SQLite format 3@  O{tableTopicsTopicsCREATE TABLE 'Topics' (Title NVARCHAR(100), Notes TEXT)f1\ansi\deff0\deftab567{\fonttbl{\f0\fnil\fcharset0 Georgia;}} {\colortbl ;\red0\green0\blue0;} {\*\generator Riched20 5.40.11.2210;}\viewkind4\uc1\pard\cf1\lang1033\kerning36\f0\fs23 THE BIBLE PERIOD BY PERIOD\par \par A Manual for the Study of the Bible by Periods\par \par by\par \par JOSIAH BLAKE TIDWELL\par Professor of Biblical Literature\par \par Baylor University Press\par Waco, Texas\par \par 1916\par \par \par \par \par Author's Preface.\par \par The author belK5s02 Introductory Note{\rtf1\ansi\deff0\deftab567{\fonttbl{\f0\fnil\fcharset0 Georgia;}} {\colortbl lK01 Title {\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\deff0\deftab567{\fonttbl{\f0\fnil\fcharset0 Georgia;}} {\colortbl ;\red0\green0\blue0;} {\*\generator Riched20 5.40.11.2210;}\viewkind4\uc1\pard\qc\cf1\lang1033\kerning36\f0\fs23 THE BIBLE PERIOD BY PERIOD\par \par A Manual for the S w j _ P 9 ;\red0\green0\blue0;} {\*\generator Riched20 5.40.11.2210;}\viewkind4\uc1\pard\cf1\lang1033\kerning36\f0\fs23 INTRODUCTORY NOTE:\par \par Josiah Blake Tidwell states "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself\par (Lev. 19:18). It is the final word in all right relations to others."\par This statement in _The Bible Period by Period_, regarding the Laws of\par Moses, and echoed in the words of Jesus is the guiding principle by\par which Tidwell seems to have lived.\par \par J. B. Tidwell was born in Alabama in 1870 to a modest family of\par farmers. He was educated at Alabama's Howard College (now Samford\par University), earned a Master's Degree from Baylor University in 1903,\par and did post-graduate studies through a correspondence program of the\par University of Chicago. He also received several honorary degrees.\par Tidwell served as the Chairman of the Bible Department at Baylor\par University from 1910 until the time of his passing in 1946. Among his\par writings are _The Bible, Book by Book_ (1914), _The Bible, Period by\par Period_ (1916), _Genesis: A Study of the Plan of Redemption_ (1924),\par and _John and His Five Books_ (1937).\par \par This book, _The Bible Period by Period_ (1916) is a companion to\par Tidwell's _The Bible Book by Book_ (1914). Both are college level\par introductory courses in Christian studies. They are each organized in\par outline form with questions at the end of each chapter to guide the\par student in acquiring a comprehensive mastery of the material.\par \par In preparing "The Bible Period by Period" in e-book format, the\par outline styles were edited for sake of e-text consistency and\par proofreading. Certain geographical place names were edited for\par consistent spelling. The rest of the text remains faithful to the\par original. For any errors in transcription, I sincerely apologize as\par the words of the author could hardly be improved upon.\par \par Fredric Lozo\par Mathis, Texas\par April 2005\par } ieves that the Bible is the word of God and that it is\par the inspired revelation of God's will to men and of the plan which he\par has provided for their redemption. He believes that it contains\par instructions which alone furnish the basis of wise and worthy conduct\par both for individuals and for nations. He, therefore, believes that all\par men should avail themselves of every possible opportunity to acquaint\par themselves with its teachings and that all Christians should be\par faithful and even aggressive in their efforts to teach its truths.\par \par Moreover, several years of teaching the Bible to a multitude of\par students has convinced the writer that what is needed most is a study\par of the Bible itself rather than things about it. Having this in mind\par this little volume presents only a small amount of introductory\par discussion. It offers instead a large number of topics for study and\par discussion. By following the suggestions for study which they offer\par the student may gain a working knowledge of the contents of Biblical\par history.\par \par It is suggested that these outlines will furnish a basis of work for\par college and academy Bible classes. It is also hoped that it may be\par adopted for study in many Sunday School classes. If it shall be\par studied in the Sunday Schools according to instructions which the\par author will furnish, it will be granted college entrance credit in\par Baylor University. Women's societies will find it well suited to their\par Bible study work.\par \par The aim has been to make a companion book to the author's "The Bible\par Book by Book." The twenty one periods selected are only one of the\par many ways in which Bible history may be divided and lays no claim to\par superiority. If this volume shall prove as helpful as the sale of its\par companion book would indicate that it has been, the work incident to\par its preparation will be amply repaid.\par \par J. B. Tidwell.\par \par Waco, Texas. 1916.\par } eriod. Topics for discussion.\par \par Chapter III.\par \par From the Flood to Abraham.\par \par Noah's shame and prophecy. The Tower of Babel. The location of this\par tower. Specific purpose of the tower. Traditions of such a tower. The\par civilization of the ancient world. Two great empires of antiquity.\par Language and literature. Motive of their civilization. Lessons of the\par period. Topics for discussion.\par \par Chapter IV.\par \par From Abraham to Egypt.\par \par Events of the period. Purpose of the narrative. Conditions of the\par times. Confirmations of Biblical records. Experiences of Abraham. The\par character of Abraham. The character and career of Isaac. Stories about\par Jacob. Stories about Joseph. Death of Jacob and Joseph. Social and\par religious conditions of the times. The book of Job. Lessons of the\par period. Topics for discussion.\par \par Chapter V.\par \par From Egypt to Sinai.\par \par Israel in Egypt. Moses the deliverer. The great deliverance. Crossing\par the Red Sea. Journey to Sinai. Lessons of the period. Topics.\par \par Chapter VI.\par \par From Sinai to Kadesh.\par \par Mount Sinai. The Sinaitic covenant. Purpose of the Mosaic Law. Several\par parts of the law. Journey to Kadesh-Barnea. Twelve spies. Period\par lessons. Topics for discussion.\par \par Chapter VII.\par \par From Kadesh to the Death of Moses.\par \par The pathos of the forty years. Events of the forty years' wandering.\par Final scenes at Kadesh. From Kadesh to Jordan. Prophecies of Balaam.\par Last acts of Moses. Last scene on Moab. Significance of the work of\par Moses. Lessons of the period. Topics for discussion.\par \par Chapter VIII.\par \par Joshua's Conquest.\par \par The facts of history recorded. The story in three parts. The land\par of Canaan. Crossing Jordan and fall of Jericho. The complete\par conquest of Canaan. Cruelty to the Canaanites. Character and work of\par Joshua. Period lessons. Topics for discussion.\par \pa r Chapter IX.\par \par The Judges.\par \par Characteristics of tie times. The Judges. Ruth the Moabite. Other\par nations. Outline of the narrative. Ethical and religious standards.\par Period lessons. Topics for discussion.\par \par Chapter X.\par \par The Reign of Saul.\par \par Demand for a king. The principle of the kingdom. Saul, the first king.\par Saul's great achievements. Saul's decline. Period lessons. Topics for\par discussion.\par \par Chapter XI.\par \par The Reign of David.\par \par His reign over Judah. Reign over all Israel. His great sin and its\par bitter consequences. David's inspiring career. His last days. Psalms.\par Period lessons. Topics for discussion.\par \par Chapter XII.\par \par Solomon's Reign.\par \par Riddle of Solomon's character. His policies. Solomon's building\par enterprises. Solomon's writings. Nations surrounding Israel. Evidences\par of national decay. Period lessons. Topics for discussion.\par \par Chapter XIII.\par \par The Divi ded Kingdom.\par \par The division of the kingdom. Comparison of the two kingdoms. Kings of\par the Northern kingdom. Kings of Judah. Important events in the history\par of Israel. Principal events in the history of Judah. Relation between\par the two kingdoms. Messages of the prophets of this period. Period\par lessons. Topics for discussion.\par \par Chapter XIV.\par \par The Kingdom of Judah.\par \par The kings of the period. Principal events of the period. Prophets\par of the period and their messages. Teachings of the period. False\par prophets. Great religious revivals of this period. Wealth and luxury.\par Contemporary nations. Period lessons. Topics for discussion.\par \par Chapter XV.\par \par The Captivity of Judah.\par \par The ten tribes lost. Judah led into captivity. The period of the\par captivity. The fugitives in Egypt. Exiles in Babylon. The prophets of\par the exile. Benefits of the captivity. Lessons of the period. Topics\par for discussion.\par \par Chap ter XVI.\par \par The Restoration.\par \par Scripture analysis. Predictions of the return. Rise of the Persian\par Power. The Decree of Cyrus. Three Expeditions to Jerusalem. Prophecy\par of Haggai and Zechariah. Prophecy of Malachi. Story of Esther.\par Synagogues and Synagogue worship. Significance of the period. Period\par lessons. Topics for discussion.\par \par Chapter XVII.\par \par From Malachi to the Birth of Christ.\par \par The close of Old Testament History. Persian period. Under the rule of\par Greek kings. Period of independence. The Roman period. Entire period.\par End of the Period. Topics for discussion.\par \par Chapter XVIII.\par \par From the birth to the Ascension of Jesus.\par \par The story of the period. The childhood and youth of Jesus. The\par beginnings of Christ's Ministry. Early Judean ministry. Galilean\par Ministry. Perean Ministry. Final Ministry in Jerusalem. The forty\par days. Teaching of the period. Topics for discussion.\par \par Chapter XIX.\par \par From the Ascension to the Church at Antioch.\par \par The Book of Acts. Principal events of the period. Organization and\par control of the early church. Persecutions of the church. Growth and\par influence. Extension of the Gospel to the Gentiles. Teachings of the\par period. Topics for discussion.\par \par \par Chapter XX.\par \par From Antioch to the Destruction of Jerusalem.\par \par The changed situation. The divine call. Time and extent of Paul's\par journeys. First missionary journey. Second missionary journey. Third\par missionary journey. At Jerusalem. At Caesarea. Paul at Rome.\par Epistles of this period. Lessons of the period. Topics for discussion.\par \par Chapter XXI.\par \par From the Destruction of the Temple to the Death of the Apostle\par John..The period of history. Destruction of Jerusalem. From A. D. 70\par to A.D. 100. Literature of the period. Death of John and end of\par scripture history. Period lessons. Topics for discussion.\par \par } #3c03 Author's Preface{\rtf1\ansi\deff0\deftab567{\fonttbl{\f0\fnil\fcharset0 Georgia;}} {\colortbl ;\red0\green0\blue0;} {\*\generator Riched20 5.40.11.2210;}\viewkind4\uc1\pard\cf1\lang1033\kerning36\f0\fs23 THE BIBLE PERIOD BY PERIOD\par \par A Manual for the Study of the Bible by Periods\par \par by\par \par JOSIAH BLAKE TIDWELL\par Professor of Biblical Literature\par \par Baylor University Press\par Waco, Texas\par \par 1916\par \par \par \par \par Author's Preface.\par \par The author belK5s02 Introductory Note{\rtf1\ansi\deff0\deftab567{\fonttbl{\f0\fnil\fcharset0 Georgia;}} {\colortbl lK01 Title {\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\deff0\deftab567{\fonttbl{\f0\fnil\fcharset0 Georgia;}} {\colortbl ;\red0\green0\blue0;} {\*\generator Riched20 5.40.11.2210;}\viewkind4\uc1\pard\qc\cf1\lang1033\kerning36\f0\fs23 THE BIBLE PERIOD BY PERIOD\par \par A Manual for the Study of the Bible by Periods\par \par by\par \par JOSIAH BLAKE TIDWELL\par \par } l5504 Table of Contents{\rtf1\ansi\deff0\deftab567{\fonttbl{\f0\fnil\fcharset0 Georgia;}} {\colortbl ;\red0\green0\blue0;} {\*\generator Riched20 5.40.11.2210;}\viewkind4\uc1\pard\cf1\lang1033\kerning36\f0\fs23 TABLE OF CONTENTS.\par \par Chapter I.\par \par From the Creation to the Fall.\par \par Problems solved. Creation of man. Man's hope and occupation. The\par temptation. The fall and punishment. The hope offered. Teachings of\par the story. Topics for discussion.\par \par Chapter II.\par \par From the Fall to the Flood.\par \par Cain and Abel. Cain and Seth, two races. The great wickedness. Noah\par God's chosen man. The Ark. The flood. The sacrifice and rainbow\par covenant. Confirmation of tradition and geology. Teachings of the\par p in this volume.\par \par The fact that the first edition of "The Bible Book By Book" has\par practically all been sold before the end of the second year since its\par publication, is sufficient proof of its popularity and of its value to\par Bible students. It has been adopted for study in a number of colleges\par and academies and is in use as a text book in a number of women's\par societies and Sunday School classes.\par \par The author, as teacher of Bible in Baylor University, has tried out\par the studies he offers and has had a splendid opportunity to select\par what has proven valuable. He teaches a larger number of young\par preachers than any similar instructor in the whole of the Southland,\par and also many Sunday School Teachers and other Christian workers. He\par can, therefore, offer the best.\par \par Dr. Tidwell accepts, without question, the inspiration and\par authoritativeness of the Bible as the Word of God. He believes in\par directing the student in the study of the Bible itself rather than\par having him study about it. His hooks are, therefore, more in the\par nature of outlines or guides than of discussions. He gives the pupil a\par clue to the study and says only enough to create a zest for truth such\par as will lead to a thorough investigation of the subject in hand.\par \par In this volume, as its title would indicate, the whole Bible has been\par divided into periods and main facts and characteristics of each is\par studied. There are twenty-one periods forming the basis for as many\par chapters.\par \par The plan is to discuss in the beginning of each chapter the most\par striking events of the period, Giving such outlines of the contents\par and principal events of the period as will make the whole period stand\par out so that the student may comprehend it at a glance. This is very\par brief but most comprehensive.\par \par In the next place the lessons and teachings of the period are\par suggested. The author sets forth in tabular form the great teaching\par found in the Scripture events, both in their value to the Hebrews and\par in their permanent value to all people and for all times.\par \par In the case of the poetical and prophetic books, suggestions for their\par study are given in the chapter on the period in which each book and\par the facts it records occurred. At the close of each chapter there is\par given a large number of topics for study and discussion. For the most\par part these topics require the searching of the Scripture itself and,\par if properly followed, will give the student a splendid knowledge of\par the contents of the Scripture of the period.\par \par This book when completed in our Sunday Schools will, if done under the\par direction of the author, be given credit in Baylor University as\par college entrance. Our Sunday School workers would do well to organize\par classes of young men and women in the study of this book. In this way\par they would not only help these young people in Bible study but would\par tie them all to our great school at Baylor and make it possible for\par them to get credit for it when they attend provided they need it to\par get into the college. There ought to be hundreds of such classes in\par Texas.\par \par Every Sunday School teacher and woman worker would do himself or\par herself a valuable service by securing and studying a copy of this new\par book. And it is also to be hoped that many of our women's societies\par will adopt it for their Bible study.\par \par Let our pastors buy this book for themselves and bring it to the\par attention of their people. For the people of today, as of old, are\par perishing from a lack of Bible knowledge. The one unceasing effort\par that should be constantly and whole heartedly put forth by every\par Christian leader in every realm is to get the people to read and to\par know the Holy Scripture. Dr. Tidwell's book will greatly help in such\par effort.\par \par First Baptist Church, Dallas, Texas.\par } W+05 Introduction{\rtf1\ansi\deff0\deftab567{\fonttbl{\f0\fnil\fcharset0 Georgia;}} {\colortbl ;\red0\green0\blue0;} {\*\generator Riched20 5.40.11.2210;}\viewkind4\uc1\pard\cf1\lang1033\kerning36\f0\fs23 Introduction\par \par (Pastor Geo. W. Truett.)\par \par In offering to the public this little book "The Bible Period By\par Period," Dr. Tidwell is making another contribution to the cause of\par Bible study. He has already published "Some Introductory Bible\par Studies", "An Outline for the Study of the Life of Christ", and "The\par Bible Book By Book."\par \par All of these have been well received. The last named formed a part of\par a definite plan for the study of the sacred Scripture which is carried\par forwardd before which\par scientists have stood baffled. Every child of the human race has\par asked, "What is the origin of the material world, what is the origin\par of life, and what is the origin of sin?" In general the philosophers\par held (and most of what science says concerning these matters is not\par science but speculative philosophy) that matter was eternal and simply\par asked how it came to its present state. One group, the materialists,\par held that an active principle inherent in the matter working through\par long ages, brought about the present state of things. Another group,\par the pantheists, held that every thing emanated from a common divine\par substance, working everywhere in nature. But this brief story lets at\par rest all this inquiry. It informs us that matter was not eternal nor\par did it come into existence by chance, but it was created out of\par nothing by our eternal God. The story incidentally sets forth the\par majesty and glory of God and man's dependence upon and his obligation\par to God. It also explains the origin of sin and of all man's ills and\par death.\par \par Creation of Man. The Story of the preparation of a residence for\par man is told in five brief paragraphs. For concision, picturesqueness\par and concreteness, this narrative is not excelled in all literature. It\par shows how God acting as a creating Spirit through six successive\par periods of light and darkness prepared the world and put man in it. In\par the matter of the creation of man the presence and activity of Jehovah\par is especially emphasized. He shaped the body out of the dust of the\par earth and breathed into the nostrils of that human form that which\par made him become a living soul. It was the breath of God that gave life\par to man and hence he will return again to dust when that breath is\par withdrawn. Concerning the creation of woman it is better to admit\par that her creation was supernatural just as was man's. Her creation was\par to provide for man a helpful companionship so that his development and\par happiness might be complete. Her creation out of a part of man's body\par and to meet an inborn need provides the eternal grounds of marriage\par and the basis upon which they are in marriage to become one flesh and\par by reason of which man must "love his wife as his own flesh." Man is\par created in the image of God and like the Creator has intelligence and\par will and is given authority to rule over the earth.\par \par Man's Home and Occupation. No sooner was man created than was planted\par in the far distant east a garden that should be to him a home and\par provide therein for his physical and spiritual needs. Where that\par garden was located is not known with certainty. Occupation was,\par however, provided so that he might exercise and develop each part of\par his nature. He exercised his mind in naming the animals and in some\par way the tree of good and evil was destined to be for his blessing. His\par soul had fellowship with Eve his helpmate and God his creator. This\par garden also had in it a life-giving tree that gave them the\par possibility of enjoying an endless life should they remain near it and\par continue to eat its fruit.\par \par The Temptation. The study proceeds on the basis that there was already\par a race of fallen beings in the universe. Satan was the chief of these\par and had the mysterious power of tempting others to follow him. He\par assumed the form of a serpent-a creature least likely to be suspected\par and thereby deceived Eve the weaker. The temptation had several\par elements: (1) The talking serpent was to her in the nature of a\par miracle; (2) Eve had not heard the command of God herself (it was\par given before her creation) but had learned it from Adam. The devil\par therefore raised a doubt as to whether God really forbade it; (3) The\par question implies a doubt concerning the goodness and wisdom of God;\par (4) It appeals to the lust of flesh, to the pride of the eye and to\par the pride of life. It was beautiful, good for food, and to make her\par wise even like God; (5) In this appeal to curiosity there is an\par implied dare; (6) She was told that she had a mistaken idea of the\par penalty-that she should "not surely die."\par \par In all this it will be noted that the temptation was to fall upward.\par All the motives-the satisfaction of natural appetite, the desire for\par knowledge and power and the love for beauty were in themselves worthy.\par The temptation was to better herself. Such it is always. Adam was not\par directly approached, but he willfully disobeyed without being beguiled\par as was the woman. The chief blame, therefore, fell upon him.\par \par The Fall and Punishment. The fearful consequences of their sin are\par felt at once. They are changed so that they are conscious of guilt and\par endeavor to hide themselves from Jehovah. Thus they acknowledge their\par unfitness for fellowship with Him. Their soul having lost communion\par with God, they become corrupt. This is spiritual death. They were\par banished from the garden and forced to struggle for food. Their bodies\par became subject to pain and death by separation from the animating\par spirit. They could not longer eat of the life-giving tree of the\par garden. The earth was cursed so that instead of ministering to man's\par pleasure and support, it would produce much to his hurt. The woman in\par her unredeemed state was to be in subordination to her husband. The\par sad story of downtrodden women in heathen lands of all times since\par then, and even today wherever Christ is not known, tells something of\par the awful results of her sin.\par \par The Hope Offered. The gloom of this sad story of their punishment was\par relieved by an element of hope. The man and his wife are not beyond\par the pale of God's love. There is given a promise (3:15) which assures\par the coming of one, who would contend with the tempter and would\par finally crush his head and repair the damage of the Fall. All of the\par rest of the Bible unfolds the plan and work of God in fulfilling this\par promise. There is beginning with Cain and Abel and running through the\par entire scripture a record of the conflict caused by the enmity between\par the seed of woman and that of her seducer. This conflict is to end\par when Christ the "seed of the woman" shall return to reign and shall\par cast his adversary into the bottomless pit. Along with this promise he\par also provided for them garments of the skins of animals such as were\par suited to their new and hostile environment and in which most writers\par find a suggestion of the covering of righteousness that comes to\par guilty sinners through the death of Jesus. Then too there was erected\par at the east of the garden an alter of worship not unlike that provided\par in connection with the Tabernacle later and where God dwelt in mercy\par and could be approached. Here was opened up a way by which they might\par after being forgiven again have a right to the tree of life and live\par forever.\par \par Some Teachings of this Story. Back of this story are many truths\par worthy of most careful study. They constitute the basal facts of all\par history and religion. The following are put down as among the most\par vital: (1) Back of all nature is a personal Creator and Ruler who has\par the tenderest solicitude and care for man, as the highest product of\par his creation. (2) There was an orderly progress in creation from the\par more simple and less important to the most complex and most important.\par (3) All things were made for man and his comfort. (4) Marriage is a\par sacred obligation growing out of the very character of man and woman\par who were made for each other and each can, therefore, meet the deepest\par needs of the other. (5) Sin does not originate in God but in man's\par yielding to his baser instead of his nobler and diviner motives. (6)\par Sin as a cause brings its own punishment, the worst of which is the\par separation of the individual from harmonious relations with God, which\par is spiritual death.\par \par For Study and Discussion. (1) The condition of the material universe\par when God began to prepare it for man's abode. (2) The six creative\par days or periods and what was created in each. (3) The special emphasis\par upon the presence and activity of God in the creation of man and\par woman. (4) The divine interest in and preparation for the happiness of\par man. (5) The home prepared for them. (6) The lessons about marriage,\par its purpose, basis, etc. (7) The law and place of testing in the\par formation of character. (8) The ills of life that are the results of\par some one's sin. (9) The nature and results of the curse upon the man,\par upon the woman, upon the tempter. (10) God's care for man after the\par Fall and the provisions for his recovery. (11) The revelation of God\par made by these three chapters. (12) The image of God in man.\par \par \par } .|]+07 Chapter 2 From the Fall to the Flood.{\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\deff0\deftab567{\fonttbl{\f0\fnil\'a}06 Chapter 1 From The Creation to The Fall{\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\deff0\deftab567{\fonttbl{\f0\fnil\fcharset0 Georgia;}} {\colortbl ;\red0\green0\blue0;} {\*\generator Riched20 5.40.11.2210;}\viewkind4\uc1\pard\cf1\lang1033\kerning36\f0\fs23 Chapter I.\par \par From The Creation to The Fall.\par \par Gen. Chs. 1-3\par \par Problems Solved. This simple narrative solves some of the great\par problems about which philosophers have speculated anfcharset0 Georgia;}} {\colortbl ;\red0\green0\blue0;} {\*\generator Riched20 5.40.11.2210;}\viewkind4\uc1\pard\cf1\lang1033\kerning36\f0\fs23 Chapter II.\par \par From the Fall to the Flood.\par \par Gen. Chs. 4-8.\par \par Cain and Abel. These two, who are apparently the oldest children of\par the first pair, were no doubt born soon after the expulsion from the\par garden. One tilled the soil and the other was a shepherd. They each\par appear to have been attentive to worship. Their offerings, however,\par were very different and no doubt revealed a difference of spirit. The\par superiority of Abel's offering was in the faith in which it was made\par (Heb. 11:4), meaning perhaps that he relied upon the promise of God\par and that he apprehended the truth that without shedding of blood there\par is no remission. (Heb. 12:24).\par \par Because God granted to Abel a token of acceptance of his offering and\par failed to grant a like token to Cain, the latter became jealous and\par finally slew his brother. Thus early did Adam and Eve begin to reap\par the effects of sin. The record, in kindness to them, makes no mention\par of the great sorrow that must have come to them as they saw their\par second son murdered by their first-born. These two sons represent two\par types running through all the Bible and indeed through all history-the\par unchecked power of evil and the triumph of faith. They represent two\par types of religion, one of faith and the other of works. Then as in all\par succeeding ages the true worshipers were persecuted by false\par worshipers.\par \par God showed his mercy to Cain whom he sent away from the place of\par worship at the east of the garden by putting upon him the divine mark\par so that no one should destroy him. He also allowed him to prosper and\par it was through his descendants that civilization began to show itself.\par \par Cain and Seth-Two Races. Another son was born to Adam named Seth.\par Probably others have been born since the deat!h of Abel but none of a\par like spirit to Abel and hence none worthy to become the head of a\par spiritual branch of mankind. Cain's descendants applied themselves to\par the arts and to manufactures, to the building of cities and the making\par those things that furnish earthly comfort, while the descendants of\par Seth, were selected to be the instruments of religious uplift and to\par have communion with Jehovah. Through inter-marriage with the\par descendants of Cain, however, the generation of Seth was corrupted.\par This led to a period of great wickedness and the destruction of the\par people by the flood.\par \par The great age of those who lived in this period may have been a\par provision of nature for the promotion of a rapid increase of the race\par and for the advancement of knowledge. The revelation of God to them\par could thereby be the better preserved. Then, too, the body of man was\par not originally subject to death and when it became so because of his\par sin, the pro"cess of decay may have been less rapid. And, besides, the\par effect of hereditary disease had not begun to effect and weaken the\par race.\par \par The Great Wickedness. As indicated above, this Wickedness seemed to\par arise from the intermarriage of the descendants of Seth and those of\par Cain. The descendants of Seth were called "the song of God," because\par they were the religious seed. When they looked upon the beautiful\par daughters of Cain (called the daughters of man because they\par represented the irreligious portion of the race), they married them\par and thereby brought the whole race into such corruption that "every\par imagination of the thought of his heart was only evil continually"\par (Gen. 6:5). God therefore declared "My Spirit shall not always strive\par with man" and set the limit when he should quit thus striving with him\par at one-hundred and twenty years (Gen. 6:3). After that God proposed to\par destroy the whole wicked race from off the face of the earth (Gen#.\par 6:7).\par \par Noah God's Chosen Man. The narrative tells us (Gen. 6:8) that "Noah\par found favor in the eyes of Jehovah." This was no doubt because his\par character and acts were acceptable to Him. He was the tenth and last\par in the Sethic line. He was the son of Lamech (Gen. 5:28), a godly man,\par who had felt the weight of burden because of the curse which God had\par pronounced upon the ground because of Adam's sin. He was called Noah\par by his father, because he said the child would be a source of comfort\par concerning their toil growing out of that curse (Gen. 5:39). He was a\par just and perfect man and walked with God (Gen. 6:9; 7:1). Compare also\par I Peter 3:20 and Heb. 11:7. He is also called a preacher of\par righteousness (II Peter 2:5) and it is probable that, during the\par one-hundred and twenty years that were likely employed in building the\par ark, he preached to his generation and tried to lead them to\par repentance. He was, however, unable to influence a$ny save his own\par family. The saving of his own family was, however, a splendid monument\par of his life.\par \par The Ark. Noah built the ark according to the pattern given him by\par Jehovah. It was a sort of box-like boat 525 ft. long 87-1/2 ft. wide\par and 42-1/2 ft. deep, if we count a cubit at twenty-one inches. It was\par three stories high, and the building of it was a huge undertaking. We\par need not, however, think of it as an undertaking beyond the resources\par of the times. All those early people seem to have been fond of\par colossal works. The building of this Ark was not only an object lesson\par to the ungodly people of the time but a satisfactory proof of the\par faith of the builder.\par \par The Flood. At the command of Jehovah Noah and his household entered\par the Ark carrying two of every species of unclean, and seven of every\par clean kind of animal and creeping things. They were shut in by the\par hand of God. The scripture passes silently over all horrors th%at\par filled the earth as man and beast were destroyed. We may imagine them\par trying by strength to get out of reach of the rising waters, but no\par mental culture or mechanical skill or physical culture, neither tears\par and entreaties could deliver man from the destruction which God had\par determined because of sin. It was seven months before the Ark rested\par on Ararat and more than five more before the ransomed company departed\par from it.\par \par The Sacrifice and Rainbow Covenant. Upon leaving the Ark Noah\par expressed his thanksgiving and devotion to God by erecting an altar to\par Jehovah and offering thereon a sacrifice consisting of victims of\par every species of clean bird and beast. The fragrance of this\par sacrifice, such as the world had never seen before, was pleasant to\par Jehovah and he visited Noah with a promise that he would not again\par send such a flood upon the earth. The rainbow was given as a pledge of\par the promise made him. It was to be the consta&nt seal of mercy on God's\par part, and it is not necessary to worry over the question as to whether\par there had never been a rainbow before or whether it was simply\par appropriated as a sign. In this new covenant the earth was put under\par Noah, as it was under Adam at first. He was, however, allowed to eat\par flesh, only mans blood was not to be shed and the seasons were to\par continue in regularity. Thus the race started anew as a saved group,\par rescued through the faith of Noah.\par \par Confirmation of Tradition and Geology. Perhaps no other event of\par scripture history has found so large a place in ancient traditions and\par legends as has the flood. It is found in each of the three great\par races-the Semites; the Aryan; and the Tutarian. It is found alike\par among savage and civilized races, and as might be expected is most\par accurate in the countries that were nearest to where the Ark rested.\par Among the most important of these early traditions are those of\par Baby'lon. Greece, China, and America. In a general way these traditions\par may be said to agree with the Biblical story in the following\par particulars: (1) That a flood destroyed an evil world; (2) That one\par righteous family was saved in a boat and that animals were saved with\par them; (3) That the boat landed on a mountain; (4) That a bird was sent\par out of the boat; (5) That the saved family built an altar and\par worshiped God with sacrifice. All these stories tend to corroborate\par the Biblical story and to show that the whole race must have spring\par from this common home from which they have been scattered abroad.