The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1905-10-14


there was joined with the warming
promise Of restoration. See lisa. ~
and Ii. Assyria the oppressor should
be destroyed like cedar, though II
lowered like the huge cedars Oh Lep-
anon Elsa. 10: 1919, "a, 33, "a; comp.
Eek. 81: 3-11). The point OF this
prophecy lies in the fact that the ce-
dar. although ''the grandest OF the
daughters of the forest" yet when
once cut down, never springs up again.
Isaiah again and again prophesies the
return Chapters 40-66) and. even
names Cyrus as the one through
whom it should come. Through Eze-
kiel come promises of the new heart
which would render the return moral
" possible Geek. II and S6)- he
pictures the valley of dry bones, sym
bolizlng the condition Of Israel in cap
tiyity. again coming to life in the re-
turn (Ezek. 37). See Eek. 20, S3, S4-
The whole of Ezekiel, as OF Isaiah, IS
an effort, through threats and denun-
Citations of sin, through appeals to do
better, through promises and visions Of
hope, to make the people return spir-
itually to God, that they might return
in visible reality.
Jeremiah, making the same appeals,
goes farther and points out the time
when the return can be made, sew
enty years after the captivity. (Jer.
%: 12; 20: 10).
Illustration. IF the return had not
taken place, Judah would have shared
the fate of Israel; it would have blend
ed with the East. Christianity would
not have existed. The Hebrew Scrip
lures would have been lost."-Renan
II. The Two-fold Preparation for
| the Return.
First: The Spiritual Preparation Of
the Exiles.-It was impossible for the
Jews to return and the kingdom to
be restored till they had renounced
the sins which brought them into cap
tivity and had learned the lessons
the exile was intended to teach. The
training and discipline to which God
had subjected them would have been
a failure. unless a considerable num-
Der of the Jews had become sincere
and devoted people Of God. This was
/ the remnant of which Isaiah so often
speaks. For this providential purpose
they were 'sifted as wheat like re
ter. at the time of the captivity. Il
was the best Of the people who were
carried captive by Nebuchadnezzar
| He needed men of force and charac
ter for his service. Thus (unwitting
ly as to Gods plans) he took away
not merely such men as he wanted
and dared not leave behind, but such
men as God wanted, wherewith to re
plant his Canaan in his due time. =
| Cowles. Someone has said that IN
| looking for seed to plant New Eng
land. two and a half centuries ago
the Lord sifted two Kingdoms Eng
land and Holland) for the best they
had. With equal truth it may be said
| that the Lord of Providence, on the
same wise principle, sifted the Jew
ish people twice over to get out the
best seed for replanting the land d
| promise. "-Cowles.
The Lessons Learned, The Jews By
the exile were cured of their tendency
to idolatry. They were, taught to SCI
new value on spiritual religion
Their hope lay in the Scriptures, anc
led to a renewed study Of them. The
exile was the period in which tht
guardianship, transcription, and study
of the written Scriptures became th'
special care Of distinct class, after
wards famous as the great order O
| the Scribes. 1t led, also, to the estab
lishment of the synagogue for socia
worship and reading OF the Scriptures
with its accompanying schools.
| III. Cyrus Decree of Return.-Vs
LA. /. In the first year of Cyrus
| king Of Persia" Not his first year al
king Of Persia (B. c. 546), but elthe
as conqueror of Babylon (53S) or thu
first year of his personal rule at Baby
Ion after his other conquests $3.50
THE word of the Lord by
jeremiah" (25: 12 %: 1O) PROMISING
that he would bring about return
from captivity after seventy years
The purpose of the captivity was "ful
filed" R. ", accomplished. "Th
Lord (Jehovah) stirred up the spiri
Of Cyrus How? Directly by hi
Holy Spirit, as in many other cases
This would be no more strange thai
the influence Of one mind over an
other. which is a daily experienc
among men. 2. By his providence
guiding Cyrus to see the advantag
Of the policy Of the return, or leadin
such a ruler to the conquering 0
Babylon at this iuncture. It is quit
possible, it is even implied in the nal
ratiye here that Daniel. or some prom
inent Jew, called the attention Q
Cyrus to the prophecy in jeremiah
and especially the remarkable propf
ecy in lisa. IA: 1928; As /.
"A proclamation in writ
ing" The decree was first proclaime
by herald, and then put in writing
so that it might be accessible anon
official papers.
2. "Thus saith Cyrus" 1t is prol
able that the author here gives tn