The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1899-08-24
RETURNING FROM CAPTIVITY.
international sunday school Lesson
for August ~, 1s00-Text, Esra
1,1-11-MemOry Verses "a.

Especially Arranged from Peloubet's Notes.1
GOLDEN TExT-The Lord hath done
great things for us. whereof we are glad
Psa. 1858
READ Ezra 2:64-70
THE SECTION Of history belonging to
this lesson includes rot only the first chap
fer of Ezra, but the second, through v. 81;
also the last chapter Of Chron.; the pre-
diction Of the length OF the captivity IN
Jer. 26:11, 12; and that concerning cyrus IN
Isa. A:26-2S; 45:1-5; such Psalms of the cap
tivity as 1925. 1870 and 1877; and Daniel. Chaps.
s, and9
DATE.-The first return from exile was
about B. c. 536.
TIME.-The time covered blythe books Of
Ezra and Nehemiah is little more than
century, B. c. 536-432
PLACE-Babylon 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, B. G. 55S-5c3. and OF Babylon (as
sole ruier), 5S6- -5S9. Darius reigned In Baby
Ion under Cyrus, who was elsewhere, B.
C. 53s-536 Zerubbabel, prince Of the royal
line of David, was governor Of the returned
Jews at Jerusalem. His title was Tirshatha,
the origin Of the Turkish ''pasha.
EXPLANATORY.
Ezra.-Ezra was Jewish scribe,
Levite and descendant of Aaron and of
that high priest Hilkiah, who found
the Book of the Law in the temple in
the days of Josiah. He was born about
b. C. 495.-Rawlinson. He lived in
Babylon during the reign of Artax-
erxes Longimanus. and, nearly s0
years after the return under Zerub-
babel described in this lesson, brought
to Jerusalem another company OF re-
turned exiles (B. G. 45s).
l. The Prophecy of Return.-V. l..
THAT the word of the Lord by the
mouth of jeremiah might be fulfilled
tSee Jeremiah 25:12; 20:l0.). The first
captivity was by Nebuchadnczzar. b. c.
COS. when Daniel and his fiineds were
carried captive dan. 1:1-6). Seventy
years from this brings us to B. Z. 536,
The time Of the return described in this
lesson.
H. King Cyrus and the Decree to Re-
turn.-Vs. IA. vi. "In the first year
Of Cyrus:" as king of Babylon, which
he captured Il. G. 53s. "rhe Lord
stirred up the spirit of Cyrus:" How?
a. Directly by His Holy Spirit, as in
the narrative statements in the book
of Daniel are hist tory, Daniel was still
alive in the first and third years of
Cyrus Dan. 1:21; 10:D. and was espe-
cially interested in the fact that the
10 years of Jeremiah were coming to
an end (Dan. 9:2 spu.). 1t is impossi-
BILE to avoid the conclusion that DAN
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 F. Beecher. made proc
lamation:" This was an official docu-
ment, as we see by chapter 6, where the
decree is given more fully than here.
"Putitalso in writing:" Topreserve it
IN the records, that no mistake or rever-
salof the decree might occur. V. 2 1.-The
Lord (Jehovah) God of Heaven" ''The
word. Jehovah was probably the He
brew translation of 'Ormuzd,' the Per-
sian Supreme Being, the much-know-
ing or much-bestowing Spirit which
did, in fact, approach nearly to the
Jewish conception of Jehovah" 'He
hath charged me:" He accepted the
prophecies rs q charge from the God
of the Jews. V. 3. "Who is there
among you?" The return was to be
volunteer movement. v. 4. "Whoso-
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.
III.-Preparations for the Return
VS.. 6-11. VS.. "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 100000 in gold and silver for
the rebuilding of the temple. v. z.
Cyrus the king brought forth the ves-
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 to
his people. v. 8. "By the hand of
Mithredath:" (given by, or dedicated to
Mithra, the sun-god). He had these
treasures in his charge. "Sheshbazzar"
| (fire-worshiper). The Persian name of
Zerubbabel ("Born in Babylon"). v.
II. "All the vessels were five
thousand and four hundred" This is
more than double the sum Of the pre-
ceding numbers-2,499. 1t 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 42,36o were householders, and