Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1891-05-22
CAPTIVITY OF ISRAEL
LESSON VIZ, SECOND QUARTER, IN
TERNATiONAL SERIES, MAY "a.


mission of II. s. Hoffman, publisher, Philadel-
phia.
6. an the ninth year of Hoshea, the king
of Assyria took Samaria, and carried Israel
away into AssyTa."
After more than $50 years of continued
rebellion against God, during which time
nineteen kings reigne1 over them, not one
of whom did right in the sight of the Lord,
Shalmanezer, king of Assyria, besieged
Samaria, the capital of Israel q Kings xvi,
pa in the sixth year of Hoshea, and after
three years took it and carried Israel into
captivity Tvs. 1-5). That God would 90
this if they refused to obey Him He had
plainly foretold by His servant Moses Ger.
XVI, 1913; Deut xviii 63, ca, and by the
prophets He had given them many warn
ing, so that they were without excuse.
:. For so it was, that the children Of
Israel had sinned against the Lord their
God, which had brought them up out of
the land of Egypt, etc"
God through Moses, and through his ser
wants Hosen, Amos and jeremiah makes
frequent reference to His bringing them out
of Egypt as a reason why they should obey.
s. And walked in the statutes of the
heather, whom the Lord cast out from be-
fore the children of Israel"
9. and the children of Israel did secretly
those things that were not right against
the Lord their God"
Not only publicly but secretly were they
mingled among the heather and learned
their works" Ops. cvi, 80. In the dark they
did wickedly, saying. The Lord seeth US
not; the Lord hath forsaken the earth"
10. And they set them up images and
groves in every high hill and under every
green tree"
Even Judah did this also in the days Of
the son of Solomon q Kings xiv, %, 80,
and then followed the plundering of TIE
temple by the king of Egypt, only thirty
four years after its dedication q Kings vi,
IS; xiv, %, 26). When we consider the
plain commands of God not only not TO
set up these places, but to destroy all such
things and places which the heather had
set up Deut. xvi, 81, %; xii, p, we are apt
to ask, "Iiow could they thus fly in the
face of God?" But we had better ask our
own hearts.
II. "And there they burnt incense in all
the high places, as did the heather when
the Lord carried away before them; and
wrought wicked things to provoke the Lord
to anger"
IL. For they served idols, whereof the
Lord had said unto them, Ye shall not dc
this thing"
Besides the second commandment re-
corded in Elk. XXX, and Deut. v listen ~
Lev. XVI, l, I'VE shall make you no idols
nor craven image, \ to bow down
unto it, for | am the Lord your God -
Jehovah their creator and covenant keep
ing God desired to be their portion. He
wanted them all for Himself, and He would
be wholly for them. He would be their
shield and their exceeding great reward, a.
He said to Abram.
H. yet the Lord testified against Israel
and against Judah, by all the prophets
and all the seers, saying, Turn ye from
your evil ways"
See some of His pleading with them il
lisa. l. IL, Il; ", Z: Jer. iii, II; XIV, ); Eek
XXXiii, II; Hos. xiv, l. Thus saith the Lore
God, the Holy one OF Israel In returning
and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness anC
in confidence shall be your strength; and -
would not" lisa. xxx, l5).
IA. notwithstanding they would mo-
hear, but hardened their neeks, like to thu
neck OF their fathers, that did not believe
IN the Lord their God.
On the last verse we quoted from lsalat
the sad words, And We would not" i
was the same all through their history, til
Jesus Himself uttered the same word
S4IOlbiS DcloIC IHeN CluCllleu IAllIl
10. And they rejected his statutes, an'
his covenant, and they followed vanity an'
became vain"
He is wisdom, and wisdom is the princi
pal thing, better than rubies or gold o
silver; but fools despise wisdom; it is to-
high for them prov. iv, Z; viii, H. 10; i, ,
xiv, .. In Jer. X, s. H. 10, idols an'
idolatry are called lies and vanity. WheI
the people of Lystra took Paul and Barna
bas for gods, and would have worshipeC
them, Paul exhorted them to turn from
these vanties unto the living God VIII
made all things acts xiv, 49,
IL. "And they left all the commandment
of the Lord their God. and made then
molten imapes -
IT, oaI1.,.s a. n., ,a po.ho, s :.
"a nc oai.es d. Dan anu petnei' ana III
iuoi groves everywhere proclaimed incl
folly. They turned their backs on tn
Creator and worshiped the works of Hi
hands, sun, moon and stars, rather thai
Himself r. seams IN me that If wa AZ l,a
levers think mora of tho o,ifts ~ C;,d tbo,
80 Wi't. iAio'o VI VIC gus Vi pou Wal
vi iiiiii'eii' IL 3" Is heaven OF happiness
or our own personal welfare we are chlen'
seeking, we are in danger of comnittin!
T,r x, 81