Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-08-19
SUNDAY SCHOOL
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BY BRT 1FENTSO11E

I'HF'h FuEt 20 II hliBS % III,
We have in the destruction Of Jv-
rusalem a vivid example Of how Gods
purposes are carried out without his
direct Intervention. He has said that
Judah should be conquered and hu-
INFLATED because OF the sinfulness OF
is people His word must come good
But there was no fire from heaven
10 carry out the threat as in the
cases Of SOdom and GOmorrdh. The
Lord uses men and natural means 70
ulfill his designs. NebuChadneZZu
had no special commission from
heaven 10 accomplish the destruction
Of the kingdom in order to fulfin
prophecy His motives were far re-
moved from any desire TO verify di-
vine prediction, even supposiug he had
known of its existence. HIS raid on
Judca was not even a bandit enter
prise for the sake OF spoil. Ii was a
political move pure and simple. and
yet the hand of God was IN IT. timing
the ohstinacy Of a weak and VaCillat-
ing king TO the political conditions OF
the times and the greed for conquc-
and power Of "A great nation which
sought 10 protect it's borders from the
cncroachment Of only less powerful
rival
Like many small nations of tho
present day, Judea was the victim Of
an intense rivalry for world power ne
tween the Chgldean monarchy ana
Egypt. The latter had long enjoyed
the prestige of being the dominant
nation OF the era, but Babylon had
risen SO rapidly in potentiality auu
conQuo st that n continual irritation
was present In the border states be-
tween them. Before this lesson Baby
4 al N,. fVtty
dean king who was friendly to Egypt
and suppanting him with Hedekiah,
who promised TO be subserVient 10
Chaldea. But there was enough pro-
Egyptian sentiment in Judah ana sur
rounding kingdoms to prompt the
proposal of "A league of the small
states against Babylonian authority.
Like n modern potentate Xcde KAN,
thot 1t is proper to regard his argree-
ment with Nebuchadnezzar as a
scrap Of paper" and rebelled against
the conqueror. His allies were APP
parently unwilling or unable to assist
him and two years seige of Jerusalem
effected its reduction.
What followed the capture Of the
king on his attempted escape ana hts
punishment, the enslavCment Of the
best people, and the destruction OF the
city and slaughter of the mobiles. had
double purpose As long as Baby
Ion could not depend on Judea as
tributary state and n buffer agains,
Egyptian cnCroachment, the CON
querer determined 20 leave nothing
there worthy for Egypt to fight for.
The people left remaining were the
poorer sort who could not he expected
to give Egypt any substantial com
fort The killing and burning was
done as lesson to Moab, Ammon
and Tyre, or any other small states
who might be tempted to defy Cnai-
dean authority It was done for
moral effect" XedelSiah himself
paid the penalty of his perfidy by
witnessing the death of his sons. after
which his own eyes were put out. rms
man was not one Of your positively
bad men lie had neither the COURAGE
to be stcadfastly good or bad. lie
was. in other words, an opportunist.
He followed the dictates of wha, ne
thot was eXpedient rather than Just.
He thot that ne could unite with other
small kings and, under the shadow