\par \par Geology has also done much to confirm the flood story. Geologists are\par well acquainted with facts in world history that bring the flood\par "entirely within the range of natural phenomena." The Scripture (Gen.\par 7:11) speaks of the fountains of the deep being broken, language that\par could refer to the inrushing of the sea upon a depression of the earth\p(ar which later rose again. Such elevations and depressions have occurred\par many times. An example is the elevation of the coast of Chile by an\par earthquake in 1822. Such an explanation by no means destroys the\par miracle of it, since the coming just when Noah had completed the ark\par and entered it and just when God said it would come, provided the\par element of miracle. A wide-spread flood is also required by the\par discovery of evidence in the earth of the destruction of animal life.\par \par Some Teachings of This Period. The teachings of this period may be\par divided into three groups: Those concerning Cain and Abel; those\par concerning Cain and Seth. or the two races; those concerning the\par flood.\par \par Those concerning Cain and Abel are: (1) The mere fact of having\par worshiped is not a guarantee of acceptance with God. (2) Both the\par spirit and the form of worship must please Jehovah. (3) God tries to\par point out the right way to men and only punishes when man f)ails to\par give heed. (4) Man is free and though God may turn to show him a\par better way, he will not restrain him by force even from the worst\par crimes. (5) To try to shun the responsibility of being our brother's\par keeper is to show the spirit of Cain.\par \par The story of Cain and Seth, or the two races show: (1) That our acts\par reveal our thoughts. (2) That the indulgence of our lusts and\par appetites disgraces the noblest people. (3) That outward culture\par without true religion will not save a people. (4) The noble and good\par will finally dominate other men.\par \par The story of the flood teaches: (1) That Jehovah can not make men\par righteous against their will. (2) That men by wickedness grieve God\par and thwart his purposes. (3) That man has, therefore, power to cause\par his own destruction. (4) That God does not save because of numbers or\par civilization, but because of character and obedience to his laws. (5)\par That God is pleased with the worship of those who obey him.\par \par For Study and Discussion, (1) The consequences of sin as seen in this\par period with special reference to the new truths added to those of the\par former period. (2) New truths about God. (3) The beginning of the arts\par of civilization. (4) The unity of the race. (S) The names and ages of\par the six oldest men and whether any one of them could have known\par personally both Adam and Noah. (6) The size, architecture and the task\par of building the Ark. (7) The flood as a whole. (8) The inhabitants of\par the Ark. (9) The departure from the Ark, and the new covenant. (10)\par The flood as a divine judgment especially in the light of the judgment\par put upon Adam and Cain. (11) Noah as the first man mentioned who saved\par others and the way in which he represents Jesus. (12) Evidences of\par man's freedom as seen in this and the former chapters. (13) Worship as\par seen in the two periods studied.\par } + In this shameful condition he was discovered by his sons whose conduct\par led him in a spirit of prophecy to assign to his three sons the\par rewards and punishments which their deeds merited. The punishment and\par rewards fell upon the descendants of his sons. The descendants of Ham,\par because of his joy rather than sorrow over the sin and humiliation of\par his father, should always be a servile race. Out of these descendants\par of Ham arose the Canaanites, the Babylonians and the Egyptians who\par developed the three great civilizations of antiquity. Their\par ascendancy, however, soon passed. The Canaanites were subdued by the\par Israelites; the Cushites of Chaldea were absorbed by Semitic\par conquerors and Carthage of the Phoenicians fell before her foes. The\par sons of Cush, in the scripture commonly meaning the Ethiopian and now\par known as the black-skinned African, are the very synonym for weakness,\par degradation and servitude.\par \par The descendants of Japheth and S,hem like those of Ham can be traced\par only in part. The Japhethites probably settled around the\par Mediterranean and in the northwest beyond the Black Sea. From them\par "the great races of Europe, including the Greeks, the Romans, and the\par more modern nations, must have sprung." The Shemites were located,\par generally speaking, between the territories occupied by the sons of\par Ham and Japheth. Aram, one of the sons of Japheth, settled in Syria\par near Damascus in northern part of Mesopotamia and through his son, Uz,\par gave the name of Uz to the territory, thus showing how that branch of\par the Hebrews came from western Mesopotamia, a fact now confirmed by\par modern discovery. All the other sons of Shem and their descendants are\par dropped from the record of Chapter eleven, except that of Arphaxad\par from whom descended Abram.\par \par The prophecy of Noah was not only fulfilled in the case of Ham and his\par punishment but in the blessing of the Others. Shem was for a long -time\par signally blessed as is witnessed by the Asiatic supremacy and\par especially in the Jews who conquered the Canaanites (descendants of\par Ham) and in whose tents God dwelt. During that period of the\par ascendancy of the Shemites not much was known of the descendants of\par Japheth. But now for more than two thousand years his have been the\par dominant race of the earth. Year by year, the Japhethites have spread\par over the globe, until whole continents are now peopled by him. He now\par rests his foot upon every soil either as a trader, colonist or\par national power.\par \par The Tower of Babel. The place of this tower is in the land of Shinat,\par which is the name given by the early Hebrews to the land of Babylonia\par (Gen. 10:10; 14:19; Is. 11:1; Dan. 1:2; Zech. 5:11). This plain of\par Shinar had become the center of the earth's population. They threw up\par with infinite toil great mounds, which still stand as monuments of\par human achievement. Many such mounds and ruin.s, any of which would have\par seemed lofty in contrast with the level plain of Babylon, may be seen\par by the traveler.\par \par The exact location of this tower cannot be determined with certainty,\par but it has been thought by some that a great mound on the east of the\par Euphrates, which probably represents the remains of the great temple\par of Marduk with its huge pyramid-like foundation, was the site of this\par tower. On the west of the Euphrates, however, is a vast mound called\par Birs Nimrood, which used to be regarded as the ruins of the Tower of\par Babel. The fact that it early gave the impression of incompleteness\par favors this claim. Nebuchadnezzar says on a tablet that another king\par began it but left it unfinished. It fell into disrepair and was\par completed by Nebuchadnezzar and was used as one of the great temples.\par It was built of brick and was oblong in form. It measured seven\par hundred yards around and rose to a height of from one hundred and\par fifty t/o two hundred feet high. It consisted o? seven stages or\par stories colored to represent the tints which the Sabeans thought\par appropriate to the seven planets. Beginning from the bottom they were\par black, orange, bright red, golden, pale yellow, dark blue and silver,\par representing respectively the colors of Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, the\par Sun, Venus. Mercury, and the Moon. These marks may indicate the\par prevalence of idolatry and have led some to think the tower of Babel\par was intended to do honor to the gods of Babylonia.\par \par The specific purpose of this tower is difficult to determine. Josephus\par says the object was to save the people in case of another flood. The\par scripture record (11:4) indicates that they were moved by an unholy\par pride and selfish desire to make for themselves a great name. It also\par was intended to become a sort of rallying-point which would keep the\par people together and prevent the destruction of their glory which they\par thought would 0result from their separation. In 11:6 God says "nothing\par will be restrained from them which they have imagined to do." In this\par there is an implication that they are at cross purposes with God. It\par was an act that defied God and showed the need of punishment. It is\par not unlikely that idolatry had begun to prevail and that the tower was\par built in honor of those false Gods whom men were disposed to trust.\par \par The incompleteness of the tower is attributed to divine intervention.\par Hitherto all the descendants of Noah had spoken the same language, but\par now by a direct divine interposition they are caused to speak several,\par and then separated so they can no longer cooperate with each other in\par carrying out their plans which had so displeased God. The different\par languages then are regarded as a punishment of the race which had\par rebelled against God.\par \par Traditions of such a tower may be found in many forms and in many\par countries. _In Babylonia_ the1re was a tradition that not long after\par the flood men were tall and strong and became so puffed up that they\par defied the gods and tried to erect a tower called Babylon by means of\par which they could scale heaven. But when it reached the sky the gods\par sent a mighty wind and turned over the tower. They said that hitherto\par all men had used the same language, but that at this time there was\par sent on them a confusion of many tongues, from which confusion the\par tower was named Babel. _In Greece_, there was a legend in which we\par trace the story of the tower of Babel. According to this legend a race\par of giants tried to reach Mount Olympus, which was supposed to be the\par residence of the gods, by piling Mount Ossa upon Pelion. But the gods\par interfered with their plan and scattered the impious conspirators.\par This effort of the Titans to mount up to heaven corresponds so well to\par the motive of the builders of the tower as to indicate that there was\par a common origi2n for both stories.\par \par There is also a Greek tradition that Helen had three sons: Aeolus,\par Dorus, and Ion, who were the ancestors of the three great branches of\par the Hellenic race. This again corresponds to the prophetic table of\par nations which were to descend from Shem, Ham, and Japheth, the three\par sons of Noah.\par \par The Civilization of the Ancient World. Just when and where\par civilization began we have no means of telling. The Bible speaks of a\par very high state of civilization at a very early time (Gen. 4:20-22).\par In ages long before Abraham and Moses the world had made great\par advancement in culture, commerce, law and religion. From the monuments\par and engraven vases that have been found in such unearthed cities as\par Nippur, we now know that Abraham and Moses did not live in a crude and\par undeveloped age, but, as the Bible would imply, in an age of great\par progress. We even learn that long before their time there was a most\par complete and compl3ex civilization.\par \par Two Great Empires of Antiquity. It is impossible to tell which of two\par great nations, the Chaldeans and the Egyptians, first attained to a\par high state of civilization. They appear to have started very early in\par the race, the Chaldeans in the plains on the banks of the Euphrates\par and the Egyptians in the plains on the banks of the Nile. They seem to\par have made about equal progress in all the arts of civilization.\par \par Nimrod, a descendent of Ham, is declared to be the founder of the\par Chaldean Empire. His exploits as a hunter seem to have aided him to\par the throne. He began to reign at Babel and had a number of cities in\par the plain of Shinar. Later he went out in the district of Assyria and\par built Ninevah and a number of other cities. From the Assyrian and\par Chaldean ascriptions, we have learned much of the Accadians, whose\par influence carried forward that early civilization. We thereby confirm\par the Biblical claim that it was und4er Nimrod the Cushite, and not\par through the Semitic race, that the Chaldean kingdom began.\par \par Of the beginning of the Egyptian empire, the other great center of\par civilization, we have no certain knowledge. So far as the records of\par the scriptures or of the earliest records to which the monuments bear\par witness, Egypt comes before us full grown. The further back we go the\par more perfect and developed do we find the organization of the country.\par The activity and industry of the Egyptians, their power of erecting\par great buildings and of executing other laborious tasks at this early\par period is a marvel to all ages. It has been shown by Prof. Petrie that\par some of the blocks in at least one of the great pyramids were cut by\par tubular drills fitted with diamond points or something similar. This\par to us is a very modern invention.\par \par At least thirty dynasties of kings (according to Manetho) ruled Egypt\par in succession. At least twelve of these must have r5eigned in Egypt\par before Jacob and his sons settled within their borders. Many of the\par great monuments and some of the largest of the pyramids were already\par to be seen before Abraham visited that country. There had been\par constant progress in all kinds of learning and art, and a highly\par advanced society and government had been attained when the Bible\par history first came in contact with it.\par \par Commerce was carried on extensively on both land and sea. Long before\par the time of Moses a stream of caravans were on the road between Egypt\par and Babylon, passing through Canaan. Treaties were made between\par different states whereby these caravans were protected and given safe\par passage through the countries traversed. Three thousand years before\par Christ the Phoenicians sent out ships from Tyre that had intercourse\par with the cities of the Mediterranean and later with England and sailed\par around Africa and traded on the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf. Egypt\par sen6t sea expeditions to South Africa in the sixteenth century before\par Christ. All of this suggests how much more of geography these ancients\par knew than we are accustomed to think.\par \par Language and Literature. It is impossible to say what was the original\par language. But that men once spoke the same language and that the\par varieties of human tongues arose from some remarkable cause is in some\par degree confirmed by the research of modern scholarship. The Bible\par alone states clearly what that cause was. All existing languages\par belong to three great families: the Aryan, the Semitic, and the\par Turanian. These correspond roughly to three sons of Noah: Shem, Ham\par and Japheth.\par \par In the time of Abraham and long before, and on to the time of Moses\par there was great literary culture. Letters passed between kingdoms and\par cities. There were schools and colleges, great dictionaries and many\par books on many subjects. The Babylonian language was almost universally\pa7r employed, so that the scribes could read without difficulty a letter\par sent anywhere in Egypt, Babylon, Canaan, or Arabia. This unity makes\par the translation of inscriptions on the monuments comparatively easy.\par \par We know nothing of the origin of writing. As far back as we go into\par their history we find, already developed, a most complex system of\par writing and large libraries both in the royal cities and in small\par towns.\par \par The Motive of Their Civilization. This is not difficult to find. The\par old Babylonian kings were called Priest Kings, and built their\par empires, temples, and cities, and exhibited such wonderful activities\par from a religious motive. The great mounds on the plain of Shinar, and\par the pyramids of Egypt are the eternal monuments of the religious\par devotion of these ancient people. Their religion was, however, filled\par with all sorts of idolatrous abuses and God called Abraham to be the\par leader of a purer religious life and to be 8the father of a people from\par whom would come the Great Revealer of all religious truth.\par \par The Lessons of this Period. The stories of this period have for us\par several valuable lessons, among which the following are most vital.\par (I) All races had a common origin and are, therefore, vitally related.\par (2) By tracing the origin of the different races, we are shown\par Israel's place in the family of nations. (3) Since all nations are but\par branches of the same great family, all men are brothers. (4) The\par Hebrews are deeply interested in all of their neighbors, and their\par unique history can only be understood, in their true relation, as a\par part of the ancient Semitic world. (5) God exercises a common rule\par over all nations. (6) Civilization at this early age had reached a\par great advancement. (7) Men had reached a stage of great wickedness and\par because of their defiance of God were punished both by the confusion\par of tongues and by being scattered far and wide.\par \par For Study and Discussion. (1) The genealogies of Noah's sons. (2) The\par different places where his descendants settled, the cities they built\par and the names of those connected with each. Study the geography. (3)\par Through which of Noah's sons the Messiah came and through which of his\par sons. (4) Lessons from the shame of Noah and the spirit of his sons.\par (5) The nature and fulfillment of his prophecies concerning his sons.\par (6) The universality of the race and the origin of the nations. (7)\par The teachings of the tower of Babel. (8) The origin of different\par languages and the relation of languages to the creation of separate\par nations. (9) The traditions of other peoples and their relation and\par correspondence to the stories of this section. (10) The evidence of\par ancient monuments that corroborate or throw light upon the meaning of\par this section of the scripture. (11) The civilization of that early\par time compared with that of our time.\par } }}@Y708 Chapter 3 From the Flood to Abraham{\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\deff0\deftab567{\fonttbl{\f0\fnil\fcharset0 Georgia;}} {\colortbl ;\red0\green0\blue0;} {\*\generator Riched20 5.40.11.2210;}\viewkind4\uc1\pard\cf1\lang1033\kerning36\f0\fs23 Chapter III.\par \par From the Flood to Abraham\par \par Gen. Chs. 9-11.\par \par Noah's Shame and Prophecy. Just what the vocation of Noah bad been\par before his call to prepare for the flood we do not know. But after the\par flood, perhaps compelled by necessity, he became an husbandman. He had\par probably settled on the slopes or in the valleys of Ararat where he\par planted a vineyard. On one occasion at least he fell under the\par intoxicating influence of the fermented wine. This man upon whom God\par had conferred such great favor and who alone preserved the race alive\par lay naked and helpless in his tent.\par \par*;. 15. (4) The birth\par and disposal of Ishmael, ch. 16. (5) The Promise of Isaac, ch. 17. (8)\par The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, chs. 18-19. (7) Abraham lives\par at Gerar. Isaac is born and sacrificed, chs. 20-22. (8) Sarah's death,\par ch. 23. (9) Isaac is married, ch. 24. (10) Abraham and Ishmael die and\par Isaac's two sons, ch. 25. (11) Isaac dwells in Gerar and Jacob steals\par his brother's birthright, chs. 26-27. (12) Jacob's experiences as a\par fugitive and his roll and settlement in Canaan, chs. 28-36. Joseph's\par career and the settlement of the nation in Egypt, chs. 37-50.\par \par The Purpose of Narrative. In this section we have given us, in brief\par form, the career of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their families and\par how we received the promises through them. Ages have passed since Noah\par and the people had grown wicked and turned from Jehovah to other gods.\par God had promised not to destroy the world with another flood, but he\par must employ other and new< means. He, therefore, selects a man and in\par him a nation that should be his representative on earth. With this man\par and nation God would deposit his truth and in it the hopes of the race\par until the time when Christ the redeemer should come.\par \par We pass, therefore, from the consideration of the beginnings of the\par history of the race and from the general history to the story of one\par man, Abraham and the chosen family and nation. All the rest of the Old\par Testament is an account of the victories and defeats of this nation.\par \par The Conditions of the Times. At the time of Abraham three countries\par are of special interest, Chaldea, Egypt and Canaan. Outwardly there\par was a splendid civilization as is shown by the monuments. There were\par great cities with splendid palaces, temples and libraries. "There were\par workers in fabrics, metals, stones, implements and ornaments." Time\par was divided as now and sun-dials showed the time of day. Great systems\par of cana=ls existed and the country was in a high state of cultivation.\par The pyramids were already old and a great stone wall had long ago been\par built across the isthmus of Suez to prevent the immigrants and enemies\par of the north from coming down upon them. In Tyre and Sidon there were\par great glass works and dying factories. There were also vast harbors\par crowded with sea going ships. Luxurious living was to be found\par everywhere.\par \par _Inwardly_, however, there was a corrupt moral condition, which was\par hastening the nations to decay and to a ruin such as amazes all the\par world to this day. Ur of the Chaldees, the birth place and home of\par Abraham, was the seat of the great temple of the moon-god, and this\par sanctuary became so famous that the moon-god was known throughout all\par northern Syria as the Baal or Lord of Haran. The bad state of the\par times is suggested by Sodom and Gomorrah and their fate. For these\par cities were perhaps only typical of the entire civil>ization of the\par time.\par \par In such a time and out of such a civilization God called Abraham, who\par should found a new nation that would serve him and form the basis of a\par new civilization. He also selected Canaan as the home of this new\par people. It was the geographical center of all the ancient world and a\par revelation of God made there would soon be know among all nations.\par \par The Confirmations of the Biblical Record. Each new excavation made in\par the ruins of the ancient, long-buried, cities throws new light upon\par the scriptures and always confirms its statements. There are on the\par tablets of clay found in the old libraries statements concerning the\par social, commercial, religious and political conditions of the time of\par Abraham and before and all of them agree with the statements of\par Genesis. There has been found a record of the years of famine and the\par Pharaohs of the time have been determined.\par \par The kings who captured Lot are now known?. The Bible has suffered\par nothing at all from the knowledge gained from the ancient records.\par \par The Experiences of Abraham. The call of Abraham as recorded In this\par section is probably from Ur of the Chaldees to Haran where his father\par died (11:31-32). His call is the most important event in the history\par of God's kingdom since the fall of man. It was indeed a new starting\par point for that kingdom. The call was accompanied by a promise or\par covenant in which God bound himself not to withdraw from Abraham\par (15:17-21). The call and work, together with the promises, may be put\par down somewhat as follows:\par \par 1. _It was a call to separation from his home and native land._ He was\par a large shepherd-farmer with large flocks and herds and a number of\par slaves. The family was perhaps of high rank in his country and there\par was a warm family affection in his family. Many others had gone from\par his country to the regions of the Mediterranean but always for gain@ or\par selfish betterment, Abraham went in obedience to the divine call.\par There was no selfishness in his move. He went for conscience' sake,\par somewhat as the Pilgrims, forsaking all the ties of nature that bound\par them to England, sailed to America in the Mayflower.\par \par 2. _It was a call to service_. The people of his time were falling\par into idolatry. Even Terah, his father, was an idolater and reputed to\par have been a maker of idol images. He was to serve the one true God and\par to stand for principle where everyone was against him. He was to enter\par into covenant relations with God and stand alone with him where all\par social and national customs were hostile.\par \par 3. _It was a call to found a nation_. The promise was to make of him a\par great nation that should have as its main purpose the service of the\par one God. God foresaw the ruin that was to come to all the nations of\par Abraham's time and prepared him and in him a new and spiritual nation\par whicAh would produce a new and godly civilization. He died when Jacob\par was but a lad and did not see the fulfillment of the promise of the\par nation that should outlast Egypt or Babylon.\par \par 4. _It was a call to be the father of a son_. In 17:16 God promised\par him a son, Isaac, in whom his seed should be called (21:12). Out of\par him was to come a blessing to all nations. This promise was fulfilled\par in Christ, through whom all the nations of the earth have been\par blessed. Just as in Isaac Abraham became the head of a great earthly\par seed that should be as the sand of the sea, so in Jesus he should be\par the head of a great spiritual seed that should be as the stars of the\par heaven for numbers.\par \par God often repeats his covenant and promises with Abraham, Gen. 12:1-7;\par 13:14-17; 15:1-21; 17:1-8; 18:18; 22:16-18. He often renews it in the\par generations to come as to Isaac, Gen. 26:1-5, and to Jacob, Gen.\par 28:10-15.\par \par The Character of Abraham. How great Bis the name of Abraham today! He\par is revered by Jews, Mohammedans and Christians (ch. 12:2). In all\par history there is not a nobler character. The story of his life shows\par him to have been shrewd in business, of good temper, of warm domestic\par affections and possessed of much calm wisdom. He was generous in his\par dealings with others, looking well after their interests. He often\par made sacrifices for the well-being of others. The most significant\par thing about him, however, was his attitude toward God. His chief\par desire was to obey God. Wherever he went he erected an altar to God\par and in everything he manifested reverence, confidence, love and\par submission toward God. This is the chief element of his greatness.\par \par The Character and Career of Isaac. The life of Isaac has but little in\par it that is of special interest. He probably spent most of his life in\par a quiet home near, or in Hebron. This has been taken to suggest that\par he was of a quiet and retirinCg disposition. He was not a man of energy\par and force of character such as Abraham, his father, but he had all his\par father's reverence for God. His faith in God was rewarded with a\par renewal of the promises which Abraham had received.\par \par Among the incidents of his life that should be noted are the\par following: (1) His experience on Mount Moriah, when his father in\par obedience to God prepared to sacrifice him in worship. Such sacrifice\par was common in Babylonia, Phoenicia and Canaan. The submission to his\par father's will and evident obedience to the divine will indicated would\par seem to point to his faith in God. While he does not mention the\par matter himself and it is not referred to again in this section, the\par experience must have had much influence on his whole career. (2) The\par second notable event of his life was his marriage. In this story there\par is preserved the ancient customs of his father's provision for the\par marriage of the son. The story also sDhows the overruling influence of\par deity in his marriage. The whole experience was calculated to show his\par sincere relation to God who was leading. (3) The birth of his twin\par sons Esau and Jacob. They were so different in type that their\par descendants for centuries showed a like difference and even became\par antagonistic. Jacob was ambitious and persevering. Esau was frank and\par generous but shallow and unappreciative of the best things. The\par birthright carried with it two advantages: (1) The headship of the\par family. (2) A double portion of the inheritance (Dt. 21:15-17). Jacob\par set great value upon it, while Esau preferred a good dinner. Isaac's\par latter days were made dark because of the relation of these sons.\par \par Stories Concerning Jacob. These are calculated to show that Jacob was\par clever and far-sighted and was willing to employ any mean, honorable\par or dishonorable, to gratify his ambition. They also show his suffering\par for his unfair acts and hisE final change to a new man. His deception\par of his father resulted in his becoming a fugitive from home and never\par again seeing his mother who aided him in his treachery. He was treated\par by Laban just as he himself had treated his brother. For twenty years\par he was deprived of the quiet and friendly life of his old home.\par \par While away he had some religious experiences that made him a new man.\par His vision at Bethel taught him that Jehovah his God was also caring\par for him though in a strange land. He may have thought that Jehovah\par dwelt only among the people of his nation and that on leaving home he\par was also going beyond the protection of God. As a result he erected\par here a sanctuary that became sacred to all the Hebrews.\par \par His struggle at the brook Jabbok made Jacob a new man. He had all\par along depended on his own wits. Now he is ready to return to his\par brother and show sorrow for his conduct. The incident is parallel to\par the struggle which a Frepentant man must wage against his lower nature.\par When the struggle is over he is a new man, a prince of god. Religion\par had become real to him and his whole future career is built on a new\par plan. He is still inventive and ambitious and persevering but is God's\par man doing God's will.\par \par In connection with Jacob we have also the lessons concerning Esau. He\par was a man intent upon immediate physical enjoyment; an idle drifter\par without spiritual ideals. From his character and that of the Edomites,\par his descendants, there is taught the lesson that such an unambitious\par man or nation will always become degenerate and prove a failure. God\par himself cannot make a man out of an idle drifter.\par \par The Stories About Joseph. The moral value of these stories is very\par great. They are told in a charm that is felt by all. The literary\par power and unity is remarkable. There is seen in them ideals of\par integrity and truthfulness. He is cheerful and uncomplaining andG no\par adversity could destroy his ambitions. The study of this section will\par well reward a frequent review of it.\par \par All the materials may be grouped around the following principal great\par periods or incidents of his life. (1) His childhood, where we find him\par petted and spoiled but ambitious and trustworthy and hated by his\par brethren. (2) His sale to the Egyptians and separation from his house\par and kindred, this including his slavery and the faithfulness he showed\par in such a position. (3) His position as overseer and his loyalty\par together with his temptation and unjust imprisonment. (4) His\par exaltation to the governorship of Egypt with his provisions for the\par famine and change of the whole system of land tenure, which put it all\par under royal control. It would also include his kindness to his\par father's family in providing for their preservation.\par \par The stories have in them several elements that need to be noticed. (1)\par There are many suddenH and striking contrasts. Such are his changes\par from a petted and spoiled boy in the home to a slave in Egypt; from an\par overseer of his master's house to a prisoner in the dungeon; for that\par dungeon to the governor of the powerful empire of the age. (2) His\par success is never based on or promoted by a miracle but is assured\par because he is of value to others. He wins no promotions by means of\par armor or conquests of power but by faithfulness to those whom he\par served. His is a conquest made by business sagacity. He is a hero of\par usefulness. (3) The use of his position to advance the interests of\par others is altogether out of line with the views of western students of\par society. We would hardly think it right for one to so earnestly\par promote the interests of a heathen sovereign as Joseph did in the case\par of his slave master and of Pharaoh. (4) The pathos and depth of\par feeling is not surpassed in all literature. This is especially true in\par the story of his rIelations with his brethren when they visit Egypt.\par Pent up emotion tugs at one's heart as one reads of the anxiety of the\par brothers, the fear of the fear of the father, and the burning\par affection of Joseph. The spirit of forgiveness and love for his humble\par kinsmen fill one with admiration.\par \par The death of Jacob and Joseph. Jacob was greatly prospered and died at\par a ripe old age. He asked to be buried in Canaan and Joseph after\par having him embalmed went, accompanied by his kindred and friends, to\par Canaan and buried him according to his request. Before his death, he\par pronounced upon his sons a blessing that promised great increase in\par numbers and in political power.\par \par After the death of Jacob, Joseph continued to show kindness to his\par brethren. Before his death, at the age of one hundred and ten years,\par he prophesied that God would come and lead them out of Egypt and took\par an oath of them that they would carry up his bones to the land of\par J Canaan into which they would be delivered.\par \par In Jacob's blessing on his sons and in Joseph's prophecy of their\par removal by God and his promises, they saw the providence of God in all\par the future of the race and expected its triumph.