Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-06-05
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
Golden Text: "Be not We afraid of
them; remember the Lord. "-Neh.
Ala.
For Tune
For June 10th.
BY DIR. MARION McH. HULL

Golden Text: "Be not We afraid of
them; remember the Lord. "-Neh.
Ala.
The captivity of Judah began with
the carrying away to Babylon of
Daniel and his friends, and others
by Nebuchadnezzer in SOC B. G.
which was the third year of Jehoi-
kim. Eight years later Jehoichim Tor
Jeconiah) the son of Jehoikim was
departed, and with him Ezra and
Mordicai. See Dan. 1:1-6; Jer. PSI;
Ezeh. 1:1,2; and Esther 1855.
Jeconaih was the last of the kings
by right of primogeniture. His broth
err Zedekiah was placed on the throne
as the vassal of Nebuchadnezzer and
occupied it for eleven years until the
destruction of Jerusalem and the de-
portation of the inhabitants ended
the history of the southern kingdom
Time $50 B. c.
Fifty years later. in 536 B. c.,
cyrus gave the commandment to re-
store and rebuild Jerusalem; and led
by Zerubbabel, Of the royal line Of
David, and Ezra, Nehemiah, Nor
dicai, % priests and eight Levites
whose names are given both in Ezra
and Nehemiah Z, a company left
Babylon for the land of their fathers.
Later Mordicai and Nehemiah re-
turned to Babylon for some purpose
and played a prominent part in their
nations life.
Cyrus was succeeded by his son
Cambyses, and he in turn by Drius
Hystospes in the year 521 B. c. This
Darius HyStospes was the Darius Of
Ezra 4, the Artaxerxes (the Great
Spain of Ezra and Nehemiah 2, and
the Ahasuerus of Esther Darius was
his name, ArtaXerXes and Ahasuerus
were titles. He reigned a long time.
1t is important to understand this
bit of Persian history and chronology
in order to understand some of the
events of Nehemiah's story. Most
Of the commentators say that Ar
taXerXes of Nehemiah was Artax.
erXes LOngimanus who reigned 46
years later; and that the Ahasuerus
of Esther was Xerxes the Great who
was between these two kings. There
are many good reasons why this is
not true; 1 shall mention only two,
There were 80 priests and Levites
whose names are given who returned
from Babylon with ZerubbabeI
nehemiah 12:1-9) in 53S B. C. Twenty
of these signed and sealed the cove
nant with Nehemiah in the Goth year
of ArtaxerXes nehemiah 10:2-1W. Il
1t was A. Longimanus they must
have been alive 81 years after com
ing to Jerusalem which is highly i'm
probable. If Darius Hystaspes it was
34 years after coming to Jerusalem
which is highly probable. II: Nehe
miah was one of those who came
back to Jerusalem with ZerubbabeI
in 536 B. c. Nehemiah returned to
Jerusalem in the 32nd year Of Ar
taXerxes nehemiah 1850. The 32nd
year of A. Longimanus was 433 B
c., 103 years later. The 32nd year
of Darius Hystaspes was 400 b. c.
46 years later. Nehemiah's age is ar
invincible argument for Darius
Hystaspes. There are other reasons
which space forbids presenting.
Nehemiah's Call
Nehemiahs call came by knowI-
edge of the need. After returning
to Babylon, he had been appointed
cub bearer to the king. This was
an exceedingly important position
Primarily it was to taste any Wine
that was to be given to the king to
be sure that it was not poisoned
Only those, therefore, in whom the
king had utmost confidence could
be eligible for such a position. The
larger part of the work grew out OF
that; being so close to the king, the
cupbearer became the confidential
adviser of the monarch, practically
his confidential secretary.
Now how did it happen that Jew
"a member of the captive race
should hold this position? DAME
| had held a high office during the
reigns of Nebuchadnezzer and on tc
Cyrus. You remember how he hat
been brought to the notice of the
king lat first. Joseph had held high
office in Egypt and you recall how