The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1905-10-13
Returning from
Captivity
Sunday Schsei essen Tor Oct. IS. 1905
Spec4aly Prepared fo~ TE,s Paper


GOLDEN TEXT The Lord hath done
great things for Us. whereof xe are ad"
Psalm lzC.a
IT AE.-According 10 Prof Beecher II
was 10 B G. Sss. soon after the conquest OF
haps.o by Cyrus Compare Daniel 81
with 1911. II was 70 years after the first
Deportation OF exiles by Northumberland.
PI-AcE.-Capiial Of the Persian King
dom-elther Babylon or Ecbatana and also
Jerusalem TO which the exiles returned.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES Isaiah
chaps. iO-Gs Ezckiei and jeremiah chaps.
"a, p E-Ss. ~ tell OF the return from captiv-
~ The return as recorded In Ezra and Ne
temiah
Comment and Suggestive Thought
INTRODUCTORY Even before
the beginning OF the exile. when il
was only threatened, there was joined
with the warning a promise OF restora.
ton. See lisa. 10 and H. Assyria the
oppressor should be destroyed like
cedar, though IL lowered like the huge
cedars Of Lebanon lisa. 1o:12-19, "a.
80. "a; comp. Eek. 3l:3-11 Isaiah
again and again prophesies the Return
(chapters 1866 and even names
Cyrus as the one through whom i
should come. Through Ezekiel come
promises OF the new heart which
would render the return morally pos
sible (Ezek. IL and 36). He pictures
the valley OF dry bones. symboizing
the condition Of Israel in captivity,
again coming TO life in the return
(Ezek. 80. See Eek 20. 80. "a The
whole OF Ezekiel. as OF Isaiah. is an
effort. through threats and denuncia
tons 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 ue
made 20 years after the captivity der.
%: -; 30: 10).
v l. 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
at Babylon after his other conquests
1850. The word of the Lord by
Jeremiah" (25:12; 29:10)
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. II 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
a: 26-2s: 45:l
V. ?. Thus saith Cyrus" II 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 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 Cyrus
and for the new Jewish settlement
The God OF Israel which Il
in jerusalem" AS the chief seat OF
his worship
V. g. And whOsoever remaineth." r.
V ''is left Of the captives. survives.
Connect in any place where he so
journeih. without a comma, with let
the men OF his place, his heather
neIghbors. help him with silver. etc.
-. %. Ia
the freewill Offering in aid OF the TEN.
pie
V. 5. Then rose up the chief OF
the fathers" The Return described J
in today's lesson was under Zerub
babel prince OF the royal line of
David. called the Tirshatha. or Pasha
Ezra 2:63), and under Joshua, the
hereditary high priest Ezra 3:s). |
These we're among the "chief of the |
fathers and the priests"
v. 6. And all they that were abou, |
them" Their heather neighbors and |
friends, as in Egypt at the time OF the
exodus.
V. Z. Cyrus the king brought forth |
the vessels OF the house of the Lord"
"Nebuchadnezzar little thought that
he was unconsciously preserving the
sacred vessels of Israel in safe and |
lnviolable stronghold TIL the day
when Jehovah would bring about their
TO His people"
" s. by the hand OF Mithredath"
given by. or dedicated ia Mithra. the
un-god). He had these treasures In
his charge. "Sheshbazzar" (fire-
The Persian name OF
zerubbabel (born in BabylonD.
IL. "All the vessels were
i've thousand and four hundred"
This is more than double the sum OF
he preceding numbers-2.499. II is
probable that only the larger or more
,ostly vessels were numbered in de-
all. and the $500 includes n great
number OF smaller and less costly
,nes. SO they are reckoned by Jo-
'ephus can't. Jud. 11:1.
Illustrative Points.
This Is a picture OF Gods discipline
II His people. He does not love TO
n. 4