The Holt County sentinel. (Oregon, Mo.) 1883-1980, 1911-01-27
REIGN OF
JEHOSHAPHAT
Specially Arranged Tor This Paper

Nt--J"InslUphhi reign of % Years
was from II. e. ~. tor w ~ W, tor ~,
The hlst Ia ,lic s5th years of tile kingdom
PI.ACE-The reform extended To- tn" hill
country 81 Ephraiu. Tie battle against
III" Syrians took place at Gi,nuth-Gilcad
to the east OF the Jordan the "nallciujal
victory" near Tekoa. south vi bethlehem
This lesson covers the entire reign
Of the good King Jehushapnat. Ills
name means Jehovah Judged" q
name given by his religious father
Ills parents were Asa. the good King
aud A,ubah. about whom nothing
more Is known. Ills age AT his acces
sion was 81 years. aid ne reisned fol
- years. his character was pious,
prudent, entcrprising lie VAS u skill
ful general. a wise statesman. "A cour
ageous reiormcr. lie was alon,
counted worthy IN later ages tn ranh
With Iie,ckiah aud Josiah among the
most pious rulers o. the Davidic line
His reign was among the best anu
most prosperous IN all Judah's cSis
tcncc. His great error equally with
his success. points out 10 w. the Wa,
OF true prosperity lie had a great
advantage in having u religious iath.
cr. who had done much toward re-
forming his Kingdom. aud uplifting
his people. A good inheritance OF ,ir
tue and religion IL on. OF the greatest
blessings ever bestowed upon "a !ounl
man,
J.hOshaphat strengthened himself
AGAINST Israel becausn there had been
wars With Israel. there having been u
long rivalry between them. which was
renewed IN a border Warfare durinl
the last days OF Asa BaashR king o.
israel had not onll attacked Judah
but had fortified Ramah. a town onl,
few miles north Of Jerusalem Tn,
warrior Ahab MAS ot III. thron. o.
Israel when Jchoshaphst began to
reign, lie placed forces "arsenali
for the supply Of war material" ~
well as soldiers, In all tho fenced, for
titled. cities, SET eariisons, probsbl,
iood supplies with leaders To iaN
chars" al Obtaining and caring fol
them
Tho Lord WAS with J.hoshaphai b.
'ahs" l"hosiap,a' stood for the
tliigs which Gud loved ana wished [,
do Tor tn" nation, The Lord cannol
~ his s"ns. he with those who's,
whole li'c and conduct ar. oppos ed &c
all God wants ~ accomplish. Thit
vaS shown by the fact known to AL
that W" walked Ia ~" tirsi Ways %
his la'h"r David 1Ar GI,rk iranslH
iinn omils David The rcfor,nc.
th,n might be to the beautiful ~,
taN'i lived before IT. nll and re-
Sipij'ion. but piuhihly 10 his father
A,a WHO began his reign b, devotion
80 Set uynh, aud sorrhi not unto laa
lin, 'hc falls. aud impure Idols OF IL,
heather
his heart WAS liltod mp IN the ways
Of -" Lord; Hated NJ above world,
con ld"rdiious aud fears illed Wit
hial motives aud cuthIsiasius. IN III,
cause at God as IN III" ease oi a.,
apostles Who wh,n lll"d with IN,
spirit Jotlully went on In their hnr,
'a-h against an ~" poHorS at low
isii Sanh,drimE aud Roman ompcrors
Tie WAS llllod MP into union viii
cod
l'rosharhnr, Hike al other men W.,
not p"riorr All Gods work through
mn II done with imperfect insrru
W"u'S. lri The nearer perfection the,
are, the better work tod can d,
through them TIL. grea, mistake o
johCshapha,'s life was not his boLI,
n friend Ia Ahab, and seeking to liy,
Al p'ac" with him hut his making &c
Close an alliance as TO iniur. both
Kingdoms, lie joined Ahab IN an IN.
necessary war; and he married his
son 10 the heather daughter OF AhuL
and lel"bcl I, WAS doubtless don,
with the good motive Of uniting ia,
divided nation into one Kingdom
again II Was beautiful vision and
glorious hope, The church and the |
world were delightfully."- Al one" I,ut
" WIS an almost fatal alliance, for II |
Tod 10 religious and moral drrlension.
ana 10 The almost total cAtinctiO of |
the roNa family.
lehoSpharhat took away the high |
places Affairs and places of Worship
on wooded hilliops, where there were |
also idols for Worship, These places |
w"r" near towns, and convenient for |
the gatherings of the people for pleas
IRE, and social Worship. which was
often of the most livrni ions character
And the groves, more correctly as in |
n Y, Asherim, w0odcn poles or posts !
representing the female goddess Ash. |
ieroth
II must he remembered that there |
were Two Ways of using these high |
places, one for h"aihen worship with |
lis impure rites, the other for the wor- |
ship Of Jehovah But the use of |
these heather places with their evil |
associations, for the Worship of the |
true God, tended TO debase thar wor.
ship, and corrupt II with heather |
rites and immortality.
Jehoshaphat dwelt at Jerusalem.
and he went out again through the |
people from Beersheba. In the south.
ern part of his kingdom 40 miles |
sorth of IaruSn lom In the loo, ,,...,, |