The Columbus journal., 1911-10-11

APAeuou VI tue return OeSC1OeO
In this lesson.
Neouchadnezzar 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-srandfather Of Mordecai, Queen
Esther's cousin. The third captivity
was also by Nebuchadnezzar, who,
after . siege Of a year and a half, in
July. CSC. completely destroyed the
city and the temple. Seventy years
from this time brings US to the com
pietion Of the temple. B. C. SIS.
The discipline Of the exile has &C.
complfshed its purpose 20 far that II
il wise and safe to permit q large
number to return and renew the an
cfent nation. 1t 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 destinations. They were taught to
set q new value on the filing 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 when
these became q substitute for true re-
lision instead of an aid to It. They
were also taught by their absence the
value and necessity of religious insti-
tutions. Of the means of worship, of
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 written
Scriptures became the special care
Of distinct class. afterwards famous
as the great order of the scribes. 1t
led. also. to the establishment of the
synagogue for social worship and read
ing of the Scriptures, with its accom-
schools. To this period and
that Of the return belong the author
ship Of some Of the noblest and high
est religious literature.
The captivity served as a mission
airy scheme to spread the knowledge
Of God over the world. It was an aid
in preparing the world for the COM
Ing of the Lord Jesus Christ and for
the spread OF the gospel by the apos-
ties. Thus there was the promised
land, the homeland the center of re-
ligious life. and the dispersion a. an
agency in every country Of the known
world.
The journey home and the whole
may be made most real to
all. and especially to children, by
tracing the journey on the map Note
the great rivers to be crossed without
bridges. the desert lands. the savage
tribes. the countries Of their old enc
mics, the rugged mountains to be
hunger. thirst and pain. the
long weary months Of travel on foot.
and the desolate city and devastated
homes at the end Of their journey.
II We may trust later traditions. the
setting out Of the captivity for Pal
estine was joyous in the extreme. An
escort Of 1000 cavalry accompanied
hem. for protection against the des-
ert Arabs. then as now given to plum
Ter, and they started to the music of
abrets and flutes. Forth from the
gates of Babylon they rode. to the
sound Of joyous music-a band Of
playing on flutes and tab
'ets. accompanied by their own 200
slaves and 128 singers of the
emple, responding to the prophets
Ioice. as they quilted the shade of the
gigantic walls and found themselves |
n the open desert beyond. Go ye out |
II Babylon. Flee from the Chaldeans. !
With voice of singing declare We. |
ell this. utter 1t even to the end OF |
he earth: say ye. The Eternal hath
edeemed his servant Jacob" II was |
Ike the procession of the vestal vir. |
,ins. with the sacred fire In their !
lands. in their retreat from Rome:
ike Aeneas with his household gods
rom Troy.
For all who have gone into the cap
ivity Of sin there is a call to repent
nd return to the Fathers house. A
'ook has lately been published giving
he stories Of Twiceborn men. The
rails and sorrows and pains in the
ervice Of sin are meant to make us
reary of that service and lead US to
epent and return to God. Some one
rrites: II II were not for the slough
4 despond and other hindrances by
he way, the kingdom of heaven might
re full Of persons unqualified for citi.
enship therein"
The sins that led to the exile were
ot q fall upward. The fall into sin
} never q fall upward. The man who
hrows away the gold. silver and pre-
ious stones Of life" for the wood.
ay and stubble." may be saved. but
so as by fire." fire that burns up
ne little gains Of sin. There is great
oy in returning from captivity Of sin.
OF only the Joy Of the returning wan
erer. but the Joy Of the angels Who
now how great beyond conception in
he blessing of the return.