The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1898-12-09
AN ATTEMPT THAT FAILED.
Sunday school Lesson for December
Ii, 1S9s-Tryfng to Destroy Gods
Word jeremiah S6s2O-32.

W0f0 Jeremiah 81 tSO-S&s
BIASED upon Peloubet's Select Notes1
GOLDEN TExT.-The word OF our God
shall stand forever.-Isa. 40:8.
LESSON NOTES.
I. The Prophet Jeremiah and His
Work.-Our section to-day is brief, but
Is part of an important era. 1t gives
us an insight into the inner life
of the kings and prophets. We may
well study here something of the life
and character of Jeremiah, the great
prophet of these troublous times. az
His name means exalted of the Lord"
(2) His father was Hilkiah GID, prob
ably the high priest who found the
the book of the law for Josiah G. Kings
1878, etc.). (3) His birth was at An
athoth, priestly city close by Jeru-
salem, on the north. He was born prob
ably about b. C. CAT, the same year as
King Josiah; for he began to prophesy,
young man, in the thirteenth year of
Josiah, 627 (1:6), and Josiah was 81
years old at that time. a. His office
was that of both priest and prophet.
% He never married. (6) His pub
lie life continued from the thirteenth
year of Josiah (B. c. 627) till some time
after the destruction of Jerusalem (B.
c. 1867, or more than forty years. (7)
His character. jeremiah was naturally
of shy and timid disposition, shrink
ing from public life, sensitive to most
painful degree, and Responding. The
great work he had to do was contrary
TO his natural disposition, but it was
done better on this very account. AT
the same time, as often occurs, he was
the bravest Of the brave. Timid in re-
solve, he was unfinching in execution;
fearless when he had TO face the whole
world. He stood almost alone.
II. The Circumstances of the Early
Part of Jehoial1im's Reign.-(D The
Egyptians under Pharaoh Necho
marched through Palestine up to the
Euphrates to attack and conquer As
syria, B. C. 609-s. (2) Josiah joined the
Assyrians, and attacked the Egyptians.
He was defeated and slain, and the
Egyptians tried to make themselves
masters Of Syria and Palestine. 90 His
third son Jehoahaz was made king, but
Pharaoh Necho took him prisoner,
after three months reign, and carried
him away captive In chains. "a Jehoi-
AKIN, an older brother, was made king.
(5) He neglected the people, and built
a magnificent palace (Jer. 22:15-15) to
hold his mere shadow of royalty"
among poor and oppressed people.
(6) Nineveh, the capital of Assyria, was
conquered and destroyed in 606-5 by
"the brave and brilliant Nebuchadnez-
gar of Babylon" ~ Then Egypt was
defeated by the Babylonians and driven
home. (s) "Then, in the fourth year
Of Jehoiakim, (605-4), the young Baby
lonian conqueror swept down upon
Syria and Palestine. Jehoiakim was
thrown into letters, to be carried to
Babylon, but Nebuchadnezzar restored
him to his throne as his vassal. He
carried away with him some captives,
among whom were Daniel, Hananiah,
Azariah and Mishael, destined there
after for such memorable fortunes
(Dan. 1:6) This was the small begin
ming of the Great Captivity.
III. Jeremiah's Prophecies Read
Before the People.-One December
day in the court of the temple Ger.
s6:1-15). jeremiah had been prophecy
ing for 20 years, at various times,
in many ways, persuading the people
to repent and return to God. But his
efforts had failed of accomplishing
their purpose. Now, as last resort,
he Is commanded by God to write out
the substance of all these addresses in
one roll or book, in order that tho
whole mass concentrated in one
mighty blow upon the conscience of
king and people might move them to
return and be forgiven. Jeremiah
himself could not read the book, be-
cause he was shut up" not impris-
oned ". 1917, but "restrained;" prob
ably forbidden by the king to preach
in public to the people, so that he
would have been arrested had he made
the attempt. Baruch therefore took
the roll, and from balcony over the
gate read 1t to the vast assembled null
titudes.
~. Jeremfah's Book Destroyed by
the King.-vs. 2O-26. 81. 80 the king
sent Jehudi to fetch the rolls" So
that he might have possession Of it,
and might learn the contents from the
roll itself, and not through second
hand reports.
20. when Jehudi had read threesor
four leaves:" Rather columns of the
writing across the roll. "He:" the
king, apparently in anger snatching
the roll from Jehudi, "cut 1t with the
penknife," used for sharpening the
reeds used as pens, and which hung at
the scribe's girdle, land cast it into
the fire."
20. "The king commanded
to take Jeremiah the proph-
ct; but the Lord hid them" We do
not know how, but he is not heard of
fer several years.