Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1911-07-14

Hezekiah had been the best king Ju-
dab had known. He had brought them
back from idolatry to the worship of
Jehovah, and had instituted reforms that
made for the unfit of the kingdom. He
had an illness which looked as If it
would prove fatal; in fact, Isaiah told
him to set his house in order. for he
should die and not live. This distressed
Hezekiah greatly: he had no son to sue
coed him. and the throne would have
to go to the nearest relative. Hezekiah
was not willing that this should be so,
and he prayed that God would spare
his life, pleading all that he had done
as an argument in his favor. God gra-
ciously granted this request, and told
him he should live Is years longer, Civ
ing him a sign when he required 1t Qn-
stead of simply believing God by set
ting back the shadow ten degrees on the
dial of Ahaz.
1t was a great mistake on Hezelxiah's
part to try to interfere with Gods plans;
for those is years were very disastrous.
Three years later Manasseh was born
who undid all that Hezekiah had DONE
Prior to that the king of Assyria had
sent messengers to him and he had
shown them all the treasures of his
house. which Isaiah denounced, telling
him that for this his people should go
to Babylon. 1t would have been far
better for Hezekiah to have submitted
to Gods win and not have been so anx-
ious for his own son to succeed him.
MANASSEH'S REIGN OF TERROR.
Finally the Is years of grace were end
ed and Hezekiah, the best king Judah
had ever had. died. His 12-year- son,
Manasseh succeeded him.
There was in Judah, and had been for
many years. a Small party composed OF
some of the more influential men, who
were always in favor Of making alliances
with the stronger nations, Egypt or Asy-
ria, on either side of them. They were
naturally not spiritually minded and
leaned easily toward the religious GUS
toms of these countries as toward every
thing else these people did. They were
a constant menace to the religious life
of Judah Hezekiah had kept them down,
but now that the boy Manasseh was on
the throne. they probably gained some
influence over him. 1t was not hard TO
make him a thorough convert to the IL
centious worship OF the heather delties,
and he plunged with all the intensity OF
youth into the Maelstrom OF idolatry.
An that his father had done he undid.
Hezekiah had destroyed the high places;
ne built them again. nc1Shlah iou eoN
en- away the graves. or Asherab the
Venuses with all the degrading deeds
her worship demanded; Manasseh built
and Instituted these again. His father
had restored the worshap of Jehovah
in the temple and had cut down the
heather affairs therein; Manasseh built
affairs in it's courts, used the temple for
the Worship of Baal, and even had
carved image of himself placed there
TO be worshipped. He went further
than this for he made his own son pass
through the fire in the worship or the
hosts of heaven; he consulted witches,
used fortune tellers, and ENCOURAGED
soothsayers. 1t is said of him by Jo-
sephus that he murdered prophet ev-
ery day. 1t was by his command that
Isaiah was killed. He had probably
warned him of his son and its conse-
ouences. had pleaded with him to return
70 Jehovah. Manasseh in anger ordered
him sawn asunder.
Time and again God pleaded with nin'
hut he would not hear Him; he eontn-
ned his life of ldolatry and cruelty for
n years, until God arrested him IN ms
evil course. No king Of judah had been
so wicked as he. The king OF Assyria
iook him captive to Babylon.
Here Is one of those little things that
Is very important. Esarhaddon, who was