The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1911-12-28

our Sins, ana TO cleanse us from all un-
righteousness. IL John 1:9.
To go over all the lessons separate
ly, one after another, to repeat titles
and Golden Texts in order, to select
certain truths we have learned---this
is not review. What we need is the
movement of the whole period of the
history, to study its meaning, to whatit
Is leading, how each event, each charac
ter, bears upon this end, to help or to
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 as
one broad country, and we understand
the meaning and power of the land as
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 is made more real,
and more interesting, when the con-
temporary events of secular history
are connected with it, Joining day
school with Sunday school. And often
the 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.
% The two streams of the divided
kingdom. (2) The single stream of Ju-
dab. (9) The Exile. (4) The Return
and Restoration.
| /. First Period. The Divided King
dom.-Judah and Israel side by side, a
double experiment in the progress of
the kingdom of God. This period ex-
tended from 9S2-722, about 260 years
Judah's territory contained about 3,400
square miles; Israel's 9,400. Judah's
capital was Jerusalem with its tenn
pies; Israel'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 religiously. judah had one
dynasty of IL kings and one queen, all
of the house of David and Israel 10
kings and dynasties. Judah had
several very good kings, and great
revivals Of religion and reforms OF
morals; while in Israel from the first
was a deterioration of varying de-
gress. with great help from Elijah and
Elisha.
The principles we have been study
ing apply to our own times, but are
worked out in ways adapted to modern
life. "The church Is an army on duty,
an army for the Christian conquest Of
the world by loving faithfulness. /"
There are great evils to be driven out
Of our country. The whole land is wax
ing up to realize the need of civic right
eousness. There is always need of
awakening new reforming zeal. For
every step we gain gives us views Of
new needs, and new ideals. Every
Christian land ought to be a perfect ex-
ample of the kingdom of God, and OF
the blessings that abound in It, Every
failure to live that life lessons its in
duence over the heather nations.
II. Second Period Judah the Sole
Kingdom.-Length of Period, 1856 years
from destruction of Samaria 722 to
final fall of Jerusalem and destruction
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 1t 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 for
Gods people.
III. Third Period. The Exile In Baby
lon. Length Of period, 70 years, 605-
$50 and 586-516.
A period of discipline, of sitting like
wheat, of the refiners purifying fire.
The Jews learned their need of God,
the value Of religion, the blessedness
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, is the need Of all individuals and
churches today.
Nv. The Fourth Period. The Return.
The New Spiritual Nation.-This Pc
riod extends from the first return in
b36 to the close of the Bible history,
i00-with an onward vision to the COM
ing OF Christ. Preparations for the
coming of Christ. The forerunner.