The Raymer enterprise., 1911-07-20
Finding Of the Book
Of the Law
s.sl,, seh..l L....a f.r Jdy %. 1911
Specially Arranged for This Paper

ssslay sehssl Lsss fer Jdy 30. 1911
Ill Specially Arranged for This Paper
LESSON TExT-1 Chronicles A:1l-7a
MEMORY vERsl1.
GOLDEN TExT-''Thy word have I hid
In mine heart. that might not sin
against thee."-Psa- 11S:11.
TIME-B. c. s2l. in tho 18th year Of /,
Josiah's reign, when he was & years ole.
Stage " Of the last lesson.
PLACE-The Temple and Palace at
Jerusalem.
PERsONs-Josiah the king. Huldah
the prophecies. Hilkiah the high priest
6hAphan tbs scribe or secretary.
With hundreds Of millions Of Bibles
In existence and several millions more
printed every year. It Is somewhat dif
ncult 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 at that time very few
copies Of the sacred books In exist.
ence. They were very expensive. It
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 a. Manasseh and Anon.
1t is 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 1t had long
lain" 1t must have been the ancient
copy Of the law. and not a book writ
ten. as 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,
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 1t 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 1t 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 great
meeting under Joshua on the slopes of
Mount Ebal and Gerizim eight centu.
ries before, on taking possession Of
the Promised Land. The same motives
were presented. and the same 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 LIE.
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
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 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 1t daily.
Neglecting family reading and prayers.
Neglecting to read its stories to little
children. BY disobeying 1t. Dlsobey.
Ing Its precepts dulls the conscience,
and the whole mosal nature, so that 1t
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 OF this world,
and the deceitfulness OF riches, choke
the word, and he becometh unfrult.
full BY keeping the Word far from
daily life. SO that all It's blessed truths
are admired, but not geared on to right
action.
BY making the Bible unattractiye. I
have heard number of ministers read
the Bible SO poorly that people were
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