The Holt County sentinel. (Oregon, Mo.) 1883-1980, 1911-07-21
Drv5 5Ss5AH EScoD

Soisy Sehssl Lessss fss JOY q, 1911
Specially Arranged for This Paper

Creator In the days Of thy youth."-Ecci
12i
TIME-Josiah began to reign n. c. sss
In the A5th year Of Judah as a separate
Kingdom.
lie rcigued 81 years. til -. G. sps
P1ACE--Judah and Jerusalem. But his
reforms extended over "A considerable part
OF the territory Of the Northern Kingdom
which had become extinct In 122-7is, -
years before Josiah came to the throne.
Josiah was the grandson OF Man.
asseh. whose career we studied In our
last lesson. lie was born at Jerusa.
lem. Il. G. 64S His father was Anon.
who followed the example OF his IA.
Tiers earlier years. He reigned but
two years. when he was murdered BY
bis sourtiers In his own palace. The
people rose against the conspirators
and made his eisht.yeAr-old son king
10 bis place. Jos!ah's mother was
Jedidah. the daughter Of Adaiah.
They belonged In Boscath. . town near
Lachish 10 southwestern Judah. In the
plains toward the Meditsrraasaa sea.
While King Anon was an idolater. and
bis court WAS corrupt. II 10 possible
that Josiah's mother kept the true
faith.
He began to reign when he was
eight years old. Like bis grandfather.
Manasseh. ~ must for several years
have been guided. and bic Kingdom
controlled BY his mother or By prime
minister's. The worshipers Of j.
hovah must have been In control ~
the palace. the wise and religious
teachers Of the true God and the true
religion. 50 that for the hrst sixteen
years Of bis life the young Josiah n,ust
have been under good influences. while
he also would know Of his fathers
tragic death. and bis Grandfather's
sins. sufRerinss. and repentance. And
his ancestor. David. was ever before
him % bis ideal. his hero. his saint.
About the time when Josiah was
twenty years old. and in the twelfth
year OF his reign. when he had begun
his reforms. there came an invading
host from the far east like . cyclone.
an overwhelming scourse. jeremiah
foretells them IN vivid pictures. but
Herodotus tells us who they were. the
Scythians from the regions over eau.
casus. vast nameiesa hordes Of men.
who sweeping past Assyria. un.
checked. poured upon Palestine. W.
can realise the event from our knowi.
edge Of the Monsoi and Tartar inva
sions Which IN later centuries pursued
the same path southwards. Living In
The saddle. with no infantry nor chart
OTIS to delay them. these Centaurs
swept on with . speed Of Invasion
hitherto unknown. In $50 they had
crossed the Caucasus. by S3s they
were on the borders Of Egypt.
The prophet. jeremiah. describes IN
picturesque terms this invasion. THE
lion 10 come up from bis thicket;"
The destroyer Of nations 10 on his
way" Behold he comsth - clouds,
and bis chariot shall be - the whirl
wind" Their CULVER IL an open sep.
uicher. they are all mighty men,"
They are cruel and have no mercy:
their voice roareth like tho sea; and
they ride upon horses. set In array
- men Of war against thee"
II IL easy to nee how this terrible
invader. coming so near. Just Ms Jo'
siah was beginning his reforms. must
have interfered with his plans.
Josiah began his reformation In bis
twelfth year. but the invasion OF the
Scythians soon after this beginning
interferred with the work. The saw.
age and cruel host came close TO
Judah's borders. Scattered bands may
have entered the kingdom. Terror
reigned. Defenses must DO strength
ened. Outsiders rushed to Jerusalem
and the fortified cities. How far the
determinations had progressed We do
not know. But the chroniclsr having
recorded the beginning simply goes
on with the story. AZ 10 frequently
done by historians.
The restoration OF the Temple was
Shapan. the secretary OF state; and
Maasciah. the governor Of the city,
the mayor Of jerusalem; and Joah
the recorder. the keeper of the rec.
ords. the historian. The temple built
by solomon. was completed 800 years
before. II was repaired by Joash 24O
years before Josiah began his restora,
ton. The rsvages OF time. with neg.
lect and abuse during the sway OF
idolatry must have rendered II Eadly
in need of repair. It was during these
repairs that the Book of Law was
found.
The work interrupted by the Scyth.
ian hordes is now resumed with great
ly increased intensity and enthusiasm.
through the new conservation OF king
and people. due to the finding OF the
Book of the Law.
The first condition OF salvation for
individuals or nations II the putting
away OF sin at any cost. The second
Ia the building up of the good He
that confesseth and forsaketh shall
find mercy.
Ye Are the Temple of the Living
God, What Repairs Does This Temple