Page images
PDF
EPUB

without the Direction of God, and he was flain, and great Lamentation was made for him, z Chron. XXXV. 20-25.

62 Q. Who fucceeded Jofiah in the Kingdom?

A. His Son Jehoahaz, who when he had reigned three Months, was put in Bonds by the King of Egypt, was carried thither, and there he died, 2 Kings xxiii. 31-34.

63 Q. Whom did the King of Egypt make King in bis Room?

A. Eliakim bis Brother, and gave him the Name of Jehoiakin, 2 Kings xxiii. 34.

64 Q. What Sort of a Governor was Jehoiakim, and what was his End?

A. He did Evil in the Sight of the Lord; feveral neighbour Nations befet him round about, and Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, fent up his Forces against him, took fome Captives, bound the King in Fetters, and he died in Shame, his dead Body being caft without the Gates of Jerufalem, and without a Burial: and his young Son Jehoiachin reigned in his ftead, 2 Chron. xxxvi. 5-8. Dan. i. 1-3. Jer. xxii. 18, 19.

65Q. What became of this Jehoiachin, who is alfo called Jechoniah and Coniah?

A. When he had reigned three Months, Nebu- . chadnezzar took the City of Jerufalem, and carried him to Babylon, together with ten thousand Captives, and rich Treafures of Silver and Gold that remained in the Temple and in the King's House, 2 Kings xxiv. 8-17. Jer. xxii. 24-30.

66Q Was there any King in Judah after Jehoiachin?

A. Yes, the laft King was Zedekiah, his Father's Brother, whom Nebuchadnezzar made King in Jerufalem, ver. 17, 18.

67 Q. What fell out in the Days of Zedekiah?

[ocr errors]

A. He rebelled againft Nebuchadnezzar, to whom he had fworn Subjection by the Name of the true God; whereupon Nebuchadnezzar came up and took the City of Jerufalem again, after a Siege of two Years, 2 Kings xxv. I—4.

68 Q. How did he punish Zedekiah for his Rebellion?

A. When Zedekiah fled from the City, he was feized by the Babylonians; Nebuchadnezzar ordered his Sons to be flain before his Face, then his Eyes were put out, he was bound with Fetters of Brafs, and carried toBabylon, and there was no more a King in Judah, ver. 6, 7. 2 Chron. xxxvi. 13.

69 Q What became of the City and Temple at this Time?

A. The King of Babylon burnt the Temple of the Lord, the Palace of the King, and all the Houfes of Jerufalem; he brake down the Walls of the City, and carried away the reft of the People captive; together with all the Veffels of Gold, Silver, and Brafs, great and fmall, that belonged to the Temple, 2 Kings xxv. 817.

70 Q. But were the People punished thus for the Sins of their Kings?

A. The Princes, and the Priefts, and the People, had a large Share in the common Idolatry and Wickedness, together with the Kings, and that in Oppofition to all the Warnings of their Prophets, whereby God was provoked to punifh them alt, 2 Chron. xxxvi. 14—21.

71 Q. Was there any Ruler of the scattered People that remained in the Land of Ifrael?

A. Gedaliah was made Governor by the King of Babylon, but he was flain in a little Time by a Faction under Ifhmael, one of the Seed-Royal; and

2

G 5

there

there was nothing but Confufion and Disorder in the Land, 2 Kings xxv. 22, &c.

72 Q. What became of the People afterward?. A. Johanan, the Son of Kareah, one of the Captains under Gedaliah, routed Ifhmael, and drove him out of the Land; yet being afraid of the Anger of the King of Babylon, and his Refentment of the Murder of Gedaliah his Governor, he was tempted to fly into Egypt, and to carry moft of the People thither with him, where they were difperfed into feveral Cities, Jer. xli. 13-18. and chap. xlii, xliii.

73. Was this done by any divine Order?

A. No; but directly against the Word of the Lord, by the Mouth of Jeremiah the Prophet, who was left among them in the Land; and they carried him alfo into Egypt with them, Jer. xliii. 1-9.

