Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1922-07-28

Great Promise.
INTERMEDIATE AND SENIOR TOPIC
How God Kept n Great Promise.
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT TOPIC
Striking Manifestations OF Gods Provl-
dence.
l. The Return From Captivity Pre-
dicted GO :10-14).
1t seems that false prophets were
flonrShing in Babylon telling the peo-
pie that they would speedily be re-
stored to their own land To counter
act this the Lord moved jeremiah to
send this letter to the .captives in
Babylon (vv. 8, o.. In this letter he
advised them to settle down and
quietly pursue their regular callings
OF life and not to be led astray by the
false prophets (vv. G, y.
/. The length Of the captivity
". 10). Their coming back was to be
"after seventy years." From Daniel
90 it is clear that seventy, years
means definite time. 1t dates from
the time when the first company was
taken captive among which Daniel
was found.
g.. Recovered by God (vv. 10-14).
Gods purpose in the captivity was
to cure them Of their idolatrous prac-
tees. He assured them that when His
purpose was. accomplished he would
visit them and convince them Of His
good purpose toward them. When once
this was done they would call upon
Him in sincerity and He would be
found of them. Their captivity He
would turn away; gather the:n from
all the nations and bring them into
their own land.
II. Prediction of Captivity Ful.
filled ezra 1:1-1D.
i. The proclamation OF Cyrus
wv. 1-D. Q) This was not by ac-
cident, but that the word Of the Lord
might be fulfilled ". y. What God
has promised He will do; He never
forgets. Wherever we find Il promise
which He hath made we can rest upon
it; He will make good. (2) BY divine
initiation ". y. 1.-The Lord stirred up
the spirit Of Cyrus" How this was
done we do not knew. Possibly Daniel
brought 10 his attention the prophecy
of Isaiah and jeremiah 'QSa. IA :2S;
Jer 25:12). Every impulse to do good
in all men is caused by the LOrd-cYen
heathen king who may not have been
conscious Of doing His will, at Gods
appointed time took the initiative in
tlGs matter 1t may have been that
Cyrus only saw his own action as q
piece Of Statecraft-the creation OF q
buffer state nation between his king
dom and that Of Egypt BE that as
it may, God stirred him up to do His
will co The content of His prCclalna-
ton Wv 2-4). (a) "The Lord God Of
heaven hath charged Inc to build Him
Il house in Jerusalem" ". y. This
makes clear that he had some impress.
sion of Gods hand upon him. (b) AD.
peal TO Jewish patriotism ". -. He
invUkes Gods blessing upon such as
possess the national religious feeling,
and commands them to go and build
the house OF the Lord God. (c) Lend
assistance ". y. Many Of the Jews
were established in business and there.
fore were not free to so. Many, no
doubt, had lost their national spirit
and therefore were not anxious to so.
All such were to lend friendly as
sistance in silver, gold and beasts.
Those who cannot go TO do Gods work
should strengthen the hands Of those
who do go.
,. The response Of Cyrus proclaim
alton Wv. ., ~. The ctief Of the
fathers of Judah and Benjamin and
the priests and Levites presented them
selves as willing and ready to so.
The company which returned was
largely made up vi representatives of
Judah and Benjamin.
3. The royal favor Wv. I'D
Cyrus brought forth the vessels Of the
house Of the Lord which NeDuchadneZ.
Ear had brought forth out Of Jcru.
salem and put into the house Of his
gods. This was u great encourage
ment to every loyal Jew whose heart
had been grieyed over the proclamation
u these sacred vessels. Now 10 have
5,400 of these vessels returned to their
owners and sent back to Jerusalem to