The Holt County sentinel., 1911-07-28

T1ME-B. G. ST. IN the 18th year 1t
Josiah's reign. when he was Is years old.
Stage " Of the last lesson.
Pl.ACE-The Temple and Palace At
Jerusalem
PERSOSS-Josish the king. Hui,lah
the prophecies. tiiki,h the high priest.
Shaphan the scribe or secretary.
With hundreds OF millions OF Bibles
In existence and several millions more
printed every year. It Is some~ hat dit
ficult for us to imagine how knowledge
OF the written Bible. and Of the exact
tenor Of It's teachings could he lost.
Some facts will help us to understand.
There were at tina, time very few
copies Of the sacred books In exist.
ence. They were very expensive. II
WAS customary for these copies to be
kept In the temple. while the copy
which according to the law) was
made for the use OF the king. would
most certainly have persisted under
such kings as Manasseh and Anon.
II II plain that the finding Of this
book was not the discovery Of some.
thing unknown before. but the rescu.
ing Of the temple copy Of the law from
the hiding place IN which II had long
lain" II must have been the ancient
copy OF the law. and not hook writ.
ten. a. some critics think. by unknown
persons In the reign OF Manasseh.
never seen or used among the Jews
before.
When they brought out from the old
chests In the temple the money con.
tributed for repairs. which had been
deposited In the safest hiding place.
Hllklah the priest, who had charge OF
the money. In searching the chest
found at the bottom book Of the law
Of the Lord. the law given by Moses.
Hiikiah delivered the book TO Shap
han. King Josiahs secretary Of state,
a. the fitting person to show II TO the
king. When Shaphan reported the
contributions and the work on tho tenn
pie. he brought the book with him. told
how II had been found. and read It to
the king.
The king heard the book read, and
he assembled the elders and priests
and the Levites. They made . public
covenant and pledge. The king him
self first made . public covenant be
fore the Lord. to walk after the Lord.
and to keep his commandments. with
all his heart.
This was very similar to the gres,
meeting under Joshua on the slopes OF
Mount Ebsl and Gerixim eight ceutu
ries before. on taking possession OF
the Promised Land. The same motives
were presented. and the same cave
nant made.
The covenant was made under the
power Of the strongest and best mo
tives that could be brought to bear
upon them. when their minds we're up.
lifted into clearest vision. above the
smoke and clouds OF earth. That was
the right time to make decision. God
has given NV feelings on purpose To
move US to decide Alright.
Josiah restored the regular temple
services under the priests and lie
vites: and he celebrated a passover
such as had not been celebrated from
the days OF the Judges that Judged Is
rael. nor In all the days OF the kings
OF Israel, nor OF the kings OF Judah
From all parts OF the land the people
nocked up to the renovated temple and
Joined with every demonstration OF
gladness In the eight days festivity
prepared for them. Thirty thousand
males Of full age attended. During all
these days the services OF the temple
choir were brought into reQuiistion-
the singers Of the famous elan OF
Asaph chanting. In relays. the psalms
for the season. appointed centuries be-
fore by David, Asaph and Jeduthun.
The Bible may be lost today by neg
lecting it--neglecting to read II daily.
Neglecting family reading and prayers
Neglecting to read Its stories to little
children. BY disobeying II. Disobey.
Ing its precepts dulls the conscience,
and the whole moral nature, SO that It
may be said, Eyes have they. but
ha, ko, h,,t he,