74 Q. Did the Jews behave themselves better in Egypt after all their Afflictions and Diftreffes? A. They practifed Idolatry in Egypt with Infolence, in Oppofition to the Reproofs of Jeremiah the Prophet, Jer. xliv.

75 Q. Did they perifh there, or return?

A. Jeremiah was ordered by the Lord to foretel the Deftruction of Egypt by the King of Babylon, and to denounce the utmoft Calamities and Death, by Sword and Famine upon the Jews that fojourned there; and that but a very fmall Number of them fhould ever return to the Land of Judah; though he foretold the Return of their Brethren from their Captivity in Babylon, Jer. xliii. 9. and chap. xliv. 11, 28, &c.

CHAP.

CHA P. XIII.

Of the RETURN of the Jews from Captivity in BABYLON, and the Rebuilding the City of Jerufalem, and the Temple.

IQHOW long did the Nation of the Jews continue in their Captivity, and their

Land lie defolate?

A. Though the Land lay not utterly defolate till the final Deftruction of Jerufalem, in the Days of Zedekiah, which was between fifty and fixty Years before their firft Release; yet, from their firft Captivity by Nebuchadnezzar in former Reigns, their Land was in fome Measure defolate feventy Years, according to the Prophecy of Jeremiah. See 2 Chron. xxxvi. 21. Jer. xxv. 11, 12.

Here let it be obferved, that as there were feveral Seafons, and under different Kings, when Part of the Children of Ifrael and Judah were carried into Captivity, and feveral Periods whence their Defolations may commence; fo there were several Seafons alfo of their Return and Reftoration: But the chief Duration of their Captivity and de- folate Circumftances was feventy Years. See 2 Kings xxiv. 1, 2, 10-14. and chap. xxv. 11. compared with Ezra i. 1, 2. and chap. vi. 1-12. chap. vii. 7. and Nehem. ii 1.&c.

2 Q. Who gave them Releafe from their Captivity in Babylon?

A. When Babylon was taken by Cyrus, the General of the Army under Darius, the King of the Medes, the Affyrian or Babylonifh Empire was finished. After Darius's Death, Cyrus himself became King of Perfia, and he not only gave the People of the Jews a Releafe, but gave them alfoa Commiffion to rebuild the Temple, and reftored" to them the Veffels of Gold and Silver; and this

he did by the Hand of Shesbazzar, a Prince of Judah, Exai. 7-II.

Note, Now was that Prophecy fulfilled which Isaiah pronounced above a hundred Years before, Ifaiah xliv. 28. that it was Cyrus who should say to Jerufalem, Be thou built; and to the Temple, Be thy Foundation laid; and chap. xlv. 13. who fhould build the City of God, and releafe his Captives.

3Q. Which of the Tribes did accept of this Commiffion, and return to their own Land?

A. There were many Perfons and Families of feveral Tribes of Ifrael, who took this Opportunity of returning: yet it was chiefly those of Judah and Benjamin, with the Priefts and feveral of the Levites, who returned, and were now all united under the Name of Jews, Ezra i. 5. and iv. 12.

4Q. Who were their firft Leaders and Directors? A. Zerubbabel, a Prince of Judah, of the SeedRoyal, whofe Chaldaic or Babylonifh Name was Shefbazzar; he was their Prince or Captain, and Jefhua or Joshua was their High Priest, Ezra i. II. and chap ii 2. and iii. 8. compared with v. 14-16. and Zech. chap. iii, and iv.

Note, This Shefbazzar, or Zerubbabel, was the Son of Salathiel, the Son of Jehoiachin, or Jeconiah, King of Judah: He was made Governor of the Land, under the Title of Tirfhatha, by a Commiffion from Cyrus. Jefhua was the Son of Jozadak, or Jofedech, the Son of Seraia, who was High Prieft when Jerufalem was deftroyed, and who was put to Death by Nebuchadnezzar.

5 Q. What was the firft Thing they did after their Return?

A. They made a large Contribution toward the rebuilding of the Temple, they gathered them-felves together to Jerufalem, they set up the Altar of the God of Ifrael, and offered Sacrifices upon is, Ezra ii. 68. and chap. iii. 1-6.

« PreviousContinue »