Evening star., 1922-09-23

| Our lesson for this week brings to
close series of studies in Hebrew
| history that has been the basis of our
have traced the story of the chosen
| people from their division into the
| Kingdoms of Israel and Judah, and
watched the decline of both nations.
; In the two former quarters we OBJ
served how God sought to check the
| fall Of both Kingdoms by the minis
! try of the prophets. who pointed out
| the peril that both nations faced and
showed them the way of safety
! through a life of repentance and obe-
/ dience to the word of the Lord. The
result of their refusal to heed the
voice of the prophets and obey Cod s
law we saw in the overthrow of both
nations and their deportation to
Ba bylon.
| Humanely speaking, the defeat and
captivity of both nations by the Baby
| lonians meant the extinction of the
! Hebrews as a race and nation. Je-
! hovah planned differently. He had a
! place for the Jews to fill then, as He
| has now, in working out His pro-
! Crane for the advancement of human
,ity Behind the shadow, SORROWS and
suffering of the exile the eternal and
everything God kept watch over His
chosen people and used the expert
ences of their trials and tribula ton
! 10 develop their character and trans
form their religious life so that He
could make them the channel of bless
! ing for the whole world and fulfill
| His promises to their fathers In the
! darkest period the prophets had pro-
claimed the coming of a new day in
their history. The promise that Je-
hovah would make a new covenant
/ with the Hebrew people was over
! looked by men. God did not forget His
Iobligation to write a new covenant
upon the hearts Of those whom He
i was compelled, because of their dis
| obedience and neglect of His COM
! mands, to punish. Our lessons FOR
| the last three months have shown us
| how the Lord used the experiences
! of the exile to purify and develop d
redeemed people. Our opening lesson
, revealed them in hopeless captivity
| and our closing study showed that
! they had been restored to Palestine.
! The walls had been rebuilt, the tenn
/ Pile restored and the services of wor-
! ship which had been interrupted by
! the exile had been renewed.
! History of any period always pre-
sents some prominent personality.
, who lncarnates and expresses the
! ideals of the era. We have consid-
! cred during our study of the quarter
! some of Israels outstanding men who
{ have left their impress not only upon
| the Hebrew people, but all nations
| of the earth. Their messages have
! helped mold the thought of all the
ages since their day Several of them
! have been prophets whose lessons
i have been an inspiration to all stu
dents of the Old Testament. Ezekiel.
| the young priest, lifted his voice in
an effort to fill his discouraged coun-
! trymen with hope when everybody
! had given up hopes for their future
! as race. They had been removed
| from the land. and thought that they
! had lost their God with the destruc-
/ ton of the temple and exile. He in
! Spired them with the thrilling prom
! ise of the coming Messiah Haggai
/ and Zechariah both took part in the
! restoration activities. Malachi, who
/ closed the line of prophets, and
! Hebrew nation and the world rested
| in the advent of the Messiah.
/ We have studied the careers of sew
/ eral heroes and one heroine. Daniel.
! the interpreter of the mysteries. has
! thrilled our thoughts in four OF our
+ lessons. We have admired his devo-
| ton to principle and loyalty to Je-
| hovah Gods providential care of
! His servant and the elevation of
i Daniel to the premiership, indicated
! the evidence of Divine Providence in
! the affairs of men. His career proved
! the value of temperance, prayer, edu-
I cation and faith in the life of an in
| dividual. Mordecai was the hero in
I saving his imperiled Countrymen. He
! influenced Esther to risk her life for
| the glory of God and the welfare of
| her nation. In that crisis there was
| revealed the providence of the ever