Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1911-08-23
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson X.-Third Quarter, For
Aug. IT, 1911.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.
Text Of the Lesson. Jer. xxxix. 10.
Memory Verses. 9. 1o-GoIden Text.
Mum. xsxii. 2s-commentary Pro-
pared by Rev. o. M. Stearns.

We have come TO the end OF the story
OF Judah for the time being. for when
In captivity their history ceases during
that period. Thus the 513 years OF
Acts Kill. 1921. from the exodus TO the
building Of the temple. perfectly agrees
with the $50 of Kings vi I. by sub
tracing the ninety-three years OF the
captivities in Judg. iii. iv. vi. Kill: so
also the whole period OF the present
age of lSraers rejection of Christ
which comes I'm between the sixty-nine
weeks and the seventeen week or Dan
tx. 1921. Every believer should lay to
nPart that all time spent out OF fellow
ship with Christ is time lost
The ten tribes had been carried cap
tive In the ninth year of their King
Hoshea. which was about the sixth
year OF Hezekiah. king OF Judah. The
Lord had borne with Judah about $50
years longer. sending them prophet
after prophet and giving them such
good kings as Hezekiah and Josiah. but
they were incorrigible. They Knocked
the messengers OF God and despised
His words and misused His prophets
until the wrath of the Lord arose
against His people till there was no
remedy Therefore He brought upon
them the king OF the Chaldees
to fulfill the word OF the Lord by the
mouth OF jeremiah" al Chron. xxxvi.
10. II. Oh.
The account Of this siege Of Jerusa
lem, with the capture OF Zedekiah and
many OF bis people. is recorded In Jcr
III and II Kings XIV. and more fully
In those two chapters than In our les
son chapter There were at least two
very strange things in connection with
this siege and the capture OF Zedekiah
Ezekiel was n captive in Babylon. hun.
dreds of miles distant. and yet without
telephone or telegraph or wireless he
was told TO note the very day the siege
began and set II forth by an object les
son 10 the captives at Babylon (Ezek
xiv. 10: Jer. iii. ~. he was told TO
tell the captives that the king would he
carried to Babylon and die there, yet
he would not see Babylon OEzek. xii.
13. This is explained by verse OF
our lesson. The time and manner Of
the flight Of the king and his men OF
war from the city. according to verse
OF our lesson. were also seen by the
prophet In Babylon and set forth be
fore the people by an object lesson
(Ezek. Iii. 1.13l. The capture OF Zede.
kiah by night helps 10 make more real
that the darkness and the light are
both alike TO Him with whom we have
to do; that we cannot escape Him
when He wants us: that It is impossi
BILE TO hide from Him FPS cxxxix. I-12,
We think OF Jonah and his capture
and second commission and also OF
Mum. xxxii. %. Re sure your sin will
find you out" On the other hand. con
slider how safe We are when God hides
US. Think OF Moses in a cleft of the
rock with Gods hand covering him. o.
Elijah hidden by the brook Cherith ana
at Zarephath and OF jeremiah and
Baruch hidden from Jehoiakim. II VIC
are true believers we may well rejoice
that our life is hid with Christ in God
(Col. Ill. 81 From the murder OF Abel
to the present time and on TO the time
when he shall be shut up for thou
sand years the devils motto seems t.
be XIII. kin" See his dread work In
verse 6 of our lesson Yet the murder
OF Zedekiah's sons bears no compari
son TO the murder OF the Son OF Goo
In the presence Of Mary. His mother
These men and all others die because
OF their own sins. He died for the sins
of the whole world
Some were carried captive to Baby
Ion for their good. like Daniel and his
friends. Ezekiel and others. but Zede
kiah and his companions were carried
captive MS q reproach and a proverb.
a taunt and a curse This was shown
to jeremiah in the rision OF the two
baskets OF figs der. XIV 1t is not
true concerning every one TINT "all is
for the best" but IT is true concerning
all who are redeemed by precious
blood: that al things are for their good
that they may become in their daily
life more like Jesus Christ from. Will.
So the city was taken and burned.
and the walls were broken down and
the people carried into captivity for
seventy years. as the Lord had predict
ed by jeremiah (chapter xxx. To-. The
mountains remained as before. and II ts
written. las the mountains not the
walls) are round about Jerusalem. so
the Lord Is round about His people
from heDceforth even forever"
The captain OF the guard left In the
land some OF the poor OF the people
who had nothing and gave them vine
yards and fields (verse 1O,. reminding
us OF Zeph. iii. II. IL will also leave
In the midst OF thee an afflicted and
poor people. and they shall trust in the
name OF the Lord" One feature of the