The Nevada County picayune., 1911-06-09

l hO14l1LAs LA -sldD 1<OOkgth ,h- | Outward Appearance, but the Lord Toa,' l eth on the Heart.-1 Sam. 16:7 1 TIME-Beecher's Dates for the Acco, | sion of Jothan, Ahaz and Hezekfah os. | B. C. 7o4, TBS and 723, Hoshea becomina king of Israel in B. C. 72G Hastnsss gives the dates as B. C. 749. Al. 727 and l CHoshea) T3G. Ou l PLACE-The temple fin Jerusalem | PROPHETS-Hosea, Micah and IsataL Hezekiah was the good son of a b,, father, Ahaz; and Ahaz was the had son of a good father Jotham, and after the good Hezekiah came his had i son, Manasseh But there must hava 1 been reasons back of these seeming contradictions. In Hezekiah,s case l one may have been his mother Abifab the daughter tor granddaughter or Zechariah. Twenty-nine Zecharfahs are mentioned in the Bible. This was no, the author of the book of prom. ecy but may have been the prophet who had so much influence over King Izziah
 Hezekiah did that which vas right 1 fin the eyes of the Lord Gods ap 1 proyal is the only wise goal for a king q president or the humblest citizen 1 IL i5 the fatal defect in mast forms oi government that this oyerralc of God is ignored
 Hezekiah began his reign by doing the thing that plainly needed most l ta be done first lie found the Tem. l pic. the sacred meeting place of God and man, with it's doors closed by
 Ahaz, its lamps out its aItars cold. it's floors and hangiags covered with dust and dirt Therefore the young king summoned the priests and LeYites to 1 the court on the east of the Temple opposite the closed porch or entrance, ard in frank and Hoble address de ciarea Als conviction thaf all the Ia. | Haual woes had their origin in a neg. leet of the worship Of Jehovah. and 1 hs determination 10 make a new COY. 1 eaaHe with the Lord Then he bads i t6ea9 Is their firsf task. 10 cleanse
 fhe Temple thoroughly
 His reform shows his character. t Sates his zeal. courage and yigor l He vas yeHng only twenty.fye but
 he did not put f off till he was older
 Il was in the very first month of his 1 reign, bui he did not wait till he had strengthened his power and won popu- iaritF. We can never begin good i things loo early. and when We come
 into new positions it is always pHl. l dence as well as bravery to show our l colors enthusiastically from the first Many young man launched among l fresh associations. has been ruined be
 cause of beginning with temporizing
 timidity
 The Second Step the Worship and
 Praise Thus far the priests and Le vltes alone had been purified Now the royal house and the people were 10 be formally reconeiled to Jehovah | How was this done Hezekiah gath cred the chief men of Jerusalem, who
 brought bullocks, lambs, rams, and he | goats for a sin offering. seven of each
 The city rulers laid their hands upon
 the animals, thus identifying them
 selves with them. Then the priests
 killed the animals and spriakled theH blood before the veil in the Hoy | Place and upon the altar of Incense pouring out the remainder at lns | base of the altar of burnt offerings
 the court before the Temple. The l@
 of the offerings was burned on tns
 altar of burnt offerings, and the nesn
 was afterwards eaten by the prless
 It was a mark of the new natioha
 feeling that arose during HezeRaa'
 reign that this offering and those tn+ 1 followed were not made for Juuau
 alone. but for the Northern hingo0n as well
 The Third Step, the Wide in@
 ation.-What was the next step
 the great reform? The holding oi U,
 national feast of remembrance %
 God. .s goodness, the passover. ia.
 should have been celebrated lh ''
 first month of the year. Nisan' cons
 spending to our April; but pecals
 not enough of the priests had w | purified and because of the tine l Quired to gather the people It was %.
 cided that the exgency warrahleu :.
 postponement to the next montn, ",
 or May. As the reform had "iu'I
 from Hezekiah to the priests anu ,,.,
 vites. then to the chief men oi . 's l salem. then to the whole cons'
 ton of citizens. the next step wac s.,s
 extend 1t to the entire nauon'
 Peer.sheba, even to Dan. c,,, ! The Fourth Step is the ,.ts
 Passover What further purih'sTa s.sa
 was needed before the passover ,sgs
 be celebrated? Jerusalem was ~ 's ,ai
 heathen altars Tn every corhe, t,s
 these were torn down and 'D'
 ments cast into the Kidron ,.,a
 The Fifth Step is the usns 'Ins { | Giving What other illustIa''', .ss
 their zeal did the people glse qss
 the passover was completed' ., n,
 new ardor for Jehovah blazeo ,s. oa' sJ
 burning indignation against 'I 1sioIs
 idols which they had been ~o'IIg usrrg |