The Progressive West Virginian. [volume] (Williamson, W. Va.) 1911-1913, 1911-08-17
JEREMIAH CAST
INTO PRISON
Sunday School Lesson for Aug. 20, 1911
Specially Arranged for This Paper
LESSON ,,5ssse'I TExT.-Jeremiah 81.

MEMOR1 VERSE, 10.
GOLDEN TEXT. blessed are We.
when men shall revfle you, and prosecute
you. and say all manner Of evil against
| you falsely, for my sake. Matt. GIL.
1 TIME OF this lesson was b. G. $685.
| ~ years after our last lesson during the
| last siege of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnez-
Ear from the 9th to the 18th year of Zede-
| hah's reign.
PLACE. Jerusalem surrounded by the
Epesieg;ng armies of the Chaldeans. and
j 1923.
jeremiah had prophes.ed nearly 40 years
,slnce 620 and was prematurely old
! man.
zedekiah was the last king of Judah.
reigning II years.
i Nebuchadnezzar. 18th and 18th year Of
! his reign.
Jehoiakim reigned six years after
he had burned the roll of Jeremiah's
prophecies, which, like the tabled
phoenix rose anew and fresh from
the ashes, He was slain in 597.
The first blow of the threatened
doom of Judah had fallen during the
fourth year of his reign, the first toll
Ing Of the bell OF Judgment which
should have summoned the very dead
In sin to awake. But they gave no
heed
Jehoiachin, his son, assembled the
throne, bad, weak boy, utterly unfit
to cope with the situation. His reign
lasted only three months. Upon Je-
hoiachin descended the full force Of
the divine vengeance incurred by
previous generations. He was scarcely
on the throne when the Chaldean
forces, which had been ravaging Ju-
/ dea. were joined by Nebuchadnezzar
himself. and closed around Jerusa,
lem, and Jehoiachin surrendered at
discretion. The arm of Babylon raised
to strike his father fell on him, and
fulfilled the prophecy against Jehoia-
kim. He shall have none to sit upon
the throne of David" Jehoiachin was
kept prisoner in Babylon for 81
years and was then released. Ezekiel
was carried away with him, and the
great-grandfather Of Mordecai, Queen
Esther's cousin.
This was the second blow of divine
judgment. the beginning of the second
captivity, when 10000 people were car
ried captive to Babylon. Among them
were the kings wives and Ulcers,
and 1000 that were strong and apt
or war, and 1000 craftsmen; and
arge part of the 5,400 vessels of gold
and silver from the Temple and pal
aces. The policy of Nebuchadnezzar
| was to remove out of the way all those
who might be able to organize a re-
/ vol NH h. ho1 An.
parted. Such men 1t would have been
dangerous to leave behind. 1t would
seem as Ii all this would have been
sufficient to prevail on the people to
repent and be saved.
Zedekiah, the brother of Jehoiakin.
was placed upon the throne by Nebu-
chadnezzar. "a shadow king over a
desperate band OF men. During the
first nine years Of his reign the ma
ton, instead of embracing the oppor-
tunity of repentance, plunged more
deeply into folly. The dregs of the
people. left behind in Jerusalem, laid
this fiattering JUNCTION to their souls:
I'VE have been spared by Jehovah.
4 therefore we are righteous in his
sight"
During brief respite while Nebu-
chadnezzar left Jerusalem free while
he fought the Egyptians jeremiah
went forth out of Jerusalemyto go into
the land of Benjamin. His home was
at Anathoth in Benjamin, three or
four miles north Of the city. 1t was
apparently to secure his share of the
/ tithes and produce of the Levitical
glebe of the village, due to him as one
of it's priests. Knowing that the Chai.
deans would return, it was Imperative
/ that he should obtain the means OF
subsistence to take back into the city.
so soon to be beleagured afresh. 9th
ers think it was to secure himself in
I the possession of an inheritance.
! There was natural rush to get out
of the city after SO long a contine-
ment. jeremiah went with the others.
| Benjamin. the north gate Of the city.
that by which any one would go to
| the country of Benjamin which adj
joined Jerusalem. guard said: Thou
| fallest away to the Chaldeans; you
are trying to desert to the enemy"
His well known prophecies of the de-
struction of the city, and advice that
the people should yield the city to the
Chaldeans. gave color to this accuse.
/ ton.
| Then said jeremiah: False! A lie!
| | fall not a way to the Chaldeans."
He was arrested by the guard, and
brought to the princes, the officials of
the government, who were wroth with
| jeremiah He had compared them to
rotten figs He was the strongest and
most resolute opponent of their war
policy. But for, him they would have
| had 1t all their own way.
jeremiah was placed In a dungeon
under the prison building. Jerusalem
was honey-combed with subterranean
cisterns, vaulted or arched overhead.
and cabins vaults. the subterranean,
arched spaces of cistern. containing
water.
| At last Zedekiah. the king, secretly
took him out to inquire: rs there any
word from the Lord?" Jeremiah re-
| piled: There is" The word was:
Thou shalt be delivered into the hand
of the king of Babylon" At Jeremiah's
request. and to escape from the guilt
of being the murderer of the prophet.
Zedekiah had him cared for in the
court of the guard. and supplied him
with daily bread.