Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1891-06-12
BOOK OF THELAW FOUND
LESSON XII, SECOND QUARTER, IN
TERNATiONAL SERIES, JUNE "a.


Text of the Lesson, II Chron. xxxiv, 14-aS.
Commit Verses, 14-16--Golden Text, Ps.
cxix. documentary by the Rev. ID.
NJ. Stearns.
Compiled from Lesson Helper Quarterly by
permission of ii. S. Hoffman, publisher, Phil
adelphia.
IA. "Hilkiah the priest found a book Of
the law of the Lord given by Moses"
Hezekiah ceansed and repaired the tenn
pie and restored the true worship.
He was succeeded by his son Manasseh,
who reigned ffty-five years, and for part
of his reign tried to do as much for the
devil as his father had done for God; but
being taken prisoner and carried to Baby
lon, he repented and became a changed
man; and being restored to his throne and
| kingdom, he sought to restore the wor-
ship of the true God. His son Anon
reigned two years and did evil. He was
succeeded by Josiah, his son, in whose
reign our lesson is found. He began to
reign ut the age of years. when 16 he be
gan to seek God; and when 90 he began to
cleanse the land of idols. At the age of 26
he began to repair the house of the Lord
(see VS.. /, g. s., and it was as the priest
took the money from the receptacles 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 Hilkiah, the priest, to Shap-
han, the SCRIBE as he gave him the book.
1t is probable that this is the book referred
to in Deut. XXI, 2426, and if so it would
be nearly SO years old.
the king"
As Shaphan went to report to the king
concerning the accomplishment of the
work he took the book with him, having
first read it for himself Oh Kings xxi, s..
II. "They have gathered together the
money that was found in the house Of the
Lord, and have delivered it into the hands
of the overseers and to the hand of the
workmen."
IS. "Hilkiah the priest hath given me a
book. And Shaphan read in it before the
king"
10. And it came to pass, when the king
had heard the words of the law, that he
rent his clothes"
By the law is the knowledge of sin (Rom.
Iii, 20), and as Josiah heard the law of the
Lord he saw as he never had before how
great the sins of the nation were. His
heart trembled at the word, and therefore
he was blessed man Qsa Xvi, g.
20, 81. $50, inquire of the Lord for me,
and for them that are left in Israel and in
Judah, concerning the words of the book
that is found"
these men were appointed by the king
to ascertain more fully concerning these
words. Here is priest and 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 to do
after all that is written in this book"
There is more than enough in any of the
last six chapters of Deuteronomy or in
Lev XVI to cause Josiah to have uttered
that many of these curses had already act
ually come upon the land and upon the
people because of their sins.
o. "And Hilkiah and they that the king
had appointed went to Huldah, the proph-
etess."
This was in the eighteenth year of 10
siah's reign, or five years after jeremiah
began to prophecy DER. j. q, and we won
der that they did not go to him. Iepha
niah also prophesied in Josiah's reign
(Zeph. j. y, but for some reason the mes
sengers 90 to Huldah.
%. "And she answered them, Thus saith
the Lord God of Israel, tell We 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
Thus saith the Lordr'
"a. Thus saith the Lord, Behold | viii
bring evil upon this place, all the curse.
that are written in the book"
In Jer ii, Il; vi, 10, the Lord calls HEAVIER
and earth to witness against the people be
cause of their sins; and also in lisa. i, 3 II
Jer. xix. 3, 10; XXXv, II, He also repeat,
what He here says by Huldah, that He vii
surely bring evil upon them.
p. Because they have forsaken me- ant
have burned incense unto other gods"
Many We're the entreaties by Moses anc
Joshua not to forsake God, and solemn
the warnings as to what the result woult
be if they forsook Him (see Deut XXI
Is, II; Josh xiv, 20). And yet that yer,
thing they did, so that the prophets anC
Psalms are full of lamentations becaus,
Israel forsook the God of their fathers
DER. ii, IL; " Z; tx, 10; xix, 4; xii, 0, etc }
%. And as for the king of Judah, VIII
sent you to inquire of the Lord so shall y,
say unto him"
The evil spoken of was to come upon tn,
ungodly people, but the Lord knowetl
them that are HIS Oh Tim. ii, 49,, and II,
evil can befal them. Ezekiel saw in
vision man with writer's inkhorn, who
was to set mark upon the foreheads o
those who sighed and cried because of tn
abomin atoms done in the land; and whel
the destroying angel went forth he was t,
begin "A the sanctuary, but not come nea
any upon whom was the mark.
81. Because thine heart was tender, anC
thou d DIST humble thyself before Goo
when thou heardst his words"
The Lord is nigh unto them that are of
broken heart. a broken and contrit
heart, O God, thou wilt not despise Coz
resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to tn,
humble (os. XXx,v, Is; lvii, II; Jas. iv, 9
He observes all w2o tremble at His word
and is ready to show Himself strong OIL
their behalf Qsa Xvi. .; Chron. xvi, o. H
hears the prayers of such. When we TAX