Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1892-03-02
DOWNFALL OF JUDAH.
LESSON x, FIRST QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, MARCH 6.

l. I'm the ninth year Of Zedekiah, king
of Judah, in the tenth month, came Nebu
chadnezzar, king Of Babylon, and all his
army against Jerusalem, and they be-
sieged it." In chapter Iii and in II Kings
XIV we have this same story Of the downfall
and captivity of Judah. When the Holy
Spirit causes he 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 Ia captivity over 100 years, and
for that period, AZ well rs 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
(Hos. ii, lib; Joel /, 81; Amos iii, /, 2,
and the pre- captivity prophets every
where) See also Lev. XVI, 27-35, and con
slider what "a long warning they had, and
how the false prophets taught the people
to laugh at and despise it.
2. SIN the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in
the fourth month, the ninth day of the
month, the city was broken up" During
a 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.
8. Sand 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 cfty-what a 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; xii, 10
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. xxi, 80; Josh.
|, 15), but unbelief 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 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, l-l5.)
8. 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 Zedckiah should be taken, it was
therefore impossible for him to escape.
Perfectly safe even amidst the greatest
dangers are an 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)
Q. "Then king of Babylon slew the
sons of Zedehlah in Riblah before his eyes;
also the kingof Babylon slew all thenobles
of 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 fa-
ther compelled to witness the sufferings of
his children because of sins into which he
led themp Let ungodly parents consider
this ere 1t be too late.
Z Moreover, he put out Iedekiah's eyes
and bound him with chains, to carry him
to Babylon" Thus was Jer. xxi, 4, and
Eek, xii, ID, literally fulfilled, although
at first sight 1t might seem difficult for
them to have n 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 us 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
1t (xxiii, 36).
8 "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 Q.am ii, l, 9, ~ Al
though it was apparently the hand of the
king Of Babylon, 1t 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
enemy's hands because they would not
hear (Neh. tx, 3O).
o. "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 "A reproach and
n taunt and n curse in all places
(Jer. xiv, $40 The sage event may
prove to some a blessing AID to others "A
curse "All things work together for good
to them that love God" (Rom. viii, 2S, 29).
10. but Nabuzar-adan, 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 time when it is blessed to "have
nothing" We are reminded of Heph, ILL.,
10, 81 will also leave in the midstof 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 Je-
aus we are rich for time and eternity, and
ere heirs with Him; and when the unbc-
levers are cast oEt 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; then we will be we'll content
70 wait and suffer with Him this lit
tie while, proving ourselves pilgrims
and strangers here. Like Abraham
we will contentedly sojourn in the land of
promise, owning not foot of it except
perhaps burial place, while we look for
the city which hath foundations, whose
builder and maker is God. Or, like Moses,
having respect unto the recompensc of the
reward, we will esteem the reproach of
Christ greater riches than the treasures in
Egypt (IIeb. x, 0, 10, 20; Acts vii, 81 There
is such n thing as laying up treasure IN
heaven whether we have much or little
here, and there is such n thing as being
rich here and awfully poor in eternity
(NIath. vi, 1c. 90; Luke xii, 20, 81. lEG
writer earnestly desires for all who rebL