PERIOD VII.] EVIDENCE OF JEREMIAH'S FAITH.

LESSON 121.

2 CHRON. XXXVi. 13-17; JER. XXXii.

Zedekiah's Rebellion. Jeremiah is Imprisoned.

Zedekiah rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar, and did not humble himself before Jeremiah when he spoke to him from the Lord. The priests and the people also transgressed, for they mocked the messengers of God, despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against his people, and there was no remedy. Therefore God brought upon them the king of the Chaldees.

In the tenth year of Zedekiah's reign, Nebuchadnezzar besieged Jerusalem, and soon after, Zedekiah shut up Jeremiah in prison for predicting the fall of Jerusalem and the captivity of Zedekiah. While in prison Jeremiah showed his faith in God's promises of the return from Babylon, by buying from Hanameel, his uncle's son, a field in Anathoth. He then took witnesses of the purchase, to whom he expressed his belief in the word of the Lord, that the Jews should again possess houses, and fields, and vineyards in the land, though it was then given up to the Chaldeans. And he prayed to God, and said, “Ah Lord GOD, behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee: thou showest loving-kindness unto thousands, and recompensest the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them: the Great, the Mighty God, the LORD of hosts, is his name, great in counsel, and mighty in work for thine eyes are open upon all the ways of the sons of men to give every one according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings;... and hast brought forth thy people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs, and with wonders, and with a strong hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with great terror; and hast given them this land, which thou didst swear to fathers to give them, a land flowing with milk and honey;

RENEWED ASSURANCES OF GOD.

:....

[606-400 B.C.

and they came in, and possessed it; but they obeyed not thy voice, neither walked in thy law; they have done nothing of all that thou commandedst them to do: therefore thou hast caused all this evil to come upon them: . . . . and what thou hast spoken is come to pass; and, behold, thou seest it. And thou hast said unto me, O Lord God, Buy thee the field for money, and take witnesses; for the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans." God then comforted Jeremiah by again assuring him that he would gather the people out of all lands, and bring them again into their own land to dwell safely. "And they shall be my people, and I will be their God and I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me for ever, for the good of them, and of their children after them: and I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me. Yea, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will plant them in this land assuredly with my whole heart and with my whole soul. For thus saith the LORD, Like as I have brought all this great evil upon this people, so will I bring upon them all the good that I have promised them; and fields shall be bought in this land, whereof ye say, It is desolate without man or beast; it is given into the hand of the Chaldeans." The Chaldeans departed from Jerusalem when they heard that Pharaoh's army was come up out of Egypt against them.

LESSON 122.

JEREMIAH Xxxvii. xxxviii. & lii.

Jeremiah attempts to escape. The City is taken. *After the Chaldeans had departed from Jerusalem, Jeremiah attempted to escape, intending to go into the land of Benjamin; and when he was in the gate, Irijah a captain of the ward took him, saying, "Thou fallest away to the Chaldeans." Jeremiah

PERIOD VII.] JEREMIAH IN PRISON.

ZEDEKIAH'S DEATH.

said, “It is false." Irijah brought him to the princes, and they cast him into prison. He was afterwards put into a noisome dungeon for prophesying; but Ebed-melech the Ethiopian spoke to the king in his favour, and he was taken out of the dungeon, and remained in the court of the prison. During all this time he tried to persuade the king to trust in the word of the Lord, and to deliver himself to the Chaldeans to save the city from destruction; but he could not prevail. Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison till the day the city was taken. Now the word of the Lord came unto Jeremiah, while he was shut up in the court of the prison, and he said to Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, "Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring my words upon this city for evil, and not for good; and they shall be accomplished in that day before thee. But I will deliver thee in that day, .... because thou hast put thy trust in me, saith the LORD."

When the city was besieged the famine was very sore; and in the ninth day of the fourth month of the eleventh year of Zedekiah's reign, the city was broken up and all the men of war fled, and went forth out of the city by night by the way of the gate between the two walls, which was by the king's garden; and they went by the way of the plain, for the Chaldeans were by the city round about. But the army of the Chaldeans pursued after the king, and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho; and all his army was scattered from him. Then they took the king, and carried him up unto the king of Babylon to Riblah in the land of Hamath; where he gave judgment upon him. And the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes: he slew also all the princes of Judah in Riblah. Then he put out the eyes of Zedekiah; and the king of Babylon bound him in chains, and carried him to Babylon, and put him in prison till the day of his death.

