The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1911-08-18

lin II VI lHlS icSSOH was ID ~ Oo-ooo'
IS years after our last lesson during the
| last siege Of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnez-
Ear, from the 9th to the 18th year OF Zede-
kiah's reign.
PLACE.-Jerusalem surrounded by the
besieging armies of the Chaldeans, and
suffering from famine and pestilence Ger.
/ 8S:2).
jeremiah had prophesied nearly 40 years
(since 626) and was prematurely OLD
man.
Zedekiah was the last king Of Judah,
reigning II years.
Nebuchadnezzar, 18th and 10th year Of
his reign.
Jehoiakim reigned six years after
he had burned the roll of Jeremiahs
prophecies, which, like the tabled
phoenix rose anew and fresh from
the ashes. He was slain In 597
The first blow of the threatened
doom of Judah had fallen during the
fourth year of his reign, the first toll
ing of the bell Of judgment which
should have summoned the very dead
In sin to awake. But they gave no
heed.
Jehoiachin, his son, assembled the
throne, bad, weak boy, utterly unfit
to cope with the situation. His reign
lasted only three months. Upon Je-
hoiachin descended the full force OF
the divine vengeance incurred by
previous generations. He was scarcely
on the throne when the Chaldean
forces, which had been ravaging Jul
dea, were joined by Nebuchadnezzar
himself, and closed around Jerusa-
lem, and Jehoiachin surrendered at
discretion. The arm Of Babylon raised
to- strike his father fell on him, and
fulfilled the prophecy against Jehoia-
kim. "He shall have none to sit upon
the throne of David" Jehoiachin was
kept a prisoner in Babylon for 81
years and was then released.
This was the second blow OF divine
Judgment, the beginning Of the second
captivity, when 10000 people were car
ried captive to Babylon. Among them
were the kings wives and officers,
and 1000 that were strong and apt
for war, and 1000 craftsmen; and a
large part of the 5,400 vessels Of gold
and silver from the Temple and pal
aces. The policy Of Nebuchadnezzar
was to remove out of the way all those
who might be able to organize a re-
volt when he and his army had de-
parted. Such men It would have been
dangerous to leave behind. 1t would
seem as If all this would have been
suffi cient to prevail on the people to
repent and be saved.
Zedekiah, the brother Of Jehoiakin,
was placed upon the throne by Nebu-
chadnezzar, "a shadow king over
desperate band of men. During the
first nine years Of his reign the ma
ton, instead Of embracing the oppor-
tunity of repentance, plunged more
deeply into folly. The dregs of the
people, left behind in Jerusalem, laid
this flattering unctien to their souls:
1--WE have been spared by Jehovah,
therefore we are righteous in his
sight"
During a brief respite while Nebu-
chadnezzar left Jerusalem free while
he fought the Egyptians Jeremiah
went forth out Of Jerusalem to go into
the land of Benjamin. His home was
at Anathoth in Benjamin, three or
four miles north of the city. 1t was
apparently to secure his share of the
tithes and produce Of the Levitical
glebe of the village, due to him as one
of it's priests. Knowing that the Chal'
deans would return, it was imperative
that he should obtain the means OF
subsistence to take back into the city,
so soon to be beleagured afresh. 9th
ers think 1t was to secure himself IN
the possession Of an inheritance.
There was a natural rush to get ont
of the city after so long a confine
ment. jeremiah went with the Others
When jeremiah was in the gate OF
Benjamin, the north gate Of the city,
that by which any one would &c to
the country of Benjamin which adj
joined Jerusalem, guard said: Thou
fallest away to the Chaldeans; you
are trying to desert to the enemy"
Then said jeremiah: False! A lie!
fall not a way to the Chaldeans."
He was arrested by the guard, and
brought to the princes, the officials OF
the government, who were wroth with
jeremiah. He had compared them to
rotten figs. He was the strongest and
most resolute opponent of their war
policy. But for him they would have
bod a. oil fIYbir owp Uav
jeremiah was placed in a dungeon
under the prison builling. Jerusalem
was honey-combed with subterranean
cisterns, vaulted or arched overhead,
and cabins, vaults, I've subterranean,
arched spaces of a tern, containing
water.
At last Zedeki9, the king, secretly
took him out to Iquire: as there any
word from the Lord?" jeremiah re-
piled: "There T." The word was:
Thou shalt b, delivered into the hand
of the king Babylon"
And next summer we shall probably
hear the same Old story about an Ice
20 mina