The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1904-12-07
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS
FOR DECEMBER IT,.

Subject: Captivity OF the Ten Tribes, II
Kings xvii, 6-1S-Golden Text, I Peter
ill.,, 12-Memory Verses, II, 15-Com-
mentary on the Days Lesson.
I. Israel carried away captive ". O.. @.
ninth year of Hoshea." Hoshea was
merely a vassal OF Assyria and paid tribute
to Shalmaneser ". 81, but seeing what APP
peared to be a. favorable opportunity he
made a bold dash for liberty. He formed
an alliance against the Assyrians with So,
the Pharaoh of Egypt, and refused longer
to pay the tribute. This brought Shall
maneser and the Assyrian army upon them
and for three years they besieged Samaria
". s.. The length of the siege shows the
inferred from lisa. 2S:l-4; Hosea l0:l4;
1875; Amos 6:9-l4. Took Samaria." The
end at last came, and the city was obliged
to capitulate. From the Assyrian inscrip-
tions it appears that during the siege Shall.
maneser was succeeded by Sargon, one Of
his generals, and that it was Sargon who
finally took Samaria. Carried Israel
away" What became Of the Israelites?
Many thousands were carried away. into
the northern districts of Assyria, while the
poorer ones who remained were mingled
with foreigners deported there by the AS
syrians and became the Samaritans. Those
carried away TO !Assyria never returned as
tribes. Doubtless many would lose their
nationality by intermarriage with the
heather; while the more sturdy and relig-
ious ones probably joined with those who
returned with the Jews to Jerusalem un-
der Ezra and Nehemiah. "Halah," etc.
See dictionary.
II. The cause Of Israel's downfall Tvs.
T. Skinned" Here was tine secret of
their downfall. They forgot God and His
mercy toward them and walked in the
en- deities. 8. "Did secretly" They were
hypocritical. Literally. they concealed Je-
hovah so that He could not be recognized.
They worshiped God in the ways of their
own invention and made Him like idols.
'The tower" Erected on lonely spots to
guard vineyards and hocks. The meaning
is that idolatry was general:
10. Images and groves" "Pillars and
Asherim." r. V. The pillar or obelisk
was placed by the altar as a symbol of the
god worshiped at the altar. Asherim or
Ashcroft is the plural form of the proper
name of the heathen goddess of the lido
Ashtoreth. Asherah was the female and
Baal was the male divinity. "High hill"
etc. On every eminence there were i'm
ages of heather gods, and under the trees
booths were built for the purpose of en-.
gaging in abominable practices in honor of
these deities. II. Gas did the heathen,"'
etc. They were doing the very things that
caused the Lord to destroy heather nations
before them. "Anger." Gods anger is
His indignation against sin. y. Idols,
Literally, 'filths," a term of contempt.
"Shall not" The prohibition is in the
commandments and elsewhere (Exod. 900.
TIT H1lt. 4Gort, - NV Tcrool Iu l2l
l3. Testified against Israel" Israel had
been warned with tremendous emphasis
by Amos and Hosea. Repentance, on the
one hand, and destruction by Assyria, on
the other, had been set before them in the
name of Jehovah as the only possible
courses. "Prophets-seers." Though both
of these names are used Tor prophet they
have a distinct designation; perhaps some
thing like ordained and lay preachers in
modern days. Seer was the older and ap.
parently less digniied name. Turn ye."
Compare Jer. 7:3; 1911. But all the pro:
phets from Samuel to Malachi delivered
the same message.
". Israel rebelllous and wicked Tvs.
1873.
IA. Hardened their nccks." Deliber-
ately chose their way of wickecness in the
face of all light. warning and entreaty.
This is a metaphor derived from those
oxen who, in spite of all efforts to guide
them, hold their necks set in the way they
determine to go. 1t expresses unbendlng
obstinacy and self.will." Sec Exod. 1914,
B.; 2 Chron. 1918; lisa. 4S:4. Ibid not be-
lieve." This laid the foundation of all their
sins. They did not believe Gods prophets,
but hardened to deceivers. To reject
God through unbelief is one of the worst
sins of which mention is made in the Bible.
The unbeliever will be destroyed (Rev.
Is. Covenant" The whole body of the
Mosaic law (Exod. 1874; 24:4,s). They
agreed to keep this law, and God promised
to bless them on that condition (Deut. %:
|. 9. l3). Testimonials" His law is the
testimony for truth and against iniquity.
Followed vanity" Literally, breath or
'vapor'-a familiar image for nonentity."
See Jer. 2:5; S:l9; l4:22. Became vain"
As idols are vanity" and "nothingness,"
so idolaters are vain and impotent.
Their energies wasted, their time mis-.
spent; they have missed the real object of
existence, and the result is utter power
Is. .'They left" "Forsook." R. V.
The sin of the calves is connected with the
casting away of all the divine law. As soon
as any other object is set up instead of God
all He values has persisted from mans wor.
ship from. GIG. "Worshiped-host of
heaven" The Assyrian astral worship.
Prohibited (Deut. Ale; 1873. That Gods
people did fall into this sin we know (Jer.
So; 1918; Zeph. l:5).
II. Through the fire." Desperately
cruel and wicked they stood before the
great man-headed OK, and amidst the cries
and shrieks of their babes, cast them into
his outstretched arms, to be carried thence
into the flames raging inside. Moses
warned against this abomination LEV. Is:
81; Deut. 1910. sold themselves to do
evil" Surrendered themselves into COM
plete slavery to idolatrous practices:
IS. Removed them" That is, the Lord
removed Israel out of the Holy Land where
Jehovah had His dwelling place. None
left bus-Judah." "All OF Benjamin and
Levi and all the Israelites who abandoned
their idolatries joined with Judah. The
ten tribes were carried away by the Assy-
rians. This ended the kingdom of Israel,
after it had lasted 24J years, from the
death Of Solomon and the schism OF Jero-
boam." The disaster was overwhelming.
Israel lost her country, her national exist
ence, her identity as a people, n was
cast off from the gracious care and loving
favor of God" They that forgot God were
forgotten; that studied to be like the ma
tions, were buried among them; that
would not serve God in their own land,
served their enemies in a strange land.
Yet we find a number sealed of each Of the
twelve tribes except Dan (Rev. 1853.
James writes to the twelve tribes scattered
abroad (Jas. lily. Paul speaks of the
twelve tribes which instantly served God
day and night (Acts $3.50.