The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1905-09-02
LESSON TEN-sEPT.


king himself and his household were
taken captives and carried to the head
quarters at Riblah, where Nebuchad-
nezzar himself was at the time. Here
Zedekiah was formally arraigned and
sentence given against him. His
daughters were set free, but his sons
were slain before him. 1t was the
last sight the king saw. His eyes were
put out; he was bound hands and feet
with double fetters Of brass, and so
carried to Babylon. There he died in
ward (Jer. 52;1D Edersheim.
What follows in the Chronicle is a
summary of events after the capture
OF Jerusalem. "Slew their young
men in the house of their
sanctuary" In the courts OF the tenn
pie itself, where they had taken ref
uge. See Eek. 9:6, 7; Lam. 2:7, 20.
Is. "All the vessels of the house of
God" All that remained after the
spelling of the temple in the days of
Jahoiachin e. Chron. 3610). Great
and small" What became of the ark?
In the second book OF Maccabees (2:5)
"a book which Plumptre, says was
probably written to meet a demand
for the marvelous" is said that Jer-
emiah hid in a cave the tabernacle
and the ark. and the altar Of Incense"
AT this point the ark disappears from
history.
10. And they burnt the house of
God" etc. Ezekiel (10:2) pictures
Gods angel with both hands full OF
fiery Goals, scattering them over the
city, and jeremiah had often prophe-
sled this (Jer. TIA, is; 21:1O; 34:2, %:
SS:18. 23). And brake down the
wall" Thus effectually destroying the
power Of the city and rendering future
rebellions unlikely.
20. And them that had escaped
from the sword" Including q Kings
25:lD the inhabitants of Jerusalem
t, that had survived the siege, and those
that during the year and half of
siege had deserted to the enemy.
Carried he away to Babylon" Jere-
miah (52:2S-30) estimated the number
at 745. which, with the 3,023 of the
first captivity and the 1872 OF the sec
ond, made total of 1900 in exile
the wisest. wealthiest and strongest
OF the land. Where they were sery-
ants. Slaves. ITO him and his sons"
His successors. who were three-his
son. Evil-Merodach, and two usurpers,
Neriglissar, his son-in-law, and Nabon-
idus. Then came ~the reign Of the
kingdom OF Persia" founded by Cyrus
the Great, who, B. C. $50, conquered
Nabonidus and became king of Baby
lonia
V. A Clean Of Hope-Vs 21, with
the rest of the chapter. The sad his
tory closes, but not without gleam of
hope. "The flame that had consumed
Jerusalem was for Judah a purifying
fire; from the seed-feld of the exile
sown in tears was to spring up a pre-
cious and immortal harvest" Cor
Mill.
Fl. ITO fulfil the word OF the LORD
by the mouth Of jeremiah Who had
prophesied a seventy-years captivity.
See Jer. 25:11; 29:1O. Until the land
had enjoyed Tor made good" Wood)
her sabbaths." In Lev. 25.1-7 is the
wise provision thsdi tho land should
lie fallow every seventh year-a prin-
ciple recognized by every prudent
farmer. In Lev. 26:34. S5 is the warn.
ing that neglect OF this command win
be followed by exile and an enforced
rest equal to the years that have been
omitted from the observance. The
kingdom had lasted (from David)
about 490 years, that is, 70x7, and thus
seventy years of exile would be re-
quired. If the Leviticas ommand had
been violated all the time. Perhaps
the violations Of the command were
reckoned from the days OF Moses. ITO
fulfil threescore and ten years" 1T
was just about seventy years after the
battle of Carchemish, which really de-
cided the fate of Palestine and its sub
lection to Babylon. that, like the
priests silver trumpet at morn in the
temple. the voice OF Cyrus announced
the dawn Of morning after the long
night OF exile, and summoned the wan
derers from all lands to the threshold
of their sanctuary Edersheim.
The Great Lesson Of Obedience.
God gave the two kingdoms every
opportunity to learn this great lesson
OF obedience to his will He had sent
them such mighty teachers as Elijah,
Elisha, Amos. Isaiah and Jeremiah. He
had sent them good rulers, like Asa,
Hezekiah and Josiah. He had given
them success in arms, as to Jet.l and
Jeroboam II. He had given them
plenty of time-to Israel three cen
turies. to Judah more than four.
And when, in spite of all, the He
brews continued their idol-worship,
their mammon worship and their re-
belIion against Gods laws, there was
nothing left to the Good Physician but
the remedy Of the knife-exile.
This lesson OF obedience, which the
Hebrews learned SO slowly, and, after
all, so imperfectly, is the great lesson
for individuals as well as nations. "Ye
are my friends" said Christ, III We do