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STUDY TOPICS
1. Of the “David” psalms, read any of the following chapters: 11, 13, 15, 23, of the book of Psalms.
2. Of the “Pilgrim” psalms, read chapter 121 or 124 or 126.
3. Which of these do you like best?
4. Look up words scattered through the Psalms which appear to be musical directions.
5. In what ways did the following Psalms help the Jews to realize their hopes?—
a. 15.
b. 51.
c. 124.
6. For a good example of one of the prayers, in the temple, read 1 Kings 8. 27, 28.
CHAPTER XXV
A NARROW KIND OF PATRIOTISM
All nations like to think of themselves as superior to the rest of mankind. The Greeks used to despise all foreigners as “barbarians.” We in America ridicule immigrants from other countries and call them unpleasant names. The Jews also made the same mistake of despising people of other races and nations. We find laws even in so just a law-book as Deuteronomy which are unfair to foreigners. Jews were forbidden to exact interest from fellow Jews, but they were permitted to exact it from foreigners. The flesh of animals which died of themselves could not be eaten by Jews, but they might sell it to foreigners.
THE INCREASING HATRED TOWARDS FOREIGNERS AFTER THE EXILE
We have seen how the exiles in Babylonia kept the Sabbath and went to the synagogue in order that they might continue to be Jews and might not lose their Jewish religion, the worship of Jehovah. As time went on they found it necessary to be more and more strict. As their girls and boys grew up they fell in love with Babylonian young men and young women. But if these young Jews had married Babylonians, the children would have grown up as Babylonians in customs and religion. So all intermarriages were forbidden.
=The fight against intermarriages in Judaea.=—When these exiles returned from Babylonia to Jerusalem they were shocked to find that the Jews there had not been strict in this matter. They had taken wives and husbands from the Moabites, and Edomites, and other nations around Judaea.
