Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1891-05-28
CAPTIVITY OF ISRAEL.
international sunday-schoOl Lesson for
May d 1891,

international sunday-SchoOl Lesson Tor
May 20, 1891.
Especially Arranged from s. S. quarterly
LESSON TExT-2 Kings 17:6-1a
GOLDEN TExT-Because ye have forsaken the
Lord He hath also forsalzen you--2 C1ron- q;
20
CENTRAL TRCTa-Sin and ruin are insepara-
bic.
Tn1E-The captivity took place BIC. 722 or
721.
PLAcE-Samaria, tho capital OF Israel ana
various places in the Assyrian empire.
RUIERs-uoshca, king Of Israel. Ninth year
Hezekiah was in his sixth year as king Of Ju-
dab The invasion of Israel was begun oy
Shalmanezer ", who died during the siege OF
Samaria, which was captured by his successor
Sargon.
PARALLEL HISTORY in Judah is found in
Chron. chs %, 90.
PRoPHETs-Isaiah and Micah were prophcsy-
ing in Judah. Hoshea died IN Israel snort
time before the captivity.
HELPS OVER HARD PIACEs.-6 In the ninth
year Of Hoshca:' the last king OF Israel tSee
VS.. 1-5) The king Of Assyria:" Sar5on. The
war was bcc1ln by Shalmanezer ", but be
died during the siege Of Samaria. "Halan;'
district I'D the river HAbor. Tho river OF
Gozan:" district between the Euphrates ana
Tigris. The Habor IS q branch OF the Euphra-
tes.0 'sMedes:" east Of Nincveh- T. HAD
brought them up" showing their inSratlirde
in disobeying God, who had done such wonder
full things for them. Q. Did secretly Typo
criticallv. under prctcnse Of serving Jehovah.
Flower Of the watchmcn:" in the field for
protection Of sheep and vineyards. Tho lone
Hest places TO- Groves" Ashcrah; wo den
pillars for the worship Of Asheeh. goddess
who correspondent to the Greci2n Venus. IL
"Seers;'' sec-eVs OF visions. One KIND OF prom
cts. a. Hardened their necls:" like oxen
who are set and determined, and will not be
Guided. Is Testimonies" Gods witness
against sin by His laws and commandments.
H. ITO pass through tho fires" by placing them
in the red-hot arms Of the brazen idol Mc.CcA
"Divination and entertainments" seeking to
know what to do, or what the future viii be, by
signs and omens, instead Of By the word OF God
and conscience.
LESSON COMMENTS.
Cause and effect are brought out
clearly in this lesson, so that every one
NAV see how God works with his peo-
pie. We have been studying for some
time single portions of the history Of
Israel, and have seen how they went
contrary to the law of their God. In
this lesson to-day, we see the end OF the
courses of conduct that Israel pursued.
The historian tells of how they went in
the face of light that should have led
them to prosperity, and did according
to all the denominations of the idolatrous
nations around them. Against all this
they had been warned, and the conse-
uuences of such conduct had been most
clearly set before them. Yet all was
vain. They did everything that others
did, and went to extremes of wicked
ness. They actually practiced human
sacrifices, and burnt their sons and
daughters at the shrines of Moloch.
Nothing was too vile for them to adopt.
Notwithstanding all this, the Lord
had patience with them, and waited for
years before He brought the full
penalty of their sins on their
heads He tried to win them
back to their former allegiance, and for
that purpose sent them prophet after
prophet; but they only hardened their
hearts, and stiffencd their necks, and
pushed ahead. So the end cane at
last, and when it came, it was just as
terrible as God had said it would be.
We cannot look anywhere in the
physical world without pcrcciving that
cause ard effect are indissolubly bound
together Nothing happens without q
cause, and one of the most steadfast
efforts of scientific men is to find out
what causes produce certain effects.
What is true in the physical world is
true in the intellectual world as well.
Is that boy a good arithmetician? You
may be sure that there is cause for his
| excellence in that line of work. Is the
other scholar well posted in history?
AS surely as in the first case, you viii
find a cause for his proficiency IN that
line. But yonder there is a scholar who
never knows his lessons, and fails of
promotion. Well, there is a cause for
that as well. Nothing happens by mere
chance. In the one case there has been
effort, and in the other laziness. The
results that are appropriate to these
causes will always follow. No man be-
comes a scholar by doing nothing, and
no man works hard without receiving
the due reward of his work. These are
Gods laws, and they work always and
with every one in the same way.
| There are at the present momenI
causes at work in your class that will
inevitably produce certain results. This
is true in the case of each scholar. This
boy, if he keeps on in his present
course, will at last fill drunkard's
grave. That boy, if he persists in
pushing ahead, will end in the peniten-
tiary. That girl, unless she changes
will end in life of sin and ruin. What
a solemn thought that is! Now is the
time to change, if ever, for soon the
reaping will begin, and whatsoever
they are now sowing, of that they shall
have harvest before long.-Rev. A. F,
Schaufher, D. d.
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS.
1. There comes a time in the progress:
of sin when it is too late: when the sir
can be destroyed only by the destruction
of the sinner.
2. God does all that wisdom and love
can do to prevent men from going on il
sin.