The Holly chieftain., 1922-06-15
IMPROVED UNIFORM INTERNATIONAL
Si11nldaySchool q
' Lesson '
(By REV. P. B. FITzwATER. D. D..
Teacher of English Bible In the Moody
Bible Institute Of Chicago.)
Copyright. 1879. Western Newspaper Union.
LESSON FOR JUNE ls
THE DOWNFALL OF JUDAH

LESSON TEXT-u Kings 3:1-N.
GOLDEN TExT-Be not deceived: God
Ii not Knocked; for Whatsoever a man
soweth, that shall he also reap.-Gal 81.
REFERENCE MATERIAI-Deut. 3:lb-
10: Is. 80. 81; II Chron. 36:l1-3; Luke 10:
l-A
PRIMARY roP1c-God Furnishing Dis
obedient People.
JUNIOR ToPIC-The Capture of Jeru-
| salem.
INTERMEDIATE AND SENIOR TOPIC
"A Nation That Disobeyed God.
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT TOPIC
Results of National Disobedience to God.
Zedekiah was made king of Judah
by the king of Babylon (24:17), but in
spite of this kindness and the word
of the Lord spoken to him by jeremiah
(Jer. 38:17, 18: ct. Jer. 52:3), he re-
belled against the king Of Babylon. He
relied upon the help Of Egypt. but all
that Egypt could do was to cause
temporary interruption of the siege Of
Jerusalem.
I. The selae Of Jerusalem (vv. 1-3).
/. Time Of (vv. l, p. 1t began on
the tenth day of the tenth month Of
the ninth year of Zedekiah's reign and
lasted about eighteen months. The
tenth month according to the Jewish
calendar corresponds to our December
January. as their calendar year began
about the middle of March. The reason
the exact time is given is that this
was to be an event of great Importance
to the Jews in their exile.
2. The Method ". ~. Nebuchadnez-
Ear came in person with large army
and encamped against Jerusalem and
built forts against 1t round about. It
Is thought that siege walls were built
around the city. shutting 1t in. On
the tops Of these walls forts were built
from which missiles of destruction
could be hurled by their engines of
war against the city. With the city
shut in its fall was only question
Of time.
8. The Famine ". 81. 1t is estimat-
ed that one-third of the people Of Jeru-
salem died Of starvation.
II. Zedeklah's Flight and Fate wv.
40.
1. ''The City was Broken Up" ". ~.
The Chaldeans had succeeded in max
ing an opening In the wall SO large
that they could make their way into
the city in spite Of all that the He
brews could do. Resistance was car
ried on to the bitter end.
q Zedekiah's Flight ". ~. The king
with his men Of war fled by night to-
ward the plain. His object, no doubt,
was to cross the Jordan at Jericho
and hide in the mountains east Of
Jordan.
8. Zedekiah's Fate (vv. SD. (1) He
was overtaken in the plains of Jericho
". 81. When his flight was discovered
the Chaldean army pursued and cap
tured him. (2) He was brought to
the king of Babylon at Riblah ". 81.
Riblah was town north of Damascus.
1t was the kings headquarters from
| which he directed his armies against
Tyre and Jerusalem. Before Neb-
uchadnezzar, Zedekiah was tried as
a criminal. (3) His fate ". y. His
sons were slain In his sight; his eyes
were put out; he was bound with fet-
ters of brass; and they carried him
to Babylon where he remained pris-
oner until the day Of his death (Jer.
52:1D.
III. Jerusalem Destroyed (vv. 8-1O).
The dismantling of the city was de
layed month, perhaps awaiting in.
structions from Nebuchadnezzar, who
was at Riblah.
1. They Burnt the House of the Lord
". 81. This was the sacred temple
built by Solomon with additions and
notifications. Before burning it they
plundered 1t Of all Its sacred contents.
2. Burnt the Kings House ". 81.
This was doubtless the palace built
by Solomon.
8. Burnt All the Houses of Jeru.
salem ". 81. The Implication Is that
the common houses were left for the
people ". 12).
4. They Broke Down the Walls OF
Jerusalem. The aim was to render
the walls useless as a means of de-
fense.
w. The Disposition Of the People
| wv. IL, 12).
l. Carried Them into Captivity ".
11). The people who were left in the
city and those who had deserted to
the Babylonians were carried to Baby
Ion: all such as would be Of use in
Babylon.
2. The Poorest Of the Land Were
Left ". 12). The people who would
not likely make any trouble were left
as vine-dressers and husbandmen
Doubtless they were looking forward
to colonization by foreign peoples. The
object in leaving these people was that
the country might be ready for their
coming Over these people Gedaliah
Was appointed as governor, with head.
quarters at Mizpah.
| To the Thief.
Let him that stole, steal no more