\par \par These stories typical. The stories of this section are commonly\par thought to be typical of New Testament truth. While it is probably\par not best to make too much of this typical idea, it is safe to say that\par much of it is illustrative of such New Testament teachings. The career\par of Abraham, Isaac and Joseph each at some point or points suggests the\par life and work of Jesus. Abraham is called or appointed of God to be\par the head of a spiritual nation, he has revealed to him the will of\par God, he intercedes for a wicked Sodom and saved lot, all of which\par suggests the attitude and work of Jesus. Isaac is an only son, is\par offered in sacrifice, has secured for him a bride in a most unusual\par manner. This again in many Kways illustrates the attitude and work of\par the Savior. But Joseph is perhaps more highly figurative of the\par Redeemer. His being hated and cast out by his brethren is like the\par rejection of Jesus; the way his wicked brethren came to him in their\par extremity and received forgiveness and sustenance suggest how a sinner\par finds mercy and life in Jesus; his prosperity and honor gained among\par others and the final coming of his brethren to him is suggestive in\par many of the details of the way the Jews rejected Jesus and of how,\par after Jesus has gained great power among Gentile nations, the Jews\par will finally repent of their national sin and accept the crucified\par Savior as the Jews' Messiah; the whole story of the humiliation,\par sufferings and exaltation of Joseph correspond to like events in the\par career of Jesus.\par \par Social and Religious Conditions of the Times. There is little to\par suggest anything savage or barbarous. The spirit and language of\par courtesLy is everywhere present. There is great hospitality and the\par marriage relation was respected by such heathen rulers as Pharaoh and\par Abimelech. When property was bought and sold the contracts were formal\par and were held sacred even though the owner was long absent as in the\par case of Abraham who bought the cave of Machpelah. Rebekah had\par bracelets, ear-rings, jewels of silver and of gold, and fine raiment\par as elements of adornment. There were slaves but they were kindly\par treated and made almost as part of the family. Wealthy people as Jacob\par employed their sons in the ordinary occupations such as caring for the\par sheep. In Egypt and Chaldea the arts were highly developed and there\par was much learning.\par \par The worship of the patriarchs was very simple. They erected simple\par altars and offered on them burnt offerings. The erection of such\par altars and making such open profession of their worship were always\par among their first acts when they settled in a neMw place. There are\par some evidences that they observed the Sabbath of rest. Abraham gave a\par tithe to Melchizedek and Jacob promised God to do the same if he would\par bless him. God communed with them and gave them knowledge of his will\par and especially promised them great future blessing, through a\par deliverer that would come through the line of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob\par and Judah.\par \par The Book of Job. There has been a general belief that the incidents\par recorded in the book of Job belong to this period or even to an\par earlier time. There is no mention of the bondage in Egypt nor of any\par of the early Hebrew patriarchs. The Sabeans and Chaldeans were Job's\par neighbor! and he lived "in the east" where the first settlements of\par mankind were made. The social religious and family life as portrayed\par in this book correspond to those of this period. There was art and\par invention; there was understanding of astronomy and mining; there was\par a fine family affection Nand evidences of social kindness and\par benevolence; there was high development of commerce and government;\par there was both the true and false or idolatrous worship. This book\par should be read following the outline given in the author's "The Bible\par Book by Book."\par \par Lessons of the Period. It would be difficult to point out all the\par splendid lessons brought forward by these narratives but the following\par are among the more important ones. (1) God guides to a noble destiny\par all those who will be guided by him. (2) God reveals himself to all\par those who seek a revelation, no matter in what place or land, if only\par they are in the path of duty, (3) Unselfish service always brings a\par blessed reward. (4) God's blessing and guidance are not confined to\par Israel but are extended to other nations also. (5) A noble ambition,\par courage, unselfishness and childlike faith in God's leadership make\par men valuable to others in every age and walk of life. (6) A man or\parO nation without spiritual ideal and bent on physical enjoyment will\par soon become degenerate as did Esau. (7) Even a fugitive, fleeing from\par his own crimes, is followed by the divine love and in his saddest\par moments and amidst his most discouraging surrounding circumstances is\par given glorious revelations. (8) In the divine providence our\par misfortunes of life often develop our nobler impulses of heart. (9)\par Unjust adversity cannot destroy a man of faith and integrity of\par character, if only he manifest a cheerful and helpful spirit. (10) God\par overrules evil for good, so that all things can bring good to them\par that love God. (11) Loyalty to unfortunate kindred in the time of\par success is a sure sign of nobility of character.\par \par For Study and Discussion. (1) The several appearances of God to\par Abraham: (a) The purpose of each; (b) its influence in the life of\par Abraham. (2) The promises made to Abraham and renewed to Isaac and\par Jacob noting the progressive nature of the revelation seen in these\par promises. (3) Select four prominent persons besides Abraham, Isaac,\par Jacob, and Joseph, sketched in the section, and study them. (4) The\par other nations introduced in the narrative. (5) The moral condition of\par the times. (6) The worship of God seen in the section. (7) The points\par of weakness and strength in each of the patriarchs mentioned. (8) The\par disappointments and family troubles of Jacob as seen in the light of\par his early deceptions. (9) Other illustrations that a man will reap\par whatever he sows. (10) The strong family ties, seen especially in the\par matter of marriage. (11) The fundamental value of faith in life. (12)\par God's judgment and blessings of heathen people on behalf of his own\par chosen people. (13) The different immigrations of Abraham and others.\par (14) The places of historical importance mentioned. (15) The promises\par or types and symbols of Christ and the New Testament times.\par \par } ~ S909 Chapter 4 From Abraham to Egypt.{\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\deff0\deftab567{\fonttbl{\f0\fnil\fcharset0 Georgia;}} {\colortbl ;\red0\green0\blue0;} {\*\generator Riched20 5.40.11.2210;}\viewkind4\uc1\pard\cf1\lang1033\kerning36\f0\fs23 Chapter IV.\par \par From Abraham to Egypt.\par \par Gen. Chs. 12-50\par \par The Events of the Period. The events of this period may be put down\par somewhat as follows: (1) Abraham's call and settlement in Canaan, chs.\par 12-13. (2) The rescue of Lot from the plundering kings of the North,\par ch. 14. (3) God makes a covenant with Abraham, ch:R of Joseph\par was one of the Hyksos or Shepherd kings, as has been the common view,\par and if the Pharaoh "that knew not Joseph" was, as is the general\par belief, Rameses II, the period of 430 years would about correspond to\par the historical data.\par \par Their oppression grew out of the fear of the king lest they should\par assist some of the invaders that constantly harassed Egypt on the\par North. They may have assisted the shepherd kings under whom Joseph has\par risen and who had just been expelled. To cripple and crush them there\par was given them hard and exhaustive tasks of brick making under cruel\par task-masters. There still remains evidence of this cruelty in the many\par Egyptian buildings built of brick, made of mud mixed with straw and\par dried in the sun. When it was found that they still increased in\par number in spite of the suffering. Pharoah tried, at first privately\par then publicly, to destroy all the male children. This order does not\par seem to have been Slong in force but was a terrible blow to a people\par like the Hebrews whose passion for children, and especially for male\par children, has always been proverbial.\par \par It is difficult to gather from this narrative the varied influence of\par this sojourn upon the Hebrews themselves. They doubtless gained much\par of value from the study of the methods of warfare and military\par equipment of the Egyptians. They learned much of the art of\par agriculture and from the social and political systems of this\par enlightened people. No doubt many of their choicest men received\par educational training that fitted them for future leadership. Their\par suffering seems on the one hand to have somewhat deadened them,\par destroying ambition. On the other, it bound them together by a common\par bond and prepared the way for the work of Moses, the deliverer, and\par for the real birth of the nations.\par \par Moses the Deliverer. Chapters 2 and 4 tell the wonderful story of the\par birth of MoseTs, of his loyalty to his people, of his sojourn in Midian\par and of his final call to the task of the deliverance of Israel. His\par wonderful life-a life to which all the centuries are indebted-is\par naturally divided into three parts. (1) _His early life of forty years\par at the court of Pharaoh_. By faith his parents trusted him to the care\par of Providence and he was brought to the house of Pharoah and was\par taught in all the learning of the Egyptians, who conducted great\par universities and were highly cultured in the arts and sciences (Acts\par 7:22). Finally feeling it to be his duty to renounce his worldly glory\par and identify himself with his Hebrew brethren, he made the choice by\par faith (Heb. 11:24-27). He no doubt felt then the call to be their\par deliverer but did not find his countrymen ready to accept him as such\par (Acts 7:25-28). Whereupon he fled to the wilderness of Midian. (2)\par _Forty years in the desert_ where he gained an intimate knowledge of\par all thUe wilderness through which for forty years he was to lead the\par Hebrews in their wanderings. Here he had opportunity to learn patience\par and meditate and gain the ability to wait on God. Here God finally\par appeared to him and gave him definite and ample instructions for his\par task of delivering out of bondage this crushed and ignorant slave race\par and for making of them a nation of the purest spiritual and moral\par ideals the world has ever known. (3) _Forty years as leader and\par lawgiver for Israel_ while they tabernacled in the wilderness.\par \par Perhaps three reasons led Moses to undertake the task of leaving\par Midian and championing the cause of Israel. (1) He had a vision of God\par the holy one of all power who would be with him. (2) The conviction\par that the time was ripe, because of the death of the king of Egypt and\par the years of weak government that followed. (3) By over-ruling all\par objections God gave him an overwhelming sense of his responsibility in\par V the matter. He saw it as his personal duty.\par \par The call of Moses consists of two elements. (1) _The human element_\par which consisted of a knowledge of the needs of the Hebrew people. To\par him, as to all great leaders and benefactors of the race, the cry of\par the oppressed or needy constituted the first element of a call to\par enlist in their service. (2) _The divine element_. God heard the cry\par of his people and remembered his covenant with Abraham and appeared to\par Moses in a burning bush and sent him to deliver them from under the\par tyranny of Pharaoh. Like Isaiah (Is. Ch.6) he not only saw the need of\par his people but also the holy God calling him to supply the need.\par \par Moses task was three fold: (1) Religious: He was to show in Egypt\par weakness of the idolatrous worship and to establish in the wilderness\par the true worship of one and only God who is ruler of all. (2)\par _Political:_ He was to overcome the power of the mighty Pharaoh and\par deliver a pWeople of 600,000 men besides the children with their herds\par and flocks out of his territory. Then, too, he was to give them laws\par and so connect them together that as a nation they would survive the\par hostile nations around them and the civil strife and dissensions\par within. (3) _Social_: He was also called upon to provide rules by\par which, to keep clean not only the individual, but his family, and to\par teach them right relations to each other. In carrying out this\par program, it devolved upon him to provide an elaborate code of civil,\par sanitary, ceremonial, moral and religious laws.\par \par The Great Deliverance. The deliverance may be properly considered in\par three sections. (1) The preparation. (2) The contest with Pharoah and\par the ten plagues. (3) The crossing of the Red Sea.\par \par The preparation consists (1) in getting the people acquainted with\par what God intended to do and thereby secure their full consent to enter\par into the plan. Then, too, it was nXecessary to have a very thorough\par organization so that the expedition could proceed in an orderly way.\par (2) There were various preliminary appeals to Pharaoh with the\par consequent added burdens laid upon the Hebrews.\par \par The contest with Pharaoh consisted of certain preliminary demands\par followed by ten national calamities intended to force the king to let\par the people go. The struggle was all based upon the request of Moses\par that all Israel be allowed to go three days' journey into the\par wilderness to serve their God. This gave the conflict a religious\par aspect and showed that the struggle was not merely one between Moses\par and Pharaoh, but between the God of Israel and the gods of Egypt.\par \par All the plagues, therefore, had a distinct religious significance: (1)\par To show them the power of Jehovah (Ex. 7:17); (2) to execute judgment\par against the gods of Egypt (Ex. 12:12). Every plague was calculated to\par frustrate Egyptian worship or humiliate some EgYyptian god. For\par example, the lice covered everything and were miserably polluting. All\par Egyptian worship was compelled to cease, since none of the priests\par could perform their religious service so long as any such insect had\par touched them since they went through a process of purification. In\par smiting the cattle with murrain, the sacred bull of Memphis was\par humiliated whether stricken himself or because of his inability to\par protect the rest of the cattle.\par \par These plagues grew more severe with each new one. And much effort has\par been made to show that one would have led to another. Much has been\par said also, to show that the plagues, at least most of them, were\par events that were common in Egypt and that they were remarkable only\par for their severity. Such attempts to explain away the miraculous\par element are based upon the wrong view of a miracle. The very\par occurrence in response to the word of Moses and at such time as to\par each time meet a partiZcular condition, or to make a certain desired\par impression, would put them out of the pale of the pale of the ordinary\par and into the list of the extraordinary or miraculous. At all events\par the sacred writer, the Hebrews in Egypt at the time, and the Egyptians\par all believed the strong hand of Jehovah was laid bare on behalf of his\par people. So it must seem to all who now believe that God rules in his\par universe.\par \par In connection with and just preceding the tenth plague, there was\par institutioned the Passover to celebrate their deliverance from Egypt\par and especially the passing of the Hebrew homes by the angel who went\par abroad in Egypt to slay the first born. It was this plaque that\par finally showed Pharaoh and his people the folly of resisting Jehovah\par and assured Israel of his power. The paschal lamb, whose blood\par sprinkled upon the door posts and lintels of the dwelling saved the\par Hebrew, is a beautiful type of Christ and his saving blood. This feast[\par became one of great joy, annually celebrated, during all future Hebrew\par history.\par \par The Crossing of the Red Sea. For three days and nights God led them by\par a pillar of cloud by day and of fire by night. At the end of the third\par day they had reached the shore of the Red Sea and were shut in by\par mountains on each side. They were greatly frightened to find that\par Pharaoh with a host of chariot-warriors was in close pursuit of them.\par But God caused the cloud that had been leading them to remove to their\par rear and to throw a shadow upon their enemies while giving power to\par the east wind (Ex. 14:21) that caused the waters of the sea to divide\par so they could cross on dry ground. When Pharaoh and his hosts\par attempted to follow then. God caused the waters to return and\par overwhelm them. As in former miracles, Moses was God's instrument in\par performing this miracle. When they were safe across and saw the\par overthrow of their enemies their feelings of joy\ expressed themselves\par in a great song of victory in which they ascribe praise to God and\par recount the incidents of his work of deliverance.\par \par The Journey to Sinai. It is not possible to locate all the stations at\par which they stopped on their journey from the Red Sea to the time of\par their encampment at the foot of Horeb or Sinai. The list is given in\par Numbers, Chapter thirty-three. For our purpose it is sufficient to\par notice only a few places and incidents of the journey. (1) They\par encamped at Marah, being the first watering place they had found. The\par water, however, was bitter and could not be used until God had enabled\par Moses by a miracle to sweeten it. This was the first example of divine\par support for them. (2) At Elim they found water and shade and here God\par gave them the manna from heaven and the quail at eventide. Thus again\par Jehovah demonstrated his purpose to provide for their needs while\par wandering through the wilderness. This food was ]supplied to them\par continuously until they reached Canaan forty years later. (3) Under\par the leadership of the cloud, which during all the forty years of\par wilderness wandering, was their guide, they next encamped at Rephidim\par where there was no water at all. Here Moses by the command of God\par smote a rock and caused them to drink of a fountain thus opened for\par them. This rock is a suggestive type of Christ.\par \par It was here also that they encountered and defeated the Amalekites, a\par tribe of Edomites, who still kept up the enmity of Esau their father\par against Jacob. Here also Jethro, Moses' father-in-law came to them\par bringing Moses wife and sons. Upon Jethro's advice the people were\par thoroughly organized. From Rephidim they came to Mount Sinai where\par they encamped for a whole year.\par \par Lessons of the Period. The lessons of this period might be divided\par into two classes. (1) Those of special value to the Hebrews themselves\par and lessons needed ju^st then. (2) Those valuable for all time and all\par people. Among those of the first class, the following are worthy of\par record: (1) The authority of Moses was confirmed and the people were\par made ready for his teachings and leadership. (2) They were established\par in the popular belief in the goodness and power of Jehovah their God.\par Of the second and more general lessons, the following are highly\par important: (1) There is no chance in God's universe, but even the\par apparently unimportant events serve his purposes. (2) No human power\par whether of king or peasant or of nation can prevent the accomplishment\par of God's purposes. (3) Those who resist his power are overthrown as\par were the Egyptians, and those who act according to the divine will are\par elevated just as were the Israelites. (4) It is dangerous to oppose or\par harm God's people. He will avenge them. (5) Ample provisions are\par assured to those who will submit to divine leadership.\par \par For Study and discussion. (1) The number of Hebrews that entered Egypt\par with Jacob, and the number that made the Exodus with Moses. (2) The\par Biblical story of their suffering while there, including the added\par burdens when Moses requested that they be allowed to go out to Egypt.\par (3) The birth, preservation and education of Moses. (4) Moses' forty\par years of wilderness training, its advantages and dangers. (5) The\par divine and human elements in Moses' call to be the deliverer. (6) The\par plagues, (a) the description of each, (b) the appropriateness and\par religious significance of each, (c) those imitated by Egyptian\par magicians, (d) those in which the Egyptians suffered and Israel did\par not. (7) The stubbornness of Pharaoh and his attempted compromises.\par (8) The miracles of this period other than the plagues. (9) God's\par provision and care for his people. (10) The murmurings of Israel. (11)\par The religious conditions of the times. (12) The geography of the\par country.\par } -- Oi10 Chapter 5 From Egypt to Sinai.{\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\deff0\deftab567{\fonttbl{\f0\fnil\fcharset0 Georgia;}} {\colortbl ;\red0\green0\blue0;} {\*\generator Riched20 5.40.11.2210;}\viewkind4\uc1\pard\cf1\lang1033\kerning36\f0\fs23 Chapter V.\par \par From Egypt to Sinai.\par \par \par Ex. Chs. 1-19\par \par Israel in Egypt. The length of time the Hebrews remained In Egypt is a\par perplexing question. Exodus 6:16-20 makes Moses the fourth generation\par from Levi (See Gen. 15:16; Num. 26:57-59). This would make it about\par 150 years. Gen. 15:13 predicts 400 years. Ex. 12:40 says they were\par there 430 years and Paul (Gal. 3:17) says 430 years from Abraham to\par Sinai. These apparently conflicting dates may be explained because of\par different methods of counting generations, probably based on long\par lives of men of that period or they may have had a different point to\par mark the beginning and end of the sojourn. If the PharaohQaapter VI.\par \par From Sinai to Kadesh.\par \par Ex. 20-Num. 14\par \par Mount Sinai. There are differences of opinion concerning the location\par of this mountain. It is sometimes called Horeb (Ex. 3:1; 17:6. etc.).\par All the Old Testament references to it clearly indicate that it was in\par the vicinity of Edom and connect it with Mt. Seir (Deut. 33:3; Judg.\par 5:4-5). Several points have been put forward as the probable site, but\par there can not now be any certainty as to the exact location. All the\par evidence both of the scripture and of the discoveries of\par archaeologists seem to point to one of the southwestern spurs of Mt.\par Seir as the sacred mountain. The differences of opinion as to location\par do not affect the historical reality of the mountain nor the certainty\par that at its base there took place the most important event in the\par history of the Hebrew people.\par \par The Sinaitic Covenant. At the foot of Sinai and in the midst of\par grandly impressive mabnifestations of Jehovah, Israel entered into\par solemn covenant relations with Him. It was a covenant of blood and\par was the most sacred and inviolable ceremony known to the ancient\par peoples. Half of the blood was sprinkled on the alter and half upon\par the people, thus signifying that all had consented to the terms of the\par covenant. In this covenant Israel is obligated to loyalty, service and\par worship, while Jehovah is to continue to protect and deliver them.\par This covenant is commonly called "The Law of Moses." All the rest of\par the Old Testament is a development of this fundamental law and shows\par the application of it in the experience of Israel.\par \par The Purpose of the Mosaic Law. It should be observed that the rewards\par and punishments of this law were mainly confined to this life. Instead\par of leading them to believe that outward obedience to it would bring\par personal salvation and, therefore, instead of superseding the plan of\par salvation through ac redeemer, that had been announced to Adam and Eve,\par and confirmed in the covenant with Abraham, it pointed to the Savior.\par The sacrifices foreshadowed the substitution of the Lamb of God as a\par means of their deliverance for sin and its punishment.\par \par There are probably two purposes in promulgating this law. (1) To\par preserve the Israelites as a separate and peculiar people. To the weld\par the scattered fugitives from Egypt into a nation, distinct from other\par nations, required laws that would make them different in customs,\par religion and government. (2) A second purpose was to provide\par additional spiritual light, that they might know the way of salvation\par more perfectly.\par \par The Several Parts of the Law. On the whole the law contains three\par parts. (1) _The Law of Duty_. This is given in the form of ten\par commandments (Ex. ch. 20) and relates to individual obligations, (a)\par The first four define one's obligations to God. (b) The fifth defines\par dour relation to parents, (c) The last five define our relation to the\par other members of society. These ten words define religion in terms of\par life and deed as well as worship. They reach the very highest standard\par and, in the last command, trace crime back to the motive even to the\par thought in the mind of man. They point out duties arising out of the\par unchangeable distinctions of right and wrong.\par \par (2) _The law of Mercy_. This law is found in the instructions\par concerning the priesthood and the sacrifices. Through these were seen;\par (a) the need of an atonement for the sinner's guilt; (b) the need of\par inward cleansing on the part of all; (c) the redemption of the\par forfeited life of the sinner by another life being substituted in its\par stead and only by that means; (d) the fact that God would punish\par wrong-doing and reward righteousness. This is also called "The Law of\par Holiness" or "The Ceremonial Law" and was intended to show Israel\par man's sinfulneess and how a sinful people could approach a holy God and\par themselves become holy. It, therefore, deals with such matters as\par personal chastity, unlawful marriages and general social purity and\par the religious behavior by which they were to be absolved from all\par impurity and symbolically to be made pure again.\par \par (3) The Law of Justice. This is composed of miscellaneous civil,\par criminal, humane and sanitary laws, calculated to insure right\par treatment of one another and thus promote the highest happiness of\par all: (a) There was to be kindness and justice to each other including\par slaves, and also to domestic animals; This is beautifully shown in the\par provisions for the treatment of the poor, the aged and the afflicted;\par (b) The rights of property were to be sacredly regarded and all\par violations of such rights severely punished as in the case of fraud or\par theft; (c) Laws of sanitation and health guarded the imprudent against\par the contraction of diseafse and protected the wicked or careless\par against its spread and thereby saved Israel from epidemics of\par malignant disease. Thus the right of the innocent and helpless were\par insured; (d) The sanctity of the home and of personal virtue was held\par inviolable and every transgressor, such as the man who should commit\par adultery with another man's wife, was put to death; (e) Life was to be\par sacred. No man being able to give it was to take it from another and\par so the murderer was to pay the penalty by giving his life.\par \par These laws were so amplified as to meet every demand of the domestic,\par social, civic and industrial relations of the nation. There could\par hardly be designed a happier life than the proper observance of all\par these laws would have brought to Israel. This legislation reached its\par noblest expression in the law of the neighbor: "Thou shall love thy\par neighbor as thyself" (Lev. 19:18). It is the final word in all right\par relation to others.\par g\par The Journey to Kadesh-Barnea. After camping before Sinai a little more\par than a year, during which tune they received the law and were\par gradually organized into a nation, the cloud by which they were always\par led from the time of their departure to their entrance to Canaan,\par arose from the tabernacle and set forward. It led them by a way that\par we cannot now trace but which Moses says was eleven days' journey from\par the sacred mountain. (Dt. 1:2).\par \par A few notable events of this journey are recorded. (1) The fire of\par Jehovah that burned in the camp because of their murmuring. (2) The\par appointing of seventy elders to share with Moses the burden of the\par people. (3) The sending of the quails and the destruction of those\par that lusted. (4) Miriam, the sister of Moses, was smitten with leprosy\par because with Aaron she rebelled against Moses and spoke\par disrespectfully of him.\par \par The Twelve Spies. From Kadesh Moses sent out twelve men who should\pahr investigate the condition of Canaan. These men agreed that it was an\par attractive and well favored land. They brought back evidences of its\par fruitfulness. Only two of them, believed they could conquer it. The\par People yielded to the opinions of the majority and refused to attempt\par to enter Canaan and even worse they openly resolved to return to\par Egypt. For this disbelief and open rebellion they were sentenced to\par wander forty years in the wilderness and all of them who were above\par twenty years old except Joshua and Caleb were not only doomed not to\par be allowed to enter this promised land but were to die in the\par wilderness.\par \par Lessons of the Period. The more important truths taught by the records\par of this period may be divided into three groups. (1) Those about man\par and his nature: (a) He is sinful, his whole nature is out of proper\par attitude toward God and is a fountain of evil; (b) He is, therefore,\par in need of redemption and cannot have the beinefit of worship to God\par without it; (c) He owes obedience to God. (2) There are lessons about\par God: (a) He is shown to be a Holy God. who hates and punishes sin; (b)\par He is represented as a God of mercy and forgiveness; (c) He is seen as\par one of power and might, able to carry forward his plans and to change\par the whole destiny of a people. (3) There is a many sided view of\par redemption: (a) It is based on blood; The victim must shed its blood\par before redemption can come; (b) It is by Institution as is attested by\par all the sacrifices; (c) It is by imputation or the putting of one's\par sins upon the victim; (d) It is by death and that of an innocent\par creature. In all of this there is a revelation of Christ who puts away\par sin and brings the sinner into favor with God.\par \par For Study and Discussion. (1) The awe-inspiring ways by which Jehovah\par made known his presence on Sinai. (2) The several things Israel\par covenanted to do. (3) The worship of the golden calf and the breaking\par of the tables of stone. (4) The three great divisions of the law. (5)\par The law of mercy or of Holiness, what it teaches, and its purpose. (6)\par Catalogue the different laws of justice according to the outline\par suggested above or make a new outline and catalogue them. (7) The\par present day conditions that could be met and changed for good by an\par application of these laws. (8) The tabernacle and its material. (9)\par The different kinds of offering, learn what was offered and how and by\par whom. (10) The different scared occasions, feasts, holidays, etc. (11)\par The different occasions of rebellion on the part of the people and\par what resulted. (12) The spirit of Moses as seen in his talks to the\par people and in his prayers to God. (13) The rebellion of Miriam and\par Aaron against Moses. (14) The results of wrong influences or reports\par as seen in the case of the spies. (15) The rewards of righteousness as\par seen in the entire period.\par } J OU11 Chapter 6 From Sinai to Kadesh{\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\deff0\deftab567{\fonttbl{\f0\fnil\fcharset0 Georgia;}} {\colortbl ;\red0\green0\blue0;} {\*\generator Riched20 5.40.11.2210;}\viewkind4\uc1\pard\cf1\lang1033\kerning36\f0\fs23 Ch`land helper. He was often\par complained of by the people he was trying to help, and because of it\par was led to sin in such a way as to cause God to refuse him the\par privilege of entering Canaan. It was necessary for him to appoint his\par successor and himself be buried in these lands. He was compelled to\par renumber the people to find that all but two of those who were above\par twenty when they left Egypt had perished. (2) Surely the experience of\par the people of Israel during these years is sufficient to arouse a\par feeling of pity. Forty years of suffering and unhappiness and the loss\par of all opportunity to enter Canaan by those who fell in the wilderness\par beclouds the whole story.\par \par The Events of the Forty Years' Wandering. It is now impossible to\par trace exactly any except the latter portion of their journeyings. It\par is clear that they went from place to place, not of course marching\par continuously each day, but changing their location as often at least\parm as the requirements of pasturage demanded. Of the early portion of\par these years we know but little. They seemed to have remained a long\par while at Kadesh (Dt. 1:45) and indeed may have made it a sort of\par headquarters. The story of the rebellion of Konah with the consequent\par punishment, and the budding of Aarons rod by which the appointment of\par the family of Aaron to the priesthood was attested are the important\par incidents of this period.\par \par Final Scenes at Kadesh. After about thirty-eight years had elapsed\par (Dt. 2:14), and the period of wandering was nearly at an end, Israel\par is again found at Kadesh (Num. 20:11) on the borders of Edom where the\par spies had been sent out and they made their calamitous blunder. Here\par at this time happened three important events; (1) Miriam died and was\par buried, (2) Moses smote the rock and brought forth water, but because\par he smote it instead of speaking to it Jehovah was angry with him and\par told him he should notn enter the land of promise. (3) Moses asked\par permission of the King of Edom to pass peaceably through his land and\par was refused. They were, therefore, compelled to take a long journey\par around Edom to reach there own land.\par \par From Kadesh to the Jordan. When they were refused passage through the\par land of the Edomites, their kinsmen, (Num. 20:14-21), the Hebrews made\par a long journey around. On this journey occurred three important\par events. (1) The death of Aaron in Mount Hor (Num. 20:22-29). (2) The\par defeat of the King of South Canaan and the laying waste of his country\par to Hormah where they had been routed nearly forty years ago. (3) The\par sending of the fiery serpents and the brazen serpent as a remedy. They\par also passed the country of Moab and came finally to the river Arnan\par (Num. 21:13), which is the boundary between Moab and the Amorites.