The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1892-03-02
SABBATH SCHOOL.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON FOR
MARCH g.
Lesson Text: "The Downfall of Ju-
dab" Jeremiah xxx, 1-10-
Golden Text: Matthew xiii.
50 - Commentary.

same sCOry Oh tne DOWNFALL anu CapIlVlIy OL
Judah. When the Holy Spirit causes the
same record to be written three different
times He certainly asks our special atten-
ton to it, and must have some great
reason for doing so. The ten tribes had
been in captivity over 100 years, and for
that perio", 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 tHos.
H., Ills; Joel j., So; Amos ILL.,, :. 2, and
also Lev. xvi, 27-35, and consider what a
long warning they had, and how the false
prophets taught the people to laugh at and
desp1se it.
Q. ''In the eleventh year of Zekiah, in the
fourth month, the ninth day Of the month,
fhe city was broken up" During a part Of
three years, or an actual period OF eighteen
months, including the short interval OF last
then the city fell, as God had said. He may
lovingly and patiently show His long suffer-
ing, but His Spirit will not always strive.
8. '!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 contrast to the blessing Of Judah,
Thine hand shall be in the neck OF thine
enemies" and the promise to Abraham,
''Thy seed shall possess the gate Of his ene-
mies' (Gen. Xix, 8; xii, ~. 1t was
promised to Israel that one should chase a
thousand, and two put ten thousand to
flight, and that no man should stand before
them (Deut: xxxii., 80; Josh. l.. 15l, but un-
belief and turning away from God brings
all this trouble upon them.
4. when Zedekiah, the king of Judah, saw
them and all the men of war, then they fed.
and went forth out Of the city by night"
Ali 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.I
S. "But the Chaldeans' army pursued
after them, and overlook Zedekiah in the
plains OF Jericho and brought him to Neb-
uchadnezzarn It being the purpose Of God
that Zedekiah should bs taken, it was there
fore impossible for him to escape. Perfectly
safe sven amidst the greatest dangers are
all whom God promises to protect, but there
Is no hiding place andn safety for any VINO
rebel against Him. They may be sure that
their sin will find them out. Mum. xxxii.,
23)
G.. ssThen the king of Babylon slew the
sons Of Zedekiah in Riblah before his eyes;
also the king Of Babylon slew all the mobiles
81 Judah" If 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 father
compelledto witness the suferings OF his
children because of sins into which he led
ere it be too late. -.
z. Moreover, he put out Zedekiah's eyes
and bound him with chains, to carry him to
Babylon." Thus was Jer. xxi, 4, and
Eek. Iii, Is, literally fulfilled, although at
first sight it might seem difficult for them to
have literal fulhllment. Zedekiah went TO
Babylon. he saw the king Of Babylon, but he
never saw Babylon. It is always perfectly
safe to take God at His word, and take Him
to mean lust what BE says. As soor as we
begin to give His word some other meaning
than that conveyed by the plain grammatl..
cal sense of the words, we are in danger OF
perverting it txxili., 38.
8. "And the Chaldeans burned the kings
house, and the houses Of the people, with hre.
and brake down the walls Of Jerusalem"
Thus the Lord swallowed up the habltanons
of Jacob, and cast down the beauty OF Israel;
thus he did what BE had devised, and ful.
filed His word commanded in the days OF
old Liam. H., L 2, ~. Although 1t was ap-
narently the hand OF the king of Babylon,
It was really the hand Of the Lord upon His
rebelIious people. Nehemiah, speaking OF
the testimony Of the Spirit OF God in the
prophets against Israel, says that God gave
them into the enemy's hands because they
would not hear (Neh. *, S0.
9. ''Then Nebuzar adam, the captain OF
the guard, carried away captive into Bah.
ylon the remnant Of the people" Some naa
been taken to Babylon for their good, sucn
as Daniel, Ezekiel and others, but these tor
their hurt, to be reproach and provero,
5-1N. The same event may prove to some
blessing and to others curse. "Al things
work together for good to them that love
God" Rom. viii, %, 2y.
10. "But Nabuzar-adan, the captain OF
the guard, left of the poor OF the E,sople,
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." It is evident. then, that there
nothing" We are reminded OF Zeph. ILL.,,
u, 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 ye poor, for yours
Is the kingdom Of God" Though we may
not have this worlds goods, if we have Jesus
we are rich for time and eternity, and are
heirs with Him, and when the unbellevers
are cast out We shall inherit all. Even the
captain of the guard l''chief executioner'-
see margin), cruel to many, can only bring
us blessing May Jesus be all to us: then we
will be we'll content to wait and suffer with
Him this little while, proving ourselves pill
grims and strangers here. Like Abraham
we will contentedly sojourn in the land OF
promise, owning not q foot OF it except per-
haps burial place. while we look for the
city which hath foundations whose builder
and maker is God. Or, like Moses, having
respect unto the recomI snse Of the reward,
we will esteem the reproach Of Christ great
.,4ho fha fraa in,
Il, 9, 10, 90; Acts vii, 81. There is such
thing as laying up treasure in heaven whether
we have much or little here, and there IS such
thing as being rich here and awfuuy poor IN
eternity (Math. vi, 19, 20; Luke XIII, 20,
2D. The writer earnestly desires for all
who read these notes that the spirit and pur-
pose of Jeremiah and OF Paul may be in
them; or, better still, the spirit Of Christ
Himself, for that is the fullest measure, that
God may be glorifed.-Lesson Helper.
THE recent decision Of the Supreme
Court in Michigan in respect to the
grounds on which a will can be prop.
erly contested ought to aid the New
York courts materially in determining
a knotty case which has come before
them. The will in the case is con-
tested on the ground that the testator
was in the habit of making execrable
puns, especially on. the names OF
friends and acquaintances. Under
the spirit of the Michigan decision
this habit is not conclusive proof that
the capacity to make will is want
Ing; and we believe the New York
courts will so hold. The relatives OF