The Holt County sentinel., 1911-10-13
The Return
From Captivity
seiay S<hssl lssss fss "a. Is. 1911
Specially Arranged for This Paper
Specially Arranged for This Paper
LESSON TExT-Ezra ia.ii; 2.s4.7o.


decree Of return $751; First return. under
Zerubbabel, 5376
PLAcE-Babyloti and vlncInlty. Jeru-
salem. And the long journey between.
RULERS-Cyrus was king OF Babylon.
and q large part OF the East. zerubbabei
called also Sheshbaxsar tEsra 1s 29
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 Nabonidus cylinders. In British Mu-
scum.
Annailstic tablet Of Cyrus. q prociama-
ton by him, written shortly after his
conquest Of Babylon.
There were three eras Of captivity
for the children Of Israel as there
were several eras Of return. The first
captivity was by Nebuchadneszar.
when Daniel and his friends we're car.
ried captive. Seventy years from this
brings 10 to b. c. 500. the time OF
the completion Of the return described
In this lesson.
Nebuchadneszar again captured the
city. sent 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 Nebuchadnezzar. who.
after q siege Of . year and half. in
July. 6S6. completely destroyed the
city and the temple. Seventy years
from this time brings us to the com.
pletion Of the temple. u. c. 5i5.
The discipline Of the exile has &C.
complished It's purpose so far that II
10 wise and safe to permit q large
number to return and renew the an.
Client nation. II 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 Vaccinations. They were taught to
set . new value on the filling OF all
the forms Of worship with the spiri,
| Of religion. God had allowed even the
city which was the type Of heaven and
the most glorious temple dedicated "a
his worship to b. destroyed When
these became . substitute for true 70
4, ligion instead Of an aid to II. The,
were also taught by their absence the
value and necessity Of religious insti
tutions. Of the means Of worship. ol
the Sabbath day.
II led to renewed study Of the %
cred Scriptures. The exile was ths
period In which the guardianship
transcription and study Of the writer
Scriptures became the special care
Of a distinct class, afterwards famou,
as the great order OF tho scribes. i
led. also. to the establishment OF tn,
synagogue for social worship and read
ing Of the Scriptures. with Its accom-
panying schools.
The captivity served a. q mission
AIRY scheme to spread the knowledg,
Of God over the world. II was an al,
in preparing the world for the com
ing Of the Lord Jesus Christ and 70
the spread OF the gospel by the apps
ties. Thus there was the promisct
land. the homeland the center OF r,
lisious life. and the dispersion as a,
agency In every country Of the know,
world.
The journey home and the Who'll
movement may be made most real L
ell. and especially TO children, b.
tracing the journey on the map. Not
the great rivers to be crossed withou
bridges. the desert lands, the savag
tribes. the countries OF their old en-,
mics. the rugged mountains to b
traversed. hunger. thirst and pain. tn
long weary months Of travel on foo
and the desolate city and devastate
homes at the end Of their journey.
II We may trust later traditions. tn
setting out Of the captivity" for Pa
estins was Joyous In the extreme. A
escort Of 1000 cavalry accompanie
them. for protection against the de,
crt Arabs. then a. now given to plui
der. and they started to the music {
tabrets and flutes. Forth from th
gates Of Babylon they rode. to th
sound Of joyous music-a band {
horsemen playing on flutes and tai
rets, accompanied by their own 20
minstrel slaves and l2S singers OF III
, temple. responding TO the prophet
voice. - they quilted the shade Of tn
: gigantic walls and found themselvs
In the open desert beyond. go 70 o,
Of Babylon. Flee from the Chsldean
with . voice Of singing declare y
tell this. utter It even to the end ,
\ the earth: say ye. The Eternal hat
redeemed his servant Jacob" II VI
like tho procession Of the vestal vi
: gins. with the sacred hrs In the
n hands, In their retreat from Rome
like Aensas with his household goo
Q from Troy.
For all who have gone into the ca
tivity Of sin there 10 call to repeI
and return to the Fathers house.
Thu aims that led to the exilo WeI