The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1899-08-23
RETURNING FROM CAPTIVITY.
Internstieusi sunday school Le.sor
for August ~. isDe-rest, Sara
Iu-It-Memory Verses 20.

Efear things for US. whereof We are glad
Psa. 1888.
THE SECTION OF history belonging &c
this lesson includes not only the first chap
ter OF Ezra, but the second, through " 81:
also the last chapter OF Chron.: the pre-.
dlction OF the length OF the captivity r.
Jer. N;ii. u; and that coscerning Cyrus IN
lisa. A;26-2S; Sis; such Psalms OF ,he cap.
tivity as 1876, 100 and iSI; and Daniel. Chaps.
g. sand o
DATE.-The FIRST return from exile va,
about II. G. $50
TIME. -The time covered by the book. Of
Ezra and Nehemiah IL a little more than .
century. n. c. $3.50
PLACE.-Rabylon and Jerusalem. The
land OF Israel now begins TO be called Ju.
dea and the people Judeans, shortened to
Jews"
RULERs-Cyrus. king OF the Persian
empire, n. c. 65S-S2e. and OF Babylon (as
sole ruler), 6Ss-bee Darius reigned In Baby.
lon under Cyrus. who was elsewhere. n.
&. 5Ss-bs6. Zerubbabel. a prince OF the royal
line OF David. was governor OF the returned
Jews at Jerusalem. His title was Tirshatha,
the origin OF the Turkish pasta"
EXPLANATORY.
Ezra.-Ezra was n Jewish scribe, n
Levite and descendant of Aaron and oi
that high priest Hilkiah, who found
the Book Of the Law In the temple In
the days of Josiah. He was born about
Is. c. 495.--Rnwlinson. lie lived IN
Babylon during the reign OF Artax-
erxes Longimanus, and. nearly SO
years after the return under Zerub-
babel described In this lesson, brought
to Jerusalem another company of re-
turned exiles Oh. c. ASST.
/. The Prophecy Of Return.-V. !.
That the word OF the Lord by the
mouth of jeremiah might be fulfilled"
(See jeremiah 25:l2; 29:10). The first
captivity was by NebuchadneHzar, Il. &.
COS, when Daniel and his frineds were
carried captive dan. l:i-6). Seventy
years from this brings us 90 II. {. $50,
the time OF the return described in this
lesson.
III. King Cyrus and the Decree 10 Re-
turn.-Ns. Ia. vi. "In the first year
Of Cyrus:" as king Of Babylon, which
he captured b. &. 53s. The Lord
stirred up the spirit of Cyrus:" How?
az Directly by His Holy Spirit, as in
many other cases. (2) Assuming that
the narrative statements in the book
Of Daniel are history, Daniel was still
alive in the first and third years Of
Cyrus dan. 1:2l; lO:D, and was espe-
cially interested in the fact that the
20 years Of Jeremiah were coming to
an end (Dan. 9:2 sqq). IL Is impossi-
BILE TO avoid the conclusion that Dam
iel must have been the leading spirit in
bringing about the return from the ex-
lie. And, really. the account given In
Ezra needs TO be complemented by just
facts as the book of Daniel gives u.s.
Prof. Willis +. Beecher. MADE a proc
lamation:" This was an official docu-
ment, as we see by chapter 6. where the
decree is given more fully than here.
PUTT also in writing:" Topreserye Il
on the records, that no mistake or rever-
sal the decree might occur. W The
Lord (Jehovah) God Of Heaven" "The
word Jehovah WINS probably the He
brew translation of 'Ormuzd.' the Per-
sian Supreme Being, the much-know-
Ing or Notwithstanding Spirit which
did, in fact, approach nearly to the
Jewish conception of Jehovah" "He
hath charged me:" He accepted the
prophecies as a charge from the God
of the Jews. V. 3. "Who 10 there
among you?" The return was to be a
volunteer movement. v. 4. Whose
ever remaineth:" In the land of exile.
Many remained for various reasons.
let the men of his place." His heath
en- neighbors. Help him" to raise the
needed funds.
IlI.-Preparations for the Return
vs.. Sill. V. 5. 'Then rose up the chief
of the fathers:" The return described
in to-day's lesson was under Zerub-
babel, a prince of the royal line OF David.
called the Tirshatha. or Pasha (2:63).
and under Joshua, the hereditary high
priest (3;s). These were among the
"chief OF the fathers and the
priests" V. 6. "And all they that were
about them:" Their heather neighbors
and friends, as was done in Egypt at
the time Of the exodus. precious
things:" Their personal property must
have amounted to considerable. for on
their arrival at Jerusalem they con-
tributed $4,000 in gold and silver for
the rebuilding of the temple. V. Z.
Cyrus the king brought forth the yes
sells OF the house of the Lord" Nebu-
chadnezzar little thought that he was
unconsciously preserving the sacred
vessels of Israel in safe and inviolable
stronghold, till the day when Jehovah
would bring about the restoration 10
his people. V. 5. by the hand OF
Mithredath: "(given by. or dedicated to
Mithra, the sun-god). lie had these
treasures in his charge. "Sheshbazzar"
(hre-worshipeT) The Persian name of
Zerubbabel (''Born in Babylon"). V.
IL. "All the vessels were five
thousand and four hundred" This Is
more than double the sum Of the pre-
ceding 400. II is probable
that only the larger or more costly yes
sells were numbered in detail.
Iv.-The Return.-The numbers are
given in 2:64, 65 as about $4,000, Of
whom 1880 we're householders, and
1887 were servants. Among them was
a company Of 200 singers (2;65, 70). IF
we may trust later traditions, the set
sing out Of the Captivity for Palestine
was joyous In the extreme. (Read Pisa.
1891