The daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Ind. Ter. [Okla.]) 1898-1902, 1898-12-17

copyright, 1898 by d. M. stearns.l
/. "zedekiah was ono and twenty years
old when he began to reign, and he rcigned
II years in Jerusalem. After the death
of Josiah, the good king, three of his sons
and one grandson succeeded him, reigning
altogether 22 years -Jehoahaz or Shallum,
three months; Eliakim, or Jehoiakim, II
years; Coniah, or Jeconiah, or Jehoiachin,
three months, and zedekiah II years. The
first two and the last were sons Of Josiah,
the third was, his grandson and was 81
years captive in Babylon (Jer lii, 81.
The story Of the final captivity Of Judah,
the topic Of this lesson, is found in three
other places (Jer. xxx, II Kings XIV, II
Chron. xxxvi) and must therefore be some
thing to be prayerfully pondered by us.
2. He did that which was evil in the
eyes of the Lord, according to all that Je-
hoiakim had done" What a brief but
comprehensive summary of a mans life
"evil in the eyes of the Lord, +" and how 1t
confirms the statement that ''the carnal
mind is enmity against Godl' (Rom viii,
~ The eyes of the Lord are running to
and fro throughout the whole earth and
wherever there is heart trusting in Him
He will show himself strong on behalf of
such (II Chron. xvi, o. The devil is also
going to and fro in the earth seeking to
destroy man and turn him from God
8. HE cast them out from His pres
ence." Thus the Lord did to Jerusalem
and Judah because Of their sins, for they
Knocked tho messengers of God and de-
spised His words and misused His proph-
cts, until the wrath of the Lord arose
against His .,eople, till there was no rem
edy I'll Chron. xxxvi, l6). He earnestly
protested unto them, rising early and pro-
testing, but they obeyed not nor inclined
their ear and continued walking in the
Imagination Of their evil hearts (Jer. XII,
2, 81 1t is impossible to go where God
cannot sec us, but it is possible to lose the
sense of His presence, as when Cain went
OUT from the presence OF the Lord FPS.
cxzxix, Ia; Gen. iv, 16). The presence Of
the Lord il the assurance Of all sure guild
ancc and blessing (Ex. xxxiii, IL; xiii,
2O)
A, s. 80 the city was besieged unto the
eleventh year of King Zedekiah The
Lord had said through jeremiah that the
king Of Babylon would take the city ard
destroy it, and for this testimony the
prophet was put in prison (Jer xxxiv. 2;
xxi, 81, but shutting up a messenger Of
the Lord or stopping his mouth or even
killing him or burning up his message
will not prevent the purpose Of the Lord
from being fulfilled. All Scripture shall
surely and literally be fulfilled, and even
the enemies Of God can only fuliill His
pleasure, for He makcth even the wrath
of man to praise Him, and the remainder
doth He restrain The king OF Babylon
was unconsri0usly Gods instrument in
Christening His people of Judah and Jeru-
salem. Even Herod and Pontius Pilate
and the geYitiles and Israel when they
combined against Christ were only bring
ing to pass what God foresaw would be
(Acts iv, 81, 2s).
g. THE famine was sore in the city, so
that there was no bread for the people of
the land" The study OF the famines Of
Scripture, with their reasons and results
as far as we can judge of the same, is q
most profitable study, for example, the
famine Of Gen. xii and its results to Abra-
ham, the famine in Bethlehem and its
effect upon Elinelech and Naomi as re-
corded in Ruth In Eek. xiv, 2l, famine
Is called one Of God four sore judgments,
but In Amos viii, IL, we read of the worst
kind Of famine, even a famine of hearing
the words of the Lord
Z. IAN the men Of war fed and went
forth out Of the city by night In chap
ter xxx, /. we read that Zedekiah went
with them. Ezekiel was at this time a
captive in Babylon, but God showed him
and he by an object lesson showed the peo-
pie just what was going ON in Jerusalem
at this time. so-that even without tele-
phone or telegraph tho Jews ct Babylon
knew Of events at Jerusalem the very day
theyahappened tEzek. xii, etc. God has
permitted man to bring to pass most won
derful things in these days in which we
live, but never in any nation has been
seen or heard such wonderful things as
God has done and will yet do in and for
Israel, His chosen people.
s. Tho army of the Chaldeans pursued
after the king and overlook Zedekiah in
the plains Of Jericho " When Jonah would |
flee from the presence of the Lord, al
though he got OF to sea and possibly fan
cied he was really on his way to Tarshish,
the Lord wanted him at Nineveh and so
sent two detectives after him, a storm to |
stop the vessel and a fish specially pre- |
pared to bring him ashore. The king |
Zedekiah may have thought himself safely |
away from the king Of Babylon and pos
sibly have ridiculed the words Of Jere-
miiah but II SO it only proved that he did
not know the Lord nor that every purpose
Of the Lord must be performed.
Q. "Then they took the king and car
ried him up unto the king Of Babylon to
Riblah, in the land of Klamath, where he
gave Judgment upon him." Thus 1t came
to pass rs 1t had been foretold, but the
most pitiful thing about 1t all, as it seems
to me, was that one who should have been