The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1911-10-12
The Return
From Captivity
Sunday School Lesson for Oct. is, 1911
Specially Arranged for This Paper
Specially Arranged for This Paps
LESSON rExT-rzra 1:1.11; 2.s4-7o.

merCy"-Mlc. 7:1S.
T1ME-Cyrus takes Babylon 53o.s. His |
decree of return 53S.7. First return, under |
zerubbabel 1915.
PLACE-Babylon and vincinity. Jeru- |
salem. And the long journey between
RULERS-Cyrus was king of Babylon,
and large part of the East Zerubbabe
called also Sheshbazzar ezra is; 2:2)
from Babylon became the ruler of Jeru-
salem.
MONUMENTS-On stone tablets and
cylinders, are written records of these
days.
The Cyrus Cylinder, found at Babylon
In 1879 now in British Museum.
The Nabonidus cylinders in British Mu.
scum.
Annaitstic tablet of Cyrus, a proclama-
tion by him, written shortly after his
conquest OF Babylon.
There we're three eras OF captivity
for the children of Israel as there
were several eras of return. The first
captivity was by Nebuchadnezzar,
when Daniel and his friends we're car
ried captive. Seventy years from this
brings us to B. c. 536, the time of
the completion Of the return described
In this lesson.
Nebuchadnezzar again captured the
city, sent a great amount of treasures
from the palace and the temple to
Babylon. with 10000 of the more i'm
portant Of the people. Among these
were the prophet Ezekiel and the
great-grandfather of Mordecai, Queen
Esther's cousin. The third captivity
was also by Nebuchadnezzar, who.
after a siege OF a year and half, In
July, $50, completely destroyed the
city and the temple. Seventy years
from this time brings us to the COM
pletion Of the temple, B. G. 515.
The discipline of the exile has ac-
complished its purpose so far that It
Is wise and safe to permit a large
number to return and renew the an.
Client nation. II would be useless to
bring back to Judea people who would
commit the same sins which made the
exile necessary and who had not
learned to some extent the lessons
which their hard discipline was sent
to teach.
The power of idolatry was forever
broken. They never again yielded to
its fascinations. They were taught to
set new value on the filling Of all
the forms of worship with the spirit
Of religion. God had allowed even the
city which was the type OF heaven and
the most glorious temple dedicated to
his worship to be destroyed wher
these became substitute for true re
) ligi6n instead OF an aid to 1t. They
were also taught By their absence tn,
value and necessity of religious insti
tutions, of the means Of worship, o.
the Sabbath day.
1t led to renewed study of the ga
cred Scriptures. The exile was the
period In which the guardianship
transcription and study of the writer
. Scriptures became the special car
Of a distinct class, afterwards famous
as the great order of the scribes. /
led, also, to the establishment Of tn,
synagogue for social worship and read
ing of the Scriptures, with its accom-
panying schools.
n The captivity served as a mission
ary scheme to spread the knowledg
of God over the world. 1t was an al,
in preparing the world for the CON
ing OF the Lord Jesus Christ and 70
the spread Of the gospel by the apos
ties. Thus there was the promise
land, the homeland the center Of re
ligious life, and the dispersion as a
agency In every country Of the know
world.
The journey home and the Who'll
movement may be made most real
all, and especially to children, b
tracing the journey on the map. Not
the great rivers to be crossed withou
bridges, the desert lands, the savag
q tribes, the countries Of their old en-,
~ mics, the rugged mountains to b
traversed, hunger, thirst and pain, tn
N long weary months of travel on foo
os and the desolate city and devastate
homes at the end of their journey.
II we may trust later traditions, tn
setting out Of the captivity" for Pa
u estine was joyous In the extreme. A
escort OF 1000 cavalry accompanie
them, for protection against the de
ert Arabs, then as now given to plu
n der and they started to the music
tabrets and flutes. Forth from II
- gates OF Babylon they rode, to IL
sound OF joyous music-a band
horsemen playing on flutes and ia
rets, accompanied by their own q
minstrel slaves and 1913 singers Of Il
temple, responding to the prophet
voice, as they quilted the shade Of Il
~. gigantic walls and found themselv,
D. in the open desert beyond. GO ye O.
Is, Of Babylon. Flee from the Chaldean
ns with a voice of singing declare y
tell this, utter It even to the end
the earth; say ye, The Eternal ha
ire redeemed his servant Jacob" 1t WI
lt, like the procession of the vestal VI
or gins, with the sacred fire In the
'c' hands, In their retreat from Rom
like Aeneas with his household go
- from Troy.
For all who have gone into the ca
r tivity Of sin there Is a call to repe
ond raturn IN tha Eathar'a hnuaa