Mexico weekly ledger., 1922-07-27
LESSOR FOR JULY 80
the FIRST RETURN FROM ExIL


LESSON TExT-Jsr. s:Io-l4; EsrA !:
LII.
GOLDEN TEXT-we know that all
things work together for good TO them
that love Ged--Romans B:2R
REFERENCE MATERIALr-Psalms %;
10; Isl; Jsr. ..
PRIMARY ToPBS- Gods People Re
tuFn Home.
JUNIOR ToPIc-HOw God Kept a
Great Promise.
INTERMEDIATE AND SENIOR TOPIC
How God Kept q Gfeat Promise.
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT TOPIC
Striking Manifestation Of Gods Provi-
dsnce.
I. The Return From Captivity Pre-.
dleted (29:1014).
1t seems that false prophets were
aourshing In Babylon telling the peo-
pie that they would speedily be re-
stored to their own land. 10 counter
act this the Lord moved Jeremiah to
send this letter to the captives In
Babylon (yv. 8, 81. 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 wv. 9, y.
!. The length Of the captivity
". 10Y. Their coming back was to be
after seventy years." From Daniel
9:2 1t is clear that seventy years
means a definite time. It dates from
the time when the first company was
taken captive among which Daniel
was found.
2. Recovered by God tvv. 1914.
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 them from
all the nations and bring them into
their own land.
u. Prediction Of Captivity Full.
filled (Ezra :1-11).
/. The proclamation Of Cyrus
wv. 1-4). Q) This was not by &C
cident, but that the word of the Lord
might be fulfilled ". ~. What God
has promised He will do; He never
fOrgets. Wherever we find promise
which He hath made we can rest upon
1t; He will make good. (2) BY divine
initiation lv. u. "The Lord stirred uI
the spirit of Cyrus" How this was
done we do not know. Possibly Daniel
brought to his attention the prophecy
Of Isaiah and Jeremiah elsa. 44:28
Jer. 25:12). Every impulse to do goot
In all men is caused by the Lord-ever
a heather king who may not, have beer
conscious Of doing His will, at Gods
appointed time took the Initiative ir
this matter. 1t may have been thai
Cyrus only saw his own action as {
| piece Of statecraft--the creation of /
buffer state nation between his king
dom and that of Egypt Be that a!
1t may, God stirred him up to do Hi
will. (3) The content of His proclama
tion wv, 2-4). (al 'The Lord God o.
heaven hath charged me to build Hin
house In Jerusalem" ". p. Thii
makes clear that he had some impress
sion Of Gods hand upon. him. (b) Ap
peal to Jewish patriotism tv. -. HI
invokes Gods blessing upon such al
possess the national religious feeling
and commands them to 60 and builC
the house of. the Lord God. (c) Lent
assistance ". a.. Many of the Jewl
were established In business and there
fore were not free to 60. Many, M
doubt, had lost their national spiri
and therefore were not anxious to 60
! All such were to lend friendly as
slstance In silver, gold and beasts
Those who cannot go to do Gods worl
should strengthen the hands of thos'
who do 60.
| 2. The response Of Cyrus proclaim
alton wv. 5, 81. The cAief Of tn,
fathers Of Judah, and Benjamin an,
the priests and LevItes presented them
selves as willing and ready to 60
The company which returned was
4 largely made UP OF representatives o
Judah and Benjamin.
3. The royal favor (vv. I'll
Cyrus brought forth the vessels Of tn
house Of the Lord which Nebuchadnez
Ear had brought forth out of Jeru
salem and put into the house of hi
| gods. This was great encourage
ment to every loyal Jew whose hear
had been grieved over the proclamation
of these sacred vessels Now to hay
5,400 of these vessels returned to thei
owners and sent back to Jerusalem t
be put to their original use, met
hearty response by the Jews.
- J ~ 4 : - ~. N.