The Holt County sentinel., 1911-12-29

| our sins. and to cleanse US from all un
Righteousness. IL John 10
To 20 over all the lessons separate
ly, one after another, to repeat titles
and Golden Texts In order. to select
certain truths we have leafned--this
Is not review. What We need 10 the
movement Of the whole period Of the
history, to study its meaning. to what !,
Is leading. how each event. each charac
ter, bears upon this end. to help or t.
hinder, TO see God in the history. and
TO learn the lessons the whole period
| teaches us.
Reviewing Is looking backward from,
some tower or hilltop, over the land
scape through which we have been
travelling. The hills. the valleys. the
cities. the villages, the forests. the fer,
tile fields, We have been seeing In de.
tail through the quarter We now see az
one broad country. and we understand
the meaning and power Of the land ~
. whole.
The principal countries where the
events took place should be noted on
the map. their relations TO one anoth-
er, the modern names Of these lands
given. and the events In each reported.
The Bible history IL made more real
and more interesting. when the con.
temporary events OF secular history
are connected with II. Joining day
school with Sunday school. And often
tho secular history throws light upon
the Biblical history. The monuments.
the remains Of ancient times found In
the ruins OF their great cities within
the last century. add greatly TO our
knowledge and interest.
The history We are reviewing nat.
| urally falls into four eras or periods
! ca The two streams Of the divided
kingdom. l2) The single stream Of Ju'
dab. ca The Exile. 60 The Return
and Restoration.
!. First Period. The Divided King
dom.--Judah and Israel side by side. u
double experiment, IN the progress oi
| the kingdom Of God. This period ex
tended from ss2.722. about 26O years
Judahs territory contained about 3.iO0
square miles: lsraels 9.400. Judnh's
capital was Jerusalem with It's tenn
pies: lsrael's was Samaria. with two
centers Of false worship. judah was
more sheltered than Israel from close
contact with the heather. both politi
cally and relieiously. Judah had one
dynasty OF n kings and one queen. all
Of the house Of David: and Israel ~
/ Iusa ,A..h hnl
several very good kings. and gres'
revivals Of religion aud reforms oil
morals; while In Israel from the AIRS,
was q deterioration OF varying de
gross. with great help from Elijah and
Elisha.
Tho principles we have been study
ing apply to our own times. but are
worked ont In ways adapted to modern
life. THE church Ia an army on duty
an army for the Christian conquest OF
tho world by loving faithfulness 81
There are great evils to be driven out
Of our country. The whole land IL wax
ing up 10 realize the need Of civic right
eousness. There 10 always need OF
awakening new reforming zeal For
every step We gain gives us Views OF
new needs. aud new ideals. Every
Christian land ought TO be u perfect ex
ample OF the kingdom OF God. and OF
the blessings that abound IN II. Every
failure to live that life lessons its In
huence over the heather nations.
II. Second Period. Judah the Sole
Kingdom. Length Of Period. 1876 years
from destruction Of Samaria 722 tC
final fall Of Jerusalem and destruc lion
OF the temple In $50. Every failure
from the perfect life. every moral
wrong, every fall into idolatry. dimin
ished their power for good; and It was
necessary that punishment should fol
low such conduct. both to persuade
them into the ways Of God and right
eousness. and also to show the heath
en- that only obedience TO God could
lead to the blessings prepared fol
Gods people.
Ill. Third Period. The Exile In Baby
lon. Length Of period, 20 years. sos
636 and 6s6.5l6.
A period Of discipline. of sitting like
wheat. Of the refners purifying fire
The Jews learned their need Of God
the value OF religion. the blessednes,
of the Word Of God: they gained the
broadening Of their ideas. and sympa
thies. the increase Of their culture
Discipline. purifying In the furnace
the strength that comes from overcom
Ing, Ia the need Of all individuals ant
churches today.
l. Nv. The Fourth Period. The Return
The New Spiritual Nstion.-This pc
Rod extends from the first return IL
638 to the close of the Bible history
400--with an onward vision to the com
Ing OF Christ. Preparations for the
coming of Christ. The fOrerunner