Covenanter Witness Vol. 86 - Rparchives.org

of that tribe were called Levites. They alsohad religious duties connected with theTabernacle and Temple. Levi was the onetribe which received no division of the landwhen it was taken over by the Israelitesunder the leadership of Joshua. Each ofthese groups had close contact with allsorts of people and they had theirsustenance given to them. Their religion,however, must have been a mere formalityfor they failed to practice their dutyto their fellowmen. The man who had beeninjured was a Jew and they were also Jewsbut they even ignored the ties ofnationality. They probably were in a hurryand they did not want to be inconveniencedwith the sufferings of others. This storyshows that a religion which has no placefor the exercise of love for one's neighbor,is nothing but a sham.6: The Real Neighbor Was aSamaritan.The significance of this was that theJews hated the Samaritans. Thisanimosity began during the return of theexiles under the leadership of Zerubbabeland Nehemiah. The Samaritans offered tohelp rebuild the Temple but their offer wasspurned by the Jewish leaders on accountof their intermarriage with foreigners whohad been sent in by the Babylonishconquerers. The lawyer with whom Jesustalked was a proud Jew and he was onewho had no dealings with the Samaritans.This one who practiced the second commandmentof the law, to love his neighboras himself, belonged to a despised race.This law, therefore, which Jesus had thelawyer repeat is a testimony against allforms of race hatred. The people ofAmerica would have saved themselvesmuch trouble if they had observed this lawfrom the beginning of our nation."Lesson based on International Sunday SchoolLessons: the International Bible Lessons forChristian Teaching, copyrighted 1967 by the Divisionof Christian Education, National Council of Churchesof Christ in the U.S.A."Junior Topicfor March 7,1971THE CAPTIVITYUnit: Later Old Testament HistoryMrs. Herbert A. HaysPsalms: 46:1,2,5,6, p. 118 (MemoryPsalm); choose your favorite Psalms.Memory verse: Instead of a versetonight, put the names of some of the goodkings on the blackboard or flannelgraph.12The CaptivityThe people followed the example oftheir rulers. A large majority of monarchsdid not live on the plane of righteousnessbut descended into gross sins and idolatrywhich brought upon them divinejudgments and ended in the captivity inBabylon.Such kings as David, Asa,Jehoshaphat, Joash, Jotham, Hezekiah,and Josiah were spiritual mountaineers inspite of their defects. These rulers savedthe nation from destruction for a longperiod.At last the great Nebuchadnezzar,king of Babylon, came with his mightyarmy against Judah. He put KingJehoiakim in chains. Jehoiakim died andhis body was thrown out to the heat of thedaytime and the frost of night. The peopledid not care enough about the wicked kingto bury him. All around the people, thingswere happening. What time had they tothink about a king whom they did not love.The son of Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin,was made king by King Nebuchadnezzar.No doubt Jehoiachin was used as a puppetand had no power over the great king ofBabylon.King Nebuchadnezzar saw thesplendid golden Temple that King Solomonhad built so many years before. He carriedaway a great many pure gold dishes to thetemple of his idol at Babylon.The king left Jerusalem, but not forlong. In three months he was back again.He took the young King Jehoiachin, hismother, his wives, and his servants, andcarried them all to Babylon. He took all theskilled laborers with him, too. Tenthousand captives were carried away toBabylon.Jeremiah, the prophet, had told thepeople what would happen to them. At lastJeremiah's prophecies had come true. Ilike the way Mrs. Catherine Vos describestheir being taken captive and the hardshipsthe people had to endure. "Mothersand fathers, old men and babies werecruelly torn from their homes and sent onthe long, long journey over the burningsands. They were harshly treated by roughsoldiers. Many of them were killed on theway. The cruelties of these fierceBabylonian soldiers are too dreadful torelate."The journey was long, seven hundredmiles to the country of Babylon. You knowthat if you travel two to three hundredmiles a day in an automobile you are tired.We do not realize how much these peoplesuffered.There were some people left in theirown land. They were poor and unimportant.Zedekiah, the third son of Josiah,was made king over these people. Josiahwas a good man, but his son was wicked.He would not listen to the words ofJeremiah. King Zedekiah rebelled againstKing Nebuchadnezzer. This made the kingof Babylon angry and he beseigedJerusalem for two years. This was a hardtime for the people of Judah who were left.They could get nothing to eat.The prophet, Jeremiah, told thepeople not to fight against Nebuchadnezzar.When the princes heard whatJeremiah had said they wanted him to beput to death. Zedekiah was a weak kingand he said that the people could dowhatever they liked to co with Jeremiah.The princes treated Jeremiah shamefully.They cast him into a dungeon. After a timethey took him to the prison yard, where hehad light and sunshine, at least.The people suffered for a long time.However, God did not forget His people.God still loved them. He had said, "Theyshall be My people, and I will be theirGod." He loved Israel with an everlastinglove, and He promised, "I will gather youout of all countries where I have drivenyou in My anger."It was comforting to the poor captivesin Babylon, to know that after seventyyears, God would bring their children backto their own land.For the reading of Scripture it will bewell to read the sad lamentations about thefall of Jerusalem, the words of Jeremiah,who chose to stay in his own land.Lamentations 1:1,2.Prayer MeetingTopicfor March 10,1971PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN ORGAN­IZATIONS OUTSIDE OUR CHURCHby Rev. John H.WhiteDean of Religious Services,Geneva CollegeCommentThe basic task of the Church shouldbe to teach the truth of God's Word in sucha way that the people of God will live forChrist in all the realms of life. This meansthat the Kingdom of God is much widerthan the Sabbath services or the Wednesdayprayer meeting. It implies thatChristians must act communally in everyactivity of life. Our Covenanter forefathers