The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1892-03-17
SUNDAY MEDITATION.

4 International Sunday-SchOOl Lesson Ap-
pointed for March 81, 1892. Isa., 40:
I Ito.
Zone reading these notes should first carefully
| study the paragraph from the Holy scriptures as
| indicated abore.l
| SUBJEcT: ESCAPE FROM BABYLoN-A Pic.
TURE OF THE MISSION OF ST. JOHN BAP-
list.
| ]. Data.
We have only one account. 1t, however,
| serves several purposes. In not only prophet
ically anticipates The history of the Kingdom OF
Judah escaping from Babylon and regaining
Judea. but it also predicts the work OF st. John
! Baptist as the foreruuner Of Christ
Chapters from / to 10 of the book of the
! prophet Isaiah relate to Jews and Ephralmites
! Is to "a give prophecies as to the destinies oil
Babylonians Egyptians. Moabites, Philistines.
Syrians. and Tyrians; % to Sc denounce DISC
bedient Jews and console the faithfnl; So to ~,
J inclusive. are scrap of history of the times OF
the prophet; 40 to 80 tell of the escape of Jews
from Babylon and of the coming of Christ; AZ
to sc foretell the passion. crucifxioD, and glory
i of Jesus. Our lesson begins part ~ of the
| above plan, which is practically that by Wit
ringa. There is no portion of the Old Tesla
| ment in which Christians feel greater interest
| than in the last 26 chapters of Isaiah's proph-
eey.
g. Time.
! We date B. c. 7Ie, or A. NJ 3292 1t was prob.
| ably toward the close of the reign of Heck ah.
| 1t was 124 years before the captivity of judah
began, or 1874 years before the captivity closed.
g. Where.
The Prophet Isaiah uttered these words in
! Jerusalem By the eye of prophetic inspiration
he foresaw the sins of the people, the dissolu-
tion OF their government, the destruction OF
| Jerusalem the capture of all the principal men
aud women and their carrying off to Babylon,
their unhappiDess in bondage, their release,
, and their return to Judea. OF course no human
wisdom enabled him thus to anticipate history.
His prophecy was not warning preventing
the people from their sins and saving them from
| punishment. 1t must however, have been q
| great comfort ". IL to them during their cap
tivity.
The Prophet was son of Amos. He prophe-
sled during the reigns of UZziah, lothian, Ahaz,
| Hezekiah, and into the reign Of Mauasseh.
| He WIS probably born b. G. 7S9. He began the
| Prophets Office at about 20 years of age, and
continued till about So years old. Not unlikely
he was born at Jerusalem He married and had
| two sons. 1t is said he was sawn asunder by
| command of Manasseh on account of his fidel-
| ity as Prophet of God. One Book of the Bible
| bears his name
s. Notes.
| /. Verses one and two are an introduction to
all the chapters to the end of the book Of
| Isaiah.
2. Verses three to eight, inclusive. picture
the return of the Jews from Babylon as sort
of royal retinue, preceded by heraids, after the
| Eastern custom of harbingers going before the
King and preparing the way for the regal
| train.
3. Double" ". p Some understand this
| OF punishment, others of reward. Those who
take either view understand double to mean
enough Or abundant. The Jews mad been amply
| punished and could be pardoned or they were
to have blessings SO great as to blot out all
| memory of their former suferngs. Kimchi,
Grotius. Rosennlnller. Barnes take the first
view; DIR. A. Clarke, the second. Kimchi says,
| Double here means the two eaptivities and
emigrations suffered by the Israelites The
first. the Babylonish captivity; the second,
| that which they now endure"
| 4. The lesson is case of what is known as
mystical alIegory or double sense--a prpph-
ecy covering both the escape from captivity at
| Babylon and also the release from our sins
| through Christ
s. Explanation.
The whole point lies in the ancient custom
| of beraidry. Whenever king or prince was
about to set out visitation to his realms
messengers We're sent In I'D vance to remove all
| obstacles that might be found, to repair the
| roads, to find out make the shortest ways
| to prepare the people for his coming. and in
every other wise that they could to aid the COM
fort OF the coming parsonage and to add to the
| spiendor of his nd vent Rulers were accustomed
| to go into the different sections of their terri
tory Tor redressing wrongs and comforting
fsvors. They always sent in advance one or
more messengers. These were styled forum
ners. heralds, harbiDgcrs, ENJOYS messengers
| pioneers, pursuiyants. 1t is wonderful what
pains was sometimes taken to prepare the way
| fnpr 10 lla =
up. preclpices digged through, bridges con-
structed, canseways over bolows built, forests
cleared. Everything was done to secure the
shortest, smoothest, safest road. 800
When the lesson opens up in the prophecy of
Isaiah the lsraeltes were in captivity at Baby.
Ion. long distance. 500 miles, of unfrs.
quented, uninhabited territory Law between
them and the land of Canaan. it was a wilder
ness of hills aud valleys. To 20 in a direct line
| from babylon to Palestine they would be
obliged to pass over the Arabian Desert. The
time OF their captivity is about ended. God is
| On the point OF leading them back to the Prom
| Used Land.
Now. just as when king is about to set out
on journey proclamation is announced Or
dering the heralds to go on in advance and get
everything In readiness, SO the prophet Isaiah
amdgtneS royal proclamation issued directing
| agents or harblngers to precede the Israeites
over the vast wilderness between BABYLON and
Judea TO prepare the way for the coming hosts
OF Jacobs race, to remove all obstacles to their
rapid and sale transit. The Prophet Isaiah
heard, The voice of him that crieth in the
| wilderness, prepare ye the way of tbs Lord
make straight in the desert highway
for our God. Every valley shall be exalted and
every mountain and hill shall be made low:
and the crooked shall be made straight and the
rough places plain" Tvs. 3, a. This figure was
very common one. Whenever any great wort,
| is about to be accomplished which requires Ger.
tain preiminaries, the same cry is appropriate:
Prepare the way" Make smooth road for
the oncoming enterprise. If hills of obstacles
rise. down with them; If valleys intervene fill
| up the spaces. Level the highway, smooth the
rough places-that is to say, out of the way with
everything which wouldsprevent the work from
gliding on without friction.
So we are not surprised when we take I'D the
Gospels narrating the particulars az to the adj
vent of Christ, that we find this proclamation
Prepare ye the way of the Lord: make His
paths straight" (St. Mat, 3:3; St. John. l:23.
Indeed, the account teaches us that az Isaiah
with prophetic eye, looked forward into the
history of the future Church, he saw not onIy
the Israeiites to be released from bondage in
Babylon, but the Jews to be visited by the
Messiah. So intimate were the two events in
his mind that in single prophecy he Crashed
both, foretold both.
Thus came St John Baptist, the noble bold
| heralder of Christ. He found the ] ewish
4 Church wildernacs horra, md