\par Here they came into conflict with Sihon the King of the Amorites, whom\par they defeated, and possessed his loand. (Num. 21:23-24). The overcoming\par of this strong and ancient people brought Israel into contact with Og,\par king of Bashan, who was himself a giant and whose country was far more\par formidable than that of the Amorites. By defeating him and possessing\par his cities Israel was enabled to pass on and come to the plains of\par Moab beyond Jordan at Jericho. In Psalms 135 and 136, written hundreds\par of years later, the victory over Sihon and Og and the overthrow of\par Pharaoh are dwelt on together in such a way as to show that their\par conquest was regarded as an achievement worthy to rank along side of\par that of their deliverance from the power of Egypt.\par \par The Prophecies of Balaam. (Num. Chaps. 22-24). The Moabites were\par greatly distressed about the settlement of the victorious Hebrews in\par the region just north of them and feared lest they should suffer the\par same fate as Shihon and Og. Balak, the King of Moab, had beard of\par Balaam, a famous soothsayer or wisep prophet of Chaldea, whose curses\par and blessings were reported to carry with them extraordinary effects.\par He sought at any cost to have him cripple Israel by placing a curse\par upon them. But instead of cursing Israel and blessing the Moabites, he\par revealed how wonderfully Israel was blessed Of God and how a scepter\par would rise out of Israel and smite and destroy Moab.\par \par This strange man Balaam seems to have had the gift of prophecy without\par its grace. He had the knowledge of future events but sought to use it\par for his own advantage instead of for the glory of God. He was a\par covetous, money-loving prophet and sought the rewards offered by\par Balak. He tried repeatedly to find some way by which he could speak\par good for Moab and thereby earn the much desired fee. On the other hand\par he was afraid to speak against Israel lest the curse should recoil on\par him. No other word seems to describe his course except to say that he\par was compelled by Jehovah to spqeak to Israel's advantage and to predict\par her future greatness. His language fittingly describes the material\par splendor and the splendid victories and reign of David. The spirit of\par Israel described is that of the united kingdom standing at the zenith\par of its power. In a beautiful way also he pointed to the Messiah who\par should put all enemies under his feet.\par \par He may have secured his reward, however, in another way. He seems to\par have led Balak to entice Israel, through pretensions of friendship, to\par partake in the idolatrous and impure festivals of the Moabites (Num.\par 25:1-5; 31:15-16; Rev. 2:14). These and other acts of their own\par brought down upon Israel the curse of heaven and made them the subject\par of such calamites as Balaam could not himself pronounce against them.\par By suggesting this course to Balak, he may have obtained the coveted\par pay without directly disobeying God. This whole story would seem to\par imply that the Hebrew historians did rnot believe that divine relations\par were limited to seers and prophets of their own race.\par \par The Last Acts of Moses. Events are now transpiring in rapid succession\par and the story hastens to the close of the career of Moses, the great\par leader prophet, priest and judge of Israel. Several matters are worthy\par of study: (1) The sending of an expedition to destroy the Midianites.\par (2) The final numbering of the people preparatory to their entrance\par into Canaan. (3) The appointing of Joshua as his successor. (4) The\par settlement of the two and a half tribes on the east side of Jordan.\par (5) The appointment of the cities of refuge. (8) The delivery of a\par farewell address, or of farewell addresses.\par \par The Last Scene on Moab. There were far too many of the Israelites to\par hear his voice and he probably gathered together the princes and\par elders who listened to him from day to day, each of whom went home and\par repeated to his own people what he had heard froms their inspired\par leader. In these addresses Moses recounted their wanderings and\par Jehovah's goodness to them. He reminded them of all that God had\par commanded them in his law and gave such new instructions and\par interpretations as would be needed in the new conditions that they\par would meet on coming into the Promised Land. He painted in frightful\par colors the fearful doom that would befall the disobedient and\par eloquently described the blessing of loyalty to God. After being\par called of God to depart into the mountains and die, he pronounced in\par one of the most beautiful passages in all the scripture, his farewell\par blessing upon each of the tribes.\par \par And how solemn must have been the occasion. They are listening for the\par last time to his voice. With what veneration they must have gazed on\par him. He it was that Jochebed with loving hands had laid in the\par bulrushes when 120 years ago Pharaoh had persecuted them. He was the\par man that had so nobly chotsen to suffer affliction with the people of\par God instead of the attractions of Egypt. His eyes under the shadow of\par Horeb had looked on the burning bush. His hand had stretched out over\par Egypt and overwhelmed it with the plagues. His was the face that had\par reflected the divine glory of the mount after forty days of fellowship\par with Jehovah, during which he received the substance of the law. That\par was the faithful and tried man that had often been wrongly accused,\par that had meekly borne so many trials, that had guided the people so\par faithfully, and advised them so wisely, and had refused honors himself\par because he loved them so well. How they must have hung on those last\par words! And the echo of his last words had hardly died away until his\par spirit had been called away and unseen hands had laid his dust in an\par unknown tomb.\par \par The Significance of the Work of Moses. Humanly speaking, he explains\par the great difference between the Hebrews and the peopule kindred to\par them. He accounts for their development from a company of disheartened\par slaves, and from the careless habits of wandering tribes into a\par conquering nation, made irresistible by its belief in the guidance of\par Jehovah. Humanly speaking, he was the creator of Israel. (1) He was a\par _leader_ and as such heartened and disciplined them. (2) He was a\par _prophet_ and as such taught them ideals of social justice, purity and\par honor. (3) He was a _lawgiver_ and as such furnished them with civil,\par sanitary, social and religious laws that channeled them into a sober,\par healthy, moral, and right-minded people. (4) He was the _founder of a\par religion_ and as such led them into a real loyalty to Jehovah as their\par God and gave them such a conception of the divine character and\par requirements as to stimulate in them a growth in goodness.\par \par Lessons of the Period. The student will readily collect for himself\par lessons that have been brought to his attentiovn. The following,\par however, should not fail of consideration: (1) God's law is\par inflexible. It is of universal operation and can not be evaded or\par revoked. Even the best men must suffer if they violate it as was the\par case of Moses. (2) To rebel against God's appointed leaders and to\par speak disrespectfully of them will subject one to the outpouring of\par divine wrath. (3) God never forgets his covenants as seen In the case\par of his refusal to give to Israel the land of Edom and of Ammon. (4)\par That God decides the fate of armies in battle and is therefore the God\par of nations as well as individuals. (5) Early hardships often fit us\par for a more glorious destiny later.\par \par For Study and Discussion. (1) The rebellion of Korah. (2) The story of\par Balak and Balaam and the present day truth which it suggests or the\par problems of today to which it is applicable. (3) The story of the\par budding of Aaron's rod. (4) The sin of Moses because of which he was\par not allowed to enter Canaan. Find every reference to it. (5) The\par different victories of Israel recorded in the period. (6) The fiery\par serpents and serpent of brass. (7) The cities of refuge, their names,\par location, purpose and the lessons for today to be drawn from their\par use. (8) The principal events of Israel's past history mentioned in\par Dt. chs. 1-4, and find where in previous books each is recorded. (9)\par From Dt. chs. 27-28 list the curses and blessings, showing the sin and\par its penalty and the blessing and that for which it is promised. (10)\par The farewell blessing of Moses on the tribes (Dt. ch. 33). List the\par promises to each. (11) The death of Moses (Dt. chs. 32 and 34). (12)\par The incidents of the period that have in them a miraculous element.\par (13) Other prominent leaders besides Moses, Aaron and Joshua. (14) The\par nations mentioned with whom the Hebrews had contact. (15) The\par geography of the places and nations noticed in this period.\par \par } ll] k_12 Chapter 7 From Kadesh to the Death of Moses.{\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\deff0\deftab567{\fonttbl{\f0\fnil\fcharset0 Georgia;}} {\colortbl ;\red0\green0\blue0;} {\*\generator Riched20 5.40.11.2210;}\viewkind4\uc1\pard\cf1\lang1033\kerning36\f0\fs23 Chapter VII.\par \par From Kadesh to the Death of Moses.\par \par Num. 14-Dt. 34.\par \par The Pathos of the Forty Years. The stories of this period have running\par through them an element of pathos arising especially from two sources.\par (1) Perhaps the experiences of Moses are most sorrowful. That he\par should now, after faithfully bringing this people to the very border\par of the land which they sought, be compelled to spend forty monotonous\par years in this bare and uninteresting desert must have been a\par disappointment very heavy to bear. During these wanderings he buried\par Miriam, his sister, and Aaron, his brother kys Conquest.\par \par Joshua.\par \par The Facts of History Recorded. The history recorded in this period\par follows closely upon and completes the story of the deliverance begun\par in the Exodus. But for the sin of Israel in believing the evil spies\par and turning back into the wilderness, none of the events of the last\par twenty-one chapters of Numbers and none of those found in Deuteronomy\par would have occurred and Joshua would have followed Exodus and have\par completed the story of Israel's deliverance out of Egypt into Canaan.\par As it is, this history follows close upon that of Deuteronomy. Joshua,\par who had been duly chosen and set apart for the work, took command of\par the hosts as soon as Moses died. He was trained in the school of Moses\par and exhibited the same devotion to Jehovah and the same dependence\par upon His guidance.\par \par The Story Naturally Falls Into Three Parts. (1) The conquest of\par Canaan, (Chs. 1-12). In this section we have the story of the crzossing\par of the Jordan, fall of Jericho and the conquest of the land both south\par and north. (2) The division of the territory of Canaan (Chs. 13-22).\par In this section we have the assignment of the territory of Canaan, the\par cities of Refuge, the cities of Levites and the return of the two and\par half tribes to the east of the Jordan. (3) Joshua's last counsel and\par death (Chs. 23-24), in which we have his exhortations to fidelity and\par farewell address and death.\par \par While the war itself probably did not continue but seven years, the\par entire period was not less than twenty-five and may have been as much\par as fifty-one years. The period marks a new era in Biblical history.\par Instead of the experiences of Nomadic or semi-Nomadic tribes, a people\par with a fixed abode and with a growing body of customs and institutions\par is described.\par \par The Land of Canaan. It is well to consider at least three things\par concerning this little, yet wonderful country. (1) {_Its geography_. It\par is about four hundred miles long and from seventy-five to one hundred\par miles wide and is made up of plains, valleys, plateaus, gorges and\par mountains fashioned together in wonderful variety. There are many\par small bodies of land capable of supporting a group of people and yet\par so secluded as to allow them to develop their own individuality and\par become independent. Every traveler between Egypt and Babylonia must\par pass through Palestine which thereby became the bridge for the\par civilization and commerce of tie world. Here the Hebrew could easily\par keep in touch with the world events of his day. Later it became the\par gateway of travel from east to west. The territory naturally falls\par into three divisions: (a) Judah or Judea which is in the southern\par portion and about seventy-five miles long, (b) Ephraim or Samaria\par occupying the center of the country, (c) Galilee occupying the\par northern portion. Along the entire coast line there is a con|tinuous\par coast plain. There are many mountains, the most important being\par Hermon, Carmel and Gerizim.\par \par (2) _Its inhabitants and the nations surrounding it_. That the\par population was very dense is indicated by the mention of about three\par hundred cities and towns a large number of which have been identified.\par While there were many war-like people crowded into Palestine, seven,\par the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, the\par Jebusites, the Amorites and the Canaanites, were the most important.\par The Canaanites, who had been there about six centuries, and the\par Amorites, who had lived there about ten centuries, were the two\par peoples that furnished greatest resistance to Israel's occupancy of\par the country. They were virtually one people.\par \par Around Palestine were many kingdoms, some large and strong, some small\par and weak. Among the more important were the Philistines, west of\par Judah, the Phoenician kingdoms on the north, Aramea}ns or Syrians on\par the northeast, and on the east and southeast, the Ammonites, Moabites\par and Edomites, the last three being kinsmen of the Hebrews.\par \par (3) _Conditions favorable to its conquest_. Several circumstances\par conspired to make it a suitable time for the Hebrews to enter Canaan:\par (a) Egypt had crushed the Hittites and devastated their land; (b)\par Northern hordes from and through Syria had broken the power of Egypt\par and the Hittites and had also crushed the Canaanites; (c) Assyria had\par increased her borders to the coasts of Phoenicia and was feared by all\par other peoples; (d) Babylonia was not strong enough to displace Assyria\par as an Asiatic power but strong enough to dispute her supremacy; (e)\par For two hundred years, therefore, their weakness together with that of\par Egypt and the Hittites gave the Hebrews ample time to develop and grow\par strong.\par \par The Crossing of the Jordan and the Fall of Jericho. To the Hebrews\par these two incidents~ have always been of first importance. As the two\par great events through which they gained entrance to their permanent\par home, they have been given a place in Hebrew literature almost equal\par to that of their deliverance from Egyptian bondage. The divine share\par in these great accomplishments was fully recognized. He it was who\par caused the waters of Jordan to separate and He it was who threw down\par the walls of Jericho. Not only did Jericho occupy a strategic\par position, being somewhat apart from other Canaanite cities, but the\par marvelous manner of its fall both encouraged the Hebrews to expect\par complete victory and also caused the Canaanites to fear them and\par expect defeat.\par \par The Complete Conquest of Canaan. The conquest was a sort of whirlwind\par campaign that crushed the active and dangerous opposition of the\par Canaanites, the complete occupancy being accomplished by a piecemeal\par process of subduing one after another of the little cities and\par independent tribes. The campaign was well planned. The Jordan was\par crossed, Jericho was taken and then by pushing forward for the heart\par of the land, Ai was overcome and in a short time Joshua was in the\par center of the land, ready to strike either way. With his central camp\par established at Gilgal (5:10; 9:6) and the forces of Canaan divided,\par Joshua could advance by two lines of invasion. Whether he made\par simultaneous campaigns in different directions is not certain, but he\par seems first to have turned his attention to the southern territory and\par then to have completed his conquest by an invasion of the northern\par districts. After bending before this storm the Canaanites still held\par possession of the land and the piecemeal process of subjugation began.\par It was not all accomplished by the sword but aided by the peaceful\par measures of inter-marriage and treaties with friendly neighbors.\par Israel contended against a far superior civilization but finally won\par because the religious as well as the civil and social life was\par involved.\par \par The Cruelty to the Canannites. Stress has commonly been laid on the\par cruelty to the Canaanites and upon their being driven out of their\par land when it should have been put upon their character where the\par Scripture puts it. This is a waste of false sympathy. The Scripture\par always speaks of the driving out of the Canaanites as a punishment for\par their sins (Dt, 9:4-5; Lev. 18:24-25). Some of the abominations which\par they practiced are described in Lev. 18:21-30 and Dt. 12:30-32. These\par abominations were practiced in the name of religion and were so\par shocking that one shudders to read the description.\par \par Everything evil was worshiped. The chief god was Baal, the sun, who\par was worshiped at different places under different names, but\par everywhere his worship was fierce and cruel. His consort Ashtaroth,\par the Babylonian goddess Istar, the goddess of love, worshiped as the\par morning star, Venus, fostered in her worship abominations that are\par almost inconceivable in our times. It was a worship of impurity and\par could not be cured by ordinary means. God had borne with it for\par hundreds of years. Their destruction was therefore justifiable just as\par was that of the old world and the Jews were simply God's instruments\par just as were the waters of the flood or the fire and brimstone in the\par case of Sodom and Gomorrah.\par \par God was planning to begin, a new nation, to start a new civilization\par and by using this method of punishment for the Canaanites he impressed\par the Hebrews in a most striking way with the consequences of forsaking\par worship of the true God. It was a new thing in the world to have all\par idolatrous symbols destroyed and to worship an unseen God and yet\par Joshua constantly represented to them that all the evils they had\par inflicted upon the Canaanites, and greater evils, would be sent upon\par them if they should become idolaters. Little, therefore, need be said\par of the cruelty of the Hebrews nor of the suffering of the Canaanites.\par The Hebrews were the instrument of God and the Canaanites were reaping\par what they had sown.\par \par The Significance of the War Against the Canannites. Of all the wars\par recorded in human history this was one of the greatest, if not the\par greatest of all. None was ever fought for a more noble purpose and\par none has accomplished greater ends. The fate of the world was in the\par balance. Old civilizations on account of their wickedness, were to\par soon fall and this series of conflicts was to decide whether a new\par civilization with a pure and holy purpose to serve God could arise in\par their midst. It was, therefore, a war (1) _For purification_. The\par individual, the temple and the home must all be pure. (2) _For civil\par liberty_. Israel was now, under God, to govern herself and thereby to\par give the world a pattern of government as God's free nation. (3) _For\par religious liberty_. Idolatry, vice and superstition were everywhere\par and the people must be free to worship the one true God and Creator of\par all. (4) _For the whole world_. Israel was to be a blessing to all\par nations. Out of her and out of this land was to come Christ, her son,\par who should save the nations. The war was, therefore, for us as well as\par for them.\par \par The Character and Work of Joshua. The name Joshua in the Old Testament\par is equivalent to Jesus in the New (Heb. 4:8). His character and work\par were well adapted to his age and he therefore made a deep impression\par upon this formative period of Israel's history. He was fully prepared\par for the work of the conquest by his association with Moses and by such\par events as the defeat of Amalek which he accomplished by divine help\par (Ex. 17:10-16). With all he had been called of God and set apart for\par the work of subjugating the Canaanites. As a soldier and commander, he\par ranks among the first of the world. He is resourceful, brave,\par straightforward, fertile in strategy, and quick to strike (1:10-11;\par 2:1 etc.). In the councils of peace he was wise and generous. He\par displayed statesmanship of the highest order in mapping out the\par boundaries of the tribes and thus preparing the land for a permanent\par occupancy of the Hebrews. In the matter of religion he was actuated by\par a spirit of implicit obedience to God's authority. He combined in his\par nature both courage and gentleness and exhibited in his dealings the\par disposition of both the lion and the lamb. His dying charge is full of\par earnestness and devotion. As a type of Christ he led the people to the\par "rest" of Canaan, though not to the rest of the gospel which\par "remaineth to the people of God." A void still remained and they still\par had to look forward. He led them to victory over their enemies and\par became their advocate when they sinned and met defeat.\par \par Lessons of the Period. Among many lessons suggested by this book the\par following should be considered and the student asked to suggest\par others. (1) God is at war with sin: (a) He thrusts out the Canaanites\par because of their sins; (b) He allows the defeat of Israel at Ai\par because sin was among them; (c) He allows Achan put to death because\par of it. He is, therefore, against all sin, personal, social and civic\par or national. (2) Religious victory and entrance upon spiritual rest is\par accomplished through a leader or commander and through a divine power,\par not through a law giver and by the works of the law. It was not Moses,\par the lawgiver, through whom they entered and not by their own strength.\par (3) God keeps his covenants in spite of all the weakness of man. (4)\par God decides the issues of battles and of wars with a view to the final\par on-going of his kingdom. Only God and not the relative strength or\par preparedness of the contending armies can forecast the final issues of\par war. (5) The fact that God is for one does not preclude the use of\par strategy and discretionary methods. (6) The failure or sin of one man\par may defeat a whole cause and that in spite of the faithful efforts of\par many others. (7) What is a just severity to some is often a great\par mercy to others. The destruction of the Canaanites was a severe\par penalty for their sins, but it was an unspeakable blessing to all the\par future ages because by it a true faith and a pure worship was\par preserved.\par \par For Study and Discussion. (1) Each of the lessons suggested above.\par Find a basis either in incident or teaching for each. (2) The\par geography of the country with the principal cities mentioned. (3) The\par several tribes of people mentioned in the narrative. (4) The\par providential conditions favorable to the conquest just at that time.\par (5) The cruelties of the Israelites to their enemies. Select examples\par and discuss each. (6) The significance of the war. (7) The character\par and work of Joshua. Point out incidents or acts that show elements of\par greatness and weakness in his character; also estimate the value of\par his work. (8) The cooperation of the two and a half tribes in these\par wars. (9) The several battles described. List them and decide what\par contributed to the success or failure of Israel in each case. (10) The\par story of the fall of Jericho. (11) The sin of Achan, its results, its\par discovery and punishment. (12) The story of the Gibeonites, their\par stratagem, its embarrassment to Joshua and consequent slavery to them.\par (13) The portion of land allotted to each tribe and how it was\par secured. (14) The miraculous element running through the narrative.\par List and discuss each incident that tends to show or makes claim of\par such miraculous element. (15) The place of prayer and worship in the\par hook. Give incidents. (16) The element that is figurative or\par illustrative of truth revealed in New Testament times.\par \par } R Ki13 Chapter 8 Joshua's Conquest.{\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\deff0\deftab567{\fonttbl{\f0\fnil\fcharset0 Georgia;}} {\colortbl ;\red0\green0\blue0;} {\*\generator Riched20 5.40.11.2210;}\viewkind4\uc1\pard\cf1\lang1033\kerning36\f0\fs23 Chapter VIII.\par \par Joshua'xproblems_. These arose, (a)\par because of the isolated conditions of the tribes, (b) because of their\par tribal government which lacked the bond of unity of former times, (c)\par because of the strength and opposition of the Canaanites. (2) _Social\par problems_. These grew out of: (a) the adoption of Canaanite customs\par and manner of life, (b) the intermarriage of the Jews with the new\par people. (3) _Religious Problems_. The source of these problems arose\par from two directions, (a) Baal worship ministered to their lusts and\par was therefore a snare to them, (b) the religion of Israel required\par purity and was, therefore, counted a burden. The problems of the times\par of peace were greater than those in the times of war.\par \par The Judges. Now that there was no central stable government and no\par hereditary rulers the people accepted from time to time as their\par rulers certain military leaders whom God raised up and who, by their\par prowess, delivered them from the yoke of foreign oppression. It was,\par therefore, a period of personal efforts some of which are preserved\par for us in this portion of scripture. Fifteen Judges are named counting\par Eli and Samuel, who are by some not so named, but we know very little\par of any except six of the military judges and Eli and Samuel. These six\par are brought into prominence because of as many invasions by other\par nations as follows. (1) The Mesopotamians came down from the northeast\par and oppressed Israel until Othniel, Caleb's nephew, was raised up to\par deliver them. (2) The invasion of the Moabites and the deliverance\par through Ehud. (3) The oppression of the Canaanites, who came down from\par the north, was thrown off through the leadership of Deborah assisted\par by Barak. (4) The Midianites came in from the east and greatly\par oppressed Israel until Gideon defeated and destroyed these bold\par oppressors. (5) The invasion of the Ammonites and Israel's deliverance\par through Jephthah. (6) The Philistines were the next successful enemies\par of Israel and were enabled to do great harm to Israel until Samson\par arose and overthrew their power.\par \par Eli and Samuel differed widely from the other judges and on that\par account are sometimes not counted among them. Eli was a good but weak\par man. His weakness in the control of his children ruined them and\par brought him to sorrow and also caused a severe defeat for Israel.\par \par Samuel was the last of the judges and was also a priest and prophet.\par He is one of the outstanding Old Testament characters. Abraham founded\par the Hebrew race; Joseph saved them from famine; Moses gave them a home\par and Samuel organized them into a great kingdom which led to their\par glory. His birth was in answer to prayer and as judge or deliverer he\par won his most signal victory, that against the Philistines, by means of\par prayer. He founded schools for the instruction of young prophets at\par Gilgal. Bethel, Mizpeh and Ramah. In this he perhaps rendered his most\par valuable and most lasting service. These schools gave a great impetus\par to prophecy. After this time prophecy and prophets had a vital and\par permanent place in the life of the nation. Even kings had to consult\par them for instructions from God.\par \par Ruth the Moabite. In contrast with the many stories of idolatry and\par sin of the times and especially in contrast with the story of the\par idolatry of Micah and the crime of Gibeah found in the last chapters\par of Judges, we have the beautiful little story of Ruth, the Moabite.\par Others had turned away from Jehovah the true God to false gods, but\par she turned from the false gods and received the true God.\par \par Other Nations. Of the condition of the other nations of this period\par we are left largely to the monuments, but much has been discovered\par that throws light on the general world conditions. The following might\par be noted here. (1) _Egypt_. After the Exodus of Israel Egypt seems to\par have enjoyed several centuries of great prosperity during which the\par country was adorned with wonderful buildings, her religion prospered,\par her people were famous for their learning and, through colonization\par projects, she carried her civilization to many other climes. (2)\par _Assyria_ was now a growing empire and destined to become, ere long,\par one of the most powerful of all. (3) _Babylonia_ was now weak and\par generally at a disadvantage in contests with other nations. (4) _The\par Elamites_ also became a people of considerable influence and at least\par on different occasions invaded Babylonia. (5) _Mesopotamia_, before\par being absorbed by Assyria was a powerful nation and ravaged Syria and\par Palestine. (6) _Phoenicia_ was a country of great commercial progress\par with Tyre and Sidon as centers of great influence. (7) _Greece_. The\par most interesting of all the countries that began to show their\par strength during that period is Greece. The inhabitants were wonderful\par in physical energy, in war and conquest, in discovery and in capacity\par for education. They were fond of pleasure and had great capacity for\par the tasks of society, government, and religion. They contrived a\par religious system that was conspicuous for the absence of the great\par priestly class of the eastern systems of religion. However, it left\par the morally corrupt nature of man untouched and, therefore, did not\par contribute anything to the cause of pure religion.\par \par Outline of The Narrative. The Scripture narrative falls into the\par following well-defined divisions: (1) An introduction or the condition\par in Palestine at the beginning of the period, Jud. 1:1-3:6. (2) The\par Judges and their work, Jud. 3:1:1-3:6. (2) The Judges and their work,\par (Jud. 3:7-16 end). (3) Micah's idolatry, Jud. Chs. 17-18. (4) The\par crime of Gibeah, Jud. Chs. 19-21. (5) The story of Ruth, Ruth. (6) The\par career of Samuel including the judgeship of Eli, 1 Sam. Chs. 1-7.\par \par Ethical and Religious Standards. Since this is a transitional period\par we may expect great difference of moral and religions standards. Some\par things are stressed far beyond their importance while other matters of\par more consequence are overlooked. The following examples will indicate\par to what extremes they went in some matters. (1) _Some things bad_: (a)\par Murdering a heathen enemy was counted a virtue; (b) It was not a crime\par to steal from a member of another Hebrew tribe; (c) Might was right;\par (d) They would keep any foolish vow to God even though it cost the\par life of one's child as in the case of Jephthah. (2) _Some things\par good_: (a) The marriage relation was held sacred; (b) A covenant was\par held binding and sacred as in the case of the Gibeonites; (c) They\par counted inhospitality a crime. (3) _Some strange inconsistencies_: (a)\par Micah would steal his mother's silver, then rear a family altar to\par Jehovah; (b) Samson would keep his Nazarite vow, preserve his hair\par intact and abstain from wine and unclean food but give himself over to\par lying and to his passions, and selfish inclinations and fail to\par observe the simple laws of justice, mercy and service.\par \par Lessons of the Period. (1) _As to national decay_: (a) It is caused by\par religious apostasy; (b) It evidences itself in religious blindness,\par political folly and social immorality; (c) Its curse results in\par political and social disorder, chaos and ultimate ruin. (2) _As to\par punishment for sin_: (a) He surely sends punishment on the offender\par whether an individual or a nation; (b) His punishment is a matter of\par mercy and is intended to prepare the way for deliverance. (3) _As to\par deliverance_: (a) It never comes until repentance is manifested; (b)\par It is always through a deliverer whom we can not find but whom God\par must raise up for us. (4) From the book of Ruth it is shown that\par circumstances neither make nor mar believers.\par \par For Study and Discussion. (1) The names of the Judges in order with\par the length of time each served or the period of rest after the work of\par each. (2) The enemy each judge had to combat. (3) What each judge\par accomplished against the enemy and what weapon he used-an oxgoad or\par what? (4) The elements of strength and weakness in the character of\par the principal men of the period. (5) The New Testament truths\par illustrated in the life and work of Gideon and Samson. (6) The lessons\par of practical life illustrated by the stories of Jephthah and Deborah.\par (7) The facts of the story of Micah and Gibeah. (8) The career of\par Samuel as found so far. (9) The value of a trusting soul as seen in\par Ruth. (10) The main element in their religion. (11) The condition of\par Israel at the beginning and at the end of this period. (12) The\par subject of good and successful parents with bad and unsuccessful\par children. The importance they attached to the Ark of the Covenant.\par \par } SS;Y14 Chapter 9 The Judges{\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\deff0\deftab567{\fonttbl{\f0\fnil\fcharset0 Georgia;}} {\colortbl ;\red0\green0\blue0;} {\*\generator Riched20 5.40.11.2210;}\viewkind4\uc1\pard\cf1\lang1033\kerning36\f0\fs23 Chapter IX.\par \par The Judges.\par \par Judges 1; 1 Sam. 7.\par \par The Characteristics of the Times. This is a period of transition for\par Israel Nothing was quite certain, and "every man did that which was\par right in his own eyes" (17:6). In consequence of this there was lack\par of organization, cooperation or leadership. While we do not have all\par the history covered by the period and while we do not easily\par understand or explain its events, it is clear that things did not run\par smoothly. In Judges 2:16-19 the author gives a vivid picture of the\par conditions and characteristics of the time. The problems of the times\par may be outlined as follows: (1) _Political ar The Demand for a King. The last period saw one tribe after another\par come to the front and assert itself through some leading man as an\par emergency arose, but now the tribes are to be united into a monarchy\par and this, too, at their own request made in the form of a desire for a\par king. Several things no doubt influenced them to make this request.\par (1) From the days of Joshua there had been no strong national bond.