Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1891-06-19
BOOK OF THELAW FOUND
LESSON xi, SECOND QUARTER, IN
TERNATiONAL SERIES, JUNE IA.

cHiN, documentary by tho lev. ID.
NJ stcarns.
compiled from Lesson Helper Quarterly by
permission of H. S. Hoffman, publisher. Phil
adclphia-
H. "Hilkiah the priest found book of
the law of the Lord given by Moses"
1lezckiah cleansed and repaired the tenn
pie and restored the true worship.
He was succeeded by his son Manasseh,
who rcigned fifty five years. and for part
of his reign tried to do rs much for the
devil as his father had done for God; but
being taken prisoner and carried to Baby
lon, he rcpcnted and became changed
man: and being restored to his throne and
kingdom, he sought to restore the wor-
ship of the true God. His son Anon
regncd two years and did evil He WAS
succeeded by Josiah, his son, i'll whose
reign our lesson is found. lie began to
reign at the ago of 8 years: when 1G he be
gan to seek God; and when 20 he began to
cleanse the land of idols. at the age Of 20
he began to repair the house of the Lord
(sec vs.. /, 3, s., and it was Us the priest
took the money from the reccptacles in
the temple into which the people had put
it that this old book was found.
Is. 81 have found the book of the law in
the house of the Lord
Thus said Hilliiah, the priest, to Shap-
han, the Scribe as he give him the book
1t IS probable that this is the book referred
to in Dcut. XXI, 2i-2G, and if so it would
be nearly 500 years old.
1G. And Shaphau carried the book to
the king
AS Shaphan went to report to the king
concerning the accomplishments of the
work he took the book with him, having
:, l. 4 ?
II. They have gathered together the
money that was found in the house Of tho
Lord, and have delivered it into the hands
OF the ovcrseers, aud to the hand of the
work men"
IS. "IIilkiah the priest hath given me
book. And Shnphan read in it before the
king"
| 70. And it came to pass, when the king
aad heard the words OF the law, that he
rent his clothes"
BY the law is the knowledge of sin (ROm.
til, 20), and as Josiah heard the law of the
Lord ne saw as he never had before how
great the sins Of the nation were. His
heart trcmbled ut the word. and therefore
he was blessed man Iaa. Xvi, o.
| 90 p. "Go, inquire OF the Lord for me,
and for them that are left in Israel and in
| Judah, concerning the words of the book
that * found"
These men were appointed by the king
to ascertain more fully concerning these
words. Here is a priest and a king, but a
| prophet is wanted who will make plain
the word of the Lord.
Great is the wrath of the Lord that is
/ poured out upon Us, because our fathers
| have not kept the word of the Lord 10 do
after all that * written IN this book
| There is moro than enough in any of the
| last six chapters Of Deuteronomy or in
Lev XVI to carse Josiah to have uttered
these words; and it was manifest to al
that many of these curses and already act-
ually come upon the land and upon the
people because of their Sins.
-. "Ane Nilkiah and they that the king
had appointed went to Iuldah, the pruph
/ eteSsN
This was in the eighteenth year Of 10
slabs reign or five years after Jeremiah
began TO prophecy Ger. i. -, and we won
der that they did not 90 to him. Icpha-
niah also prophescd ia Josiah's reign
! (Xeph. j. u, but for some reason the mes
sengcrs go to lluldah.
70. And she answered them, Thus saith
the Lord God of Israel tell ye the man that
sent you to me-"
These men were only the messengers of
King Josiah; their business was to deliver
the kings message correctly and carry
back a correct answer. Happy are all mes
sengers who are privileged to carry a
THUS saith the Iordr'
"a "Thus saith tho Lord, Behold I will
| bring evil upon this place. all the curses
that are written in the book"
In Jer, ii, p; Vi, 10, the Lord calls heaven
and earth 10 witness against the people be
| 90 ( bair 81 sal n i n
Jcr. xix. 3, IS; xxxv, II, lie also repeats
what He here says by IIuldah, that He viii
surely bring evil upon them.
81 "Becatl5e they nave forsaken me- and
have burned incense unto other gods"
Many were the cntrreaties by Moses and
Joshua not to forsake God and Solemn
the warnings as to what the result would
be if they forsook Him (see Deut. xxi,
l6, II; Josh. xiv, 20). And yet that very
thing they did, so that the prophets and
Psalms are fun OF lamentations because
Israel for5ook the God of their fathers
DER ii, u; V, Z; tx, IS; XIX, 4; xxi, Q, etc
&c. "And rs for the king of Judah. who
sent you to inquire OF the Lord, so shall We
say unto him"
The evil spoken OF was to come upon the
ungodly people but the Lord knoweth
them that are HIS Oh Tim. ii, 10, and no
evil can befall them Ezekiel saw in a
vision a man with a writer's inkhorn, who
was to set a mark upon the forrheads OF
those who sighed and cried because of the
denominations done n the land and when
the destroying angel went forth he was &c
begin a. the sanctuary, but not come neal
any upon whom was the mnrk.
q. Because thine heart WAS tender. and
thou d.dst humble myself before Coo
wlen thou hearlSt his words
The Lord Is nigh unto them that are of q
broken heart. y broken and q contrlN
heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. Cos
resisteth the proud, but Giveth grace to the
humble Cps. xXXiv, Is; lvii, II; Jas. ", o.
He observes all VINO trenlble ut Ills word
and is ready 10 show Himself strong or
their behalf elsa. Xvi, 2; l Chron. xvi, 81. lie
hears the prayers of such. When we TAXI
heed to His word, and ask in accorJihnc'
herewith. we may lie sure that lie hears.
2S. "Behold, l will gather thee to thy
fathers, and thou shlt BIO gathered to thy
grave in peace, neither shall thine eyes see
all the evil"
Josiah was not to wit.mss the SJfiering'
of his people nor the dcsolation Of hi
land. 1t was Gods will Tor him thai
| he should have n peaceful death ant