The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1905-10-13
Returning from
Captivity
Sunday School Lesson for Oct. Is. 1905
Specially Prepared for This Paper.


GOLDEN TEXT.-"The Lord hath done
great things for us, whereof we are glad.
Psalm 1861
.TIME-According TO Prof Beecher It
was In b. c. 53s. soon after the conquest OF
Babylon by cyrus. Compare Daniel 81
with 1851 II was 20 years after the first
deportation Of exiles by Nebuchadnezzar
PLACE-Capital of the Persian King
dom-either Babylon or Ecbatana, and also
Jerusalem 10 which the eXiles returned.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES.-lsa
chaps 40-66; Ezekiel and jeremiah chaps.
"a. %. 1888, so tell OF the return from captiv-
ity The return as recorded IN Ezra ana Me-
hemiah.
Comment and Suggestive Thought.
INTRODUCTORY. 80 Even before /
the beginning of the exile, when it /
was only threatened, there was joined .
with the warning a promise of restora- I
ton. See Isa. 10 and II. Assyria the
oppressor should be destroyed like a
cedar. though it lowered like the huge
cedars of Lebanon Elsa. 10:12-19, "a, |
SO. "a; comp. Eek. 31:3-11. Isaiah
again and again prophesies the Return
chapters 1860 and even names
Cyrus as the one through whom 1t
should come. Through Ezekiel come
promises of the new heart which
would render the return morally pos
sible Geek. II and $50. He pictures
the valley of dry bones, symbolizing
the condition of Israel in captivity,
again coming to life in the return
Geek. 30. See Eek. 20, 33, "a. The
whole OF Ezekiel, as of Isaiah, is an
effort, through threats and denuncia-
tions of sin, through appeals to do bet
ter. through promises and visions OF
hope. to make the people return spir-
itually TO God, that they might return
in visible reality. And he foretells
how the nations were so controlled
that restoration of the Jews would
! be possible. jeremiah, making the
same appeals, goes farther and points
out the time when the return can be
made. 20 years after the captivity Ger.
25:12; 29:10).
v /. "In the first year Of Cyrus
king Of Persia" Not his first year
as king of Persia (B. c. 546), but
either as conqueror of Babylon (53S)
or the first year of his personal rule
ar Babylon after his other conquests
$500. "The word of the Lord by
jeremiah" (25:12; 29:1O)
promising that he would bring about
a return from captivity after 20 years.
"The Lord (Jehovah) stirred up the
spirit of Cyrus" 1t is quite posi-
BILE it is even implied in the narrative
here. that Daniel, or some prominent
Jew. called the attention Of Cyrus TO
the prophecy in jeremiah, and espe-
cially the remarkable prophecy In lisa.
44:26-2S; 45:1.
V. .. Thus saith Cyrus" 1t is
probable that the author here gives
the substance of the proclamation, and
} not the full official document. He
hath charged me-" He accepted the
prophecies as a charge from the God
of the Jews.
V. 3. "Who is there among you
The return was to be a volunteer
movement which in all respects was
the best both for the purpose of Cyru;
and for the new Jewish settlement
} The God Of Israel which Is
in jerusalem" AS the chief seat OF
} his worship.
5 V. 4. and whatsoever remaineth,' K
D V. "is left" of the captives, survives
e. Connect in any place where he so
iourneth, without a comma, with le
, the men of his place, his heather
neighbors. help him with silver, etc.
give him funds for his journey, AM
the freewill Offering in aid Of the TEN
:, Pile
!, V. 5. ''Then rose up the chief o
u the fathers" The Return described
d in to-day's lesson was under Zeruh
- babel a prince of the royal line o
David, called the Tirshatha, or Pash
ezra 2:63) and under Joshua, tn
hereditary high priest ezra S;S)
These were among the chief of tn
!. fathers and the priests"
d We. "And all they that were abou
u them" Their heather neighbors an
e. friends, as in Egypt at the time of tn
u exodus.
L VI. Cyrus the king brought fort
D the vessels OF the house of the Lord
y "Nebuchadnezzar little thought tina
, he was unconsciously preserving tn
Il sacred vessels of Israel in a safe an
involable stronghold, till the da
when Jehovah would bring about the
restoration to His people
II V. s. by the hand of Mithredath
rs (given by. or dedicated 70 Mithra. tn
e. sun-god). He had these treasures
10 his charge. "Sheshbazzar' Cir
IN worshiper) The Persian name
It, Zerubbabel (born in Babylon).
e. Il. "All the vessels WEI
n five thousand and four hundred
ne This is more than double the sum
the preceding numbers-2,499 1t
probable that only the larger or mo-
costly vessels were numbered in d
al tail, and the $500 includes a gre
M number of smaller and less cost
to ones. So they are reckoned by
ct sephus Cant. Jud. I'D.
he Illustrative Points.
he This IS a picture of Gods disciplii
lie OF His people He does not love
er. af1ict His children. He gives bitt