Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1892-03-04
DOWNFALL OF JUDAH.
LESSON X, FIRST QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL. GER MARA g.

DRY verses, 6-S-GOluen MAIN.
xiii, 3s-Commentary by the Rev. ID.
NJ. Stearns.
1. "In the ninth year of Zedekiah, king
of Judah, in the tenth month, came Nebu-
ehadnezzar, king of Babylon, and all his
army against Jerusalem, and they be-
sieged it." In chapter lii and in III Kings
XIV we have this same story of the downfall
and captivity of Judah. When the Holy
Spirit causes the same record to be written
three different times He certainly asks our
special attention to it, and must have some
great reason for doing So The ten tribes
had been in captivity over 100 years, and
for that period as well as for the more
than 200 additional years since the death of
Solomon, God had been bearing with them,
pleading with them and warning them
that unless they turned to Him sincerely
this judgment would come upon them
tlIos. ii, lib; Joel /, 81; Amos iii, |, 2,
and the pre-captivity prophets every
where). See also Lev XVI, 21-35, and con-
slider what long warning they had, and
bow the false prophets taught the people
to laugh at and despse it.
2. "In the eleventh year of Iedekiah, in
the fourth month, the ninth day of the
month, the city was broken up" During
part of three years, or an actual period of
eighteen months, including the short in
terval of last weeks lesson, did the siege
continue and then the city fell as God had
said. He may lovingly and patiently show
His long suffering, but His Spirit will not
always strive.
g. "And all the princes of the king of
Babylon came in and sat in the middle
gate" The enemy sits in the gate of the
holy city-what IA contrast to the blessing
of Judah, "Thy hand shall be in the neck
of thine enemies" and the promise to
Abraham, "Thy seed shall possess the gate
of his enemies" Gen. Xix, s: xxi, ~
1t was promised to Israel that one should
chase thousand, and two put ten thou
sand to flight and that no man should
stand before them Deut. xxxii 80; JOSH
|, 49, but unbelief and turning away from
God brings all this trouble upon them.
A. "When Zedekiah, the king of Judah
saw them and all the men of war, then
they fled, and went forth out of the city by
night" All this was seen in vision by the
prophet Ezekiel at Babylon, and was
shown to the people of Israel, who were
there in an object lesson by the prophet.
(Ezek xii, 1-15.)
s. But the Chaldeans' army pursued
after them, and overlook Zedekiah in the
plains of Jericho and brought him to Neb-
uchadnezzar." 1t being the purpose of
God that Zedekiah should be taken, it was
therefore impossible for him to escape
Perfectly safe even amidst the greatest
dangers are all whom God promises to pro-
tect, but there is no hiding place and no
safety for any who rebel against Him.
They may be sure that their sin will find
them out (Num. xxi, 23)
6. "Then the king of Babylon slew the
sons of Zedekah in Ribah before his eyes;
also the king Of Babylon slew all the mobiles
of Judah" II the children follow the sins
of their father and walk in his ways they
will suffer punishment with their father;
but who can describe the feelings of ia
Their compelled to witness the sulferings of
his children because of sins into which he
led them? Let ungodly parents consider
this ere it he too late
T. Moreover, he put out Zedekiahs eyes
and bound him with chains, to carry him
to Babylon" Thus was Jer. Xxi, 1, and
Eek. xii, 10, literally fulfilled, although
at first sight it might seem difficult for
them to have a literal fulfllment. Zede-
kiah went to Babylon, he saw the king of
Babylon, but he never saw Babylon. 1t is
always perfectly safe to take God at His
word, and take Him TO mean just what He
says. As soon as we begin to give His
word some other meaning than that con
veyed by the plain grammatical sense of
the words. we are in danger of perverting
it (XXiii, 3d.
s. "And the Chaldeans burned the kings
house, and the houses of the people, with
fire. and brake down the walls of Jerusa-
lem" Thus the Lord swallowed up the
habitations of Jacob and cast down the
beauty of Israel; thus He did what He had
devised, and fulfilled His word commanded
in the days of old Q4am. ii, l, 9, 10. AL
! though it was apparently the hand of the
king of Babylon, it was really the hand of
the Lord upon His rebellious people. Nehe-
miah, speaking of the testimony of the
Spirit of God In the prophets against
Israel, says that God gave them into the
enemys hands because they would not
hear (Neh tx, 30).
8. "Then NebuZar-adan, the captain of
the guard carried away captive into Bah
ylon the remnant of the people" Some
had been taken to Babylon for their good,
such as Daniel, Ezekiel and others, but
these for their hurt, to be reproach and
proverb, a taunt and "a curse in all places
der. xiv, $40. The same event may
prove to some blessing and to others
curse. "All things work together for good
to them that love God" (Rom. viii, %, 29).
10. But Nabuzar- adam, the captain of
the guard, left of the poor of the people,
which had nothing, in the land of Judah,
and gave them vineyards and fields at the
same time" Or, as in the margin, "in
that day." 1t is evident, then, that there
may be a time when it is blessed to shave
nothing" We are reminded of Zeph. iii,
12, 81 will also leave in the midst of thee an
afflicted and poor people, and they shall
trust in the name of the Lord" Also,
Luke vi, 20, "Blessed be We poor, for yours
is the kingdom of God" Though we may
not have this worlds goods, if we have Je-
sus we are rich for time and eternity, and
are heirs with Him; and when the unbe-
levers are cast out we shall inherit all
Even the captain of the guard ("chief exc
cutioner"-see margin), cruel to many, can
only bring us blessing. May Jesus be
all to us; than we will be well content
to wait and suffer with Him this lit
tie while, proving ourselves pilgrims
and strangers here. Like Abraham
we will contentedly soiourn in the land of