The Red Cloud chief., 1911-07-27
Finding Of the Book
of the Law
Sunday Sehoel Lsssss for Jsly 30. 1911
Specially Arranged for This Paper


GOLDEN TEXT-"Thy word have hid
in mine heart. that might not SIN
against thce."-Psa. 1911.
TIME-B. c. 62i. in tho 18th year Of
Josiah's reign. when he was ~ years old.
Stage Nv Of the last lesson.
PLACE-The Temple and Palace at
Jerusal lem.
PERSONs--Josiah tho king. IIuldah
the prophecies. lIiikiah the high priest.
shaphan the scribe or secretary.
With hundreds of millions Of Bibles
in existence and several millions more
printed every year. 1t Is somewhat dif
flcult for us to imagine how knowledge
Of the written Bible. and Of the exact
tenor Of It's teachings could be lost.
Some facts will help us to understand.
There were mt that time very few
copies Of the sacred books In exist.
ence. They were very expensive. II
was customary for these copies to he
kept In the temple. while the copy
which (according to the law) was
made for the use of the king, would
most certainly have perished under
such kings as Manasseh and Anon.
1t Is plain that the finding OF this
book was not tho discovery Of some
thing unknown before, but the rescu-
Ing Of the temple copy Of the law from
the hiding place In which 1t had long
lain" It must have been the ancient
copy OF tho law, and not book writ.
ten. as some critics think, by unknown
persons in tho 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.
trlbuted for repairs. which had been
deposited In the safest hiding place,
Hilkiah the priest, who had charge OF
the money, in searching the chest
found at the bottom a book of the law
Of the Lord, the law given by Moses.
Hilkiah delivered the book to Shap.
han. King Josiah's secretary of state,
as the fitting person to show II to the
king. When Shaphan reported the
contributions and the work on the tenn.
pie. he brought the book with him, told
how 1t had been found. and read It to
the king.
The king heard tho book read, and
he assembled the elders and priests.
and the Levites. They made a public
covenant and pledge. Tie king him.
self first made public covenant be.
foro the Lord. to walk after the Lord.
and to keep his commandments, with
all his heart.
This was very similar to the great
meeting under Joshua on the slopes of
Mount Ebal and Gerizim eight centu.
ries before, on taking possession of
tho Promised Land. The same motives
were presented, and tho samo cove
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 were UP.
lifted into clearest vision, above the
smoke and clouds of earth. That was
the right time to make decision. God
has given us feelings on purpose to
move us to decide Alright.
Josiah restored the regular temple
services under the priests and Le'
vites: and he celebrated 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
fiocked 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 clan 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 It daily
Neglecting family reading and prayers
Neglecting I'd read Its stories to little
children. BY disobeying 1t. Disobey'
/, ing its precepts dulls the conscience
and the whole moral nature. SO that Il
I may be said. Eyes have they. but
: they see not. ears have they but they
bear not"
? BY being 20 absorbed In worldly
, things that while he heareth the word
! with his ears, "the care OF this world
| auu Iu0 uOCctSAuiuCoo VI SACucSs SuVAS
, the word. and he becometh unfruit
, full" BY keeping the Word far from
daily life. SO that all its blessed truths
are admired, but not geared on to right
action.
! BY making the Bible unattractive.
have heard number of ministers read
the Bible so poorly that people were
not interested in 1t, listened careless
ly. and liked 1t less than II 1t had been
: unread. Then the printing of the Re
; vised Version Is 80 solid as to be un
! attractive and difficult to use. BY les
: sening it's authority. 1t makes vas
. difference In the power Of the Bible
whether It is received as only the
thoughts Of men, or as message from
: God. BY neglecting all the light tha
Is shining upon it from many sources
Find the Bible--Get acquainted Will