The National tribune., 1892-01-07
SUNDAY MEDITATION.

SUBJECT: WOES PRONOUNCED AGAINST THE
KINGDOMS OF ISRAEL AND JUDAH.
Preliminary.
Chapters 1 to II tinclusiyel Of the prophecy
Of Isaiah declare the disPleasnre Of Jehovah
with the Jews in general.
Chapters % TO % fOrstel the unfortunate
destiny of several heather countries.
Chapters 2l to So (inclusive) recount the penal
judgments OF God against the Jews and their
enemies.
Our present lesson falls into this third d.
vision of tho chapters Of the prophecy Of
Isaiah.
Doederlin thinks chapters 2S. % and 80 were
spoken as one prophecy, and relate TO one event
or subject. Gesenius held that chapter % and
on TO the end Of chapter So include a single
series Of prophecies uttered at one time by
Isaiah. Hensler cOncurs. Munster adds two
more chapters 10 said single prophecy. All
agree that the general thought throughout this
division Of chapters is the AssyTian conquest
over the Ten Tribes.
l. The WOEs PRONOUNCED AGAINST THE
KINGDOM OF ISRAEL.
The first four verses OF the 25th chapter Of
Isaiah give the account.
Q. Time.
It is plain the lesson must be dated prior TO
the Captivity of the Ten Tribes. We fix on
about b. G. 725. We are thus carried back
2GlG years. Rome had practically but Just been
founded (B. c. 753J. The first Olympiad pre-
coded the date Of our lesson by only about 30
years. The lesson was, hence, in the third year
Of the 18th Olympiad. 1t was only -four years
bsiore the punishment Of the Kingdom Of
Israel that Isaiah declared bis prophecy Of said
event. Shalmanezer went against SamaTia Il.
T.. q a -
Shaimaneser went against Samaria Hoshea was
tho King Of Israel and Ahaz tho King Of
Judah.
B. Place.
The Kingdom of Israel included all the
northern part Of Palestine, formerly known as
the territory Of the Ten Tribes. Ephraim was
the leading tribe Of the ten. BY the figure
synccdoche 10 is put for the entire Kingdom Of
Israel. EphTaim was a son OF Joseph and hence
grandson Of Jacob. One Of the II tribes was
named from him. When Canaan was divided
into IL parts, one portion was assigned to the
tribe called Ephraim.
The Capital Of the Northern Kingdom, styled
| in the lesson Ephraim. was Samaria. It was
! against that city the Assyrisn King Shalma-
ueser went. (See X, I7:I.3)
Two hundred and four years (B. G. 02J) be-
fore our lesson, Omri, the King then Of Israel,
/ bought the hill on which he built Samaria
for MS Capital. q XII, IG 2ll The former
I owner was Shemer. Omri paid for ID about
/ $1,000. The hill, rising, leaves valleys all
around with lowish mountains of IN every di-
rection. With fine buildings decorating all its
sides 1t resGmbed er0lrL After about %
/ years Ahab built on it q house Of ivory. (See
/ i XII, p: 3d. Ben-hadad. King Of Syria, be-
sieged it twice. q XII. 20:I; 2 Hi; 6:2il IL
/ must have been a well-fOrtifed city, for we see
| = HI, II: 81 1t took siege Of three years be-
fore Shalmaneser could capture it. For time
/ after the death Of Alexander the Great Sauna
/ ria was possessed by the Egyptians. AntiOchus
\ captured il froa them. The AsmOneans took
| 1t from the Syrians and utterly ruined it.
/ GabinIus when ProeOnsul Of Syria did some
thing to recover the city to its former inpOr-
lance. He named il Gabiniana. Herod the
Great b. c. II sent TO it colony Of 6.OO0 men
| and made the city once more grand. rich,
influential. distinguished place. lie named il
Sebaste, the Greek work for reverend, divine
august. This was in honor Of Augustus, the
! Emperor Of Rome. The modern name is Sebus.
itch.
Maundrell (p. 81 says: sabaste, the ancient
| Samaria, is situated on a long mount Of ar
oval figure, having first fruitful valley and
then ring Of hills running round about it."
BY the Grown" VS. i, - and by the " heaf
! OF the fat valleys" IVA l, 81 We understand
Samaria-
The crown was formed by the circling hills
Samaria was the head thus garlanded. (SC
Lowth, BOOthrOyd. Rosenmuller, DIR. A. Clarke
Jamieson.)
The traveller Richardson says Of Samaria
cts situation is extremely beautiful, and
strong by nature; more so / think than Jeru
salem. Ii stands on fine, large insulated hill
comprised all round by broad, deep valley
The valley is surrounded by four hills, one OF
each side, which are cultivated in terraces {,
the top, sown with grain, and planted with fiji
and olive trees, as is also the valley. The hill
Of Slmaria likewise rises in terraces TO a high
equal to any Of the adjoining mountains"
recent traveller gives an account showing
the present condition of the old Capital o
Israel:
" Here, upon a nd-topped hill which rise
gradually from the plain, are the ruins Of tht
church of st. John the Baptist, built by tn
Knights Of St. John in the time Of the Cru
sades- In one part Of the ruins is a MahOm
etan mosque, beneath which we were shOwI
the reputed tomb Of John the Baptist and hi
family. Many of tho columns, capitals, an,
arches Of the old church, still stand shown,
fine style Of workmanship. Nearly all ont
side wall. with abutments and windows, is still
erect, and in q remarkably good state OF preser
walton. At the top Of the hill are the ruins o
lierOd's Palace. There yet remain 10 soil,
stone pillars, each about II feet above ground
and from two TO three feet in diameter. Sweep
I ing around the southern base OF the bill from
an old gateway, 200 feet to the old church
is what is known as the Street Of Pillars. with s.
columns like those already mentioned, each
solid shaft rising Is feet from the ground
These run on each side the street. Seattere,
about in various other places on the hill ar
numerous other columns, some standing anC
some broken and PROSTATE. The view from
the hilltop is superb. and the traveller can bu
feel deeply impressed with the thought that b
is standing upon the site Of one Of the mos
magnificent and important Capitals cOnnecte,
with Scripture history"
4. The Writer.
We admire the prophet Isaiah He lived Il
a very corrupt age. His ministry was a con
slant combat. He was equal to the times. II
never compromised Jehovah. We notice how
figurative is hisstyle. 1t is study in rhetoric
God was to him a reality. His ideas of evolu
tiOn did not drive out from creation its Maker
Though writing centuries ago he is proftabI
study for our age.
5. Analysis.
!. Data. Is, % IA.
.. Time. j. c., TBS.
3. Place. Samaria.
4. Writer. Isaiah.
3. Style. Prophecy.
s,,.i.o. CShalmaDeser's Car
tuTe Of Israel.
4. Pride. /.
= CT. 2. Intemperance. /,
. 3. FOrgetfuIness o
God.
1. Woes pronounced