\par They were only held together by the law of Moses and the annual\par assemblages at Shiloh. But the wise reign of Samuel had given an\par enlarged national consciousness and led to a desire for a stable\par government with the largest possible national unity. (2) The failure\par of the sons of Samuel, who had been entrusted with some power and who\par would naturally succeed him, led them to feel that provision for the\par welfare of the nation must be made before the death of Samuel or ruin\par would come. (3) The attitude of the nations around Israel suggested\par the need of a strong government headed by a leader of authority. The\par Philistines and Ammonites had already made incursions into their land\par and threatened at any time to further oppress them. The new\par organization, therefore, seemed necessary as a national protection.\par (4) The faith of Jehovah was threatened. The victories of the\par Philistines would be interpreted to mean that Jehovah was powerless or\par else did not care for his people. This would lead them to turn to\par other gods. Then too they were greatly tempted by the religion of the\par Canaanite to turn from Jehovah. It was, therefore, a religious crisis\par that made it essential that the Hebrews unite and in the name of\par Jehovah over throw the Philistines and establish a nation that would\par rightly represent to all nations Jehovah as the God of their race. (5)\par The nations around them such as Egypt and Assyria with their seats of\par royalty had excited their pride and they were moved with a desire to\par be like their heathen neighbors-a desire which involved disrespect for\par their divine king and want of faith in him.\par \par The Principle of the Kingdom. The folly of the people did not lie in\par their asking for a king to rule over them, but in the spirit of\par forgetfulness of God with which they made the request. Indeed Moses\par had provided for a kingdom and given the law upon which the king was\par to rule (Dt 17:14-20). He was to be unlike other kings. He was not to\par rule according to his own will or that of the people but according to\par the will of Jehovah. He was to be subject to God as was the humblest\par Israelite, and, under his immediate direction, was to rule for the\par good of the people. This was a new principle that showed it self in\par all the future history of Israel. Saul attempted to be like others-to\par assert his own will-and disobeyed God and was deposed while David\par identified himself with God and his purposes and was successful. One\par represent the ideal of the people, the other that of the Scripture.\par \par Saul the First King. He began his career under the most auspicious\par circumstances. His tribe and its location as well as his fine physical\par appearance gave him great advantage. He was enthusiastic and brave,\par and yet in the early days he charms us with his modesty. After he was\par anointed by Samuel and had been made to see the great career opening\par to him he returned to his regular toil until the people were called\par together at Mizpah and proclaimed him king. Samuel supported him with\par his influence and the people gave him allegiance. He was for a while\par subservient to the will of God and greatly prospered. But later he\par became self-willed and failed to see that the nation was God's and not\par his. He developed a spirit of disobedience, perverseness and evil\par conduct that mark him as insane.\par \par Saul's Great Achievements. The oppression of Israel's enemies which in\par part at least made necessary their king had to be dealt with at once.\par In his contest with them Saul had a very successful military career.\par He was successful in the following campaigns: (I) Against the\par Ammonites (I Sam. 11) in which he delivered from ruin the inhabitants\par of Jabesh-Gilead on the east Of Jordan and won the love of all the\par Hebrew people. (2) Against the Philistines (I Sam. 13-14) in which\par Jonathan was the hero. Before the battle he disobeyed the will of God\par by performing the duties of a priest and was told he should lose his\par kingdom on account of it. At the close of the campaign he lost his\par temper and proposed to kill Jonathan, his son, the hero of the day\par because he had unwittingly disobeyed a foolish command. (3) Against\par Moab, Ammon, Edom and Zobah (I Sam. 14:47) of which there are no\par particulars given. (4) Against the Amalekites (I Sam. 15) in which,\par though he defeated Amalek, he disobeyed God in not wholly destroying\par all Amalek and his possessions and thereby lost for the time being\par Samuel's help and finally his kingdom. It was after this battle that\par David was anointed to become king in Saul's stead.\par \par Saul's Decline. From Chapter 16 on the story tells of the rapid\par decline of Saul and of the rise of David to the kingdom. (1) There is\par given the story of the madness of Saul and the introduction of David\par to the court as the king's musician. (2) The campaign against the\par Philistines in which David kills Goliath, the giant that was defying\par Israel, and won great honor from the king. (3) His effort to destroy\par David. During many years he, with bitter jealousy and an insane\par hatred, tried to destroy David who was as constantly delivered by a\par divine providence. Whether on account of sickness or other reason, he\par seems to have had fits of insanity during this period. (4) His last\par battle and death. The Philistines arrayed themselves against Saul.\par With a sense of defeat he tried to get in touch with Samuel, but\par finally met a death in harmony with his life and thus ended one of the\par most melancholy careers of all history. All because of his\par disobedience to God (I Chron. 10:1.1-14).\par \par Lessons of the Period. (1) God adapts his methods to the needs and\par conditions of the people from tribal government to kingdom. (2) A man\par out of harmony with God will certainly fail-Saul. (3) A man in harmony\par with God's plan will succeed no matter how much opposed by\par others-David. (4) God never forgets to punish those who oppress his\par people-Amalekites. (5) The success of God's work does not depend upon\par our attitude toward his will, but our condition when it has succeeded\par does. (6) A righteous man can succeed without doing wrong to do it.\par (7) God's anointed will suffer if they sin. (8) Kindness to\par enemies-David to Saul. (9) The strength of true friendship-Jonathan\par and David.\par \par For Study and Discussion. (1) The condition that led to the\par establishment of the kingdom. (3) Four statements Samuel made to Saul\par and four ways by which he tried to impress him with the responsibility\par to which he was called I Sam. 9:19-10-8. (3) The prophet bands or\par school of prophets. (4) The story of Jonathan's exploits against\par Michmash by Saul and his escape, I Sam. 14. (5) The story of David's\par choice and anointing, I Sam. 16:1-13. (6) The killing of Goliath and\par defeat of the Philistines. I Sam. Ch. 17. (7) Story of Jonathan and\par David, I Sam. 18:1-4; 19:1-7; 20:1-4, 12-17, 41-42; 23:16-18. (8)\par David's wanderings, 21:10-22-5. (9) Compare Saul and David at the time\par of the anointing of each as to their chances of success. (10) David's\par sojourn in Philistia with the experience of embarrassment and\par advantage, I Sam. Chs. 27-28. (11) Saul's last battle and death, (a)\par the appeal to Samuel through the witch, I Sam. Ch. 28, (b) the battle,\par his and his son's death, I Sam. Ch.31.\par } TT7O/16 Chapter 11 The Reign of David.{\rtf1\ansi\deff0\deftab567{\fonttbl{\f0\fnil\fcharset0 Georgia;}Mq15 Chapter 10 The Reign of Saul.{\rtf1\ansi\deff0\deftab567{\fonttbl{\f0\fnil\fcharset0 Georgia;}} {\colortbl ;\red0\green0\blue0;} {\*\generator Riched20 5.40.11.2210;}\viewkind4\uc1\pard\cf1\lang1033\kerning36\f0\fs23 Chapter X.\par \par The Reign of Saul.\par \par I Sam. 8-31; I Chron. 10\par \p} {\colortbl ;\red0\green0\blue0;} {\*\generator Riched20 5.40.11.2210;}\viewkind4\uc1\pard\cf1\lang1033\kerning36\f0\fs23 Chapter XI.\par \par The Reign of David.\par \par 2 Sam.; 1 Chron. Chs. 11-29; 1 K 1:1-2:11.\par \par His Reign over Judah. The reign of David is divided into two parts.\par The first part was over Judah, with the capitol at Hebron, and lasted\par seven and one-half years. During this period Ishbosheth, son of Saul,\par reigned over Israel in the North. It is probable that both of these\par kings were regarded as vassals of the Philistines and paid tribute. On\par account of rival leaders, there was constant warfare between these two\par rival kings. The kingdom of Judah, however, gradually gained the\par ascendancy. This is beautifully described in the Scripture "David\par waxed stronger and stronger, but the house of Saul waxed weaker and\par weaker" (2 Sam. 3:1). Seeing this, Abner undertook negotiations\par looking to the onion of the two kingdoms, but was treacherously killed\par by Joab. The act of Abner in coming to David was in reality one of\par secession. It was soon followed by the murder of Ishbosheth and the\par utter failure of Saul's kingdom.\par \par His Reign Over All Israel. Saul's kingdom having fallen, Israel\par assembled in great numbers at Hebron and asked David to become king\par over all the nation. Upon his ascendancy to the throne of the united\par nations the Philistines sent an army into the Hebrew country. The\par brief record of these wars shows that they were very bitter and that\par at one time David was forced to take refuge in the Cave of Adullam and\par carry on a sort of guerrilla warfare. But finally in the valley of\par Rephaim he was enabled to strike such a crushing blow to the\par Philistines as to compel a lasting peace and leave him free to develop\par his kingdom. This reign of David, lasting thirty-three years after he\par became king of all, was the ideal reign of all the history of the\par Hebrews.\par \par The element of success and chief acts of his reign may be summed up\par somewhat as follows: (1) _His capture of Jerusalem_ (formerly called\par Jesub,) a Canaanitish stronghold that had resisted all attacks from\par the days of Joshua, and making it his capitol. This choice showed\par great wisdom. (2) _His foreign relations_. David's foreign policy was\par one of conquest. He not only defended Israel but subdued other\par nations. Besides the subduing of the Philistines and capture of Jebus,\par already mentioned, he conquered the Moabites. the Syrians, the\par Edomites and the Ammonites. He also made an alliance with Hiram, the\par king of the Phoenicians, who became his lifelong friend. (3) _His home\par relations and policies_. His policy at home may be said to be one of\par centralization. One of his first acts was to bring up the ark and\par place it on Mount Zion and to center all worship there. This would\par tend to unite the people and to make more powerful his authority over\par all the people. In line with this plan he conceived the idea of\par building the temple and during the years he gathered materials and\par stored riches with which to build it. He acted with a wise\par consideration for the rights of his subjects and in every way sought\par to promote their happiness. As a ruler, he differed very widely from\par the kings of other countries. He possessed none of their selfish aims.\par He did not oppress his subjects with heavy taxes, nor spoil them of\par their possessions, nor seize them for soldiers against their will. He\par recognized that the king was for the people and not the people for the\par king.\par \par His Great Sin and Its Bitter Consequences. David's high ideals and\par noble chivalry could not withstand the enervating influence of his\par growing harem. The degrading influence of polygamy with its luxury,\par pleasure seeking and jealousies was soon to undermine his character.\par His sins and weak indulgencies were destined to work family and\par national disaster. These sins reached a climax in his trespass with\par Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah. In this crime he fell from his exalted\par position to the level of an unprincipled eastern monarch. It stands\par out as one of the darkest crimes of all history and "shows what\par terrible remnants of sin there are in the hearts even of converted\par men". Primitive society followed the course of nature in condemning\par adultery as worthy of more severe punishment than murder itself. And\par "no crime today involves more sudden and terrible consequences in the\par individual; no crime is capable of exerting as malign an influence\par upon the innocent family and later descendants of the culprit; no\par crime leaves in its wake as many physical and moral ills."\par \par The Bitter consequences of this sin soon became apparent. Nathan\par brought to him a worthy rebuke and he showed himself different from\par other kings of his time by the bitter repentance with which he bewails\par his iniquity in the fifty-first Psalm. God forgave his sin but its\par evil consequences in his family and nation could not be removed. The\par nature of his chastisement is suggested in the following incidents:\par (1) The death of his child born to Bath-sheba. (2) Ammon, his oldest\par son, one of the pitiable products of his oriental harem, shamefully\par treated his sister, Tamar, in the gratification of his brutal lusts.\par (3) Absalom treacherously murdered Ammon as a matter of revenge for\par the outrage upon his sister, Tamar. (4) The rebellion of Absalom, his\par son, which almost cost David the throne and led to the destruction of\par Absalom. (5) The rebellion of Shebna and following events, which\par almost destroyed the empire. (6) Many incidents in the family and\par kingdom of Solomon, his son.\par \par While David must always be judged by the social standards of his age\par it must be remembered that his own generation did not hesitate to\par condemn his act and we must not excuse in the least this awful sin.\par The message it has for us is supremely applicable to our present age\par in which social evil threatens to undermine our boasted Christian\par civilization.\par \par The Inspiring Career of David. The life of David is so varied and\par beautiful that one finds difficulty in outlining any study of him in\par the space allowed here. There are several ways of studying his career.\par Sometimes it may be profitable to consider him from two viewpoints,\par (1) His character, (2) His life after he became king. For our purpose,\par however, it would be better to look at him somewhat as follows: (1)\par _As a shepherd lad_, where he laid the foundations of his great\par career. (2) _As a servant at the court of Saul_, where he became the\par object of a bitter jealousy and suffered great indignities. (3) _As a\par refugee from Saul_, during which time he exhibited his unwillingness\par to do wrong even against one who was doing him great injustice. (4) As\par a friend, especially shown in his relation to Jonathan. By it he was\par influenced throughout his whole career and was caused after becoming\par king to extend kindness to the house of Saul, his enemy. 2 Sam. ch. 9.\par (5) _As a musician_. His accomplishments in this field are witnessed\par both by his ability in the use of the harp and in the great body of\par psalms which he left us. (6) _As a loyal subject_. In no other place,\par perhaps, did he show more fine qualities than in this. To him Saul was\par God's anointed, and, though wronged by Saul and though himself already\par anointed to be king in Saul's stead, he remained perfectly loyal to Saul\par as king. (7) _As a ruler_. He knew how to govern both his own people\par and those whom he had subdued. He also succeeded in forming friendly\par alliances with other kings and changed the enfeebled and divided tribes\par into a mighty empire. (8) _As a military leader_. Through his skill he\par organized a most successful army (1 Chron. 27:1-5; 2 Sam. 23:8-9), and\par defeated at least five surrounding nations and so impressed the great\par world powers beyond that they did not oppose the growth of his kingdom.\par (9) _As a servant of God_. Though making his mistakes, he was a "man\par after God's own heart." He made Jerusalem the great center of religion\par and organized the priests and Levites so that their work could be done\par effectively and with order. The key-note of his life seems to have\par been expressed to Goliath (I Sam. 17:45). (10) _As a type of Christ_.\par Of all the human types of Jesus in the Old Testament David is probably\par the most eminent. This fact makes the study of his life and experiences\par of great interest and profit to the Christian.\par \par His Last Days. The last days of David are made sad because of his own\par weakness. The memory of his guilt and disgrace had led him to withdraw\par more and more from the public life and, therefore, to neglect the\par duties of judge and ruler. His court became the scene of plotting\par concerning his successor, whose name he had apparently not announced.\par It was only by the valuable help of Nathan that he succeeded in having\par his wish in the matter.\par \par The dying words of David have in them much that is prophetic of the\par Messiah and points out to Solomon, his beloved son, who was to reign\par in his stead, the way of all success and blessing. It, however,\par contains what has been designated as "the greatest blot on David's\par character"-His charge to Solomon to put to death Shimei and Joab. Such\par vindictiveness does not seem to comport with his spirit manifested in\par the sparing of Saul in the days of his jealous hatred and in his\par kindness to the house of Saul (2 Sam. Ch. 9). Nor does it comport with\par this patience formerly shown to Shimei (2 Sam. 16:5-13). We can not\par explain these charges of hatred upon any other grounds than that of an\par old man in his dotage. He is "no longer his manful self."\par \par Psalms. While the time covered by the collection of the Psalms is more\par than a thousand years, reaching from the time of Moses to the period\par of the exile, it is probably best to study them in this period. The\par majority of them are ascribed to David and the whole collection early\par became known as the Psalms of David. Reference should be made to "The\par Bible Book By Book" for an introduction to their study.\par \par The Lessons of the Period. (1) Divine appointment to a great task does\par not guarantee one against falling into evil. (2) Luxury and the\par indulgence of the appetites tend to degradation. (3) The personal\par forgiveness of sin does not remove its evil consequences. (4) Our sins\par are often as harmful to others and even more so than to ourselves. (5)\par Righteousness exalteth a nation. (6) God controls the issues of wars.\par \par For Study and Discussion. (1) The location of the several nations\par conquered by David and how the victories were won, especially the\par capture of Jebus. (2) David's plan to build the Temple and God's\par message to him II Sam. Ch. 11. Point out the different elements in it.\par (3) Absolom's conspiracy and final defeat, II Sam. Chs. 15 and 18. (4)\par The death of the child of Uriah's wife, II Sam. Ch. 12. (5) The\par different times David showed kindness to his enemies, II Sam. 9, 10,\par 16, and 19. Learn the details of each case. (6) The organization of\par his kingdom, II Sam. 8:l6-18, 15:37, 16:16, 20:23-26; I Chron. 27:33.\par (7) Tie rebellion of Sheba, II Sam. 20:1-22. (8) The story of\par Adonijah, I K. Ch. 1. (9) List David's last commands to Solomon, I K.\par 2:1-9. (10) Nathan's parable to David, II Sam. 12:1-9, 13-15. (11) The\par greatest fault of Absalom, of Joab. (12) Joab, the avenger, II Sam.\par 2:17-32, 3:22-30, 18:9-15, 20:4-10.\par \par } ified\par the worship of Jehovah.\par \par His prayer at the dedication of this temple were not only humble and\par fervent but were expressive of the very highest loyalty to Jehovah as\par the one supreme God and to all the high purposes of the divine will in\par Israel. But in spite of all this he put upon the people such heavy\par burdens of taxation as to crush them. He trampled under foot the\par democratic ideals of the nation and adopted the policy of oriental\par despots which tended to make free-born citizens mere slaves of the\par king. He lived a life of the basest sort of self-indulgence. He\par depended upon foreign alliances rather than upon Jehovah to save his\par nation. He married many strange wives and through them was led to\par establish in Israel the worship of strange Gods. I K. 11:1-8. On the\par whole his reign was such as to undo what had been accomplished by\par David and proved disastrous. Although counted the wisest he proved to\par be in many ways the most foolish king that ever ruled over Israel.\par \par His Policies. As a ruler it is easy to think of his policies under\par three heads, (1) _His home policy_. This was one of absolution. He\par became a despot and robbed the people of their freedom and put them\par under a yoke of oppression by imposing upon them heavy burdens of tax\par that he might carry out his unholy plans for selfish indulgence. (2)\par _His foreign policy_. This was a policy of diplomacy. By means of\par intermarriage, by the establishment of commercial relations and by the\par adoption of the customs and religions of other nations he bound them\par in friendly alliance. (3) _His religious policy_. This was a policy of\par concentration. He built die temple and, through the splendor of its\par worship, tried to concentrate all worship upon Mount Moriah. This\par desire may also have contributed to his erection of altars to foreign\par deities.\par \par Solomon's Building Enterprise. The greatest of all his building\par accomplishments was the temple. It is almost impossible to conceive of\par its magnificence. According to the most modern computation the\par precious materials, such as gold with which it was embellished,\par amounted to something like six hundred million dollars. Next in\par importance was his palace, which in size and time of construction\par surpassed that of the temple. This palace consisted of several halls,\par the chief of which were: The Forest of Lebanon, the Hall of Pillars,\par and the Hall of Judgment. Near the palace was the residence of the\par king himself and his Egyptian Queen-a house that would compare well\par with the royal palaces of her native land. Indeed all Moriah and the\par ground about its base were covered with immense structures.\par \par Besides the temple, palace and other great buildings at the capitol,\par Solomon undertook various other great building enterprises. He built\par many great cities not only in the territory of ancient Palestine but\par in his now extended empire. The most famous of these were Tadmor or\par Palmyra and Baalath, or Baalbic. The former built at an oasis of the\par Syrian desert seems to have been a sort of trade emporium for the\par traders of Syria and the Euphrates to exchange wares with the\par merchants of Egypt. The latter was near Lebanon and was chiefly\par notable for its temple of the sun which was one of the finest edifices\par of Syria.\par \par It would be difficult to put too high a value upon the influence\par wrought by these vast building enterprises. It can hardly be doubted\par that the building of the temple was the most important single event of\par the period of the United Kingdom. From this time on Israel ceased to\par look back to Sinai and regard Jerusalem as the dwelling place of\par Jehovah. Its priesthood and services became the support of all the\par coming kings. The prophets proclaimed their immortal messages from its\par sacred precincts and through it was nurtured the pure religion of\par Jehovah.\par \par Solomon's Writings. During this period as in the previous one literary\par culture made a great advance. Solomon, like David his father,\par possessed extraordinary literary gifts and as a writer had large\par influence. Three books of the Scripture are ascribed to him. (1) _The\par Book of Proverbs_. There is no reason to believe, however, that he\par wrote all of them. It is a collection of proverbs or rather several\par collections. Some were written by Solomon, collected by him from the\par wise sayings of others and still others were added collections of\par later times. (2) _Ecclesiastes_. The purpose of this book seems to be\par to show the result of successful worldliness and self-gratification\par compared with a life of godliness. It is intended to show that the\par realization of all one's aim and hopes and aspirations in the matters\par of wealth, pleasure and honor will not bring satisfaction to the\par heart. (3) _The Song of Solomon_. To the Jews of that time this book\par set forth the whole of the history of Israel; to the Christian it sets\par forth the fullness of love that unites the believer and his Savior as\par bride and bridegroom; to all the world it is a call to cast out those\par unworthy ideals and monstrous practices that threaten to undermine\par society and the home.\par \par Nations Surrounding Israel. The life of any people is always\par influenced by the nations around them. During this period Israel had\par intercourse with many other nations. (1) _Phoenicia_. This commercial\par people, through Hiram of Tyre, one of its kings, supplied the cedar\par wood and the skilled laborers who made possible the building of the\par temple. (2) _Egypt_. Solomon married a daughter of Pharoah and carried\par on with Egypt an extensive commerce and for his wife's sake no doubt\par introduced the worship of Egyptian gods. (3) _Assyria_. This country\par as well as Egypt had lost much of her former power and was not in a\par position to antagonize Solomon. (4) Among the other nations with which\par Solomon had dealings may be mentioned _Sheba_, thought to be in the\par most southern part of Arabia, _Ophir_ and _Tarshish_, and from the\par nature of articles purchased and the three years required for the\par voyage he is thought to have sent trading vessels to _India_.\par \par Evidences of National Decay. From the brief history of this period\par given us by the biblical writers it is evident that the nation began\par to disintegrate before the death of Solomon. Among the more apparent\par signs of decay were several revolts: (1) that of Hadad the Edomite,\par who threw off the Hebrew part of Edom independently: (2) that of Adad,\par the Midianite, who defiled the authority of Solomon; (3) that of\par Rezon, the Aramean, who revolted and became master of Damascus around\par which grew up an important kingdom; (4) that of Jeroboam, an\par Ephraimite, who was an officer of Solomon at Jerusalem and while\par unsuccessful showed the existence of a deep-seated discontent in\par Jerusalem itself. It is significant that the prophet Ahijah of Shiloh\par encouraged Jeroboam by telling him that, on account of the idolatry\par fostered by Solomon, ten tribes would be removed from Solomon's son\par and committed to him. This indicates that the prophets saw that\par disunion alone would preserve the liberties and pure religion of\par Israel.\par \par Lessons of the Period. (1) All national methods bring disaster if God\par is left out of account. (2) Material progress is absolutely of no\par value without a spiritual life. (3) National prosperity always\par endangers the nation. (4) The wisest and best of men may go wrong, if\par they subject themselves to evil influences. (5) Temples or houses of\par worship are of value in giving dignity to faith and in preserving the\par spirit of worship. (6) If the common people feel that they are\par unjustly treated nothing will prevent the disintegration of the\par nation. (7) Religion that does not issue in proper ethics will suffer\par at the hands of true ethics. (8) The security of society depends upon\par simple justice.\par \par For Study and Discussion. (1) The several incidents attending\par Solomon's accession to the throne, I K. Chs. 1-2. (2) David's last\par charge to Solomon, I K. Ch. 3; 4:29:34. (4) [sic] Solomon's temple:\par (a) Its size and plan; (b) Its equipment; (c) Its dedication. (5)\par Solomon's prayer at the dedication of the temple, I K. Ch. 8: II\par Chron. Ch. 6. Look for a revelation of his character, religious spirit\par and conception of God. (6) Solomon's sins, I K. Ch. 11. (7) Solomon's\par treatment of his foes I K, 2:19-46. (8). What Solomon did to stimulate\par trade, I K. 9:26-10:13; 10:22-29. (9) Statements in Ecclesiastes that\par point to Solomon as author or to experiences he had. (10) Statements\par in Song of Solomon that throw light upon the times or seem to refer to\par Solomon and his experiences.\par \par } OOIS17 Chapter 12 Solomon's Reign.{\rtf1\ansi\deff0\deftab567{\fonttbl{\f0\fnil\fcharset0 Georgia;}} {\colortbl ;\red0\green0\blue0;} {\*\generator Riched20 5.40.11.2210;}\viewkind4\uc1\pard\cf1\lang1033\kerning36\f0\fs23 Chapter XII.\par \par Solomon's Reign.\par \par I K. Chs. 1-12; II Chron. Chs.1-9.\par \par The Riddle of Solomon's Character. Few Biblical characters manifested\par such contradictory elements of character. Early in life he manifested\par an earnest, conscientious and religious spirit. He was prayerful and\par sought above all else wisdom and that for the good reason that he\par might be able to rule well. He built the temple and thereby magndom. Several things must be set down as\par contributory causes of the division of the nation. (1) There was an\par old jealousy between the tribes of the north and south reaching as far\par back as the time of the Judges. The very difference in the northern\par and southern territories and their products tended to keep alive a\par rivalry between the tribes occupying them. (2) During the time of\par Solomon the people had turned away from Jehovah and engaged in the\par idolatrous worship of other gods, especially those of the Zidonians,\par Moabites and Ahijah, the prophet, had foretold the division (1 K.\par 11:29-39). This weakening of the people's faithfulness to God gave\par place for the manifestations of their former jealousy. (3) Solomon had\par put upon the people heavy burdens of taxation and of forced labor,\par which were fast taking away the people's liberties and reducing them\par to serfdom. This policy inflamed the jealousy of the northern tribes\par into a bitter discontent. They would rebel rather than submit to the\par loss of their liberty which to them meant also disloyalty to God. (4)\par The ambition of Jeroboam, of the tribe of Ephraim, a valiant officer\par of Solomon, no doubt led him to stir up the ten tribes to revolt.\par Ahijah, the prophet, had made known to him that, upon the death of\par Solomon, he should become the head of these tribes. (5) The final and\par immediate cause was the foolish course of Rehoboam. He went to Shechem\par to be accepted as king by the northern tribes. They demanded that he\par should relieve them of the heavy burdens laid on them by Solomon. The\par older and more experienced men counseled him to grant their request,\par but he heeded the advice of the young men, who were ignorant of\par conditions, and answered them with a threat of even severer burdens.\par Incensed by this foolish threat, the ten tribes revolted and enthroned\par Jeroboam as their king and the division of the empire was\par accomplished. This was the turning point of the nation. It was the\par undoing of all that had been accomplished by the three kings that had\par proceeded.\par \par Comparison of the Two Kingdoms. Each kingdom had its advantages and\par its disadvantages. (1) The northern kingdom, from the material point\par of view, was far superior to the southern. It had a larger and more\par fertile country. It had three times as many people and a much better\par military equipment. Ramah, Bether and Gilgal with their sites of their\par schools of the prophets were all in their borders. Their country was\par also the scene of greatest prophetic activity and their cause was\par just. But the kings were inferior and wicked. Not a single one of the\par nineteen kings were godly. They established idolatrous and abominable\par worship as a religion of the king. This idolatry counterbalanced all\par the material advantages. (2) The Southern Kingdom was far superior\par from a spiritual point of view. It possessed the religious capital of\par the nation with the temple as a center of Jehovah worship. True it had\par only one third as many people, one half as much territory and that\par less fertile, and an inferior military equipment, but its superior\par spiritual power and its superior line of kings made it last 135 years\par longer than the northern kingdom.\par \par The Kings of the Northern Kingdom.\par \par 1. Jeroboam, 1 K. 12:20-14:20. Reigned 22 years and died.\par \par 2. Nadab, 1 K. 15:25-27. Reigned 2 years and was slain.\par \par 3. Baasha, 1 K. 15;27-16:6. Reigned 24 years and died.\par \par 4. Elah, 1 K. 16;6-10. Reigned 2 years and was slain.\par \par 5. Zimri, 1 K. 18:11-20. Reigned 7 days and suicided.\par \par 6. Omri, 1 K. 16:31-28. Reigned 12 years and died.\par \par 7. Ahab, 1 K. 16:29-22:40. Reigned 22 years and was slain in battle.\par \par 8. Ahaziah, 1 K. 22:51-2 K. 1:18. Reigned 2 years and died from an\par accident.\par \par 9. Jehoram, 2 K. 3:1-9:24. Reigned 12 years and was slain.\par \par 10. Jehu, 2 K. 9:1-10:36. Reigned 28 years and died.\par \par 11. Jehoahaz, 2 K. 13:1-9. Reigned 17 years and died.\par \par 12. Jehoash, 2 K. 13:10-14:16. Reigned 16 years and died.\par \par 13. Jeroboam II, 2 K. 14:23-29. Reigned 41 years and died.\par \par 14. Zechariah, 2 K. 15:8-10. Reigned 6 months and was slain.\par \par 15. Shallum, 2 K. 15:13-14. Reigned 1 month and was slain.\par \par 16. Menahem, 2 K. 15:14-22. Reigned 10 years and died.\par \par 17. Pekahian, 2 K. 15:23-26. Reigned 2 years and was slain.\par \par 18. Pekah, 2 K. 15:27-16:9. Reigned 20 years and was slain.\par \par 19. Hoshea, 2 K. 17:1-6. Reigned 9 years and put in prison.\par \par The Kings of Judah.\par \par 1. Rehoboam, 1 K. 12:21-24; 14:21-31; 2 Chron. 11:1-12:16. Reigned 17\par years and died.\par \par 2. Abijah, 1 K. 15:1-8; 2 Chron. 13:1-22. Reigned 3 years and died.\par \par 3. Asa, 1 K. 15:9-24; 2 Chron. 14:1-16:14. Reigned 41 years and died.\par \par 4. Jehoshaphat, 1 K. 13:24; 23:41-50; 2 K. 3:1-27; 2 Chron. 17:1-21:1\par Reigned 25 years and died.\par \par 5. Jeboram, 2 K. 8:16-24; 2 Chron. 21:1-20. Reigned 8. years and died.\par \par 6. Ahaziah, 2 K. 8:25-29; 9:27-29; 2 Chron. 22:1-9. Reigned 1 year and\par was killed by order of Jehu.\par \par 7. Athaliah, 2 K. 11:1-21:2; 2 Chron, 22;10-23:6. Reigned 6 years and\par was slain when Joash became king.\par \par 8. Joash, 2 K. 11:3-12:21; 2 Chron. 24:1-27. Reigned 40 years and was\par slain.\par \par 9. Amaziah, 2 K. 14:1-20; 2 Chron. 25:1-28. Reigned 29 years and was\par slain.\par \par 10. Uzziah or Azariah, 2 K. 14:21-25; 2 Chron. 28:1-23. Reigned 52\par years and died.\par \par 11. Jotham, 2 K. 15:32-36; 2 Chron. 27:1-9. Reigned IB years and died.\par \par 12. Ahaz, 2 K. 16:1-30: 2 Chron. 28:1-27. Reigned IS years and died.