The Columbus journal., 1911-07-26


GOLDEN TEXT-"Thy word have hii
IN mine heart. that I might TO- s.:
against thee-"-Psa- Its:fI
TIAE-B. C. 62l- in tie -Sch vea- c,
Jcs.ah's reign. when he was - years Old
Stage " OF the last lesson
PLACE-The Temple and Palace a
Jerusalem
f'ERSONS-Josiah the king EuIGat
the prophecies HiIkiah the high. priest
Shaphaa the scribe or secretary
With hundreds OF millions CT Bibles
IN existence and several millions more
printed every year. il is somewhat DIFF
ficult for Us TO imagine how knowledge
OF the written Bible. and CT the exac,
tenor of its teachings could be lost
Some facts will help US to understand
There were az that time very few
copies of the sacred books IN exist
ence- They were very expensive. I;
was customary for these copies TO be
kept in the temple. while the copy
which laccorGing 10 the law) vas
made for the use OF the king would
most certainly have persisted under
such kings as Macasseh and Anon.
Very few of the people could read the
law even II II had been within thei.
reach. a modern illustration is the
case Of Eurore before the reformation,
where even II the nleuaster.es the BIZ
bic vas almost Al unknown book LII
Their vas twenty years old before he
ever saw z COPY
t. s- Lot G. -f 81 -
book was not the discovery OF soma
thing unknown before. but TIE rescu-
ing OF the temple corr o. the law from
the hiding place IL which IL had long
lam" Il must have been the ancient
copy OF the Law. ard not I beck writ
ten. as some critics think. by unknown
persons in the reign c: Manasseh.
CCveT seen or CseG a-cls the Jews
before Tia; al uESccE1 book with
nc authority beli-5 = s-C- produce
the effect ca Ics..G a-d his people.
which tt.s hook c. TIE ia- T--GTcei
border IL the ahsI-G. Moreover many
of tn laws must have tsea familiar 10
josiah for they had bsea acted upon
by his ancestors IL every reform. and
by himself il the reforms he began six
years before. IL the twelfth wear of his
reign. II would have been impossible
20 impose upon the people. and make
them believe tha- 2 new book. never
before heard OF. was the Jaw Of their
kingdom from GcG.
/ When they brought out froa. the oil
/ chests N the temple the monev con-
t-ibutei for repairs. which had been
( deposited i the safest hiding place
/ Hiikiah the Priest. VINO had charge OF
the nonev. IN searching the chest
found al rhr bottom Z book Of the Law
Of the Lord the Law given by Moses.
/ Eilkiah delivered the beck 70 Shap-
. han. King Jos!ah's secretary CT state.
Is the fitting person TO show II 20 the
king. When Shaphan reported the
! contributions and the work on The tenn
/ pie. he brought the book with him. told
how II had been found. and read II 20
the king.
TIE king heard tie book read. and
he assembled the elders and priests,
ard the Levites. They made public
covenant and pledge. The king him
self first made z public covenant be-
fore the Lord. 20 walk after the Lord.
and 10 keep his Commandments. with
eli his heart.
This was very similar 70 the great
meeting under Joshua or the slopes OF
Mount EbaI and GeriziUl eight csltu-
ries before OF taxing possession OF
the Promised Land. The same motives
were presented, and the same cove
rant made And the king might we'll
have said 20 the people as Joshua did:
We are witnesses against yourselves
that ye have chosen ycU the Lord. 10
serve him" AnG they said. We are
Witnesses"
The covelar. was made under the
power OF the strongest and best mo-
tves that could be brought 70 bear
mon them. when their minds were up
lifted into clearesr vision. above the
smoke and clouds OF earth That was
the riSn, time 20 make q decision. God
has given Us feelings CT purpose TO
move US TO decide Alright
Josiah restored the regular temple
services under the priests and Le-
vites: and he celebrated a PASSOVER.
such as had not beea celebrated from
the days OF the judges that judged Is
rael. nor in al the days OF the kings
OF Israel. nor OF the kings Of judah.
From all parts OF the land the people
Eocked Up TO the renovated temple and
Joined with every demonstration OF
gladness IL the eight days festivity
prepared for, then. Thirty thousand
males of full age attended. During all
these days the services Of the temple
choir were brought into reQuiis,io2-
the singers Of the famous ciar cf
Asaph chanting. IN relays. the psalms
fer the season. appointed centuries BE-
fore BIZ David. Assph and JeduthUn.
The Bible may be lost today b. reg
lect:ng it-neglecting TO read il daily.
Seglecting family reading and prayers
Neglecting 70 read its stories to little
children B. disobeying il Disohey-
ing its precepts dulls the conscience,
and the whole moral nature. so thar II
may be said. Eyes have they. but
they see not. ears have they but they
hear not
By being so absorbed In worldly
things that while he heareth the word
with his ears. the care o; this world.
and the deceittuiness OF riches. choke
the word, and he becometh untruit.
full BY keeping tie Word far from