized the
ideals of service which he thus effectively set forth. Those of his
contemporaries who, amidst persecution and insults, in their lives
embodied the ideals of the earlier prophets were crushed like Jeremiah
because of the iniquities of others; but by thus pouring out their
life-blood they brought healing to their race. Nehemiah, in responding to
the call of service and in turning his back upon the allurements of the
Persian court in order to rebuild the city of his fathers, proved himself
a faithful servant of Jehovah. With true insight the Christian Church
has always recognized that in the character and life of Jesus is found
the only complete realization of this ancient ideal of service. With the
immortal chapters of the II Isaiah he was clearly familiar, and from
them he doubtless received many suggestions regarding his divine mission
and the methods by which it was to be accomplished. Their author was
clearly speaking to his contemporaries; but in portraying the way in
which Jehovah's purpose in human history could alone be realized he
presented an ideal which has a permanent significance in the thought of
the human race, Paul rightly recognized that the same responsibility to
make this ideal a reality rested upon him, and all who would serve God,
when he quoted the words of 49:6 (cf. Acts 13:47):

"I have set thee for a light of the Gentiles
That thou shouldst be for salvation to the uttermost parts of the earth."

Section C. NEHEMIAH'S WORK IN REBUILDING THE WALLS OF JERUSALEM

[Sidenote: Neh. 1:1-3]
Now in the month of Chislev [November-December, 446 B.C.], I was in
Shushan the royal palace, when Hanani, one of my kinsmen came, together
with certain men from Judah, and I