\par \par Important Events in the History of Israel. The following are perhaps\par the most important events in the history of tie northern kingdom\par during this period. (1) The establishment of idol worship at Dan and\par Bethel. (2) The removal of the Capital, by Omri, from Tirzah to the\par hill site of Samaria. (3) The wicked reign of Ahab, who introduced\par Baal worship into Israel. (4) The reformations of Jehu, who swept Baal\par worship from the land and overthrew the hated dynasty of Omri. (5) The\par successful reign of Jeroboam II, who brought the nation back to a\par state of prosperity that resembled the time of David and Solomon. (6)\par The activity of the prophets during the entire period. This activity\par is seen in the important place given (1 K. 17-2 K. 13) to the work of\par Elijah and Elisha; in the prophecy of Jonah, Amos and Hosea, who\par prophesied in the time of the reign of Jereboam II, and in part in the\par reign of Micah who preached during the reign of Hoshea. (7) The\par conquest of Israel by the Assyrians which came as the result of forty\par years of constant decline following the death of Jeroboam II. After\par this Israel disappears from history. She had sinned away her\par opportunity.\par \par Principal Events In the History of Judah. The following are the\par principal events of the history of Judah from the division of the\par kingdom until the captivity of Israel. (1) The foolish answer of\par Rehoboam to the ten tribes which led to their revolt and the continual\par enmity of the northern and southern kingdoms that followed. (2) The\par invasion of Judah by Shishak of Egypt, who greatly weakened the\par nation. (3) The reign of Jehoshaphat whose judicial, military and\par educational or religious reforms introduce a new and good day in Judah\par and whose unhappy alliance with Ahab, led his son, who followed him as\par king to introduce idolatry into Judah, with all the evil of the reign\par of Jehoram, Ahaziah and Athaliah. (4) The prosperous reign of Uzziah,\par who was contemporary with Jeroboam II of Israel. (5) The Apostasy\par under Ahaz, who encouraged Baal worship and practiced great cruelty\par even on the members of his own family. The prophet Isaiah (chs. 7-9)\par appeals to Ahaz and to the people to return to Jehovah.\par \par The Relation between the Two Kingdoms. The bearing of the two kingdoms\par toward each other during this period was constantly changing. (1)\par There was almost constant war for about sixty years. During this time\par the kings of Judah cherished the hope that they would regain their\par control over the ten tribes. (2) There was a period of close alliance.\par This alliance was sealed by an intermarriage between the families of\par Ahab, king of Israel and Jehoshaphat, king of Judah. The purpose seems\par to have been that they might better resist the encroaching power of\par Assyria. (3) There was a fresh manifestation of hatred. Jehu is\par enthroned in Israel and destroys the house of Ahab. This shatters the\par alliance between the two nations and causes a breach that is never\par healed. The northern kingdom becomes more and more idolatrous, suffers\par at the hands of the Syrians and is finally carried captive by the\par Assyrians in 722 B. C.\par \par The Messages of the Prophets of this Period. It is not within the\par purpose of this study to raise any of the questions of criticism\par concerning these books. Nor is there time to summarize the contents or\par teachings of nay or all of them. The prophets of this period are\par Jonah, Amos and Hosea, and the prophecy of each should be read\par following the outline given in the author's "The Bible Book by Book."\par \par Lessons of the Period. (1) Jehovah rules not only in Israel but over\par all peoples. (2) Each nation is responsible to God according to its\par opportunity and enlightenment. (3) God judges people according to\par their acts, not according to religious creeds or ceremonies. (4)\par Though a merciful God, Jehovah will and must finally punish willful\par and continuous evil doers. (5) Sin is infidelity to God and brings\par pain to his heart. (6) All punishment is administered to the end that\par the sinful may repent and be forgiven. (7) Jehovah loves men and\par demands that they love him in return. (8) Repentance is the only way\par of escape from doom. (9) God seeks to save men and nations from the\par sins that are to destroy them.\par \par For Study and Discussion. (1) The events leading to the division of\par the kingdom. (2) The story of each king in each nation, (a) How he\par came to the throne, (b) The chief acts of his reign, (c) The character\par of the king himself, (d) The length of his reign, (e) His enemies and\par his friends, (f) How his reign ended. (3) The story of Ahab. (4) The\par story of Elijah. (5) The story of Elisha. (6) The miracles of the\par period. (7) The different enemies with which the tribes were\par surrounded and the trouble they had with each. (8) Jonah and his\par service. (9) The evidence of wealth and luxury of the time. (10) The\par sins of cruelty and injustice in society and government.\par \par } %%<Q719 Chapter 14 The Kingdon of Judah{\rtf1\ansi\deff0\deftab567{\fonttbl{\f0\fnil\fcharset0 Georgia;}} {\colortbl ;\red0\green0\blue0;} {\*\generator Riched20 5.40.11.2210;}\viewkind4\uc1\pard\cf1\lang1033\kerning36\f0\fs23 Chapter XIV.\par \par The Kingdom of Judah.\par \par II K. 18-25; II Chron. 28-36.\par \par Note: This period covers the time from the fail of Israel to the fall\par of Judah. It begins in the sixth year of the reign of Hezekiah, whose\par name is given as the first king of the period since most of his reign\par was in this instead of the former period.\par \par The Kings o9Q118 Chapter 13 The Divided Kingdom.{\rtf1\ansi\deff0\deftab567{\fonttbl{\f0\fnil\fcharset0 Georgia;}} {\colortbl ;\red0\green0\blue0;} {\*\generator Riched20 5.40.11.2210;}\viewkind4\uc1\pard\cf1\lang1033\kerning36\f0\fs23 Chapter XIII.\par \par The Divided Kingdom.\par \par 1 King, 12-2 K. 17. 2 Chron. 10-38.\par \par The Division of the Kingf this Period.\par \par 13. Hezekiah, 2 K. 18:1-20-21; 2 Chron. 29:1-32:33. Reigned 29 years\par and died.\par \par 14. Manasseh, 2 K. 21:1-18; 2 Chron. 33:1-20. Reigned 55 year and\par died.\par \par 15. Amon, 2 K. 21:19-26; 2 Chron. 33:20-25. Reigned 2 years and was\par slain by a conspiracy of his servants.\par \par 16. Josiah, 2 K. 22:1-23; 2 Chron. 34:1-33:27. Reigned 31 years and\par was killed in battle.\par \par 17. Jehoahaz. 2 K. 23:30-34; 2 Chron. 36:1-4. Reigned 3 months and was\par dethroned and carried into Egypt where he died.\par \par 18. Jehoiakim, 2 K. 23:34-24:6; 2 Chron. 36:4-8. Reigned 11 years and\par died.\par \par 19. Jehoiachin. 2 K. 24:6-16; 2 Chron. 36:9-10. Reigned 3 months and\par was carried captive to Egypt.\par \par 20. Zedekiah. 2 K. 24:17-25; 2 Chron. 36:11-21. Reigned 11 years and\par carried captive into Egypt.\par \par \par The Principal Events of the Period. Among the more important events of\par this period the following should be noticed. (1) The reforms of\par Hezekiah who attempted to restore the whole Mosaic order. (2) The\par invasion of Judah by Sennacherib, king of Assyria who at first\par humiliated Hezekiah, but later, was destroyed by divine intervention\par and Jerusalem saved. (3) The wicked reign of Manasseh, who sought to\par destroy all true worship and established idolatrous worship in its\par stead. (4) His captivity in Babylon and release and attempted reform.\par (5) The good reign of Josiah, who destroyed the altars of idolatry,\par repaired the temple and caused the book of the law to be read-all of\par which resulted in a very thorough-going revival of true worship. (6)\par The conflicts with their enemies which finally resulted in the\par downfall of Jerusalem and the captivity of the people. This captivity\par was completely accomplished through three invasions of the hosts of\par Nebuchadnezzar, (a) In the reign of Jehoiakim at which time he carried\par away captive Daniel and his friends; (b) In the reign of Jehoiachin or\par Jeconiah, when he carried to Babylon the treasures of Jerusalem and\par the skilled workmen as well as the officers of the court; (c) In the\par reign of Zedekiah, when the city and temple and walls and principal\par houses were destroyed and large numbers carried into captivity.\par \par The Prophets of the Period and Their Messages. Of all the periods this\par is signalized by the greatest prophetic activity. There was constant\par need both on the part of the king and on the part of the people for\par the warnings and rebukes of the people. Some prophets delivered part\par of their message in one period and the rest in another. No doubt\par Isaiah and Micah did part of their service during the former period\par and Jeremiah performed a part of his in the next. But they are all put\par down here because this is the period of their greatest activity. The\par other prophets of the period are Joel, Nahum, Zephaniah, Habakkuk and\par Obadiah. The messages of these prophets should be carefully read\par following outlines given in "The Bible Book by Book."\par \par The Teachings of the Prophets. It is difficult to put down in brief\par form the various teachings announced and implied in the writings of\par the prophets. Their sermons covered a wide range of subjects,\par religious, political, commercial and social. They touch upon matters\par that are national and also those that are personal. The following may\par be regarded as among their most important teachings. (1) That Jehovah\par is a moral being-holy, just, wise and good. (2) That Jehovah was the\par God not only of Judah and of Israel but off all nations. (3) That no\par man, no set of men and no nation can thwart the plans of God. (4) That\par God's judgments were certain to overtake the sinful. (5) That religion\par was not separate from life, but the very central factor of it-that\par religion and ethics are so blended that "to act justly, to love mercy\par and to walk humbly before his God" is shown to be man's whole duty.\par (6) That religion is a personal spiritual relation between God and\par man. This is especially the contribution of Jeremiah and lays the\par foundation for all true faith and is a basal principle of our\par Christianity.\par \par The False Prophets, Through all the history of Israel false prophets\par were a source of great trouble. Among those of earlier times may be\par noted: (1) An old prophet of Bethel, 1 K. 13:11. (2) 400 prophets with\par a lying spirit, 1 K. 22:6-8. 22-23. (3) 450 prophets of Baal, 1 K.\par 18:19, 22, 40. (4) 400 prophets of Asherah. 1 K. 18:19. A study of\par these will show that some are idolatrous prophets and others are\par perverted worshipers of Jehovah, who did not really prophesy at all.\par Some were no doubt deliberate deceivers of the people while others\par were perhaps self-deceived.\par \par \par During the years immediately preceding the Babylonian captivity false\par prophets played a prominent role and their pernicious influence upon\par Judah's history can hardly be overestimated. They lured the people to\par their ruin and undermined the influence of the true prophets. Isaiah\par talks about the prophet that teaches lies (Is. 9:15). Jeremiah talks\par of prophets of lies, who prophesy, not having been sent of Jehovah\par (Jer. 14:13-15; 23:21-22). Micah tells of the prophets who make the\par people err (Mi. 3:5). Jeremiah was openly opposed by Hananiah (Jer.\par Ch. 28). These prophets destroyed confidence in the message of true\par prophets and brought about a time when the voice of these messengers\par of God ceased to be heard in Israel.\par \par The Great Religious Revivals of this Period. The whole history of the\par kingdom of Judah is marked by periods of religious decline and\par revival. The most striking of these are indicated by the following\par outline. (1) A decline under the reign of Rehoboam. (2) A revival\par begun under Asa and made complete under the reign of Jehoshaphat; (3)\par A decline begun in the reign of Jehoram and continued until the reign\par of Ahaz where the lowest spiritual state was reached. (4) A new\par revival under Hezekiah, who introduced sweeping social and religious\par changes. (5) A decline under Manasseh who reared images to Baal,\par defiled the temple and overthrew the good work of his father Hezekiah.\par (6) A revival under Josiah, grandson of Manasseh, whose piety began to\par manifest itself at the age of sixteen. He began his reforms at the age\par of twenty and spent six years in hewing down the altars and images of\par idolatry. The temple was repaired, the law found and enjoined upon the\par people and the Passover celebrated. (7) A final decline that carried\par Judah on downward until her glory was destroyed and she was led away\par into Babylon as captive.\par \par \par The study of these successive efforts at returning to the true worship\par of Jehovah and their quick collapse indicate that the kindlings of\par spiritual life which they seem to manifest were not real spiritual\par revivals. Many people did no doubt turn in truth to God. but the\par rapidity with which each effort was followed by a return to deeper\par depths of immorality, such as those indicated by Amos 5:l6, 7:17, 8:6;\par Is. 1:23, 10:1; and Hos. 9:15 give evidence of the abounding\par wickedness of the period.\par \par The Wealth and Luxury. There is much in the discourses to indicate\par that wealth abounded and that kings and other influential men lived in\par luxury. The upper classes indulged in all the follies of the idle rich\par and showed the usual heartlessness toward the poor. The following list\par of scriptures will indicate some of the things which they possessed\par and which they did: Amos 5:11, 3:15, 6:4; Jer. 22:14; Is. 5:ll-12,\par 3:18-23, 21:7. To this list the student by comparison and reference\par can add many others.\par \par Contemporary Nations. No study of this period would be complete\par without a knowledge of the other nations that influenced this time.\par Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Media, Phoenicia, Carthage, Greece and Rome\par all influenced Judah. From the Bible narratives and from secular\par history the student should become acquainted with the leading events\par in the history of this period of each of these nations.\par \par Lessons of the Period. It is most difficult to put down the permanent\par lessons or teachings of this period. To the teachings of the prophets\par given above the following are well worth preserving as lessons for our\par day as well as theirs. (1) All reformation must begin at the house of\par God and in connection with his worship-witness the reform work of Asa,\par Jehoshaphat, Joash, Hezekiah and Josiah. (2) Religion must set the\par standards for the conduct of national affairs. (3) Sin is infidelity\par to love, or spiritual adultery. It not only breaks law but cruelly\par wounds love. (4) Sin blinds men to their best interests, turns them\par against their best friends and issues in their ruin. (5) The political\par sentiment or the politician that neglects or attacks God, or the\par national recognition of him is perilous to the nation. (6) The loss of\par the sense or vision of God leads to "degraded ideals, deadened\par consciences and defeated purposes." (7) True love: (a) is not blind to\par the sins of the one loved; (b) does not try to cover up the faults but\par tries to turn one from them; (c) does not desert one when calamity\par comes because of persistence in sin. See the attitude of Jeremiah to\par Judah before and after the captivity.\par \par For Study and Discussion. (1) Study each of the teachings of the\par prophets given above: (a) Try to find scripture basis for it; (b)\par Discuss it as a universal principle. (2) Study each of the scriptures\par referred to in the discussion above on false prophets: (a) From\par references collect other passages on the subject; (b) Make a list of\par their prophecies and tell how to determine whether a prophet is false.\par (3) From the scriptures given above on wealth and luxury and from\par others to be pointed out: (a) List the evidences of wealth; (b)\par Compare the conditions then and now. (4) Following the instructions\par for study in the paragraph above on contemporaneous nations prepare a\par list of facts concerning each, especially of matters that affected\par Judah. (5) Name the kings of this period. Tell (a) how each came into\par office, (b) how long he reigned, (c) how his career ended, (d) what\par prophet preached to each and the nature of the prophecy. (6)\par Hezekiah's sickness, 2 King 20:1-11; 2 Chron. 32;24-26; (7) His song\par of thanksgiving, Is. 38:10-20. Carefully analyze it. (8) Sennacherib's\par invasion, 2 K. 18:14-19 end; Is. 14:24-27; 36:1-37:10; 2 Chron.\par 32:1-23. (a) The object of the expedition; (b) The conference with\par Hezekiah; (c) The outcome. (9) Josiah's reformations. (10) The three\par invasions of Nebuchadnezzar.\par } aria we hear but little of\par the ten tribes. They were carried off into the regions of Ninevah by\par the Assyrians. All effort to locate them has failed and no doubt will\par fail. Sargon, in an inscription found at Ninevah, said that he carried\par away into captivity 27,290. These were perhaps leaders of Israel whom\par he thought might lead a revolt. He sent others back to take their\par place and the Israelites seemed to have mingled with the races about\par them and to have lost their identity. No doubt some of them as\par individuals were faithful to the worship of Jehovah and may have found\par their way back to Palestine under the leadership of Ezra and Nehemiah.\par But it was different with Judah who all the time kept true to her\par ideals and looked for the return that had been prophesied. This hope\par was realized through the work of Ezra and Nehemiah following the\par decree of Cyrus.\par \par Judah Led into Captivity. The captivity of Judah was accomplished by\par three distinct invasions of the Babylonians and covered a period of\par twenty years. (1) _The first invasion and captivity_. This was in 607\par B.C., at which time Daniel and his friends along with others were\par carried into captivity, 2 K. 24:1, Jer. 25:1, Dan. 1:1-7. (2) _The\par second invasion and captivity_. This was 597 B.C., at which time king\par Jehoiakim and 10.000 of the people were carried into captivity. Among\par these were Ezekiel and one of the ancestors of Mordicai, the cousin of\par Esther, 2 K. 24:10-16; Eze. 1:1-2; Est. 2:5-6. (3) _The third invasion\par and captivity_. In 587 B.C. Jerusalem was conquered and its walls and\par palaces as well as the temple were destroyed and the inhabitants\par carried away into exile, 2 K. 24:18; 24:1-27; 2 Chron. 36:11-21; Jer.\par 52:1-11. This is the end of the southern kingdom.\par \par The Period of the Captivity. Jeremiah predicts that the captivity will\par last seventy years (Jer. 25:12; 29:10; see 2 Chron. 36:21; Dan. 9:2:\par Zech. 7:6). There are two ways of adjusting the dates to fulfill this\par prediction, (1) From the first invasion and the carrying into\par captivity of Daniel and others, 607 B. C. to 537 B. C., when the first\par company returned under Zerubbabel. (2) From the final fall of\par Jerusalem. 587 B. C. to the completion of the renewed temple and its\par dedication, 517 B. C. Either satisfies the scripture. In history it is\par customary to speak of this exile as covering only the fifty years from\par 587 B. C. when Jerusalem was destroyed and the last company carried\par away to 537 B. C. when the first company returned under Zerubbabel.\par \par The Fugitives in Egypt. When Jerusalem fell the king of Babylon\par allowed many of the poorer people to remain in Palestine and Jedediah,\par a grandson of Josiah, was appointed to rule over them. 2 K. 25:22. His\par career was a very useful one, but through jealousy he was soon\par murdered, 2 K. 25:25. This led the people to fear lest Nebuchadnezzar\par would avenge his death, whereupon they fled into Egypt 2 K. 25:26.\par Jeremiah attempted to keep them from going to Egypt (Jer. 42:9-22.)\par but, when he failed, he went along with them and shared their destiny,\par Jer. 43:6-7. They settled at Tahpanhee (Jer. 44:1), a frontier town\par where many foreigners lived under the protection of Egypt. They seem\par to have built a temple there and did much to retain their racial\par ideals. Jeremiah seems to have continued his faithful prophecies and\par the people seem to have continued as faithfully to reject his counsel.\par We do not know how he ended his career but Jewish tradition says he\par was put to death by his own people.\par \par The Exiles in Babylon. The state of the exiles in Babylon may not be\par fully known but from the contemporary writers very much may be known.\par (1) _Their home_. They were settled in a rich and fertile plain,\par intersected by many canals. It was on the river, or canal, Chebar (Ez.\par 1:1.3; 3:15, etc.) which ran southeast from Babylon to Nippur. It was\par a land of traffic and merchants and fruitful fields (Ez. 17:4-5). They\par were rather colonists than slaves and enjoyed great freedom and\par prosperity. (2) _Their occupation_. By reason of their intellectual\par and moral superiority the Jews, as they are called from this time\par forward, would secure rapid advancement. Some of them such as Daniel\par obtained high position. Others became skilled workmen. Following the\par advice of Jeremiah (Jer. 29:5), many of them no doubt gave themselves\par to agriculture and gardening. Probably most of them yielded to the\par opportunities of the "land of traffic and merchants" mentioned above\par and engaged in commercial instead of agricultural pursuits. (3) _Their\par government_. For a long time they were allowed to control their own\par affairs as their own laws provided. The elders of the families acted\par as judges and directed affairs in general. For a while they probably\par held the power of life and death over their own people, but the\par capital cases were punished later by authority of Babylon (Jer.\par 29:22.) (4) _Their religion_. Here also the information is meager and\par must be gathered from statements and inferences found in several\par books. Several things are certain: (a) For the most part they\par preserved their genealogies, thus making possible the identity of the\par Messiah as well as their proper place in worship when they were\par restored; (b) They gave up all idolatry and were never again led into\par its evil practices as they had been wont to do before. Indeed, there\par are, even to the present day, no idolatrous Jews; (c) They gave up the\par elaborate ceremonials and the public and private sacrifices and the\par great festivals. In their stead prayer and fasting and Sabbath\par observances constituted the main part of their religious life. The\par observance of the Sabbath became a ceremony and was robbed of its\par simple divine purpose; (d) They assembled the people together on the\par Sabbath for the purpose of prayer and the reading of the scripture.\par This custom probably formed the basis for synagogue worship so\par influential later; (e) All this private devotion and prayer such as\par was seen in the thrice-a-day worship of Daniel was opening the way for\par a purer and more spiritual religion; (f) The Canon was greatly\par enlarged and new spiritual teachings were announced or new light\par thrown on old teachings. The prophesies of Daniel and Ezekiel with\par many psalms were added. The book of Lamentations and chapters 40-44 of\par Jeremiah were also the products of this date but refer especially to\par the conditions of those in Egypt.\par \par The Prophets of the Exile. This period is calculated to bring great\par discouragement to the Jews. They so far failed of their expectations\par that there is danger that they will give up their proper regard for\par Jehovah. They have great need that some one tell them the significance\par of their suffering and point out for them some word of hope for the\par future. This service was rendered by the prophets. There was great\par activity on the part of false prophets (Jer. 39:4-8, 21-23;\par Ez. 13:1-7, 14:8-10), but they were blessed by the following true\par prophets: (1) _Ezekiel_. These prophecies began by recounting the\par incidents of the prophet's call and the incidents between the first\par and the second captivities; they then denounce those nations that had\par part in the destruction of Jerusalem and those that had been bitter\par and oppressive in their dealings with Israel and Judah; they close\par with messages of comfort and cheer for the exiled people; (2)\par _Daniel_. (3) _Lamentations_. Besides a portion of the book of\par Jeremiah and probably of Isaiah which, as suggested above, belongs to\par this period, the book of Lamentations, written while in exile in\par Egypt, should be placed here. All three of these books should be read\par by following the outline given in "The Bible Book by Book."\par \par The Benefits of the Captivity, Dr. Burroughs gives as benefits that\par the Jews derived from the captivity the following four things: (1) the\par destruction of idolatry; (2) the rise of the synagogue; (3) a deepened\par respect for the law of Moses; (4) a longing for the Messiah. To these\par might be added or emphasized as being included in them: (1) a vital\par sense of repentance was created; (2) the change from the national,\par festal and ceremonial worship to a spiritual and individual religion;\par (3) a belief that Israel had been chosen and trained in order that\par through her Jehovah might bless the whole world.\par \par Lessons of the Period. The experiences of Judah as recorded in this\par period bring us several important truths. (1) That sin will tear down\par both men and nations. (2) Men are responsible and suffer for their own\par sins but not for the sins of others, Ez. 18:2-3; 33:10-11. (3) God\par controls all circumstances toward the ultimate accomplishment of his\par purposes. (4) He makes free use of all "world rulers as his tools to\par execute his will" (5) God sets up and destroys nations. (6) God cares\par for his people and overrules all for their good. See Dan., etc. (7)\par One can live right in spite of one's surroundings (see Daniel) and\par such living will lead men to know God. (8) Evil grows more and more\par determined while good grows more and more distinct and hence the\par question "Is the world growing better?" (9) God rejoices in the\par opportunity to forgive his erring people and in restoring them again\par into his partnership.\par \par For Study and Discussion, (1) When, to whom and by whom the exile was\par predicted: (a) 2 K. 20:17-18; (b) 2 K. 21:10-16; (c) 2 K. 22:16-17,\par Dt. 28:25, 52-68; (d) Jer. 25:9-11; (e) Jer. 34:2-3; (f) Mic. 3:12;\par (g) Zeph. 1:2-6. (2) The different classes of exiles: (a) Those in\par favor with the court, Dan. 1:19-21, 2:45-49; (b) Common laborers-lower\par classes, Jer. ch. 29, Eze. ch. 13; (c) Pretentious prophets, Eze. ch.\par 13, Jer. ch. 29. (3) The social condition of the exiles, 2 K. 25:27;\par Dan. 1:19-21; Is. 60:1; Jer. 29:4-7, Esth., and passages in Eze. (4)\par The details of each of the three invasions and the captivities as\par outlined above. See scriptures. (5) The exiles in Egypt: (a) Who they\par were, (b) How they fared. (6) The activity and influence of false\par prophets of this age. (7) The story of Nebuchadnezzar's dreams and\par their interpretation: (a) the image dream, (b) the tree dream. (8) The\par stories of (a) The fiery furnace; (b) of the lion's den. (9) The feast\par of Belshazzar. (10) The visions of Daniel 7:1-14, 8:1-12, 10:4-6. (11)\par The four beasts of Daniel and their significance. (12) The oracles\par against foreign nations, Eze. chs. 25-32. (13) The benefits mentioned\par above. (14) The lessons mentioned above. Find scripture basis for\par them.\par \par } $$ E_21 Chapter 16The Restoration{\rtf1\ansi\deff0\deftab567{\fonttbl{\f0\fnil\fcharset0 Georgia;}} {\;U120 Chapter 15 The Captivity of Judah{\rtf1\ansi\deff0\deftab567{\fonttbl{\f0\fnil\fcharset0 Georgia;}} {\colortbl ;\red0\green0\blue0;} {\*\generator Riched20 5.40.11.2210;}\viewkind4\uc1\pard\cf1\lang1033\kerning36\f0\fs23 Chapter XV.\par \par The Captivity of Judah.\par \par Eze., Dan., Lam.\par \par The Ten Tribes Lost. After the fall of Samcolortbl ;\red0\green0\blue0;} {\*\generator Riched20 5.40.11.2210;}\viewkind4\uc1\pard\cf1\lang1033\kerning36\f0\fs23 Chapter XVI.\par \par The Restoration.\par \par \par Ezra, Neh., Esth., Hag., Zech.\par \par Scripture Analysis. The books of Ezra and Nehemiah furnish the outline\par of the period and its achievements. The two books were formerly\par counted one book and a continuous outline of the two is best suited to\par the proper emphasis of the various events of the period. The following\par outline will appear simple and yet sufficient for our purpose. (1) The\par rebuilding of the temple (Ezra, chs. 1-6). (2) The reforms of Ezra\par (Ezra, chs. 7-10). (3) The rebuilding of the walls (Neh. chs. 1-7).\par (4) The covenant to keep the law (Neh. chs. 8-10). (5) The inhabitants\par of Jerusalem (Neh. 11:1-12:26). (6) The dedication of the wall and the\par reform of Nehemiah (Neh. 12:27-13-end).\par \par Predictions of the Return. The return from captivity had been\par prophesied long before the fall of Jerusalem. Several prophets had\par foretold the captivity and in connection with it had told of the\par destruction of Babylon and Judah's restoration. Even the length of\par their stay in exile was announced. While they were in exile they were\par constantly encouraged by the promised return foretold to them by\par Ezekiel, Jeremiah and others. (1) Restoration at the end of seventy\par years is predicted. (Jer. 25:12; 29:10; Dan. 9:2). (2) Other\par Scriptures that foretell the overthrow of Babylon or the return to\par Jerusalem or both may be found in Is. chs. 13, 14, 21, 44-47; Jer.\par 28:4-11; chs. 50-52; Ez. ch. 27, etc.\par \par The Rise of Persian Power. This was a period of world change. Great\par empires in rapid succession fell under the power of new and rising\par kingdoms. (1) The Assyrian Empire, which superseded the Chaldean\par Empire about 1500 B. C., and now loomed so large in the eyes of the\par world, fell, when the combined forces of the Medes and Babylonians\par captured Ninevah her capital (B. C. 607) and was numbered among the\par dead nations. (2) The Babylonian Empire rose to supremacy and was the\par dominating power when Judah went into captivity. She was the most\par splendid kingdom the world had ever seen. (3) The Persian power\par conquered Media and the greater part of Assyria and the Medo-Persian\par Empire under Cyrus conquered Babylon and held almost universal sway at\par the time of the restoration.\par \par The Decree of Cyrus. It is now about 150 years since Isaiah in his\par prophesies called Cyrus by name and predicted that he should restore\par God's captive people to their own land and now in fulfillment of that\par prophecy God stirred up the spirit of Cyrus and caused him to issue a\par proclamation for the return of the Jews and the rebuilding of the\par temple. He gave orders that his people should give the Jews silver,\par gold and beasts. He also restored to them the vessels of the house of\par the Lord (Ezra. 1:1-3) and instructed the governors along the way to\par assist him.\par \par Three Expeditions to Jerusalem. The return from Babylon covered a long\par period of time and consisted of three separate detachments under as\par many different leaders. There were important intervening events and\par contributory causes. (1) The first colony to return was _under\par Zerubhabel_ (536 B. C.) and consisted of about fifty thousand. Ezra\par chs. 1-6. We have given us the records of activities of this colony\par for a period of about twenty-one years, during which time the temple\par was rebuilt and dedicated. Much opposition was encountered in the\par matter of rebuilding the temple and the work was finally stopped. It\par is here that Haggai and Zechariah delivered their stirring prophesies\par which together with the influence of Jerubbabel and Jeshua, the\par priest, stimulated the people to renew their building operations and\par complete the temple (B. C. 515). In the course of history, Haggai and\par Zechariah would come in between the fourth and fifth chapters of Ezra.\par (2) The second colony returned to Jerusalem _under the leadership of\par Ezra_ (Ezra chs. 7-10) and consisted of about 1800 males with their\par families. There is here a lapse of about fifty-seven years from the\par completion and dedication of the temple to the time of Ezra's going to\par Jerusalem-the last thirty years of the reign of Darius, the twenty\par years of the reign of Xerxes and seven years of the reign of\par Artaxerses. Ezra obtained permission from Artaxerxes to return and\par also letters of instruction to the rulers to give him assistance. He\par was a scribe of the law of Moses and his mission was primarily a\par religious one. He was a descendant from the house of Aaron and as such\par he assumed the office of priest when he reached Jerusalem. Upon his\par arrival he found that the first colony had fallen into gross\par immoralities and into unsound religious practices. He rebuke He\par rebuke all these sins and brought about a great reform. It is not\par certain that he remained in Jerusalem. His leave from the king may\par have been only temporary and he may have gone back to Babylon and\par returned again to Jerusalem in the time of Nehemiah. (3) The third\par colony was _led to Jerusalem by Nehemiah_ (the book of Nehemiah). The\par number returning is not given. Nehemiah was the cupbearer to the\par Persian king and upon hearing of the distress of his people at\par Jerusalem secured permission from him to go to Jerusalem as the\par governor. In spite of very determined opposition he was enabled to\par repair the wall of the city and dedicate it with great ceremony (Neh.\par chs. 6 and 12). Nehemiah is counted as one of the greatest reformers.\par He corrected many abuses such as those of usury and restored the\par national life of the Jews based upon the written law. Together with\par Ezra he restored the priests to their positions and renewed the temple\par worship. He went back to the Persian court where he remained several\par years and then returned to Jerusalem and continued his reforms. This\par ends the Old Testament history.\par \par The Prophecy of Hagai and Zechariah. The task of these prophets was\par the same and was by no means an easy one. The work of rebuilding the\par temple, which had been begun when Jerubbabel and his colony came to\par Jerusalem, had been stopped by the opposition which they met. Along\par with this laxity of effort to build the temple the Jews were busy\par building houses for themselves (1:4) and had become very negligent of\par all duty. They had begun to despair of seeing their people and the\par beloved city and temple restored to the glory pictured by the prophets\par and were rapidly becoming reconciled to the situation. These two\par prophets succeeded in arousing interest and confidence in the people\par and through their appeals secured the finishing of the temple.