The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1877-06-06
INTERNATIONAL LESSONS.
SECOND QUARTER.-LESsoN XII.
June II, 1877.
The Captivity of Israel.-II Kings xvii 6-l0'
GOLDEN TEXT-BEGAUsE TREY
OBEYED NOT THE VOICE OF THE LORD
THEIR GOD-II Kings xviii: IL.
SECOND OuARrrR.-LEgsoN XII.
June II, 1877.
Shorter CatsChism, Question SO.
QUESTIONS.

QUESTIONS.
What was TO follow idostry? See Deut. ~: L
| % Deut xviii: 1868; Josh. xiii: lie. When
did the captivity take place? Who was the las
king of Israel? How long did he reignY
V. g. What king Of Assyria took Israel captlVel
Where we're they carried How long had the king
dom of Israel lasted? Under how many kings?
VI Why was the kingdom overthrow Who
is said to have caused Israel to sin Ii Kings XIV
| l6 What "other gods" had they worshipped?
V. g. Whose Statutes did they follow?
v g. In what way did they do wickedy2
" 10 Whose images" had they set up? How
prevalent was this idolatry
v II. In what spirit had they followed this idol
atry2
V. II. What special command had the Lord
given them? .
". l3 What is meant by "the Lord testified
against Israel, etc.P By whom had He sent warn
ipgs? What two things had they been command
ed to do?
" IA How were these warnings and commands
received? What is meant by hardened their
necks ?"
V. Is. Meaning of ''vanity?" What four things
did they reject2 What nine wicked things did they
do? :.
10. What is meant by the "hOst of heaVerH'
Jer. viii: 2.
V. II. What is meant by "made to pass through
fre?" Ps. cvi: 81.
V. IS. What tribe only was left to serve the
Lord?
NOTES ON THE LESSON.
We have now come to the final ruin Of
nation, the causes of which we have learned
in the previous lessons of this year. The
idolatry of the people was followed by cap
tivity, servitude and destruction. Hoshea was
the last king of Israel, bis reign extending
to 721 B. c., nine years. The siege of Sa-
maria lasted two years.
V. g. Sargon, as appears from inscrip-
tions, was the king of Assyria. country
which included Mesopotamia, Media and
Babylon. Habor was a tributary of the
Euphrates in the northeastern part of Mes
opotamia.. Halah was district bordering on
this stream. The kingdom of Israel had now
lasted about 254 years, from 975 B. c., to
721 B. C. Nineteen kings had ruled in that
space of time.
VI. The Kingdom was destroyed because
of the sins of the people. Their great sin of
idolatry, of worshipping "Other gods " than
I" the Lord their Goo" included all other
sins. And the kings had given authority to
this worship by placing images of Baal in
various parts of the land. There were golden
calves at Dan and Bethel, and "high places"
SO multiplied that they could be seen every
where.
V. 8. The "statute8 were the religious
customs and ordinances of the heather ma
tons around them.
We. They did "secretly" those things
that were not right, that is they concealed
the true character of God by parade and
pOmp and form.
V. 10. These images represented unreal
deities, and the ''groVes' meant wooden idols,
or as some suppose AshtarOth, the female
complement of Baal. And this fearful idol
airy pervaded the entire nation, the false
gods were found from the lonely watch tower
to the most strongly fortified city.
V. II. And all this wickedness was
wrought ''to provoke the Lord to anger" the
Lord that had brought them up out of the
land of Egypt, and exalted them above all
other people in his regard.
V. II. The express command against the
Worship of idols had been given them. Lev.
XVI: 1.
V. 10. And the Lord had not given up
Israel and Judah. He had warned them by
all the prophets. Jer. vii; 10 And they
had been urged to keep sail the law" Not
only was the way forward shown to be one of
destruction, but the way back to safety was
clearly pointed out.
V. IA. Hardened their necks," as oxen
harden their necks against the yoke, SO that
it is difficult to put it on. The yoke was not
a heavy one-"My yoke is easy, my burden
light" The torture was in their rebellious
spirit, refusing to submit.
V. Is. "Vanity" here means idols, which
we're called swain things" because they were
powerless, and it was "vain" hope to trust
them. "Ephraim feedeth on wind" The
Israelites had thus rejected Gods warnings
and statutes and covenants and testimonies,
and they had followed vanity, gone after the
heather, left the commandments of the Lord,
made them molten images, made grove,
worshipped Baal, caused their children to
pass through FIRE, used entertainments, and
sold themselves to do evil.
V. 16. "The host of heaven" was the ven.
Grafton of the heavenly bodies, the sun and
stars, worship very prevalent in the east
ern heather nations.
V. II. MoloCh was the deity to whom they
sacrificed their children, and represented the
destructive element Of fire.
V. 10. After probation of two centuries
ind half, during which the Lord had been
9 merciful and gracious, and long suffering"
lie at last visited them with the judgment SO
ong threatened. He removed them from the |