Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1891-06-18
CAPTIVITY OF JUDAH.
International sunday-SchooI Lesson 70
June 81, 1891.

international sunday-SchooI Lesson for
June 81, 1891.
Especially Arranged from S. S. ouarterlyl
| LESSON TEXT Kings 25:1-12.
GOLDEN TExT-Come, and let US return unto
| the Lord--IIos. 6:1-
CENTRAL TRUTH-GOd's word, whether Of
promise or warning IS certain TO be fulfilled
TDE-Jerusalem destroyed In the summer O.
| B. c. $50; 81 years after the last lesson.
PLACE-Jerusa!em; Riblah- IS miles north Of
| Damascus; Babylon
Ru1ERs-zedekiah, e1st and last king Of
Judah, o son Of Josiah; Nebuchsdnezzar, king
OF Babylon, 18th year.
PROPHETS - Jeremiah, in Jerusalem Cs27-
$50; Ezekiel IN Babylonis C5aS653) Daniel, in
Babylon (6O6-5S5); Obadiah C5S5).
PARALLEL ACCoUNrs-Jer. 62;+16; 2 Chron-
S5:l1-21; Jer 3o:i-S
APPROACHES TO THE FINAL doom - The
first captivity when the seventy years captiv
fly referred 10 In Jer. 1910 begins was soon
after the last lesson, b. c. COO. Daniel was
among these captives The second captivity
took place six years later. b @. sos by Nebu-
chadnezzar; ten thousand people and great
treasures were carried to Babylon e Kings %:
l0l6) Ezekiel was among these captives
Ezek. /: /, e) Ten years later began the
third captivity, which is the subject Of to-day's
lesson.
HELPS OVER HARD PLACEs-l- Ninth year
Of hiss" Zedekiah's reign Tenth month";"
Thebet which includes from middle OF Deem
Der TO middle Of January. Built forts:" high
wooden towers from which TO fling darts fire
brands, or TO thrust battering-rams. .. 8
Eleventh year fourth month" July, B. c.
$50 A year and half after the siege began.
Here belong the 3,O23 captivss OF Jer. 52:2S
(yyhere 18th" should be '17th.'O 4. "By way
OF the gate" at the south Of the city. The be-
seigers entered on the north Toward the
plain:" OF Jericho. 6. Riblah: seventy-fiYe
miles north Of Damascus. Here NebuchadneE-
ger was overseeing two seiges, one at Jerusa-
lem and one at Tyre. ii. Remnant Of the
multitude:" those outside Of the city. r. The
poor Of the land" these had now some compen-
sation for their poverty. They had been oppressed
by the rich and great, as Jeremiah tells US;
and now their oppressors are ruined captives
and the poor have full opportunity in the coun-
try. Among those who remained vas the
prophet jeremiah.
LESSON COMMENTS.
At last the end came. Gods iudg-
ments had tarried long; but when they
came they proved as terrible as He had
said they would.
The fate of Jerusdlem. 1t was be-
sieged by Nebuchadnezzar; was reduced
TO starvation; was assaulted and cap
luIcuI INC ICLnp4C Mdo puIucO 10 inc
ground; all the principal houses were
destroyed; the walls were broken down,
and the people were for the most part
marched off into slavery in foreign
land. Just imagine what sight that
must have been, as the armies of
Babylon marched away, carrying with
them their long train of captives, and
leaving behind them the City of David a
heap of ruins!
The fate Of the king himself: AS soon
as the city was captured he fed, but
was overtaken and made prisoner. Neb-
uchadnezzar was then at Riblah, about
ten days journey from Jerusalem. To
him the king was taken. With heart
less cruelty, they killed Zedeliah's sons
before his eyes, and then put out the
eyes of Zedekiah himself, after which
they carried him away to Babylon,
where he died.
In this lesson there is an instance of
the fulfllment of two remarkable, and
apparently contradictory, prophecies,
with regard to King Zedekiah. ''The