Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1905-08-31
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS
FOR SEPTEMBER 3.
Subject: The Captivity of Judah, III.
Chron. xxxvi., 11.@1 - Golden Text,
Mum. xxxii., 23-Memory Verses, 1921
documentary on the Days LessOn.

SuDJects me ShptIttS VI -.
Chron. xxxvi., 11."1 - Golden Text,
Mum. xxxii., 23-Memory Verses, 1921
documentary on the Days Lesson.
l. Zedekiah's character and folly
Tvs. lib. II. "Zedekiah." He was
one of the younger sons of the good Jo-
siah and uncle of JehOiachin He was
a weak king, with no strength of char
acter to do what he knew TO be right.
Anxious to follow the cOunSelS of Jere-
mah but without courage to do so, he
became the mere sport of factions, and
at last was brought into ruinous con-
flict with Babylon against his own bet
ter Judgment. II. "Humbled not HIM
self" Although jeremiah repeatedly
entreated Zedekiah to obey the word
of the Lord, yet the king through the
pride of his heart and for fear Of Of
Tending his princes would not listen
to the prophets advice.
49, "Rebelled," etc. This was the
height of folly. Had he possessed wis
dom and courage enough to obey the
words of jeremiah and remain true
to his allegiance to Babylon, Jerusalem
might not have been destroyed. Made
him swear" ACKNOWLEDGMENT had
bound Zedekah by most solemn oath
to keep the peace by fidelity to the
conqueror who had set him Oh the
throne. In Jer. 27:3 we find messen-
gers from the kings of Edom, Moab,
Ammon, Tyre and Zidon consulting
with HeZekiah, perhaps concerning a
| plan to throw off the Babylonian yoke;
and in Eek. 1915. Zedekiah is repre-
scented as sending his ambassadors into
Egypt that they might give him horses
and much people. Thus he seems to
have laid broad plans for his rebellion,
and in all this he was encouraged by
the false prophets of his time der. 2S).
II. Gods effort to save His people
Tvs IA, 15)
ii. "Trangresscd very much" Here
we see the vile depths into which Jul
dab Cad fallen. All classes were cor
ruptcd Restraint was thrown off and
the people openly practiccd all the
heather denominations, even polluting
the house Of the Lord
10 THE LOrd-Scnt to them God
did everything He wisely could to pre-
vent His people from rushing down to
their own destruction. He laid upon
them several lesser evils as warnings.
These were devastationS of the country
from which few years would suffice
to recover. Then Jerusalem was cap
tured and part of its treasure removed,
but the city was not destroyed, and the
temple stood. Kings We're made cap
tive as warniE- to coming kings.
Prophets We're SCut TO warn ana en-
treat.
III. Judah utterly rejects the Lord
IT, 100.
16 Knocked" etc. jeremiah was
imprisoned. beaten and threatened
with death; Trijah was put to death
tier. o62O-23) NO remedy" The ma
ton had gone beyond all hope. The
body was hopeleSsly corrupt. 1t is
possible to sin too long, to sin away
the day of grace. o sinner, awake,
repent.
". Jerusalem destroyed Tvs. lI-2l).
Il. "Thcr ne" Because of their
great wickcdncsS. He bronght-the
Chadees." The siege lasted about one
year and six months. The fortified
tons were strong, ana the defense was
brave and Skilful. The thud of the
battcring rams shook the walls day and
night; archers made the defense IN
! creasingly hard by constant showers OF
arrows from the high wooden forts;
catapaults of all sizes hurled stones
into the town with force rs deadly
as that of modern bullets. and darts
tippcd with fire kindod the roofs Of
the houses; mines were dug under the
walls. and attempts II cScalade by
ladders were renewed ut every favor
able opportunity. "Who slew etc.
The siege was full of horrors. The
city was reduced to the last extremity.
Fearful pictures are presented by Jcr-
cmiah in his prophecy and in the La
mcntatiOns. The destructive fire OF
the besicgcrs was aided by II severe
famine tJCr. $50, and all the terrible
expedients had been tried to which the
wrctchcd inhabitants of n besicgcd
town are forced to resort in such cases.
| Mothers boiled ana ate the flesh of
their own infants liam. 40; Eek.
! 5:lO; ladies in magnificent robes wan
! dcrcd about searching the refuse heaps
for Il morScl % food liam. 4:J-lo.
NO compassion" So hide0uS were
! the crurltics practiccd by Oriental vie
| tors upon their captOrS that, were III
! not for the most convincing evidence IN
| sculpture and inscription. where the
perpetrators glory in their deeds, we
| should hardly believe 1t possible Tor
men to treat their fellow creatures
with such barharity. When the aSStil-
| ants We're once masters or the place
! an inaisCriminair slaughter appears
! to have succeeded, and the city was
! generally given over to the flames.
! The prisoners were either impaled and
! subjected to horrible tormentS or car
! ried away rs slaves. He gave them,
ere. God permitted the ChalGcans to
! thus destroy Jerusalem. He might
have done to Nebuchadnezznr'S army
what He did to ScnnacheriO'S host
20. Carried he away When the
! ChaldeanS finally entered the city the
king and his men of war fed. but they
were pursued and captured. Icde-
| kiah's sons We're slain before his eyes:
his eyes were then put ont and he was
carried to Babylon in chains. He was
put in prison till the day Of his death
| der. 52T-1D. ITO him and his sons
There were three kings after Nebu-
! chadneZzar before Cyrus established
| Persian rule: Evil-Mcrod0ch e. Kings
25:27), Neriglissar and NaboniduS.
q. Fulfill the word" See Jer. "a:
II, ~; 29:10. Enjoyed her SabbatliS'
See Lev. 2G:34, 30, 43. God had com
manded them to let their land rest
every seventh year, and because they
had violated this command He now pro-
posed to give their land long sab
bath, or rest. for seventy years