LESSON IX.—SUNDAY, AUGUST 27, 1899
RETURNING FROM CAPTIVITY.
NOTE.—This is the first lesson of the fulfilment of God's promises to Daniel, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel. This, and several lessons which follow, are upon principles and incidents connected with a great reform in God's work, and are useful in their application to-day. The date was about B.C. 536; and the time covered by this reform (Ezra, Nehemiah, Haggai, Zechariah) is about 100 years; the places, Babylon and Jerusalem. The rulers were Cyrus, king of Persia (B.C. 558-529); Darius under Cyrus (B.C. 538-536); Zerubbabel, a prince of the royal line of David, governor of the Jews at Jerusalem, with the title "Tirshatha," said to be the origin of the Turkish "pasha." 1 "Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the Word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, 2 Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth hath the Lord, the God of heaven given me; and He hath charged me to build Him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. 3 Whosoever there is among you of all His people, his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the Lord, the God of Israel (He is God), which is in Jerusalem. 4 And whosoever is left, in any place where he sojourneth, let the men of his place help him with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts, beside the freewill offering to the house of God which is in Jerusalem. 5 Then rose up the heads of fathers' houses of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests, and the Levites, even all whose spirit God had stirred to go up to build the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem. 6 And all they that were round about them strengthened their hands with vessels of silver, with gold, with goods, and with beasts, and with precious things, beside all that was willingly offered. 7 Also Cyrus the king brought forth the vessels of the house of the Lord, which Nebuchadnezzar had brought forth out of Jerusalem, and had put them in the house of his gods. 8 Even those did Cyrus king of Persia bring forth by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, and numbered them unto Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah. 9 And this is the number of them; thirty chargers of gold, a thousand chargers of silver, nine and twenty knives, 10 thirty bowls of gold, silver bowls of a second sort four hundred and ten, and other vessels a thousand. 11 All the vessels of gold and of silver were five thousand and four hundred. All these did Sheshbazzar bring up, when they of the captivity were brought up from Babylon unto Jerusalem." Golden Text: "The Lord hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad." Ps. 126:3. (1) What did the Lord stir up Cyrus to do? V. 1. Note 1. (2) What charge did Cyrus say God had given him? V. 2. (3) What proclamation did he make? Vs. 3, 4. Note 2. (4) What effect did this proclamation have? V. 5. (5) How were their heathen neighbors affected? V. 6. (6) What other kind act did Cyrus perform? Vs. 7, 8. Note 3. (7) What were these vessels? Vs. 9, 10. (8) What was their number, and what was done with them? V. 11. (9) What could the people of God well say? Golden text. 1. Stirred up the spirit of Cyrus.—This had been predicted, and Cyrus called by name by the prophet Isaiah nearly two hundred years before. See Isa. 44:26-28; 45:1-3. Jeremiah also predicted this return from captivity. See Jer. 25:12; 29:10. The first captivity was in B.C. 606, by Nebuchadnezzar, when Daniel and his companions were taken captive. Seventy years takes us to B.C. 536. The second captivity was in B.C. 598, by Nebuchadnezzar, when Ezekiel and many others were taken captive, and much treasure. The third captivity, by the same king, was in B.C. 586, when Jerusalem was completely destroyed. See 2 Kings 24; 2 Chronicles 36. "The first year of Cyrus," in his rule over Medo-Persia entire including Babylon. 2. The Lord God of heaven.—Cyrus recognized God's call. Note the breadth of the proclamation: it took in all of Judah, and such of Israel as desired to return. It was a sifting message, as are all God's invitations. He asks for volunteers. The number who returned were about 50,000. See Ezra 2:64-70. 3. Vessels.—In the hand of Mithredath. The name means dedicated to the sun-god, Mithra. When God speaks, all false gods render homage. Doubtless some of these vessels graced Belshazzar's feast. When God's people had yielded to Him, He made even their enemies to be at peace with them.