wishes to know what new store-house has been
prepared for them. But the governor finds, to his sorrow and dismay,
that no sooner was his back turned upon Jerusalem, than the people had
ceased to bring their tithes and their contributions for the house of
God.

It was not surprising then that Nehemiah found the temple so deserted.
How could the Levites serve, how could the choir sing unless they were
fed? They could not live on air, no food was provided for them; what
could they do but take care of themselves? In order to save themselves
from utter starvation, they had been driven to leave the temple, and to
go to their fields and small farms in the country, which they had been
accustomed to cultivate only at such times as they were not engaged in
the work of the temple (Num. xxxv. 2). Now they were compelled to resort
to these fields, as a means of keeping themselves and their families
from beggary. No wonder then that few were found ready to help in the
temple services.

The first Sabbath after Nehemiah's arrival, he sets out, with an anxious
heart, to see how it is kept by his fellow-countrymen. In the solemn
covenant the people had promised carefully to observe the day of rest.
They have broken their word in the matter of the tithes; have they kept
their promise with regard to the Sabbath?

Nehemiah, as he walks through the city on the Sabbath day, finds a
regular market going on in the streets. He is horrified to find that all
manner of fruit and all kinds of food are being bought and sold, as on
any other day of the week. Wine, and oil, and merchandise of all kinds
is being bargained for, and the streets are filled with the noisy cries
and shouts of the sellers and purchasers.

Going on to the Fish Gate, Nehemiah finds that a colony of heathen
Tyrians have come to live there, in order that they may hold a
fish-market close to the gate. The fish was caught by their
fellow-countrymen in Tyre and Sidon, and was sent down to Jerusalem
slightly salted, in order to preserve it from corruption. Nehemiah finds
that these Tyrians are doing a grand traffic in salted fish, especially
on the Sabbath day. The Jews loved fish, and always have loved it. How
they enjoyed it in Egypt, how they longed for it in the wilderness!

'We remember the fish which we did eat in Egypt freely.'

So they sighed, and murmured, as they thought of their lost luxuries.

There was nothing a Jew liked so well for his Sabbath dinner as a piece