The chief of the vessels of the temple, of brass, and gold, and

NEBUCHADNEZZAR'S CARE FOR JEREMIAH. [606-400 B.C.

of silver, were taken away to Babylon, and the house of the Lord, and the king's house, and all the houses of the great men were burned with fire, and the Chaldeans brake down all the walls of Jerusalem. Now Nebuchadnezzar had given charge concerning Jeremiah to Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard, saying, "Take him, and look well to him, and do him no harm; but do unto him even as he shall say unto thee." Nebuzar-adan and all the king of Babylon's princes sent, and took Jeremiah out of the court of the prison, and committed him to the care of Gedaliah.

Riblah a town of Syria, in Hamath, where Pharaoh-Necho halted on his return from Charchemish; he here deposed Jehoahaz, king of Judah, and placed Jehoiakim on the throne. Nebuchadnezzar remained at Riblah while his general, Nebuzar-adan, besieged Jerusalem, and after the city was taken Zedekiah was brought to Riblah with the other prisoners, and his eyes were put out.

LESSON 123.

2 KINGS XXV. 22-36; JEREMIAH xl-xliii; EZEKIEL XXvi-xxvii.

Gedaliah's Government. Jeremiah prophesies against Egypt. The Glory of Tyre; its Downfall Foretold.

Before Jeremiah left Ramah Nebuzar-adan said unto him, "The LORD thy God hath pronounced this evil upon this place. Now the LORD hath brought and done according as he hath said: because ye have sinned against the LORD, and have not obeyed his voice, therefore this thing is come unto you. And now, behold, I loose thee this day from the chains which were upon thine hand. If it seem good unto thee to come with me into Babylon, come; and I will look well unto thee: but if it seem ill unto thee to come with me into Babylon, forbear: behold, all the land is before thee; whither it seemeth good and convenient for thee to go, thither go." Now while he was not yet gone back, he said, "Go back also to Gedaliah.... whom the king of Babylon hath made

PERIOD VII.] Death of gedaLIAH. THE JEWS GO INTO Egypt.

governor over the cities of Judah, and dwell with him among the people or go wheresoever it seemeth convenient unto thee to go." So the captain of the guard gave him victuals and a reward, and let him go. Then went Jeremiah unto Gedaliah to Mizpeh: and dwelt with him among the people that were left in the land. And many of the Jews from Moab, Ammon, and Edom, returned to Judah and dwelt in the land.

Johanan informed Gedaliah that Baalis, the king of Ammon, had sent Ishmael to slay him. Gedaliah believed it not. Johanan wanted to go and slay Ishmael, but Gedaliah would not allow him, thinking he spoke falsely. Ishmael came to Gedaliah at Mizpeh, and ate bread with him, he afterwards slew him and many of his friends, and took away captive many people who had remained with Gedaliah at Mizpeh, and went over to the Ammonites. When Johanan heard of all the evil Ishmael had done, he and the captains who were with him pursued Ishmael, and overtook him by the waters of Gibeon. The people were glad to see Johanan, and turned to him, but Ishmael escaped to the Ammonites with eight men. Johanan and the captains intended to remove into Egypt, but Jeremiah promised them many blessings if they remained in the land, and threatened that the sword, and famine, and pestilence should follow them if they went into Egypt. They obeyed not the voice of the Lord, but went into Egypt, carrying Jeremiah with them. While Jeremiah was in Egypt the word of the Lord came unto him, saying, "Take great stones in thine hand, and hide them in the clay in the brick-kiln, which is at the entry of Pharaoh's house in Tahpanhes, in the sight of the men of Judah; and say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will send and take Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will set his throne upon these stones that I have hid; and he shall spread his royal pavilion over them. And when he cometh he shall smite the land of Egypt, and deliver such as are for death to death; and