\par \par The Prophecy of Malachi. This prophecy condemns the same sins as those\par mentioned in the last chapters of Ezra and Nehemiah. He denounced\par their impure marriages, their lack of personal godliness, their\par failure to pay tithes and their skepticism. The special occasion for\par the discourses was the discontent which arose because their\par expectation of the glorious Messianic Kingdom had not been realized.\par They had also had unfavorable harvests. It is thought by many that the\par time of the prophecy is between the first and second visit of Nehemiah\par to Jerusalem. The purpose seems to be: (1) to rebuke them for\par departing from the law; (2) to call them back to Jehovah; (3) to\par revive the national spirit.\par \par The Story of Esther. King Ahasuerus of the book of Esther is thought\par to be Xerxes the Great. On this view the events narrated occurred some\par time before the second colony came to Jerusalem and the story would\par fall between chapters 6 and 7 of the book of Ezra. The book throws\par much light on the condition of the Jews in captivity and also upon the\par social and political conditions existing in the Persian Empire at this\par period. While the name of God does not occur in the book, his\par providential care over his people is everywhere manifested. The\par deliverance of the Jews from death by the intercessions of Esther\par became the occasion of the establishment of the feast of Purim which\par ever after commemorated it in Jewish history. These four books should\par be read following the outline given in "The Bible Book by Book."\par \par Synagogues and Synagogue Worship. The emphasis which Ezra gave to the\par study of the Book of the Law no doubt did much to destroy idolatry and\par led to a new devotion to the word of God, at least to the letter of\par the law. This led to the institution or the re-establishment of the\par Synagogue. There had no doubt been from the early times local\par gatherings for worship, but the Synagogue worship does not seem to\par have been in use before the captivity, After the captivity, however,\par they built many of them, in every direction. They were places of\par worship where they engaged in reading the law, in exhortation and in\par prayer. The reading and expounding of the law became a profession,\par those following this calling being designated "lawyers."\par \par The Significance of the Period, In all the annals of national life\par there is probably not a more significant sweep of history than that of\par the Jews during the restoration which covers a little more than ninety\par years. With the captivity their national life had ceased and now that\par they are back in their own land they do not seem to make any attempt\par to reestablish the nation. Stress is now put upon the true worship of\par God and it is beginning to dawn upon them that the glory of God will\par be manifested in some higher spiritual sense than had been expected.\par They had seen the decay of the mightiest material kingdoms, while\par spiritual Israel lived on, and were seeing how God and his cause and\par those whom he saves can not die. The Old Testament, therefore, closes\par with the Jews back at their old home, with the temple restored, with\par the sacred writings gathered together, with the word of God being\par taught and with the voice of the living prophet still in the land.\par After this followed a somewhat varied history of about 400 years\par through all of which the light of the hope of the coming Messiah never\par died out.\par \par Lessons of the Period. The discussions of the previous sections have\par brought out some of the significant teachings of this period, but the\par following statement of lessons will probably serve to stimulate\par thought. (1) God will use as his instruments others than his own\par people. See Cyrus and Artaxerxes. (2) God's work is both (a)\par constructive, as when he builds up, inspires, edicts and qualifies\par workers, and (b) destructive, as when he overcomes opposition. (3) A\par consecrated man is courageous and uncompromising, but none the less\par cautious. See Nehemiah. (4) There is a wise providence of God that\par includes all nations and displays perfect righteousness, perfect\par knowledge and perfect power. See the book of Esther, also the others.\par (5) Contentment may be false and harmful. See Hag. and Zech. (6) The\par comparative strength of the friends and enemies of a proposition does\par not determine the results. God must also be considered. (7) It pays to\par serve God. the Moral Governor of the world. See Mal. (8) The safety of\par a people demands that the marriage relation shall be sacredly\par regarded. (9) A rigid observance of the Sabbath is vital to the growth\par and well-being of a nation. (10) Mere forms of religion are\par displeasing to God unless accompanied by ethical lives. (11) Rules\par that oppress the poor court the Divine disfavor.\par \par For Study and Discussion. (1) The lessons given in the last paragraph.\par (2) The decree of Cyrus. (3) The adversaries of Judah (Ezr. ch. 4;\par Neh. ch. 4), who they were and what they did. (4) The reforms of Ezra.\par (5) The reforms of Nehemiah. Compare them one by one with those of\par Ezra. (6) The traits of character of Ezra and Nehemiah. (7) Nehemiah's\par plan of work in rebuilding the temple. (8) The traits of character\par displayed by Vashti, Mordecai, Esther and Haman. (9) The Spirit of the\par return. Compare with the story of Ezra. Is. ch. 40, 48:20-21; Dan.\par 9:20; Ps. 137. Point out (a) the religious impulse, (b) the national\par pride, (c) the local attractions. (10) The rebuilding of the temple\par and of the wall. (11) The different sins rebuked by Malachi. (12) The\par kings of Babylon since Nebuchadnezzar, (b) [sic] The feast of\par Belshazzar, Dan. ch. 5, (c) The conquering of Babylon, (d)\par Organization of the kingdom under Darius, Dan. ch. 6, and of\par Ahasuerus, Esth.\par \par } nspired records.\par Neither prophet nor inspired historian is found among the Jews and\par there is no further development of revealed religion. It was, however,\par a period of vast importance and the history of the chosen people may\par be traced from secular sources. For convenience the history of the\par period may be divided into four sections: (1) The Persian Period. (2)\par The Greek Period. (3) The Period of Independence. (4) The Roman\par Period.\par \par The Persian Period. The Persians continued their rule over Judea a\par little more than one hundred years after the close of Old Testament\par history. But in 332 B. C. Alexander the Great was enthroned over the\par monarchy, then under Darius, and inaugurated the era of Grecian\par supremacy. During this period, however, little happened in Palestine\par that was of much interest.\par \par Under the Rule of the Greek Kings. Alexander the Great seemed to have\par formed a good opinion of the Jews and granted them many special\par favors. He regarded them as good citizens and gave them privileges as\par first class citizens of Alexandria and encouraged them to settle\par throughout his empire. Upon his death his kingdom was broken up into\par four kingdoms (Macedonia, Thrace. Syria and Egypt) and Judea was\par alternately under the rule of Syria and Egypt. All Palestine was\par permeated with the influence of the Greek language and philosophy. It\par was while Judea was under the rule of Ptolemy of Egypt that the\par Septuagint version of the Old Testament was made. This made possible\par the reading of the Hebrew Scriptures in the Greek language and was one\par of the greatest missionary works of all times.\par \par The Period of Independence. In 170 B.C. Antiochus Epiphiones began\par to oppress the Jews in an attempt to force them into idolatry and\par about 167 B.C. Judas Maccabeus began to lead a revolt which two years\par later was successful in throwing off the foreign yoke and establishing\par the independence of the Jews. They were now governed by a succession\par of rulers from the Maccabean family for a period of one hundred years.\par These rulers performed the double function of both civil and\par ecclesiastical head of the people. They were descendants of David and\par under their leadership Edom, Samaria and Galilee were added to their\par territory and much of the splendor and wealth of the golden days of\par the kingdom was restored.\par \par The Roman Period. This period may be said to have begun in B.C. 63 and\par to have extended to A.D. 70. In B.C. 63 Pompey overran Palestine,\par destroyed Jerusalem and brought the Jews under Roman rule. By this\par conquest Jewish independence was forever lost. In B.C. 37 Herod the\par Great was appointed by the Roman emperor to the position of ruler of\par Palestine. In B.C. 20-18 he rebuilt the temple at Jerusalem, though it\par (all the buildings and walls) was not finished until many years after\par his death. He also built the temple of Samaria and continued to reign\par until Christ came and much longer.\par \par The Entire Period. This entire period spans the time from the history\par of Nehemiah and the prophecy of Malachi to the coming of the Messiah.\par It opens with the Persian empire supreme and closes with Augustus\par Caesar as the head of Rome, the mistress of the world. When Jesus came\par Herod the Great governed Palestine and all the world was at peace.\par \par The End of the Period. There are many points of view from which to\par study the conditions existing at the close of this period. But for our\par purpose it will probably suffice to consider (1) some signs of\par decadence or defects; (2) some hopeful signs. The facts touching these\par matters are to be gathered not only from secular history but from the\par life and work of Jesus as they are seen at work either for or against\par the progress of his work. (1) Unpropitious conditions. Among the signs\par of decadence or errors that needed correction should be noted: (a)\par There was a defective view of God. They regarded God as too far away;\par (b) They laid too much stress upon outward obedience and, thereby,\par left no place for motive in their service; (c) This led them to rest\par salvation upon a system of works and to multiply rules of obedience;\par (d) This led to too great demand for respect for the learned and of\par subordination to them; (e) The Jews thought that they had a special\par place in the salvation of God and as children of Abraham only felt the\par need of national deliverance. (2) Hopeful signs. Several conditions\par that bespeak good should be noted: (a) The Jews did have the truest\par conception of religion to be found anywhere in the world; (b) Their\par religion was a matter of deep concern to them and they showed an\par undying devotion to their religious institutions; (c) There was a keen\par sense of the worth of the individual; (d) There were many synagogues\par which led to a zeal to proselyte foreigners and opened the way for\par Gentile evangelism; (e) There was a widespread expectation of the\par Messiah whom the whole world could receive as its spiritual king; (f)\par The home life of the Jews was strongly religious and children were\par held in high esteem.\par \par For Study and Discussion. (1) The career of Alexander the Great. (2)\par The reign of Ptolemy Soter and Ptolemy Philadelphus in Egypt. (3) The\par acts of Antiochus Epiphanes. (4) The story of Judas Maccabeus. (5) The\par story of the subjection of Judea to Rome. (6) The persecution of the\par Jews under the several rulers of the different countries to which they\par were subject during this period. (7) The religious parties of the\par period, especially the Pharisees and Sadducees.\par \par Literature. The information necessary to understand these topics may\par be found in any one of the better Bible dictionaries, in Josephus and\par more or less in text books on Biblical history such as Blakie.\par \par } $ok22 Chapter 17 From Malachi to The Birth of Christ{\rtf1\ansi\deff0\deftab567{\fonttbl{\f0\fnil\fcharset0 Georgia;}} {\colortbl ;\red0\green0\blue0;} {\*\generator Riched20 5.40.11.2210;}\viewkind4\uc1\pard\cf1\lang1033\kerning36\f0\fs23 Chapter XVII.\par \par From Malachi to The Birth of Christ.\par \par No Scripture.\par \par The Close of the Old Testament History. We now come to the close of\par Old Testament history and prophecy. Ezra and Nehemiah were at\par Jerusalem, one the governor and the other the priest of the people.\par Jerusalem and the temple had been restored and the worship of Jehovah\par re-established. This was about 445 B. C. and Judea was still under\par Persian rule. From this date to the opening of New Testament history,\par a period of about four hundred years, there are no it because at some points the gospels leave us in uncertainty or\par in ignorance. If a chronological outline is attempted there is no less\par of uncertainty.\par \par The following outline, however, may be accepted as a scheme of study\par for the period. (1) The childhood and youth of Jesus. From the birth\par of Jesus, B.C. 4 to the beginning of the ministry of John the Baptist,\par A.D. 26. (2) The beginning of Christ's ministry. From the beginning of\par John's ministry to Christ's first public appearance in Jerusalem, A.D.\par 27. (3) The early Judean ministry. From his first public appearance in\par Jerusalem to his return to Galilee, A.D. 27. (4) The Galilean\par ministry. From the return to Galilee to the final departure for\par Jerusalem, A.D., 29. (5) The Perean Ministry. From the departure from\par Galilee to the final arrival in Jerusalem, A.D. 30. (6) From the final\par arrival in Jerusalem to the resurrection, April, A.D. 30. (7) The\par forty days. From the resurrection to the ascension. May, A.D. 30.\par \par The Childhood and Youth of Jesus. (1) _The long preparation for his\par coming_. The prophets had most emphatically proclaimed his coming and\par all things had from the beginning been divinely directed so that\par preparation might be made for his advent. His human ancestry had been\par selected and prepared. When the time drew near for him to appear, the\par coming of John the Baptist his forerunner, was announced to Zacharias\par his father (Lu. 1:5-25). This was quickly followed by the announcement\par of the birth of Jesus to Mary his mother (Lu. 1:26-38) and soon\par thereafter to Joseph, the espoused husband of Mary (Matt. 1:18-25).\par The beautiful story of his birth is told in the second chapter of\par Luke.\par \par \par (2) _The infancy_. Of Jesus infancy we have several facts and\par incidents, (a) The appearance of the angels to the shepherds and the\par shepherds' visit to the babe, Lu. 2:8-20. (b) The circumcision at\par eight days old, Lu. 2:21. (c) The presentation in the temple where he\par was recognized by Simeon, Lu. 2:22-32. (d) The visit of the wise men\par (Matt. 2:1-12) and (e) The flight into Egypt, Matt. 2:13-23.\par \par (3) _His boyhood and youth_. This is commonly called the years of\par silence: (a) We have the record of his parents' settlement in the city\par of Nazareth, Matt. 2:23; (b) We know that he had a normal growth, Lu.\par 2:40; (c) At twelve years old he was remarkably developed and from his\par reply to his mother we may infer that he was conscious of his mission,\par Lu. 2:41-50; (d) From Luke 2:50 we may infer something of the spirit\par which possessed him during the rest of his private life; (e) We also\par know his occupation (Mk.6:3).\par \par _The Beginning of Christ's Ministry_. Here are several matters of\par importance. (1) _The ministry of John the Baptist_ (Matt 3:1-12; Mk.\par 1:2-8; Lu. 3:1-18; John 1:6-33) who announced Christ's coming and\par prepared a people for him. This he did by preaching repentance and by\par baptising them as a profession of repentance and as a sign that they\par were forgiven. (2) _The Baptism of Jesus_. (Mt. 3:13-17; Mk. 1:9-11;\par Lu. 3:21-23; John 1:29-34.) At this time he put off the life of\par seclusion and entered upon his public career. He also received the\par Father's attestation to his sonship and the special equipment of the\par Holy Spirit for his work by which also John knew him to be the\par Messiah, John 1:33. By this act he also set the stamp of approval on\par John's work and showed that he was not in competition with John. (3)\par _The temptation of Jesus_ (Mt. 4:1-11; Mk, 1:12-13; Lu. 4:1-13). We\par are given the place and length of time of this temptation, also three\par of the temptations and how they were met. In Heb. 2:18 and 5:18 we\par have some light on the purpose of this trial. It is probable, however,\par that all the import of it cannot be fully understood. (4) _The work of\par Jesus begun_. Here it is necessary to study two things: (a) The\par winning of his first six disciples (John 1:35-51); (b) _His first\par miracle_ (John 2:1-11). At this point it will also be of help to call\par to mind that the method of Jesus was to preach, teach and heal (Mt.\par 4:23). At the close of the marriage feast, which usually lasted six or\par seven days, Jesus went down to Capernaum (John 2:12).\par \par The Early Judean Ministry. The records of this period are very brief\par and may be studied under three heads, (1) _The incidents at Jerusalem\par during the first Passover of Christ's public ministry_. The two\par principal incidents were the cleansing of the temple (John 2:13-22)\par and the conversation with Nicodemus, Jno. 3:1-31. (2) _The work out in\par Judea_, where he won and baptized many disciples, whereupon John was\par led to make testimony to Jesus at Aenon, John 3:22-36. (3) _His\par successful work in Samaria_, concerning which there is given the story\par of his message to the woman at the well and of his two days' stay at\par Sychar. The period is made notable by two of the greatest discourses\par of all his ministry: (a) that to Nicodemus; (b) that to the woman at\par Jacob's well.\par \par The Gallilean Ministry. This is by far the longest and most important\par period of Christ's work. It is not wholly confined to Galilee. For\par during this time he certainly attends the feast at Jerusalem and also\par makes some excursions into the north country. If the study of the last\par period was embarrassed because of the scarcity of material, this one\par is all the more so because of the amount and variety of it. The\par following outline will, however, simplify the study. (1) _The\par beginning of his work in Galilee_. (Matt 4:12-25; 8:2-4, 14-17;\par 14:3-5. Mk. 1:14-45; 6:17-18; Lu. 4:14-3; 16; John 4:43-54). In this\par section we have the account of (a) John's imprisonment and of Christ's\par arrival in Galilee; (b) of the healing of the nobleman's son, and his\par settlement at Capernaum; (c) of the call of four fishermen and many\par miracles wrought at Capernaum; (d) of his first brief tour of Galilee.\par \par (2) _The antagonism of the scribes and Pharisees_. (Matt 9:1-17,\par 12:1-14; Mk. 2:1-3:6; Lu. 5:17-6:11; John ch. 5). The more important\par matters of this record are: (a) The healing of the paralytic; (b)\par Matthew's call and feast; (c) the healing of the man at the pool of\par Bethsaida; (d) the story of the disciples in the grain fields and (e)\par the healing of the withered hand. In all these there is indicated the\par rising hostility to Jesus and his method, especially as regards his\par claim of power to forgive sins and in his attitude toward the despised\par classes and toward the Sabbath.\par \par (3) _The organization of his kingdom_. (Matt. 12:15-21, 10:2-4;\par chs. 5-7; Mk. 3:7-19; Lu. 6:2-49.) The fame of Jesus began to spread\par and it became necessary for him to create an organization to carry\par forward his work. This was done by calling out his twelve apostles and\par outlining to them the principles of his kingdom. This he did in the\par sermon on the mount.\par \par (4) _The second tour of Galilee_. (Matt. 8:5-13; 11:2-30;\par Lu. 7:1-8:3.) The narration here gives the stories (a) of the\par Centurion's servant and the widow's son of Nain, (b) of John's last\par message and (c) of Jesus anointed by the sinful woman.\par \par (5) _His teachings and miracles by the Sea of Galilee_.\par (Matt. 12:22-13:53, 8:23-34, 9:18-34; Mk. 3:19-5:43; Lu. 8:4-56.) In\par this section we have a large group of parables with their varied\par teachings and four very interesting miracles: (a) The stilling of the\par tempest; (b) The healing of the Gadarene demoniacs; (c) The story of\par Jainus' daughter; (d) Two dumb and a blind man.\par \par (6) _The third tour of Galilee_. (Matt. 13:34-15:20, 9:35-11:1;\par Mk. 6:1-7:23; Lu. 9:1-17; John ch. 6.) Leaving Capernaum Jesus again\par came to his own city, Nazareth, where the people acknowledged the\par marvel of his wisdom and of his power but again rejected him-this time\par because of their knowledge of his lowly birth and unpretentious youth.\par Upon this rejection, Jesus and his disciples made another circuit\par amongst the cities and towns of Galilee. This tour is made notable by\par several incidents: (a) We have the sending out of the twelve on a tour\par of preaching, healing and raising the dead; (b) The story of the death\par of John the Baptist, who was the first New Testament person to suffer\par martyrdom for his conviction; (c) Two great miracles, that of feeding\par the five thousand and of walking on the sea; (d) Two great discourses\par of Jesus, that on "The Bread of Life" and on "Eating with unwashed\par hands."\par \par (7) _His first retirement into the north and return to the sea of\par Galilee_. (Matt. 15:21-16:12; Mk. 7:24-8:26). Jesus went up into the\par coast of Tyre and Sidon where he healed the daughter of the\par Syrophoenician woman. On the return trip he passed through Decapolis\par where he healed a deaf and dumb man and performed many other miracles.\par After his return we have the record of the feeding of the four\par thousand, of his encountering the Pharisees about his authority and\par the story of the blind man of Bethsaida.\par \par (8) _The second retirement to the north and return to\par Capernaum_. (Matt. 16:13-18 end; Mk. 8:27-9 end; Lu. 9:18-50). Jesus\par again journeys into the north and came into the parts of Caesarea\par Philippi where he drew from Peter the great confession, predicted his\par coming death, was transfigured before the favored three and healed\par the lunatic boy. On his return, as he neared Capernaum, he again\par foretold his death and resurrection and after he arrived at Capernaum,\par we have recorded the story of the coin in the fish's mouth and his\par discourse on humility, offenses and forgiveness.\par \par (9) _Jesus at the Feast of Tabernacles_. (John chs. 7-8). By this time\par the joyous season of the Feast of Tabernacles drew near and his\par brothers, who though they did not believe in his deity, seemed to have\par some pride in him and urged him to go up among the people and make a\par display of his power. This he refused to do but went up secretly,\par probably with the hope of escaping the antagonism that was now being\par manifested toward him. There was, however, great excitement at\par Jerusalem concerning him and he found it necessary to go into the\par temple and boldly proclaim the teachings of his kingdom. These\par teachings may be studied under four heads: (a) The teaching of the\par first day and the division of the Jews concerning him; (b) The story\par of the adulterous woman; (c) His teaching concerning himself as the\par "Light of the World." He probably looked upon the great light over the\par treasury of the Lord's house which burned each night in commemoration\par of the cloud of fire that always guided and lighted Israel in the\par wilderness and was reminded of his own service for humanity and was\par prompted to this discourse; (d) His discourse on spiritual freedom and\par true children of Abraham.\par \par \par \par The Perean Ministry. At the close of the Feast of Tabernacles Jesus\par returned to Galilee where he seems to have gathered around him a\par little company of loyal followers and made ready for his final\par departure to Jerusalem where he was to meat the death already\par foretold. The incidents of this period occurred during the journey.\par The material easily falls into three parts marking distinct sections\par of time. (1) _From the departure from Jerusalem to the close of the\par Feast of Dedication_. (Matt. 19:1-2, 8:18-22; Mk. 10:1; Lu. ch. 10;\par John ch.s 9-10). This is one of the most interesting sections of all\par and records several incidents of far-reaching importance: (a) The\par story of the healing of the man born blind and the investigation of it\par by the Sanhedrin; (b) The story of the sending out of the seventy and\par their return is told. As the Lord's work drew near its close, he felt\par hat others should be sent out to do a like work to his own; (c) The\par story of the Good Samaritan and of his visit to Martha and Mary; (d)\par The allegory of the Good Shepherd; (e) The report of his visit to the\par Feast of Dedication.\par \par (2) _From the Feast of Dedication to the withdrawal to Ephraim_. (Lu.\par 11:1-17:10; John 11:1-54). This section of the period is even more\par crowded with activity than was the former one. It is very difficult,\par therefore, to refer here to anything like all that is recorded of the\par period. Among The subjects discussed the following are the most\par important: (a) The true nature of prayer and the follies and\par hypocrisies of the Pharisees, Lu. ch. 11; (b) The danger of hypocrisy,\par of denying Christ, of covetousness and of the judgments of Christ, Lu.\par ch. 12; (c) The need and nature of repentance, the proper use of the\par Sabbath, the number that shall be saved and the fate of Jerusalem, Lu.\par ch. 13; (d) The law of conduct in the matter of feasts and counting\par the cost of discipleship, Lu. ch. 14; (e) Three parables of grace and\par two parables of warning, Lu. chs. 15-16; (f) Forgiveness and faith,\par Lu. 7:1-10; (g) The raising of Lazarus and withdrawal to Ephraim, John\par ch. 11.\par \par (3) _From the withdrawal to Ephraim to the final arrival at\par Jerusalem_. (Matt. chs. 13-20; 26:8-13; Mk. ch. 10; 14:3-9;\par Lu. 17:11-19:28; John 11:55-12:11). This section is notable for the\par preponderance of teaching over the miracles reported. There are two\par miracles, that of healing ten lepers and the blind man of Jericho. The\par following show how large a place is given to teaching: (a) Concerning\par the coming of the kingdom; (b) concerning prayer, illustrated by the\par importunate widow and the Pharisee and publican; (c) Concerning\par divorce; (d) the blessing of little children; (e) the ambitions of\par James and John; (g) the visit to Zachaeus; (h) the parable of the\par pounds and the anointing of Jesus for burial.\par \par The Final Ministry in Jerusalem. Of all the periods of the life of\par Christ this is the most significant. The gospels put most stress upon\par it and particularly upon his trial and death. The disciples soon\par learned to triumph in the cross, the seeming defeat out of which\par Jesus, through his resurrection, snatched victory. Everything recorded\par of this period has a ring of the tragical and seemed a preparation for\par the coming doom he was soon to meet. The material readily divides\par itself into three sections or periods. (1) _From the final arrival in\par Jerusalem to the last hours of private intercourse with his disciples_.\par (Matt. 21:11-26:16; Mk. chs. 11-13; 14: 1, 2, 10, 11; Lu. 19:29-22:6;\par John 12:12 end). Like every other section of his active ministry among\par the people this has in it some teachings and some miracles. The\par greatest act of all was, perhaps, the triumphal entry of Jesus into\par Jerusalem as king of the Jews. In this act he openly accepted the\par position of Messiah.\par \par There is one important miracle, that of cursing and withering the fig\par tree. Some consider that a miraculous power was also used in the\par cleansing of the temple. The teachings may be grouped as follows: (a)\par The question about Christ's authority and his reply by question and\par the three parables of warning; (b) Three questions by the Jews and\par Christ's unanswerable question; (c) Seven woes against the scribes and\par Pharisees and the widow's mite; (d) The Gentiles seeking and the Jews\par rejecting Jesus; (e) a discourse on the destruction of Jerusalem and\par the end of the world; (f) the last prediction of his death and the\par conspiracy of Judas and the chief priests.\par \par (2) Christ's last hours with his disciples. (Matt. 26:17-35; Mk.\par 14:12-31; Lu. 22:7 end; John chs. 13-17). Jesus has now withdrawn from\par the crowd and is alone with his disciples giving to them his final\par words of instruction and comfort. The whole of the material of this\par section seems to be surrounded by an atmosphere of sacredness that\par almost forbids our looking in upon its little company. This last\par evening that Jesus and the little group of disciples were together,\par is, however, so important that it is reported by the apostles. All the\par incidents of the evening seem to center around the institution of the\par last or Paschal Supper. But for the sake of study and as an aid to\par memory the events may be divided into three groups, (A) The supper.\par The order of events in connection with it seem to be: (1) the strife\par of the disciples for the place of honor; (2) the beginning of the\par Passover meal; (3) the washing of the disciples' feet; (4) the\par pointing out of the betrayer; (5) the departure of Jesus from the\par table; (6) the institution of the Lord's upper.\par \par (B) The final instructions to the disciples. It is difficult to\par analyze these discourses. There are running through them one thread of\par teaching and one of comfort. In some sections one element seems to\par predominate and in other the other, To illustrate; chapters 13 and 15\par of John seem to be more largely taken up with teaching, while chapters\par 14 and 16 have a larger element of words intended to comfort them. The\par effort seems to be to convince them that it is better for them for him\par to go away, that their spiritual fellowship with him would be more\par complete and their understanding and power more perfect because of the\par Comforter whom he would send.\par \par (C) The final or intercessory prayer for them. With the close of this\par prayer, in which he prayed for their preservation, their preparation\par for service and their final union with him in his glory, and which he\par prayed that they might have fullness of joy (John 17:13) his ministry\par with them ended till after his death.\par \par (3) _Christ's suffering for the sins of the world_. (Matt. 26:36-27\par end: Mk. 14:32-15 end; Lu. 22:39-23 end; John chs. 18-19). From some\par good text on the Life of Christ or from the critical commentaries, the\par pupils can find a discussion of this section. The following outline\par will, however, be sufficient for our purpose here: (A) The agony in\par the garden and the betrayal and arrest. This picture of the suffering\par of soul experienced by the Savior in which he also yielded himself to\par the will of the Father stands out in blessed contrast against the\par weakness of his sleeping friends and the unspeakable criminality of\par the betrayer. Even in his arrest Jesus once more finds opportunity to\par show himself merciful in healing the ear of Malchus thereby,\par counteracting the injury caused by the folly or rashness of one of his\par friends.\par \par (B) The Jewish trial. The order of this trial seems to have been\par somewhat as follows: (1) A preliminary trial before Annus; (2) A trial\par before day with only part of the Sanhedrin present; (3) A trial before\par the whole Sanhedrin at daybreak. Knowing his rights Jesus several\par times refused to act. (1) He refused to bear testimony because no\par legal charge had been made against him. (2) He refused to testify\par against himself which was within his right. (3) He demanded that they\par bring witnesses because that was just according to law. These last\par three points at which Jesus claimed and acted upon his rights instead\par of upon their request shows the tendencies of the trial to be unfair\par and illegal. If one understands the Jewish law of trial it will be\par easy to see how glaringly out of harmony with the law this trial was.\par There are at least ten illegalities in it.\par \par (C) The Roman trial. This whole story abounds in evidences of the\par prejudice and moral degeneracy of the Jewish leaders. They hated Roman\par rule past all words to tell and yet would pretend loyalty to Caesar to\par carry out their wicked purpose. By this means they put Pilate in a\par position that to release Jesus would make him appear to be untrue to\par Caesar in releasing one announced to be Caesar's enemy. The trial may\par be studied in the light of the different ones before whom he was\par tried. (1) The public and private examination before Pilate. (2) The\par examination before Herod. (3) The second examination before Pilate.\par This also was partly private and partly public. Again, following he\par outline of John, we may consider the events as they happened\par alternately outside and inside of the praetorium.\par \par (D) The crucifixion. It would be difficult to exaggerate the cruelty\par and torture of crucifixion. "It was the most cruel and shameful of all\par punishments." The disciples, however, dwell most of all upon the shame\par of it. Such a death in the eyes of a Jew was the sign of the curse of\par God. Several things are of importance and should be remembered. (1)\par The throng that saw it. A few were friends, some were bitter enemies\par and many were curious on-lookers. Altogether there was a great crowd\par and Jesus was derided and mocked in his death. (2) The story of the\par two thieves who were crucified with Jesus and especially the\par conversion of the one who repented. (3) The seven sayings of Jesus\par while he is on the cross reveal his spirit and planning while\par undergoing this human outrage. They are worthy of careful study. (4)\par The miraculous occurrences of the day. There are three outstanding\par events that should be thought of as divine manifestations. They are:\par the darkness that covered the earth for three hours; the rending of\par the veil of the temple and the earthquake. The people were deeply\par moved by these marvelous signs. (5) The element of grace seen in it\par all. This is seen in the punishment of the innocent Jesus, while the\par guilty Barabbas went free; the saving of the guilty but penitent thief\par and several of the sayings of the cross.\par \par (E) The burial and tomb. The burial was very hurried, lest they should\par break a Jewish law. Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus together took\par him from the cross and buried him and the officers made his grave as\par secure as possible and placed a guard over it. All this they did\par because of his saying that he would rise again in three days.