Judah, or the Southern Kingdom fared somewhat better, though even here there was much idolatry. At last Judah too went into captivity, on account of its sin. It is most suggestive to compare the triumphant entry of Israel into the land, and its shameful exit in chains and tears. It was all brought about through abandoning the God of Abraham. There are some in modern days who claim that Israel had naturally a monotheistic tendency, and on that account slowly worked its way out of polytheism into monotheism. The writer does not so read the history, but finds that Israel had an inveterate tendency to polytheism, and that God only cured it of this sin through the sorrows of the captivity.
7. Fifth Period.—Captivity and return. Read Ezra and Nehemiah. This is not a period of great glory, like that of Solomon's reign. But it is a period most remarkable on account of the fact that Judah was now strictly monotheistic, and from that day to this, over two thousand years, it has remained so. In the furnace fires of captivity God cured his people once and forever of their besetting sin, idolatry. This is a most remarkable fact, for the nations into which they went as captives were themselves totally idolatrous.
In this period comes the building of the second temple, the reform under Ezra, and the building of the walls of Jerusalem, under Nehemiah.
8. Now the story closes for four centuries and does not open until the New Testament times (with which we shall deal later on) begin.
Test Questions
Into what two great divisions is the Bible divided?
Give the theme of the Prelude to the Old Testament.
Give the extent of the first period.
What was its outcome?
Give the extent of the second period.