The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-06-17
SABBATH. SCHOOL.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON FOR
JUNE Fl. ..
Lesson Text: II Kings XIV, LIP
Golden Text: Hosea vi,
documentary.

1. "Nebuchaduezzar, king Of Babylon,
came, he and all his host, against jerusalem,
and pitched against it." As we saw 10 the last
lesson Josiah's turning to God and great re-
vival reached but few comparatively, while
the nation as whole continued in sin. "They
mocked the messeng gers Of God, and despised
His words and m m;sused His prophets until toe
srath Of the Lord arose against Ris people,
till there was no remedy. Therefore BE
brought upon them the king Of the ChaldeeJ
to fulfill the word Of the ord by the mouth Of
jeremiah"
according to the Word Of the Lord" AL.
though Jeremiah, tie prophet, was hated,
persecuted and ali but slain for the Word Of
the Lord which he uttered, yet he was right
and the Lori Was with him, and all others
we're wrong. 1t is grand to stand with God
ard leave all results to Him.
2. "And tho city was besieged unto tho
eleventh year Of Zedekish-" jeremiah had at
this time been q prophet forty years, for he
which Josiah continued eighteen years, and
the eleventh Of Zedekiah was twenty-five years
later.
8 "The famine prevailed in the city, and
there was no bread for the peopls Of tho laud."
The God who fed their fathers for forty years
With bread from heaven, and who cared for
Elijah three years and . half at Cherith and
shortened, but they had turned their backs
upon Him who alone could lit them above
their surroundings. and now because of their
sins they must be subject to their orcum-
stances.
4. "And the city was broken up, aud all ths
men Of war fled by night, and the king went
the way toward the plain" And yet this is
lhe city which God hal chosen to put His
name there-the city of the Great King, beauti-
n u uoni
(Ps. Xviii, /, 9; cxxxii, IS, 14). But now
"God had given the deariv beloved Of His
soul into the hand Of her enemies (Jer xii,
y, just as He had said q Kings tx, 6 81. When
there ID sincere trust in tae Lord He will show
himself strong on behalf Of oil such, and NO
power on earth or in hell can touch people
or an individual thus encompassed by God;
but il va forsake God, and rely upon our own
wisdom or any counsel Of flesh and blood,
there will surely be breaking up and spoil
ing, to the great grief and damage Of the dis
obedient.
S. "And the army of the Chaldees pursued
after the king and overlook him in the plains
Of Jericho, and al his army were scattered
from him." This also was made known to the
captives at Babylon by the prophet Ezekiel
lEzek. Iii, 13, I. c.). Contrast the safety OF
Hez=k:ah when besieged by the great army Of
Sennacherib, and the wonderful deliveranca
God wrought for him in answer to the prayer
Of himself and Isaiah Ql Chron, xxi. 2o-a2;
lisa. xxxvii, 36).
On the other land see how Jonah, fleeing
from the Lord, was overtaken by the storm,
arrested, imprisone and only released that he
might do the will OF God. No one can disobey
God and finally prosper, but all who obey Him
are His special care, and no real evil can be-
fall them.
g. $50 they took the king and brought him
up to the king OF Baby lon 10 Riblah; and they
gave ju lgnent upon him." At the same
pace, just twenty-five years before, the king
Of Egypt had put bands upon his brother Jo
hoahaz and took him to Egypt, where he
died III Kings, xxir, ss, sa): But no amount
Of warning was OF any avail with Zedekiah.
Read how again aud again God had warned
him by the mouth Of jeremiah (Jer xxi,
1-9; xvii, 10; xxi, 3-5) But he only gave
Jeremiah Imprisonment for his good advice,
and hardened his heart yet more, preferring
to believe the lies OF the false prophets who
prophesied smooth things.
T. '.And they slew the sons OF Zedekish
before his eyes, and put out the eyes Of Zsde-
kiah, and bounl him with fetters of brass,
and carried him TO Babylon Jerelliah had
said, 'Thlne eyes snail behold the eyes Of the
king Of Babylon, and he shall speak with tEee
mouth to mouth, and thou shalt go to Baby
lon" (Jer. xxxiv,'3). The same spirit had
said through Ezekiel, II will bring him to Baby
Ion, 10 the land OF the Chaldeans; yet shall he
not see il, though be shall die there" (Ezek. XII,
1S). See how these somewhat difficult, and In
measure seemingly contradictory, prophecies
were literally fulfilled, an all made plain in
the fulfil ment. He saw the king Of Babylon;
they looked upon each other and spoke to each
other. He also went to Babylon, but he never
saw Babylon, for after s-eing the king Of
Babylon at Riblah, and aft,r being compelled
to witness the death Of his SOM, his eyes were
put out. How fearfully sad the consequences
Of upbelief!
8. "Nebuzsr.adan, captain of the guard,
eervaut of the king Of Babylon" Several
times is this man mentioned by name, and
more times simply as captain ofthe guard, not
only in this chapter but slso in th5 parallel
accounts in Jer. xxx an | Iii. Among other
things, he was commissioned by Nebuchad.
nezzar to take Jeremiah and look well 10 him
and do him no ,rm, but let him do as he
pleased about going to Babylon or staying in
the land (Jer xxx, II; xl, 4, 81. The literal
lated captain Of the guari" Is "chief OF the
slaughtermen or executioners"(see the margin
OF Gen. x1Ivii, S6).
9. And he burnt the house Of the Lord, and
the Kings house, and all the houses OF Jeru-
salem, ind every great mans hous, burnt he
with fire." The people c,uld now truly say.
80 God, the heathen are come into thine III.
heritance; thy holy temple have they dehled;
thsy have laid jerusalem IN heaps" u.s. i1x'x,
". "Our holy aud our beautiful house, where
our fathers praised Thee, is burned up Win
fire, and all cur pleasant things are iaia vase
lisa. Xiv, 1l). This magnificent building.
costing hundreds Of millions Of dollira, and
which stood less than thirty-four years in its
original splendor II Kings xiv, 25, 2'), Ia now
completely destroyed and all the Guy burned
with fire; and sin did it all.
But there is something more to be dreaded
than the fire which burns up earthly things.
There is lake Of fire which is called the Sec
ond death, and it is written that all whose
names are not ia the Book OF Life Shall DO
cast into that lake of fire. Rev. X, l5).
10. "Aud all the army OF the Chaldees, that
wers with the captain Of the guard, brake
down the walls o. Jerusalem round about.
And thus they continued until the return OF
Nehem ali, many years after the return OF the
so 600 under Zerubba5el (Neh. !, 81, and
amid the greatest opposition and hati ed was
the wall rebuilt (Neh. iv. VIZ. 10 burn ana
destroy and slay is the work Of the adversary;
but to create and build and restore, to give
life and health aud peace, ls the wo-k OF Goo.
II. "Now the rest OF the people that were
left in the city did NehuZar-adan, the captain
OF the guard, carry away" Some were siam
(ys. 1S-2l: at three different time 4,6cO were
carried captive (Jer. i'll, 2S-30), while some
we're left in the land. Some we're carried cap
tive for their good, that He might bring them
again and build them and plant them IN a;e, their
own land, and Civ, them heart 10 kcoW nm;
vile others who were disobedient were taken
to b, consumed and destroyed because OF their
sins Tread Jer. xiv. The same events or
series of events may happen t. both the right
eous and the wicked; to the oEe it means bless
ing, to the other cursiug.
IL. But the captain of the guard left OF
the Door of the land to be vine dressers and
husbandmen." Thu, was the land desolate
"To fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth
- Isranniah" III Chron xxxyi 2N, Mark