THE CAPTIVITY OF THE TEN TRIBES.

Israel came from Assyria, and lived
at Bethel, and taught the people to
fear the Lord. Was he glad to come
back? Perhaps he was; but when
he looked around, and saw his coun-
try possessed by strangers and
idolaters, and thought of his own
people who were captives in a dis-
tant land, he must have felt sad.
Did the new inhabitants of Sa-
maria give up their idols, and wor-
ship the true God with all their
hearts? No; they learned a little
about God, but they did not truly
love Him, nor rightly understand
how to serve Him. ‘They said,
“We will worship Israel’s God, and
our own gods too.” Then they
built altars, and made priests, and
offered sacrifices, sometimes to God,
and sometimes to their idols; and
they offered their children to these
idols, and burnt them in the fire.
This worship was very displeasing
to God. He must have all the heart,
all the service, all the love of His
people. He will not bless those who
think they may serve God and idols
too;—God and the world; God
and their sins; God and their own
foolish pleasures. Many people

 

av

think they may do this now, as the
inhabitants of Samaria thought;
but the Bible says, no, “ Ye cannot
serve God and mammon.” Matt.
Vi. 24.

Did the ten tribes ever return to

| Canaan? No; years passed away,

generation after generation died,
and still the Israelites were far
away from their own beloved home.

They stayed in distant lands; they
were scattered over many countries,
to warn nations, and to teach them
how fearful it is to displease God.
Many long years the people of Is-
rael have been without a home, and
without a king, and withouta prince,

and without a sacrifice, and without
God’s blessing, and without the

knowledge of Jesus Christ. Where

are they now? ‘They are scattered

in many parts of the Hast; in

Egypt and in Persia, and in many
other countries, we know not where.

But God has not forgotten them.

His eye has been upon them all

these years; He has kept them

apart from the nations where they

live, and preserved them in all their

dangers, and sorrows, and trou-

bles.