\par \par The Forty Days. (Matt. ch. 28; Mk. ch. 16; Lu. 23:56-24 end; John chs.\par 20-21; Acts 1:3-12; 1 Cor. 15:5-7.) It is hard to divide this period\par into sections in such a way as not to present many difficulties. The\par several events may, however, be grouped under the following heads. (1)\par The early morning. (2) The walk to Emmaus and appearance to Peter. (3)\par The appearance to the ten when Thomas is absent. (4) The appearance to\par the eleven, Thomas being present. (5) The appearance to seven\par disciples by the sea of Galilee. (6) Several other appearances\par mentioned by Paul. (7) The last appearance, when the commission was\par given and he ascended. The order of events as outlined cannot be\par assured with any certainty. Then, too, there are differences of detail\par as to the occurrences here outlined. Each of them, therefore, presents\par its own difficulties. The most perplexing of all these problems is the\par arrangement of the events of the resurrection morning and especially\par the movements of the various women mentioned.\par \par Touching the whole resurrection problem all of the gospels agree upon\par several important matters: (1) In giving no description of the\par resurrection itself; (2) that the evidence of it began with the\par women's visit to the sepulcher in the early morning; (3) that the\par first sign was the removal of the stone; (4) that they saw angels\par before they saw the Lord; (5) that manifestations were granted to none\par but disciples; (6) that the disciples were not expecting such\par manifestations; (7) that at first they received these manifestations\par with hesitancy and doubt; (8) that these appearances were made to all\par kinds of witnesses, male and female, individuals and companies; (9)\par that they were so convinced of his resurrection and appearance to them\par that nothing could cause them to doubt it.\par \par The resurrection was necessary to show that we had not a dead and\par suffering Christ but a living and triumphant one. "The ascension is\par the necessary completion of the resurrection" and is presupposed in\par all New Testament teaching. Jesus is everywhere thought of as having\par all power and is expected to return again from the presence of the\par Father with great glory.\par \par Teachings of the Period. The most of the emphasis is put on the final\par teachings in connection with his death and resurrection. It may be\par well, however, to gather together a few truths touching his whole\par career. (1) _Those concerning his humanity_: (a) He grew and developed\par as any normal child; (b) His education and work was that of any normal\par person; (c) But the whole of his childhood was set in divine\par manifestations; (d) In life he showed all the effects of hunger,\par sorrow, etc., found in any normal man. (2) Those concerning his\par super-human power. He exercised power over: (a) Physical nature; (b)\par sickness and physiological defects; (c) life and death; (d) demons and\par all spiritual powers; (e) over sin to forgive it. (3) _Those found In\par his general teachings_. There are many of these but the following are\par important to remember: (a) The truthfulness of the Old Testament\par scriptures; (b) The holiness and goodness and love of God; (c) The\par sinfulness of man and his need of salvation; (d) The value of\par repentance and faith as a means of bringing men into the favor of God;\par (e) His own duty and oneness with the Father; (f) The work and power\par of the Holy Spirit; (g) The purpose and work of his kingdom and\par church; (h) The power and nature of prayer; (i) The value of spiritual\par and the worthlessness of formal worship; (j) The true way to greatness\par through service.\par \par (4) _The teachings growing out of the crucifixion_: (a) It proves that\par God will forgive; (b) It shows the great evil of sin; (c) It shows the\par need of cleansing before we can enter heaven; (d) It shows God's value\par of the soul; (e) It shows the value of salvation and the worth of\par eternal life; (f) It furnishes a motive to turn from sin that so\par offends God and endangers us; (g) It brings hope of forgiveness and\par cleansing.\par \par (5) _The teaching of the resurrection and ascension_: (a) that Jesus\par is in truth God's son; (b) that there is another life; (c) that we\par shall also be resurrected; (d) that we shall know in the next life our\par loved ones of this life; (e) that our lives here have an influence and\par meaning beyond the grave.\par \par For Study and Discussion. (1) Master all the material as given in this\par chapter, looking carefully into scripture references. (2) Study the\par geography of the country. (3) List all the divine manifestations in\par connection with the birth and childhood of Jesus. (4) Outline the\par entire career of John the Baptist, beginning with the vision to\par Zachariah before his birth. (5) Study in outline the sermon on the\par mount. (6) Find examples showing Christ's power exerted in each of the\par five directions suggested in "2" of "the teachings of the period"\par given above. (7) Discuss any outstanding events in the life of Jesus\par and his disciples that seem to members of the class to be epoch making\par in their influence. (8) Read and discuss Jesus' farewell addresses to\par his disciples. (9) Study carefully the scriptures covering the trial\par and crucifixion of Jesus. (10) Study the scriptures covering the\par period and outline further the events and teachings.\par \par \par } jj)#23 Chapter 18 {\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\deff0\deftab567{\fonttbl{\f0\fnil\fcharset0 Georgia;}} {\colortbl ;\red0\green0\blue0;} {\*\generator Riched20 5.40.11.2210;}\viewkind4\uc1\pard\cf1\lang1033\kerning36\f0\fs23 Chapter XVIII.\par \par From the Birth to The Ascension of Jesus.\par \par The Four Gospels.\par \par The Story of this Period. It is common to designate this period as the\par "Life of Christ," meaning the time he spent on earth. There is,\par however, no scripture life of Jesus. The gospels do not claim to\par present such a life. They do, however, give us a vast amount of\par material and though different in purpose and consequently in content,\par they do present the same general picture of Jesus. The matter of\par arranging the material in an orderly way presents much difficulty. If\par a topographical outline is attempted it can only be approximately\par correcnd progress of\par the gospel in spite of all the opposition and persecution which its\par advocates met. The chief purpose seems to be to show the progress of\par Christianity among the Gentiles and only so much of the work among the\par Jews is given as will authenticate the other. The whole book falls\par into three sections: (1) The church at work in Jerusalem, chs. 1-7.\par (2) The church at work in Palestine, chs, 8-12. (3) The church at work\par among the Gentiles, chs. 13-28.\par \par The material of the period which we are now to study includes the\par first two points and should be read in connection with the following\par outline:\par \par I. _The church at work in Jerusalem, chs_. 1-7.\par \par 1. Preparation for witnessing, 1:1-2:4. Under this there is given: (1)\par Christ's last instructions and ascension and (2) The church in the\par upper room including the election of Matthias and the coming of the\par Holy Spirit.\par \par 2. The first witnessing. Here are given 2:5-47: (1) The first\par witnessing, (2) the first message, (3) the first fruit of the\par witnessing.\par \par 3. The first persecution 3:1-4:31. Here we have the first persecution\par and the occasion for it.\par \par 4. The Blessed state of the church, 4:32-5 end There is great love\par and unity and God indorses their work by the destruction of Ananias\par and his wife and by the release of apostles from prison.\par \par 5. The first deacons, 6:1-7.\par \par 6. The first martyr 6:8-7 end.\par \par II. The church at work in Palestine, chs. 8-12.\par \par 1. Witnesses scattered, 8:1-4.\par \par 2. Philip witnesses in Samaria and Judea, 8:5-40.\par \par 3. The Lord wins new witnesses, 9:1-11:18. (1) Saul. (2) Aeneas, etc.\par (3) Dorcas, Mary, etc. (4) Cornelius.\par \par 4. Center of labor changed to Antioch, 11:19 end.\par \par 5. The witnesses triumph over Herod's persecution, ch. 12.\par \par The Principle Events of this Period. Many things which on the surface\par seem to be of little importance, contributed much toward shaping the\par destiny of the early church. The following, however, should be\par remembered as the great outstanding events of the time. (1) The\par ascension with the incidents connected with it. (2) The Baptism of the\par Holy Ghost with the consequent sermon of Peter and its results. (3)\par The first persecution of the Apostles, with Peter's sermon and the\par measures taken by the Sanhedrin to stop the movement. (4) The\par punishment of Ananias and his wife. (5) The appointment of the first\par deacons. (6) The martyrdom of Steven. (7) The work of Philip in\par Samaria and the conversion of the Eunuch. (8) The conversion of Saul\par of Tarshish. (9) The conversion of Cornelius with connected events.\par (10) The church's acknowledgement of the validity of this work among\par the Gentiles, Acts 11:18. (11) The great work at Antioch. (12) The\par martyrdom of James and the death of Herod.\par \par The Organization and Control of the Ea rly Church. Jesus had set up his\par church and left it his final commission. Its organization was a matter\par of growth and was increased only as new conditions arose that made it\par necessary to the success and efficiency of their work. They elected,\par at the suggestion of Peter, Matthias to take the place of Judas as one\par of their witnesses. When conditions arose that threatened the success\par of their work, they elected deacons to assist the apostles in caring\par for the more temporal work of the church. In it all it is clear that\par the church as a whole transacted the business. The Apostles no doubt\par had a very good influence but did not assume to dictate to the church\par what did not "please the whole multitude" (Acts 6:5). All\par responsibility was put upon the church as a democratic and\par self-governing body.\par \par The Persecutions of the Church. In the persecutions which Jesus\par suffered the Pharisees took the lead, but the opposition met by the\par early di sciples was led by the Sadducees. This was because of the\par doctrine of the resurrection, preached by the apostles. The\par persecutions deepened and widened very rapidly. (1) They were given\par public hearing, commanded not to teach in Jesus' name and after\par threatening were let go. (2) They were released without punishment\par only by the appeal of Gamaliel, a doctor of the law. (3) On account of\par the universal aspect of Christianity, preached by Steven, the\par Pharisees joined the Sadducees in opposing the Christians and their\par joint persecution led to the death of Steven and the scattering of the\par disciples from Jerusalem, 6:8-8:3. (4) The Romans who for the most\par part had been indifferent to the movement also joined the Sanhedrin in\par the attempt to suppress the brethren. Accordingly Herod Agrippa,\par hoping to gain the good will of the Jews, seized the apostle James and\par put him to death and seeing that this made him popular seized Peter\par and would have dest royed him but for divine intervention.\par \par In spite of all this persecution these early Christians made wonderful\par progress. They were unmoved in their purpose to establish their faith.\par They went everywhere preaching the gospel of the kingdom. They openly\par declared that they would not refrain from preaching what they\par conceived to be their duty to God. They boldly threw their doctrine\par into the teeth of their antagonists. Such courage was something new in\par the history of the Jews. They even "rejoiced that they were counted\par worthy to suffer dishonor for his name."\par \par Their Growth and Influence. The courage already mentioned could not\par fail to bear fruit. The second chapter tells of three thousand, added\par to them in one day and then of others day by day. In chapter five it\par is said a multitude of believers both men and women added to them.\par Chapter six says that "the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem\par exceedingly; and a great company of the pr iests were obedient to the\par faith." The priests were for the moat part Sadducees and the fact that\par many of these who had been active in arresting the disciples now came\par to accept their teaching is highly significant touching the matters of\par their success.\par \par Extension of the Gospel to the Gentiles. One of the most interesting\par topics for study found in the records of this period is the way in\par which Christians gradually extended into the borders of the Gentiles.\par Many questions were raised that had to be solved-questions that had\par not been before raised among the followers of Jesus. (1) Philip went\par into Samaria and many of these half-bred Jews believed. Here he was\par following the steps of Jesus who had also met with success and\par introduced his teachings before going outside to those in no wise akin\par to the Jews. (2) Peter and John were sent to Samaria and not only\par approved the work of Philip but bestowed upon these Samaritans the\par Holy Sp irit and themselves preached to many Samaritan villages. (3)\par Peter made a tour of certain Judean villages and came down to Joppa\par where he lodged with a tanner and would, according to Jewish law, have\par been unclean. This tends to show that he was coming to see that the\par ceremonial distinctions of the Levites were not so binding. (4) Peter\par preached to Cornelius a Gentile and he and his household received the\par Holy Ghost and baptism and spake with tongues. (5) Having heard\par Peter's explanation of his course the church glorified God and\par acknowledged that God had granted repentance and life to the Gentiles.\par (6) Paul the chosen vessel to bear the Gospel to the Gentiles was\par saved. (7) The work spread to Antioch of Syria and Barnabas was sent\par to investigate it and soon went to Cilicia and brought Paul to Antioch\par and the two labored there a year, then made a visit to Jerusalem to\par carry gifts to the poor and returned to Antioch bringing John Mark.\par This period closes with them still at Antioch.\par \par The Teachings of this Period. (1) Men can succeed in any right cause\par in spite of opposition. (2) Popularity is not required to give one\par success as a Christian work. (3) Small numbers are not a sign of\par weakness and do not foretoken defeat. (4) The gospel truth,\par courageously preached, can win its way into the hardest hearts. (3)\par Consciousness of duty, divinely imposed is the most powerful stimulus\par to action.\par \par For Study and Discussion. (1) The Great Commission, ch. 1. (2) Peter's\par sermon on the day of Pentecost. (3) Stephen's address of defense. (4)\par The liberality of these Christians or their provision for the poor.\par (5) The place of prayer in the work of these disciples. (6) The\par references to the Holy Spirit and his work. (7) The teachings of the\par period concerning Jesus. (8) Concerning the resurrection. (9) All the\par events, persecutions, teachings, etc., mentioned above.\par \par } ) 24 Chapter 19 {\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\deff0\deftab567{\fonttbl{\f0\fnil\fcharset0 Georgia;}} {\colortbl ;\red0\green0\blue0;} {\*\generator Riched20 5.40.11.2210;}\viewkind4\uc1\pard\cf1\lang1033\kerning36\f0\fs23 Chapter XIX.\par \par From the Ascension to The Church at Antioch.\par \par Acts Chs. 1-12.\par \par The Book of Acts. The book of Acts is the only purely historical book\par of the New Testament. It is as a continuation of the gospel of Luke.\par It follows the fortunes of the infant church and gives us all the\par light we have in regard to its further organization and development,\par but it does not claim to be a complete history of the work of the\par early church. As a history it is as remarkable for what it omits as\par for what it narrates. The central theme is the triumph ahe residence of\par the Roman governor of the province. We change from the study of the\par struggles of Christianity in the Jewish world to those it made among\par heathen people. We no longer study many and various persons and their\par labors but center our study upon the life and labors of Paul.\par \par The Divine Call. Certain prophets of the church at Antioch were\par engaged in solemn prayer and worship when the Holy Spirit instructed\par them to send Paul and Barnabas to do the work to which they were\par called. Here, then, the Holy Spirit takes charge of the movement. He\par inaugurates, directs and promotes this work. When the call came it is\par probable that Paul had but little idea of the magnitude of the work\par which he was to do. He was not aware that his work and teaching would\par change the religion and philosophy of the whole world.\par \par The Time and Extent of Paul's Journeys. The most of his work was\par accomplished during three great missionary journeys. The time occupied\par for these great journeys with the distance traveled has been estimated\par as follows: the first journey 1400 miles and three years; the second\par journey 3200 miles and three years; the third journey 3500 miles and\par four years; or a total of 8100 miles representing ten years of labor.\par To this must be added his journey to Rome which required a whole\par winter and was about 2300 miles and many side trips of which we have\par no record. It is also commonly thought that he was released at the end\par of two years at Rome and again entered upon mission work that probably\par lasted four years and carried him again into Macedonia, Asia Minor,\par Crete and Spain.\par \par The First Missionary Journey. (Acts, chs. 13-14). The company\par consisted of Saul and Barnabas and John Mark. They went by way of the\par isle of Cyprus and at Paphos the capital of the island the governor\par was converted and Saul was afterward called Paul. They reached\par Pamphylia and Pisidia in Asia. John Mark left them in Pamphylia and\par returned home. In the cities of Pisidia Paul was persecuted and\par opposed. At Antioch he made a complete break with the Jews and at\par Lystra they stoned him until they thought he was dead. From Derbe the\par missionaries retraced their steps except that they did not go through\par Cyprus on the return to Antioch. Their stay at Antioch was marked by\par an important church council at Jerusalem, Acts 15:1-35. At this\par council it was decided that Gentile Christians were not bound by the\par requirement of the Jewish law. This decision was instrumental in\par determining that Christianity was not simply a new branch of Judaism\par but was a new religion.\par \par Second Missionary Journey. (Acts. 15:36-18:22). Paul proposed that he\par and Barnabas visit the brethren in every city "where he had already\par preached," but he declined to yield to the wish of Barnabas to take\par Mark with them and in consequence separated from Barnabas. He took\par Silas and went overland through Syria and Cilicia to the scene of his\par former labors. At Lystra he was joined by Timothy. He was restrained\par by the Holy Spirit from further work in Asia and called into Europe by\par the "Macedonian call" while at Troas. While in Europe he labored at\par several places, the most conspicuous service being rendered at\par Philippi, Thessalonica and Corinth. Strong churches grew up at each of\par these places to which he later wrote letters. He returned to Antioch\par by way of Ephesus where he spent a little time, and Caesarea, from\par whence he probably visited Jerusalem.\par \par While on this Journey during his long stay at Corinth Paul wrote First\par and Second Thessalonians and probably the book of Galatians also. If\par the time to be devoted to this course will allow, these epistles\par should be read at this point. The author's "The Bible Book by Book"\par will furnish an outline guide for such reading.\par \par Third Missionary Journey. (Acts. 18:33-21:17). How long Paul remained\par at Antioch at the close of the second journey is not known. But when\par he had finished his visit he set out again to revisit some of the\par places formerly touched and to cultivate some new fields. The outline\par and work of this journey may be put down as follows: (1) He passes\par through Galatia and Phrygia strengthening the disciples. (2) His work\par of nearly three years at Ephesus. (3) The trip through Macedonia and\par Greece. (4) The return trip through Macedonia to Jerusalem. Luke seems\par to desire to narrate only what is new and most important. He,\par therefore, goes fully into the work at Ephesus. (1) There was the\par incident of the work of Apollos and the baptism of some of John's\par disciples. (2) Three months work among the Jews. (3) Two years of\par teaching in the school of Tyrannus. (4) A "season" after he sent\par Timotheus and Etastus into Macedonia. The success of this work is seen\par especially in two incidents. (1) The burning of the books of the\par Jewish exorcists which were valued at over $31,000. (2) The checking\par of the sale of images of the idol, Diana, which resulted in a great\par tumult.\par \par After this tumult at Ephesus Paul departed into Macedonia and seems to\par have visited the principal cities and finally arrived at Corinth where\par a plot to kill him was formed. Upon discovering this plot he set out\par on his return trip to Jerusalem, going back through Macedonia. This\par trip is notable for several things. (1) The seven days stay at Troas\par which was significant because of an all night service and the accident\par to Eutychus. (2) The conference at Miletus with the Elders of Ephesus\par in which he reviewed his work among them and indicated to them that\par they would see him no more. (3) A week's stay at Tyre where he was\par persuaded not to go to Jerusalem. (4) Many days spent at Caesarea\par during which Agabus, who had formerly told them of the coming drouth,\par predicted that the Jews of Jerusalem would bind Paul and deliver him\par to the Gentiles. (5) The arrival at Jerusalem where he was kindly\par received by James and the elders.\par \par This journey also was marked by the writing of some of Paul's most\par notable epistles. (1) The First Letter to the Corinthians. He wrote\par this letter while at Ephesus just before leaving for Macedonia. (2)\par The Second Letter to the Corinthians. After Paul came into Macedonia\par he met Titus with tidings from the Corinthians whereupon he wrote them\par this second letter, probably from Philippi. (3) The Letter to the\par Romans. From Macedonia Paul went into Achaia where he stayed three\par months and while staying with Gaius in Corinth (Rom. 16:23; 1 Cor.\par 1:14) he wrote this great epistle. The occasion, purpose, outline and\par other information concerning these epistles may be found in "The Bible\par Book by Book".\par \par At Jerusalem. Although Paul was received kindly by the brethren and\par although he took a certain precaution that he might not offend the\par many thousands of Jews that were in Jerusalem at the feast, some\par Asiatic Jews saw him and raised a great tumult. (1) They began to beat\par him and he would no doubt have been killed had he not been rescued by\par Roman soldiers. (2) As a prisoner he was being borne to the Tower of\par Antonia, but on the stairway asked and obtained permission to speak to\par the angry Jews. (3) When they would no longer hear him he was removed\par to the castle and ordered scourged. He saves himself from this by\par claiming his Roman citizenship. (4) He was brought before the Jewish\par Sanhedrin which he threw into confusion by expressing his belief in\par the resurrection and afterwards was put in prison. (5) On account of\par the plot to kill him which was discovered by Paul's nephew he was sent\par away under heavy guard to Caesarea.\par \par Paul at, Caesarea. When Paul reached Caesarea he was under Roman\par jurisdiction. He was allowed some privileges. The most important\par incidents of this two years' imprisonment may be put down somewhat as\par follows. (1) His trial before Felix during which he was prosecuted by\par Tertullus and he himself made a speech of defense. (2) His second\par hearing before Felix, no doubt in private, with his wife Drusilla\par after which he held him in the hope that he would bribe Felix. (3) His\par trial before Festus during which he claimed his right as a Roman\par citizen and appealed to Caesar. (4) He had a hearing before Festus and\par King Agrippa II during which Paul spoke.\par \par Paul's Six Last Addresses. In connection with the story of Paul in\par Jerusalem and Caesarea we have preserved for us six of his last\par addresses. In the light of his imprisonment and eminent danger they\par show his great faith and courage and are given here for study. (1) His\par Speech before the Jewish Mob, Acts 21:1-29. (2) His speech before the\par Jewish council. Acts 22: 30-23:10. (3) His speech before Felix. Acts\par 24:10-22. (4) His speech before Felix and his wife Drusilla, Acts\par 24:24-27. (5) His speech before Festus, Acts 25:7-11. (6) His speech\par before Festus and King Aggrippa II, Acts 26:1-32.\par \par Paul's Journey to Rome. Paul now takes up his long journey to Rome.\par The voyage consumes most of the winter and three ships are used to\par convey him. (1) From Caesarea to Myra, a city of Lycia. Their ship\par touched at Sidon where Paul was allowed to visit his friends. (2) From\par Myra to the Island of Malta. On this voyage they touched at Fair\par Havens, tried to reach Phenice and had fourteen days of storm. (3)\par They were cast the island of Malta, where they spent three months. (4)\par The journey completed to Rome, going by way of Syracuse, Rhegium,\par Puteoli, Apii Forum and Three Taverns.\par \par Paul at Rome. The Roman Christians came out to meet him at Apii Forum,\par forty-three miles from Rome. Several things should be noticed. (1)\par Paul after three days explained his situation to the Jews and planned\par another day when he would further address them. (2) Next he turned to\par the Gentiles and taught them. (3) He hired (rented) a house and for\par two years had liberty of speech and taught whoever would come to him.\par The story of Acts closes here, but it is commonly believed that Paul\par was released and visited Spain and Asia and later was rearrested and\par brought to Rome again where he was put to death.\par \par The Epistles of this Period. The epistles written during this period\par may be divided into two groups: (1) Those written by Paul; (2) Those\par written by others. Those written by Paul are the following: (1)\par Philippians, Ephesians, Colossians and Philemon. All of these were\par written from Rome during Paul's first imprisonment at Rome and would\par come in the years 62 and 63 A.D. (2) First Timothy and Titus. These\par were probably written in Macedonia about A.D. 66. This is on the\par supposition that Paul was released from the imprisonment at Rome and\par made other preaching tours. (3) Second Timothy. This was written from\par the Roman prison just before his death about A.D. 67 or 68. This would\par have been a second imprisonment and we know nothing of this except by\par tradition. (4) Hebrews. There are many eminent scholars who think some\par other than Paul wrote this book, but it is put down here because it\par was so long and so unanimously considered his and because the point\par against his authorship does not seem fully established. It was written\par some time before A.D. 70, as the temple and its worship were still in\par force.\par \par There are four other letters of the period. (1) The Epistle of James.\par This epistle was probably written about A.D. 50 but some think it was\par written as late as A.D. 62 and it is put in for consideration here\par because of the uncertainty. (2) The First Epistle of Peter, which was\par written about A.D. 66. (3) The Second Epistle of Peter, written about\par A.D. 67 and certainly before the fall of Jerusalem. (4) The Epistle of\par Jude, written about A.D. 66. "The Bible Book by Book" will furnish the\par student with a statement concerning the occasion, purpose, outline of\par contents and other introductory discussions.\par \par Lessons of the Period. (1) One man with proper consecration can be a\par blessing to all the world. (2) The same teaching sometimes wins one\par and repels another. (3) The fact that one is divinely led does not\par guarantee that one may not be wrongly treated by men. (4) Persecution\par can not destroy one's happiness if one is conscious of doing the will\par of God. (5) Strategic centers are the most fruitful fields of mission\par work. (6) False religious beliefs are less tolerant than the true. (7)\par God may save a whole company for the sake of one man. (8) No matter\par what calamity comes to us we may in the midst of it be a source of\par blessing to others.\par \par For Study and Discussion. (1) The countries visited by Paul. Draw maps\par and indicate his journeys. (2) The history and importance of the\par principal cities visited by him (make a list of them and consult the\par Bible dictionaries). (3) Paul's companions in the work (make a list of\par them and consult the Bible dictionaries). (4) The Apostle Paul\par himself: (a) His birth and childhood; (b) his education; (c) his\par conversion. (5) The persecutions of Paul. (6) The miraculous or\par superhuman element seen in this section. (7) The value of the Roman\par citizenship to Paul. (8) Paul's letters: (a) Name them and tell where\par in these journeys each comes in; (b) learn something of the occasion,\par purpose and outline of each. (9) The other epistles of this period.\par (10) The time and extent of Paul's journeys. (11) The church council\par at Jerusalem. (12) The Roman officers met in this narrative-what sort\par of men, etc. (13) Paul's speeches as given here.\par \par } ))U'26 Chapter 21{\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\deff0\deftab567{\fonttbl{\f0\fnil\fcharset0 Georgia;}} {\colortbl ;\red0\green0\blue0;} {\*\generator Riched20 5.40.11.2210;}\viewkind4\uc1\pard\cf1\lang1033\kerning36\f0\fs23 Chapter XXI.\par \par Destruction of The Temple to The Death of The Apostle John.\par \par Epistles of John and Revelation.\par \par ,'A25 Chapter 20{\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\deff0\deftab567{\fonttbl{\f0\fnil\fcharset0 Georgia;}} {\colortbl ;\red0\green0\blue0;} {\*\generator Riched20 5.40.11.2210;}\viewkind4\uc1\pard\cf1\lang1033\kerning36\f0\fs23 Chapter XX.\par \par From Antioch to The Destruction of Jerusalem.\par \par \par Acts 13-28 and all the rest of the New Testament except the epistles\par of John and Revelation.\par \par The Changed Situation. We have now come to a turning point in the\par whole situation. The center of work has shifted from Jerusalem to\par Antioch, the capital of the Greek province of Syria, t The Period of History. This period begins with the fall of the city of\par Jerusalem, A.D. 70, and ends with the death of John, the last of the\par apostles. We have but little scripture touching the conditions of this\par period. Indeed, all of it is inferential so far as the scripture is\par concerned. We may, however, learn much from secular history and\par tradition.\par \par The Destruction of Jerusalem. Jesus had predicted the fall of this\par beloved city. Many frightful massacres of Jews had occurred in Judea\par before the end of the last period, but it was in A.D. 70, about two\par years after Paul's death, that Titus destroyed Jerusalem and the\par temple and Judaism had its downfall. After this the marks of\par separation between Christianity and Judaism became more and more\par distinct. From that time the Jewish religion has never gained\par ascendancy in any country.\par \par From A.D. 70 to A.D. 100. The general history of this period has in it\par little of interest. At  the end of the very creditable reign of emperor\par Vespasian, who was on the throne of Rome when Jerusalem fell, Titus,\par called "The delight of the human race," reigned in his stead. During\par his reign occurred that awful eruption of Vesuvius that buried\par Pompeii. Titus was succeeded by his brother Domitian, who was one of\par the greatest tyrants that ever ruled in any country. It is generally\par supposed that John was banished to the Isle of Patmos during the reign\par of Domitian. After Domitian reigned Nerva and Trojan, the last of\par which showed great talent and brought back much of the early vigor to\par the empire. The cyclopedias and histories of Rome will give\par information about the period.\par \par The Literature of the Period. The history of the Christians in this\par period is very obscure because of the scanty literature produced in\par it. What literature we have of these years may be divided into two\par classes: (1) Scripture books. These are the three epistle!s of John,\par which were written at Ephesus a while before his banishment, probably\par about 80 or 85 A. D., and the Revelation, which was composed while in\par exile on Patmos about 95 or 96 A. D. (2) Some early Christian writings\par not included in the canon of the New Testament. Of this class of\par writings is the Epistle of Clement of Rome to the Corinthians, written\par about 96-98 A.D., and the Epistle of Barnabas and the Teaching of the\par Twelve Apostles, probably written sometime before A.D. 100. This then\par is a period of transition from the Canonical to the Patristic\par literature.\par \par Death of John and End of Scripture History. John was on the Isle of\par Patmos as an exile because of his testimony for Jesus. He seems to\par have lived until the end of the first century and is said to have met\par death in a cauldron of boiling oil. The last of the apostles being now\par dead the canon of the scripture is closed and the power of miracles\par removed and Christianity left to win its own way by means of the\par efforts and the prayers of the disciples and the grace which God\par ordinarily grants to them. Thus ends the scripture history-with a\par completed revelation and the Christian churches set up as a witness\par for Christ.\par \par Lessons of the Period. It is difficult to draw, from a period of which\par we know so little, any certain conclusions. We are perhaps safe in\par making some observations. (1) Christianity must always make its way\par against opposition. (2) The Christian faith gives courage and joy in\par the most trying circumstances. (3) Christianity will finally triumph\par over its enemies.\par \par For Study and Discussion. (1) From the Bible dictionaries,\par cyclopedias, etc., study the reigns of the different Roman emperors of\par this period. (2) Learn something of the nature and contents of the\par Patristic literature mentioned in this discussion. (3) The four New\par Testament books of this period.\par \par \par }