The National tribune., 1891-06-11

International sunday school Lesson APP
pointed for June 81, 1891. Ki., 20 LA
Zone reading these notes should first carefully
study the paragraph from the Holy Scriptures A
indicated abOve.l
SUBJECT; TIE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM
BY NEBUCHADNEzzAR AND THE CAPTURE
or ZEDEKIAE.
/. Data.
The student should read, besides the lessen,
Ch.. So: 10. 20; Jer., 80 /, 2, 40; 80: k-Is;
Ezs., II: ], 2 and AM, 2:5.
q Tina
We are 10 study accounts Of incidents in con.
neetion with the captivity Of Judah. This les
son brings US down to 3I16 A. NJ. The cap
tivity Of Israel began 72l B. c. or about l33
years before our present lesson. Originally the
land Of Palestine was divided into IL parts, all
constituting \ single Kingdom. At the death
Of Solomon tho land WAS divided into two
Kingdoms-that Of Judah and Israel Tsu
tribes constituted the northern Kingdom and
two the southern. The Kingdom Of Israel wa
the northern. ID gave itself over 10 incredible
welcomes, principally IN the form Of idolatry
AS q result, II was doomed. The King Of As
syria was permitted by Providence to pounes
upon IT, IL was carried Off into captivity
Those 10 tribes have never been restored, and
yet remain az so many wandering Jews"
But the southern Kingdom also became very
deprayed. The lesson of IsraePs captivity did
not long nor much deter Judah. So God
allowed the King Of Babylon to punish the
Judahites. Ever since Hezekiah in his folly
exposed to the Chaldean Embassy oil his srea-
sures the Euphrates looked GENEROUSLY over to
the Jordsn-Babylont 20 Jerusalem. Nebuchad-
nezzar was King Of Babylon. Zedekiah was
King Of Judah being the 2lst and last King
Jeremiah had cited to the Judahites the fidelity
OF the Rechabites in Obeying Jehousdab and
urged the people to be AZ true 10 their God, but
they would not reform. Hence the penalty
Daniel, when the lesson opens. had been for IS
years . captive with his three associates all
having been borne off 70 Nebuchadnezzar's
Capital. dan, i 1-6.) Ezekiel, the Prophet
bad also been for 10 years a captive at Babylon
We are considering now what is known as the
Seventy Years Captivity Of Judah. (Jer, 20:
10; CHI, SO: 2l.l The four leading Prophets
of the day were jeremiah, Ezekiel Daniel and
Obadiah. God had been specially patient with
the Kingdom Of Judah, since, though quite az
evil as that Of the Israslites he spared il from
captivity for nearly one and one-thiFd centuries
later. But evil has its day. A former King,
JehOahaz, had been before our lesson in bond
age under Pharaoh. The successor of Jehoa-
haz, Jehoiakim, had been put in chains and so
died at his own Capital, victim 10 Nebucbad-
nezzars fury. The successor Of Jehoiakim
JecOniah, was a captive at Babylon. The reign
ing King was Zedekiah.
1t is wonderful how set the people were In
sin God did not act precipitately. Warning
succeeded warning. The Prophet jeremiah
had not ceased for 40 years to ehide the inhabit-
ants Of Judah and urge them 10 repentance
Siege followed siege, giving opportunity in each
interval for reform. One King followed an
other into captivity. furnishing in each in
stance an object teaching in the science Of
divine government and showing Gods attitude
toward evil-doers.
The lesson dates $50 B. G. The 20 years
captivity begins with the capture Of Daniel, 604
H. C., or Is years before our lesson. The de-
structiOn Of Jerusalem took place two years
later or $50 B. C.. This was Is years after
jeremiah had endeavOred to shame the Judah
ties into obedience TO God by exhibiting 20 them
the fidelity Of the Rechabites. (Jer., IS: I2-10l
At that time the Prophet also foretold the
captivity Of judah for 70 years at Babylon, 500
miles east Of Jerusalem. We find ourselves In
the ninth year Of the reign Of Zedekiah,
Judah's King He was q son Of good Josiah,
but very degenerate one. Nebuchadnezzar
had been ruling Is years. By comparing Jew
ish months with ours we find the first vera
OF the lesson located at about the neW-year day
Of the year 557 b. c.
8. The Facts Stated.
We see jerusalem in siege. The population
was about 10000. The BabyIonians used bat
tering- rams, great engines worked by animal
strength, bows and ARROWS, slings catapults,
escalade, undermining, and darts which carried
On their tips torches to set on fire structures
within the walls. To be able to reach and At
tack the besieged, who ran along the walls an
noying their enemies outside, the Babylonians
raised artificial mounds like forts. The in
hsbitants Of Judahs Capital were in q fearful
plight. No more food could be gotten, and
what they had could not last long. The at
lacking enemies were numerous and fierce and
well supplied with provisions and ammunition.