The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1911-10-12
The Return
From Captivity
Sunday School Lesson for Oct. IS, 1911
Specially Arranged for This Paper
LESSON TExT-Ezra lh-n; s:sa-7O.

HtNTtt OI ItluIH Ooo.i. flloN ltNhih
Zerubbabel. 1915.
PLACE Babylon and vIncnity. Jeru-
salem. And the long journey between.
RULERS-Cyrus was king of Babylon.
and large part OF the East Zerubbabel
called also Sheshbazzar (Ezra 1:S; 2:0
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 Nabonldus cylinders. In British Mu.
scum.
Annallstic 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 az 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. c. 536, the time OF
the completion of the return described
In this lesson.
Nebuchadnezzar again captured the
city, sent great amount OF treasures
from the palace and the temple to
Babylon, with 10000 of the more inn
Dortant 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 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. c. 515.
The discipline of the exile has ac-
complished its purpose so far that 1t
is wise and safe to permit a large
number to return and renew the an
cient 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 fascinations. They were taught to
set 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 10 II. They
were also taught by their absence the
value. and necessity of religious insti.
tutioDs, OF the means Of worship, OF
the Sabbath day.
1t 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 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-
panylng 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. 1t was an aid
f,, To-. hn Tn,
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 as an
agency in every country of the known
world
The journey home and the whole
movement 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
traversed, 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
them, for protection against the des.
ert Arabs. then as now given to plum
der, and they started to the music Of
tabrets and flutes. Forth from the
gates of Babylon they rode. to the
sound of joyous muslc-a band Of
horsemen playing on flutes and tab
rets, accompanied by their own 200
minstrel slaves and 12S singers of the
temple, responding to the prophet S
voice, as they quilted the shade of the
gigantic walls and found themselves
in the open desert beyond. Go ye out
Of Babylon. Flee from the Chaldeans,
with a voice of singing declare ye,
tell this, utter 1t even to the end OF
the earth; say ye, The Eternal hath
redeemed his servant Jacob" 1t was
like the procession Of the vestal vir'
gins. with the sacred fire in their
hands, in their retreat from Rome
like Aeneas with his household gods
from Troy.
For all who have gone into the cap
tivity of sin there is a call to repent
and return to the Fathers house. A
book has lately been published giving