The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1904-12-01
Fiezekiah Reopens the Temple.

After monotonous succession of
incompetence and viciousness in the
dynasty of Judah, Hezekiah comes to
the throne. 1t is like finding lily
on dunghill. He stands between
his Moloch worshiping father and his
evll-doiHg son, unsullied by either.
He cultivated the arts of peace and
enriched himself and his people. He
undertook extensive fertilization and
engineering works, especially the
strengthening of the city walls and
perfecting the water supply. He
compiled a hymn-book for the He
brew Church from the Psalms of Da-
vid and Asaph, and made noble con-
tributions to it himself if his sole-sur-
Viying hymn lisa. xXXviii, 1920 may
be taken as an example. But these
are minor matters as compared with
his wide-yisioned craftsmanship
which undertook unification of the
dismembered nation under the origi-
nal sacred charter
The times were very evil and ire
ligious. The Chronicler tells of Is
rael's neglect of the temple in graphic
phrase. They showed their backs to
it instead of their faces They shut
the doors, put ont the lamps, and
ceased from incense and offerings
The sacred ritual was entirely discon-
tinued. Neglect of Il public edifice is
a species of vandalism, slower, but
ultimately as effective as the hammer
of the iconoclast. When sweeper and
artisan left off their daily work, filth
accumulated, and the holy and mag
niticent house was on the verge Of
dissolution.
No reasons of State or policy de-
tered the young king from at once
mending this evil. He did not wait
until he had tested the allegiance of
his subjects or debated the matter
with his counsel of princes He i'm
mediatetv addressed himself to the
task of restoring religion and strenu-
ously squared himself to the difficult
ties involved
The account of this house cleaning
extraordinary is given with interest
ing detail The immense debris which
filled the courts may be judged from
the fact that it was necessary to clear
it away first before access to the in
terror could be had, and that it re-
quired eight days of incessant toll to
achieve it. Eight days more were
spent in the temple proper before the
last load of filth was dumped into the
Kidron. The restoration of the fur
niture followed-the brazen altar,
the LAYERS, and the golden shew- bread
table and the vessels of varions kinds.
Some of these Ahaz had sacrilgilousIy
cut to pieces, or had polluted by using
them at idol affairs. This great and
temple, itself sermon in stone, each
area of which, with its accompanying
furniture, had tits particular ,signifi-
canoe, was now ready for solemn re-
opening.
With irrepressible solicitude the
king fastened the service The rit-
ual of Moses and the orchestra and
chorus of David were revived There
was first the expiatory service for the
kingdom; i. e., the royal family; for
the sanctuary itself, which had been
polluted; for the priests who had been
negligent and unho and for Judah.
the whole mass of the people. Then
the people praised with gladness and
worshiped
Hezekiah naturally wished to crown
this revival by observing the long
omitted festival of the Passover, and
to make it the occasion of national
reunion of the long dismembered en-
pire. This he could do without hav-
ing sinister motives ascribed to him,
for the northern kingdom was already
extinct. The kings carefully worded
appeal was carried by flying postmen
from Dan to Beersheba. 1t was treat
ed just as the urgent gospel message
of to-day is, some Knocked; some
humbled themselves. The latter
were numerous enough to make a
great assembly. The simple, beauti-
full, significant rite of the Passover was
observed again under happy auspices.
A crusade against the false rites nat
urally followed the revival of the
true. Affairs and idols went down in
to that natural receptacle of the off
securing, the chasm of Kidron.
Mosaic from Commentaries
Hezekiah the king: Hezekiah-
Jehovah makes strong: Counting
Queen Athaliah, the thirteenth SOW
ereign of Judah. The most pious of
kings, was confirmed by the noblest
Of prophets isaiah Smith. His reign
the eliminating point in the his
tory of the kings of Judah. STANLEY
All the vessels cast away: An the
vessels which King Ahaz had pollut-
ed and rendered abominshle nv