Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1917-08-25
INTERNATIONAL.
SUNDAXSCINcL,
LESSON
LESSON FOR AUGUST 26.
THE CAPTIVITY OF JUDAH.

. Israel was taken captive by the As-
syrians, Judah was carried away ID
Babylon. Judah's captivity was in
, three stages, covering about twenty
years. The first deportation was while
JchaialJim WIS king. Daniel and his
friends went into captivity at This
! time Dan. 1:1-6). The seventy years
captivity dates from this time. The
| second deportation was Will" Jch,ia-
kim reigned. Most likely Ezekiel was
carried away with this second COM
pany ezekiel :1-2). The third de-
portation, 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.
! Only the poor and unimportant were
| left. Jerusalem itself was destroyed
at this time.
I. JerusaIem Besieged wv. 1-3).
Zedekiah owed his kingShip to the king
of Babylon (chapter ~ 40, who ap-
pointed him to the throne after the re-
moval of JehOiakim. His name was
changed from Mattaniah to Zedekiah.
He was mot a good man GA :19).
Though having his position by the will
of the king of Babylon, he rebelled
against that king. He thought that by
the aid of the surrounding nations,
especially Egypt, he could throw off
the yoke of Babylon. Jeremiah coun-
Seled submission, but the king refused.
NebuchadneZzar came in person with
all his host and laid siege to Jerusalem,
even building forts against 1t ". u.
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
der. 81 10y, Shut off from help from
without, the Jews soon were famiSh-
ing for want of bread. The horrors of
this famine were awful. For q deScrip-
ton of it one should read the book Of
Lamentations. Mothers ate their own
children Uam. 10Y. The richest, even
ladies in silken robes, wandered about
searching for scraps in the dung heaps
Liam. 4:5-10). Their tongues clave
to the roofs of their mouths, and their
skins were dried up. Added to these
horrors were rlurderous fights between
parties among the Jews. Some wanted
to surrender, others insisted upon
holding out,
u. zedekiah's Flight wv. 40. At
length the city vas broken up, and the
king and his warrars-sad by night. His
beyond tie Jordan. The chafdean
army overlook him, scattered his army,
and carried Zedekiah 10 Riblah, where
ACKNOWLEDGMENT had his headquarters.
Here judgment was passed upon him.
In his triAl 1t was shown that his
solemn oath Of allegiance to the Chal,
deans had lbeen broken, thus showing
himself traitor (1I Chron. Sc :13). AS
IL punishment for his treachery his own
sons were jslain before him, his eyes
put out ", u, and he himself carried
to Babylon, where he remained a pris-
0ner till his death iJer. 80 ~. in this
we have b marvellous fulfllment Of
prophecy Ezekiel u 80, which says
that Zedekiah shall be taken to Baby.
lon and die there and yet not see the
city. He Gould not see it because his
eyes We're out. Let us learn from this
that that which God says will surely
come to pass, even though we cannot
explain It's details.
III. The Destruction OF the City tvv.
S-10). Not only were the people taken
captive, but the city itself was SUBJ
.ected to The utmost rigors of war.
They plundered the house of the Lord,
the palace and the houses of the rich,
1ni then consigned them to the flames
(v. 81. They even broke down the
walls Of Jerusalem ". 10Y and mas.
sacred many Of the people tLam.
%, A..
w. Disposition Of the Inhabitants
and the Contents of the Temple wv.
11-2D. 1. The inhabitants wv. IL, 12},
They were divided into two classes,
those who had deserted to the Baby
lOnians during the siege and those who
were found inside of the city at tho
time it was taken. Many doubtless de-
serted to TIE Babyloninns during this
siege, as ev.n Jeremiah was arrested
on this charge (Jer. Ss:13). The poor
Of the land were left TO be vine dress
ers and husbandmen. The wealthy
and influential were taken away, as
they would be o. value to the conquer
ing nation: besl,'es they would be
menace if left behind. The poor were
left because paupe,' captives would be
a burden.
Besides It was :ery undesirable
For the land to lie in waste, as then
they could not exact tribute from it.
To that end enc0uragema was given
by the Babylonians Us Vineyards and
fields" were given 10 the pNor,
2. The contents OF the temple wv,
1921, From the temple which had
been twice piundered before IT Chroh,
36:7, 10y. such Of gold, silSer end
bronze vessels as still remained were
taken, even the great pillars If the
molten sen. THE cartives and tbs treas
ire were delivered to Nebuchadnezzar
nt Roblah, where more than threescore
& men were killed ivy. 1921.
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