Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-06-15

Judah failed to learn from Israel's
history her peril. Our lesson opens
with the closing days of the reign Of
zedekiah, who had been placed upon
the throne by ACKNOWLEDGMENT. He
succeeded Jehoachin, another son OF
Josiah, following successful siege OF
Jerusalem. When the Babylonian con-
queror placed him on the throne OF
Judah he bound him by the most holy
vows to be loyal to Babylon, He
changed his name to that Of zedekiah
at that time.
jeremiah was the outstanding per-
sonality during the last so years OF
Judahs history. If the Kings had fol-
lowed the advice of this prophet. pa
triot and statesman this tragedy in
the drama of Judah would at least have
been postponed. He pointed out with
fidelity to the nation and loyalty to
God the path for the kingdom to fol-
low upon national and international
problems that demanded solution. If
the King had needed Jeremiah's advice
and carried out the policies suggested
by the prophet the story of Zedekiah's
end would have been different.
He was a young man when he was
placed upon the throne OF Judah.
Zedekiah was fiattered by visit from
the representatives of the Kings of
Moab. Edom, Ammon, Tyre and Stdon,
who appealed to him to join in coali-
ton against Babylon. False prophets
predicted an early release from the
yoke of the Chaldeans. jeremiah con-
demned them and pointed out their
error. 1t was the telling influence OF
jeremiah that saved Zedekiah when he
was summoned to Babylon to give an
explanation of their visit and a further
demonstration of his loyalty to Nebu
chadnezzar. When Zedekiah was In
fiuenced to form an alliance with
Egypts new King. Hophra, one OF the
first things that he did was to decline
to pay tribute to Babylon. Nebuchad
nezzar Immediately took the field to
crush the new alliance and put curb
upon EgyptS rising power, that had
reached out and formed an alliance
with the buffer states of Palestine.
This placed upon these small states the
task of being the first line of defense
of Egypt, acting as protection against
the mighty Chaldeans.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT stopped at one of
the forks of the tranS-Jordan territory,
where he used divination-he shook
teraphim, he looked into the liver" as
to whether he should attack Rabbah or
Jerusalem first. Following the magical
formulas of the sleeps liver he de-
cided to strike first at Judah and Je-
rusalem. The capital appeared to be
1mpregnable. SO he sent mighty army
against Jerusalem. There was only one
way to conquer that city, so 1t was
completely surrounded In a determined
effort to cut OF all supplies of food and
water for the capital of Judah.
Siege Of Jerusalem.
Disloyalty to God and man had
brought the Babylonian forces to the
city walls. Nebuchadnezzar set about
starving the city into submission. Once
during the siege the Chaldeans were
drawn away to meet the Egyptian king,
who sent his forces to help relieve
Jerusalem's peril. When the Egyptian
forces retired. the army of Nebuchad-
nezzar took up their position about the
city and prevented any further help
reaching Zede'siah. JeremiS h had pre-
dictcd their return. He warned the
king and people against expecting a
complete departure of the Chaldean
army. He pointed out the possibility of
escaping further punishment by sur
render. zedekiah was too proud to
comply with the prophets advice. He
lost his opportunity to save himself and
the city.
Bread failed first. They could obtain
water from wells and springs within
the city. The people feared the con-
sequences of surrender, although pos
sibly some may have followed the pro-
phet's advice and escaped suffering
jeremiah has described the horrors OF
that time, while lying in prison almost
at the point of starvation. Imagina-
ton cannot picture the suffering of
those months. Children cried in vain
to their parents for food. and fell faint
Ing and dying upon every street. Re-
fined ladies wandered about the city,
seeking in vain for food. "They were
even to be seen lying on dung-heaps,
scratching and picking for a morsel
from the filth of the city" The faces
were turned black and purple by the
pestilence that followed the famine.
Strong men became mere skeletons.
Pitlful mothers, crazed by the horrors
they experienced, in many cases either
killed or boiled their children for food
Finally. the city, weakened by lack of
food, was forced to surrender.
Zedekiah's Fate.
When the forces of the Babylonian
army nnalIy made break in the north
wall that permitted the entrance of the
troops Of NebuchadnezZar's army.
Zedekiah attempted to escape. He was
overtaken in his efforts to reach Gilead,
where he planned to set UP the king
oonls capital. Although the Chaldeans
mad not anticipated such an effort on
the part OF Zedekiah, 1t did not take
them long to learn from informers
where he had gone. They overlook him
and carried zedekiah and his family
10 northumberland, who was directing
MS campaign against Judah from his
headquarters at Riblah.
Zedekiah had no ground to expect
mercy. He had broken a sacred treaty
as well as his VOWS of allegiance, and
rebelled against the monarch, who had
placed him upon the throne OF Judah.
The decree of Nebuchadnezzar was
quickly carried out. Zedekiah witnessed
the murder of his sons and then had
ms eyes put out. Usually the decision
OF a court-martial trial would have
called for the immediate death of a
traitor, but with the horrible memory
OF seeing his sons killed, he was carried
WIN the other prisoners to Babylon.
Two apparently contradictory prophecies
were fulfilled In Zedekiah's fate. Eek
ial had predicted that he would never
see Babylon and jeremiah had prophe-
sled that he would be carried there.
JerusaIem's Fall.
Although 73 of the leading citizens
OF Jerusalem, who had sympathized