The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-07-01
n WILLIAM Q. ELLIS.


BY WILLIAM 7. ELLIS.
=l ME- Of the notable books on
W s: :::: ST.. i. &: : 8 : i"
think so; nor did anyone else
in the world at the time. To all his
contemporaries he was IT. All that
Napoleon meant to Europe, and more,
Sennacherib meant to the ancient
world. Had there been newspapers
in his time he would have got more
headlines than half a dozen Emperor
Williams and Theodore RoOsevelts
combined Not one person out or
thousand who studies the lesson in
Sunday school today has any adequate
conception of the overwhelming inn
portance Of the Assyrian power at its
height. There is nothing analogous to
It today. It dominated the whole
known world. Yet one who goes to-
day to the capital of Sennacherib will
find only ploUghed land. Nineveh is
but an excrescence on thS earth;
mound Of dirt in the openings of which
the owls make their homes. 1 have
seen Nineveh-only there is nothing
to see above ground. For two thous-
and years the very site of this world
capital was lost from the memory OF
man. Sennacherib's palace and the
glories of his capital were wiped out
of the book of human remembrance.
NV own photographs of N1neveh, taken
from the Tigris River, show only
barren shore line, where Arab women
from Mosul go to wash clothes. Ihe
completeness of the fall of Uneven
and Babylon is beyond the comprehen-
sion of all who have not visited the
desert wastes where once they nour-
ished in arrogant pride and power
The Moral of the Jew.
The persisting purposes of Jehovah
still live and work and ar manifest
amid the ruins Of these ancient world
" splendors. The lesson of this pres
ent study is recorded elsewhere than
in Holy Writ: when worldly might en-
tiers into combat with the Lord OF
Hosts, the issue is inevitable. Jehovah
uses the weak things to confound the
mighty. The sOre-eyed and furttve
Jews whom one meets sEuffling along
the narrow streets of Babylon and
Nineveh. They have lived and these
capitals have died. Nobody can find a
single Assyrian or Babylonian in Meso-
potamia today; but the captive Jews
are still there. and apparently entering
upon a new era of prosperity.
Scared and pent-up Hezekiah is
really a victor, who helps preserve the
name of the mighty Sennacherib. That
king left many inscriptions, some OF
which I have seen, recounting his own
elOrfes: I have one of his bricks,
whereupon he proclaims himself king
of the universe. But it took the schol-
ars from a Christian nation to IN
cover and decipher these boastful re-
cords, which else would have been lost
to the world. If it were not for the
scientific research which is a product
of Christian civilization. we would
have no records of this past era, except
such as the Old Testament preserves
to u.s. At Asshur, the old capital of
Assyria, saw a line Of old monoliths
"a 0f
but the very names Of them are now
unknown. Is it any wonder that the
H.rchaeologists make cynical remarks
concerning the Wanting pride of these
monarchS2
The utter deafness Of these once
mighty heather powers while the
kingdom of God grows daily greater.
is a dramatic lesson to be made VIVID
to all young people who study this
story Mrs Browning's Pan Is Dead
dramatically represents the downfall
of the heather dieties.
A Duel of Gods.
It was a duel of gods that was be-
ing waged between Assyria and Judah.
With true literary instinct the Old
Testament writer's set forth the power
and greatness and pride of Assyria.
They wrote in the presence of its
actual might. To them it was the in
carnation of terror. Worldly force and
ruth essness were represented by it.
Also it stood for the embodiment of
idolatry. The cause of Assyria was
the cause of heathendom. Its con-
quests had filled many minds with
doubts of the power of the true God.
So war with Assyria was p war be-
tween Jehovah and the idols.
Hezekiah, king Of Judah, had made
all possible preparations. to Withstand
the enemy. But the arm of flesh was
unequal to that defense 50 the king
took his troubles to the LOrd-the best
possible thing to do with troubles, big
or little. There is no place where
earth's sorrows are more felt than up
in heaven" The habit Of taking coun-
sci with God steadies the heart and
Gains the mind, in addition to all the
special help it brings. Praying troops
have always been good fighters. The
man who fears God is not likely to be
moved by any lesser fears. Hezekiah
was afraid, it is true, but his fear did
not bulge him He trusted though he
trembled.
The insolent challenge of the As
syrian, Let not thy God IN whom thou
trustest deceive thee saying, Jerusalem
shall not be given unto the hand of the
king of Assyria," was a challenge to
combat between Jehovah and the idols
of Assyria. 1t was as truly test Of
strength as the contest between Je-
hovah and BaaI on Carmel. So Heze-
kiah put the whole matter up to the
LordA
Watching the Lord Fight.
Some matters are properly and pri-
marily the Lords business There are
occasions when the man can step aside.
as did Hezekiah and say, Nov, Lord,
It is all up to you. It ie your affair;
your name and glory are at stake. This
work is your work; am IN your
hands; hut yours must be the victory
Such is the case whenever man in
carnates some truth or holy cause in
himself. He simply cannot fail be-
cause Gods honor is involved. This
sublime consciousness is what gives tn e
old prophets their power. They merely
represented Jehovah. Their faith was
simple and absolute, because they real
lied that she majesty of the Most High