Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1911-07-21

Manasseh was not able to undo in the
latter part of his reign the evil he had
done in the first part Although he
himself served cod and commanded his
people to do so, the efforts at reform
were only partially successful. The
change. as far as the nation was con-
cerned, was only skin deep. At Manas-
seh's death, therefore, 1t was not to be
unexpected that weak successor might
fall into the easy errors from which
Manasseh had been trying to win them.
The tide was too strong for Anon, and
during the two years he occupied the
throne, Judah fell back to all the gross
dolatry and RIGHTEOUSNESS engendered
by the worship of Baal and Ashcroft.
We may get some idea of the condition
of the kingdom at this time from the
writings of jeremiah and Zephaniah,
who were contemporaries and also from
the reforms which were instituted few
years later Besides having affairs In
every grove and in all the high places,
with which we have become familiar in
studying other kings we find that In
the temple erected to the worship of Je-
hovah, they had placed images of Baal
and Ashcroft, and were offering sacri-
fees to the sun, moon and stars. At the
door of the temple horses were kept
which were given to the chariot of the
sun, and worshipped. Just beside the
house Of Jehovah was the house of the
Sodomites where the vilest things were
done In the name of religion. In the
valley Of Hinnom just south of it, was
Topeth, where Molech was worshipped
by the burning of human sacrifices. And
on the Mount of Olives to the east of the
temple of God were still standing the
high places which Solomon had made for
his wives, TO the gods of the Zidonians'
the gods of the Moohites, and the gods
of the Ammonites. None of the reforms
under Asa, Jehoshaphat, Joash, Amaziah,
Uzziah, lothian, Hezekiah or Manasseh
had reached these sins of Solomon. For
three hundred years they had stood and
corrupted the people. Is 1t remarkable
then that jeremiah should have accused
them of doing what no nation had been
known to do? They had changed their
gods, and had snapped the glory of Je-
hovah for the shame of these idols; they
had forsaken the fountain of living wa
tiers, ever springing, and had hewn
themselves out cisterns which could not
even hold water!
HIS DECISION.
Such was the condition of Israel when
Josiah succeeded to the throne. The boy
of eight had an exceedingly difficult
TASK II Woulu nave oeeh 80 easy lot hlin
to have done as his father had done.
He must have had a cody mother.
though who taught him the history of
his people. Her name means beloved of
jehovah She no doubt told him, as all
Jewish mothers did their children, of the
calling of Abraham, the story of Isaac
and Jacob; of the long years in Egypt
and the deIiverance: of the conquest of
Canaan; of the development of the tribes
into great world kingdom under David.
She must have told him of the strife and
the divisions. the checkered career of
Judah and the continuous decline and
captivity OF Israel She certainly told
him of his good great grandfather Heze-
kiah, and of the conversion and refor-
nation of his grandfather Manasseh.
Under her totelage his heart gradually
opened to God and turned toward Him