The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1904-12-06
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS
FOR DECEMBER Iii.

/ Subject; Captivity Of the Ten Tribes, IL
4 Kings xviii, els Golden Text Poter
| iii., 12-AEemory verses. IA. an--cosn-
! mentary on the Days Lesson.
1 /. Israel carried away captive IN. 81 g.
ninth year Of Hoshea Hoshea waa
merely vassal Of Assyria and paid tribute
to ShalInaneser ". 81, but seeing what ap7
1 peared to be q favorable opportunity he
made bold dash for liberty He formed
an. alliance against the Assyrians with Sol
the Pharaoh Of Egypt, and refused longer
to pay the tribute. This brought Shat
| 1naneser 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 be
inferred from Isa. 2s:lAz; Hosea 10: l4S
4 1916; Amos 6.9-l4 Took Samaria Th8N
end at last came, and the city was Obliged
to capitulate From the Assyrian insorip4
/ tions it appears that during the siege Shall
maneser was succeeded by Sareon, one Of
finally took Sanaria. Carried Israel
away" What became Of the Israclites n
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 Az
4 syrians and became the Samaritans. Thoss
carried away to Assyria never returned as
tribes. Doubtless many would lose fhei1
4 nationality by interlnarrlage with the
heather; while the more sturdy and reiig1
ious ones probably joined with those who
returned with the Jews to Jerusalem uns
der Ezra and Nehemiah. Halah, etcl
See dictionary.
II. The cause q Israel's downfall (vel
7-l2).
z. ssSinnedD Here was the secret 81
their downfall. They forgot God and His
mercy toward them and walked in the
en- deities. 9. Did secretly" They were
hypocritical. Literally, they concealed Je1
hovah SO that He could not be recognizedJ
They worshiped God in the ways Of their
own invention and made Him like idolsA
THE tower" Erected on lonely spots to
guard vineyards and focks. The meaning
is that idolatry was general.
TO- Images and groves Pillars and
Asherim." r. v. The pillar Or obeiisid
was placed by the altar as q symbol Of the
god worshiped at the altar. Asherim or
i Ashcroft is the plural form Of the proper
name Of the heather goddess Of the Zidod
MANS The singular form is Asherah or
Ashtoreth. Aslerah was the female and
Baal was the made divinity. High hill Z,
etc. On every eminence there ware ims
ages of heather gods, and under the trees
booths were built for the purpose Of len-
these deities. II. As did the heather, 4
etc They were doing the very things that
caused the Lord to destroy heather nations
before them. Anger Gods anger II
His indignation against SIN y. Idols e
Shall not The prohibition Is in the
commandments and elsewhere (Exod. 20: 4)
4 I'LL Gods efforts to save Israel ". 1877
lS. 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 r. 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
parently less dignifed name Turn ye.''s
Compare Jer. 7:3; 1871. But all the pro-
phets from Samuel to Malachi delivered
the same message.
i IN. Israel rebellous and wicked i've.
1913.
IA. Hardened their nccks.'' Deliber-
htely chose their way Of wickedness ia the.
face Of all light, warning and entreaty.
This is metaphor derived from those
oxen who, in spite Of all efforts to guide
them, hold their necks set in the way they
obstinacy and self-will.'a Sec Exod. 1924
4 9; Chron. 38:l3; lisa. 1914 Did not be-
lieye." This laid the foundation Of all their,
sins. They did not believe Gods prophets,
but hardened TO deceivers. To reject
God through unbelef is one Of the worst
sins of which mention is made in the Bible
The unbehever will be destroyed REV.
2l:8).
Mosaic law (Exod. 1874; 4:4S). They
agreed to keep this law, and God promised
to bless them on that condition lDeut 29:l
], o, 49,. Testimonials" His law Is the
testimony for truth and against iniquity.
Followed vanity Literally, breath or
svapor familiar image for nonentity a
See Jer. rs; $40; i4:2S. ''Became vain Va i
AS idols are vanity" and snothingness,
50 idolaters are vain" and impotent-
spent; they have missed the real object of
existence, and the result is utter power
lessness. FL
The sin of the calves is connected with the
casting away of all the divine law. As soon
asany other object is set up instead of God
all He values has persisted from mans woI-
ship Rom. GIG, Worshiped- host Of
heaven" The Assyrian astral worship.
Prohibited (Deut 4:l9; l7:S) That Gods
people did fall into this sin we know (Jer.
4 So; 1918; Zeph. 1:5).
Ia. 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
i into the flames raging inside Moses
warned against this abomination Lev, 1874
2I: Deut. 1870. "Sold themselves to do
evil" Surrendered themselves into COM
4 plete slavery to idolatrous practices.
49, Removed them That is, the Lord
removed Israel out of the Holy Land where
4 Jehovah had His dwelling place. None
left but-Judahv "All Of Benjamin and
i Levi and all the Israelites who abandoned
4 their idolatries joined with Judah. The
4 ten tribes were carried away by the Assy-
! liane. This ended the kingdom of Israel.
i after il had lasted 2a5 years, from the
\ death of Solomon and the schism OF Jerc-
! beam" The disaster was overwhelming.
Israel lost her country, her national exist
ence, her identity as a people and was
cast off from the gracious care and loving
favor of Cod They that forgot God were
! forgotten; that studied to be like the ma
tons. were buried among them; that
4 would not serve God ia their own land,
/ served their enemies in strange land
Yet we find number sealed Of each OF the
twelve tribes except Dan (Rev 1867.
james writes to the twelve tribes scattered
| abroad tJas. l:D Paul speaks OF the
twelve tribes which instantly ssvved God
day and night (Acts 26:7).