Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1892-03-03
DOWNFALL OF JUDAH.
LESSON X, FIRST QUARTER, INTER.
NATIONAL SERIES, MARCH 6.

Text of the Lesson, Jer xxx, 1-1O-Mem-
DRY Verses, 8-s-Goiden Text, Math.
kill. 3s--Commentary by the Rev. ID.
NJ. stearn.
1. "In 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 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
UIos. ii, lib; Joel i, 81; Amos III. l, 2,
and the pre-captivity prophets every
where) See also Lev. XVI, 21-35, and con-
slider what a long warning they had, and
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, 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. XXXii, 30; Josh.
i, 10, but unbelief and turning away from
God brinG, 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" 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 Lisp
.. "But the Chaldeans' army pursued
after them, aud overlook Zedekiah in the
plains of Jericho and brought him to Neb-
uchadnezzar." 1t being the purpose of
God that Xedehiah 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. xXxii, 23)
g. "Then the king of Babylon slew the
sons OF Icdekiah in Riblah before his eyes
also the king of Babylon slew all The mobiles
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 he feelings of a IA
Their compelled to witness the sufferngs OF
his children because Of sins into which he
led them? Let ungolly parents consider
this ere it he too late.
T. moreover, he put out Zedekiah's eyes
and bound him with chains, to carry him
to Babylon" Thus was Jer. xxi, 4, and
Eek. xii, 10, literally fulfilled, although
at first sight it might seem difficult fol
them to have a literal fuldlIment. Zede
Kan Went 10 Bayou ne saw uhe King o.
Babylon, but he never saw BABYLON IL Is
always perfectly SAFE TO take uod at lit
word' ana take linn 10 mean just what ne
says. AS soon as we oeSlh 10 give lie
word some other meaning IMAM tnaI con
veyed by the PLAIN grammatical sense
the words, we are In danger oil perVertlns
it (XXiii 36).
s And the Chaldeans burned the KING!
house, and the houses OF the people, witt
lire, and brake down the walls or Jerusa
lem" Ihus the Lord swallowed up TN
habitatlons OF Jacob, and cast down TN
= beauty OF Israel; thus lie old what lie max
devised, ana iulhl!ed his Word commando
in the days OF ola Lam. H. |, . ~ Al
though 1t was apparently the mana OF In
king OF Babylon, 1t was really the hand o
the Lord upon his rebelllous people, Meme
mIah, speaking OF the testimony OF Tn
/, | spirit OF Ood III the prophets aSalhs
, Israel, says mat uou gave Ihehi lu'o u
enemys hahus because tAey "ou4u 10
hear (Neh' TX, 3O)'
9. Then Nebuzar-adan, the captain o
the guard, carried away captive into Bal