The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1893-01-05
The SUNDAY SCHOOL.

suusH .ss ,.,a AZ oEyrn A =. ~ " s y NV
Ttnn.-Tho lesson extends over several
months from October, B. G. $50. to May. bss. and
the summer following.
,or,h ~ named ynde.'
RuLxns.--Cyrus in his f,rst and second years
as sole ruler over Babylonia; zeruobabei was
me governor OF Jndea' and joshua was 'ne nisn
ptee p.oyg,ra -n.,,s, 20. am ,,v,no. . %e,v
cid man CDnn. 10: ~. In babylon. Haeeai and
zachsriah were both living. but did not begin
70 prophesy until severol years mter, osl.
,esson @ s' nerins With VII % ETA les % and extends q @
through chap 4 Daniers prayer (Dan. o.,
"in the third year Of Cyrus" belongs TO this
period, either 70 the time OF laying sne 1oundS
an. 2. d,ns 1 AZ o nassor sna th,,a vsar =,
Cyrus. from his conc uest in sss, or his sssump-
sion Of sole rule in SEA A description OF
Meir manner OF Keeping tne FesHvai OF Iao-
,,a elnaess .,o Is ioa1o o. N ren "sn o'S'''''
PSALMS s7, iOe 1o7, lis lis ana liss according
to oeiste, were composed for this occasion.
BUILDING GODS HoUsE.
The Settlement Of the returned exiles
in Palestine (2:7o). The $4,000 exiles,
after their long hard march from Baby
lon, a journey 500 to 700 miles long. ac-
cording to the route they took, and oc-
oupying at least four months, reached
Jerusalem the last of July. They found
the city in ruins, as it had lain for fifty
years since its complete destruction
by Nebuchadnezzar. The immediate
vicinity seems to have been restored to
them, but on every side the heathen or
the mongrel population had encroached.
The Edomites, says Geilkie, had seized
Hebron and southwestern Judea, and
on the northeast had built a fortified
town ftly named Akrabbim, "the
scorpions or ''seourges." Snmaria,
on the north, was settled by
mixed races. Eastern barbarians min
gled with the peasant Israelites
| (4:o, 10; 3 Kings 17:a4-2s). The first busi-
ness of the returned exiles was OF
course to provide some kind OF dwellings
for themselves and their families. They
accordingly settled in the small cities
surrounding Jerusalem, perhaps repair
ing the houses and walls that had been
ruined by the besieging armies years be-
fore. The territory they controlled
was of course small, and hemmed in on
all sides. The list of towns" says
Geikie, manned by Ezra and Nehemiah
Ezra 2:2S, 2s, "a; Neh. T:25-36) as
the first homes of their brethren. in
eludes only Bethlehem on the south.
while on the north their territory did
not extend beyond the narrow limits OF
| Benjamin"
Good Worship in q Poor Plaee. Regu-
lar worship was instituted ON an altar,
| without any temple, and surrounded BY
desolation and ruins. And it was as a6,-
ceptable as the same worship amid the
| cleaning marble and gold OF Solomon's
temple. Why? Because IT was the best
they had. But il Solomon had lived in
| . palace of cedars, and then left Gods
altars to smoke amid desolation, his
worship would not have been accept.
able. A church or Sunday school can
be very successful in barn, or cave, OF
log hut, if that Is the best place they
can have; but not if men put every
convenience in their homes and use
them in their business, and then leave
their church work to be done amid the
greatest disadvantages.
| The Ftast Of Td6eraaees These jews
at this time could not keep this feas,
with all the outward expressions OF
| joy which belonged TO this festival, but
they could thrill with Joy in remember
ing the past and anticipating the days
to come. And no polnp and glory oi
ceremony could inspire such Joy as
these exi!es felt when first, after many
years, they began anew the religious
festivals of their history in the old &C
customed religious capital of their ma
ton. This was the festival OF JOY. II
was celebrated with waving torches.
with bands of music. with singing od
hymns and songs OF praise. The re
joicing was SO great that the rabbh
used to say that he who had never
been present at the ceremonies by
which this feast was distinguished die
not know what rejoicing meant.
Free'rH offerings. The money pait
out may have come partly from ths
regular taxes, but chiefly from the gift
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