Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1904-12-09
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS
FOR DECEMBER u.
Subject. Captivity of the Ten TribeE, IL
Kings xvii, 6.IS-Golden Text, Peter
ill.,, Ig-Me,uory Verses, IA, i5-CoIn'
mentorv an the D2y's Lesson.

1
I. Israel carried away captive ". g. g.
merely a vsssal OF Assyria and paid tribute
to Shalmaneser ". 81, but seeing what ap'
peared to be favorable opportunity he
made bold dash for liberty. He formed
an alliance against the Assyrians with So
the Pharaoh OF Egypt. aud refused longer
to pay the tribute. This brought Shal'
maneser and the Assyrian army upon them
and for three years they besieged Samaria
". 81. The length Of the siege shows the
strength of Samaria. Its horrors may lie
inferred from lisa. 2S:l-4; Hosea lU:l4;
end at last came, aud the city was obliged
to capitulate. From the Assyrian inscrip'
tons it appears that during the siege Shal.
maneser was succeeded by Sargon, one OF
his generals, and that it was SargOn who
finally took Samarla: 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 deportcd there by the AS
syrians and became the Samaritans. Thost
carried away to Assyria never returned a.
tribes. Doubtless many would lose thei
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.
H. The cause of Israel's downfall Tvs
1922.
7. "Sinned." Here was the secret OF
tl;ei, downfall They forgot God and His
mercy toward them and walked in the
ways of the heather and worshiped heath
en- deities. 8. did secretly" They were
l,,.noo,;tinol ila,,ll, khox, nnnnpalpH 10.
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 focks. 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 OF
Ashcroft is the plural form of the proper
name of the heather 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. IL. "As 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. u. 'Idols,"
Literally, 'hlthss;," term OF contempt
Shall not The prohibition is in the
commandments and elsewhere (EX0d. 0:4.
III. Gods efforts TO save Israel ". l3):
l3 Testified against Israel" Israel had
been warned with tremendous emphasis
by Amos and Hosea. Repentance, on the
one hand and destruction by AssyIia OH
the other, had been set before them in the
name Of Jehovah as the only possible
courses "Prophets-seers." Though boil,
of these names are used Tor prophet they
have distinct designation; perhaps some
thing like ordained and lay preachers in
modern days. Seer was the older and APP:
parently less digni6ed name. Turn ye."
Compare Jer. 7:3; 1871. But all the pro.
phets from Samuel to Malachi delivered
the same message.
". Israel rebellious and wicked Tvs.
1919.
a. Hardened their necks.' Deliber
ately chose their way of wickeGness in the
face OF all light, warning and cntreaty.
This is a metaphor derived from those
oxen who. III spite of all efforts to guide
them. hold their necks set in the way they
determine to 60 1t expresses unbending
obstinacy and self.will." See Exod. 32:4,
| 9; 2 Chron. 1918; lisa. 48:4. Did not be-
lieve." This laid the foundation of all their
sins. They did not believe Gods prophets,
| but hardened to deceivers. To reject
/ sins OF which mention is made in the Bible.
( The unbeliever will be destroyed (Rev.
2l:S).
: Is. Covenant" The whole body Of the
I Mosaic law (Exod. 1874; 24:4S). They
agreed to keep this law, and God promised
TO bless them on that condition (Deut. %:
! ]. 0. 49,. Testimonials" His law is the
/ testimony Tor truth and against iniquity.
! Followed vanity" Literally, breath or
( 'vapor-a familiar image for nonentity..
See Jer. 2:5; S:l9; la:22. Became vain"
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
iessness.
I6 They left "Forsook.' H. Y.
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 Rom. 6:l6). "Worshiped-host of
heaven" The Assyrian astral worship.
Prohibited (Deut. 4:l9; 7:3). That Gods
people did fall into this sin we know der.
So: 1918; Zeph. l:5).
H. 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:
! q; Deut. 1870 "Sold themselves to do
evil" Surrendered themselves into CON-
| plete slavery to idolatrous practices.
49, Removed them" That is, the Lord
removed Israel out Of the Holy Land where
| Jehovah had His dwelling place. "Nouc
left but-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 245 years, from the
| death of Solomon and the schism of Zero.
boam." "The disaster was Overwhelming.
| Israel lost her country, her national exist
ence, her identity as people, and was
cast of from the gracious care and loving
favor of God" They that forgot God were
forgotten; that studied to be like the ma.
tons. were buried among them; that
would not serve God in their own land,
served their enemies in strange land.
Yet we find number sealed of each of the
twelve tribes except Dan Rev. 1853.
James writes to the twelve tribes scattered
abroad (Jas. III. Paul speaks Of che
twelve tribes which instantly served God
day and night (Acts 26:7).