Roanoke Rapids herald. [volume] (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) 1914-192?, 1917-08-24
INTERNATIONAL.
SUNlNSQ100L
LESSON
"px hEV. +; Is. F1TZWATER, d. D.,
i p.Wacher or English Bible In the Moody
b'ple institute of Chicago.)
'oopyright, 1917. Western Newspaper Union,
LESSON FOR AUGUST 26.
THE CAPTIVITY OF JUDAH.

o",hN IEhT-As l live. saith the
,oru Coo, / have no pleasure In the
oea'h OK the wicked.-Ezekiel 33:ll
Many years after the kingdom of
israel was taken captive by the AS
Syrlahs, Judah was carried away to
babylon. Judah's captivity was in
'hree stages, covering about twenty
years The first deportation was while
Jeholnklm was king. Daniel and his
friends went into captivity at this
time (Dan. :1-8). The seventy years
captivity dates from this time. The
second deportation was while Jehola-
Kim relgned. Most likely Ezekiel was
carried away with this second COM
pany ezekiel 1:1-2). The third de.
portatlcn, some twelve years after the
second, Is the one described in our les
son. AT this time the greater part of
the nation was removed to Babylon.
oliy The poor and unlmportant were
ieft. Jerusalem itself was DESTROYED
ut this time.
!. Jerusalem Besieoed wv. 1-3).
zedeklah owed his kingshlp to the king
Oh Babylon Chapter PAID, who ap-
pointed him to the throne after the re-
moval of Jeholaklm. His name was
changed from Mattanlah to Zedekiah.
lie was not good man GA :19).
lhough having his position by the Will
OF the king Of Babylon, he rebelled
against that king. He thought that by
the MD of the surrounding nations,
especially Egypt, he could throw Off
The yoke of Babylon. Jeremiah coun-
SEIZED submission, but the king refused.
NeDuchadnezzar came In person with
all his host and laid siege to jerusalem,
even building forts against Il ". II,
This siege lasted for about a year and
half. For while during that period
the Chaldean army withdrew because
OF the appearance of Pharaoh's army
tier. 800. Shut Off from help from
without, the Jews soon were famish-
Ing for want Of bread. The horrors of
ms famine were awful. For descrip-
ton of II one should read the book of
Lamentations. Mothers ate their own
children Clam. 800. The richest, even
ladies' In sllken robes, wandered about
searching for scraps In the dung heaps
liam. 1910. Their tongues claye
TO the roofs of their mouths, and their
skins were dried up. Added to these
horrors were murderous fights between
parties among the Jews. Some wanted
to surrender Others insisted upon
holding out. c
u. zedeklah's Flight wv. 40. At
ength the city was broken up, and the v
King and his warriors fled by night. His
hought was to escape TO the country Z
beyond the Jordan. The Chadean U
irmy overlook him, scattered his army, u
md carried Zedeklah to Riblah, where u
Nebuchadnezzar had his headquarters. !. !,
lere judgment was passed upon him. IL !,
n his trial It was shown that his i
GLENN oath of allegiance to the Chal. u
cans had been broken, thus showing "
HIMSELF traitor UI Chron. 80 .13). As
punishment for his treachery his own
ops were slain before him, his eyes
Ut out ". y, and he himself carried
Babylon, where he remained n pris.
fnr I'LL his death (Jer. 80 III. In this
e have n marvellous fulfllment OF
rophecy Ezekiel 12:3), which says
mt Zedeklah shall he taken to Baby
N and die there and yet not see the
ty. He could not see II because his
yes were out. Let us learn from this
at that which God says will surely
me to pass. even though we cannot
plain Its details.
w. The Destruction Of the City wv.
10y. Not only were the people taken
ptlve, but the city Itself was SUBJ
cited to the utmost rlgors of war.
ley plundered the house Of the Lord.
e palace and the houses OF the rich.
d then consigned them to the flames
. %. They even broke down the
Ills Of Jerusalem ". 10Y and mas.
cred many of the people (Lam.
;. ~.
". Disposition Of the Inhabitants
d the Contents Of the Temple wv.
Ply. l. The inhabitants wv. II. 12).
ey were divided into two classes.
'se who had deserted to the Baby
ians during the siege and those who
re found inside of the city at the
lie II was taken. Many doubtless de-
ted to the Babylonians during this
&c, rs even Jeremiah was arrested
this charge (Jer. 1919. The poor
the land were left to be vine dress sho
and husbandmen. The wealthy full
influential were taken away. as taff
would be Of value to the conquer n
nation; besides they would be a the
lace II left behind. The poor were witt
because pauper captives would be In
burden. Str,
'esides 1t was very undesirable the
the land to lie in waste, as then sho,
' could not exact tribute from II. belt
that end encouragement was given inch
the Babylonians as vineyards and The
Is" were given to the poor. leng
The contents of the temple wv. B,
~. From the temple which had the
twice plundered before (II Chron. brin
7, 10Y, such Of gold, silver and Sum
lie vessels as still remained were to b
N, even the great pillars of the to b
Ten sea. The captives and the treas. each
were delivered to Nebuchadnezzar NOR,
'oblah, where more than threescore The!
zen were Killed ivy. 1AoN Tho