The Washington herald., 1911-07-30
IN THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON FOR JULY 80.
II Chron 1xxip:I433. The Finding of the Book of Lam.
By J. E. McFADYEN, ID. d.

the conduct of war. agriculture and COM
merce, the interests of the family and
education, the relief of the poor and the
treatment of the lower animals, in as
complete a system of public religion as
the world has ever seem"
All that we have said goes to show that
the book was written no very long time
before it was discovered; certainly after
the days of Elijah (about $50 B. c., who
still believes, as We have seen, in null
tiplicity of sanctuaries; some time appar-
emily between Hosea (about 1857 and the
discovery of the book in the eighteenth
year of the reign of Josiah (621 B. c..
The first impulse may have come from
Hezekiah (about 700 b. c., who, accord
ing to II Kings, xviii:4, inaugurated a
reformation.
The reform movement, once begun,
would go on, and would not improbab bly,
precipitate itself in the form of such leg
islation and exhortation as we find in
Deuteronomy. But from the statement in
, II Kings xxi:16, that "Manasseh shed in
nocent blood very much, till he had filled
Jerusalem from one end to another" We
may safely infer that during his terrible
reign the efforts OF the reformers met
with violent and bloody opposition. Dur
ing this time, too such a book as Deu-
teronomy, with its fierce protest against
the idolatry encouraged by Manasseh
(Deut., KID may very we'll have been hid
den away in the temple by some sorrowing
heart that hoped for better days. This
would account for its disappearance and
its ultimate discovery in the reign Of
Josiah, when the temple repairs were be-
ing executed.
(Verses 14-2D. During the temple re-
pairs, the book. which had been lost for
probably half century or so, was found
by the chief priest, and delivered by him
to the royal SCRIBE who Immediately went
to the King, reported the progress Of the
repairs and the fidelity of the workmen
and their overseers, and read the book
before the King.
The natural effect Of the reading was to
throw the King into CONSERVATION. Clear
ly the book had some terrible things to
say about. the wrath of God, and there
can be little doubt that the passage which
produced this effect was Deut., xviii
with its elaborate and dreadful curses
upon the disobedient. The king at once
dispatched five high officials. including
the royal scribe and his son, who later
interposed to save jeremiah in crisis
when his life was in peril Ger. xxvi:2D,
to consult the prophecies Huldah, who
lived in what was known as the second
quarter of Jerusalem-a phrase which
suggests that the city was divided into
districts
(Verses 22-2S. For the sinful people
there Is no escape; as a matter OF fact
within thirty-ive years Jerusalem was
laid in ruins. and the people were swept
into exile; but for the devout and earnest
King, who had been moved to so passion
ate a fear and sorrow by the sin Of his
people, a brighter prospect is held out;
he was to die in peace before the evil
day would ,come. This gracious hope was
destined not to be fulfilled, as the good
King perished on the battlefield.
(verses 29-33. No time was to be lost.
The King summoned a great convocation
to the temple-some supposed that he
seized the opportunity afforded by the
feast Of the Passover-consisting Of the
people Of the country towns and Of the
capital of Judah. priests, ievites, all.
Qt is significant that for the prophets"
of II Kings. xxiii:2, the chronicler sub
| stitutes 'Ievities." The book was read In
the presence OF the great congregation;
and King and people solemnly pledged
themselves TO a covenant with Jehovah
! on thu basis Of the book