Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1911-10-12
The Return
From Captivity
Sunday School Lesson for Oct. Is, 1911
Specially Arranged for This Paper
Specially Arranged for This Paper

anger forever, because he %delighteth in
mercy."-Mic. 7:18.
TIME-Cyrus takes Babylon 1898. His
decree of return $751;. First return, under
Zerubbabel, 537.6.
PLACE-Babylon and vincinity. Jeru-
salem. And the long journey between.
RULERS|Cyrus was king of Babylon.
and a large part Of the East. Zerubbabe1
called also /Sheshbazzar ezra 1:8; 2:Oi
from Babylon became the ruler Of Jeru-
salem.
MONUMENTSIOn stone tablets and
cylinders, are written records of these
days.
The Cyrus Cylinder, found at Babylon
In 1878, now in British Museum.
The Nabonidus cylinders, in British Mu-
scum.
Annalistic tablet of Cyrus, a proclama-
ton by him, written shortly after his
conquest Of Babylon.
There were three eras of captivity
for the children of Israel is there
were several eras Of return. The first
captivity was by Nebuchadnezzar.
when Daniel and his friends were car
ried captive. Seventy years from this
brings us to B. G. 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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS, who,
after a siege of a year and a 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
cient nation. It 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 a 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 a substitute for true re-
ligion 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.
It led to renewed study of the sa-
cred Scriptures. The exile was the
period in which the guardianship,
transcription and study of the written
Scriptures became the special care
OF a distinct class, afterwards famous
as the great order of the scribes. 1t
led, also, to the establishments of the
synagogue for social worship and read
ing Of the Scriptures, with its accom-.
panying schools.
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 fol
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 as ar
agency in every country Of the known
world.
The journey home and the whole
movement may be made most real tt
all, and especially to children, b.
tracing the journey on the map. Note
the great rivers to be crossed withou-
bridges, the desert lands, the savage
tribes, the countries of their old enc
mics, the rugged mountains to bt
traversed, hunger, thirst and pain, thu
long weary months Of travel OF foot
n the desolate city, and devastated
homes at the end Of their journey.
If we may trust later traditions, tn.
setting out of the captivity" for Pal
estine a joyous in the extreme. Al
escort Of 1000 cavalry accompanied
them, for protection against the des
ert Arabs, then as now given to plum
der, and they started to the music o
tabrets and flutes. Forth from tn.
gates of Babylon they rode, to tn
sound of joyous music-a band O
horsemen playing on flutes and tab
rets, accompanied by their own 90
minstrel slaves and 1913 singers of tn,
temple, responding to the prophet
voice, as they quilted the shade Of th,
gigantic walls and found themselve'
in the open desert beyond. GO We gu
of Babylon. Flee from the Chaldeans
with a voice of singing declare We
tell this, utter it even to the end o
the earth; say ye, The Eternal hat
redeemed his servant JACOB" It wa
like the procession Of the vestal vii
gins, with the sacred fire in thei
hands, in their retreat from Rome
like Aeneas with his household god
from Troy.
For all who have gone into the cal
tivity of sin there is a call to repen
and return to the Fathers house.
The sins that led to the exile Wer