Reasons for the Loss of Empires-Social Life in Israel and in Judah-The Good King Hezekiah-The Destruction of Sennacherib-Byron's Poem-Sickness and Prayer of Hezekiah-The Prophet Isaiah-Hezekiah's Magnificent Poem on Life and Death-Louis XVThe Evil Reign of Manasseh-Renaissance of Morality Under the Good Boy Josiah-His Zeal as a Reformer-Last Days of Judah-The Conquest and Captivity-The Brilliant Youth Daniel-His Three Friends-Their Independence-Daniel the First Vegetarian-Daniel the Psycho-analyst-The MediumsThe Dream and Interpretation-The Fiery FurnaceThe Three Salamanders-The King Eats Grass-Belshazzar's Feast-The Writing-Daniel and the Den of Lions-Patriotic Emphasis in Daniel and in Esther-Independence of Vashti-Selection of EstherProud Mordecai the Jew-The Pompous Haman and His Fate-Insomnia of the King-The Whirligig of Time Brings in His Revenges-Grand Patriotic Conclusion IX THE DOWNFALL OF ISRAEL AND JUDAH THE PATRIOTIC STORIES OF DANIEL AND ESTHER When the moral law is continually broken, either by individuals, communities, or nations, a false security may last for a time, illusory as sin itself; but sooner or later evil conduct is followed by evil results, as certainly as winter follows autumn. Nations that put their confidence in the gods of iron and steel rather than in the God of Truth and Righteousness, are doomed. Both the Old and the New Testament point out the path of true national glory. "In God We Trust" is a better national motto than "America First." The Israelites, who had entered Canaan so proudly under Captain Joshua, who had triumphed repeatedly under King David, were utterly humiliated by Assyria. After a siege of three years, the city of Samaria was taken and the Assyrians carried away the inhabitants into captivity; it is worth remembering, in justice to these heathen, that they treated their conquered foes more humanely than Israel had behaved toward the cities they had overcome. They placed garrisons in many Hebrew towns, and it must have been a strange sight to see the men and women from faraway Babylon dwelling like a superior race in Israel. The social life of the tribe of Judah was so much better than the standard of morality farther north that Jerusalem was able to keep back the invaders for many years; and if it had not been for one thoroughly bad king, Manasseh, Judah might never have succumbed. Then, as in European history, fashions in character and religion were set by the king. Everyone who is interested in the welfare of modern Europe and America, everyone who is interested in the welfare of the white race, will find valuable material for thought in reading the Second Book of the Kings. Human nature has not changed, neither has the law of causation. When a nation loses its soul, it becomes vulnerable to foreign attack. Nor is there, from the world point of view, much to regret in the results of such weakness, however regrettable the weakness itself may be. A nation that has lost its soul does not deserve power. The moral life of the kingdom of Judah fluctuated according to the standards of character followed by her rulers; during the last century before the fall of Jerusalem there were bad kings and good kings. Among the latter, two fine specimens of royalty |