The Nevada County picayune. (Prescott, Ark.) 190?-current, 1911-05-05

sestruction. and an naughty spirit DIS
Tore falL"-Prov. 1918.
TrNr-Uzzlah's reign extended (Beech-
- frory p c. sos to B. c. 1855; (Hastings)
p = sol 10 749 Uzziah may have become
. lsner about b C. 76s. lothian being the
regent from that time.
prACE-The Temple in Jerusalem.
KTNGs-In Israel, Jeroboam II. In
Ass-r!a. Shalmanezer III.
pROPHETS-Amos. Hosea, Isaiah. the
Zechariah Of our lesson.
On the murder Of King Joash he
was succeeded by his eldest son,
Amaziah, man of piety and force,
who slew the murderers of his father.
sharing their sons, and then turned up
on the enemies of his country, the
Fdomites south of the Dead Sea, who
had been rayaging southern Judea.
He hired thousands of mercenaries
from the Northern Kingdom, to aid
him In the war. When a prophet re-
linked him for thus involving himself
with an dolatrous nation he dismiss
ed the mercenaries, who, on their way
home, plundered the cities OF Judah.
Amaziah went on, however, and with
his own troops conquered the Edom-
ties In the Valley of Salt south of
the Dead Sea, and thoroughly sub
dued the cruel nation.
He brought home with him some of
the Edomite idols and worshiped
them. thus dishonoring Jehovah, who
had so signally helped him, In favor
of gods who had proved their own
powerlessness, A courageous prophet
rebuked him, but we are told what the
effect was.
In his pride of success, and perhaps
to ayenge the towns which the Israel
.tish mercenaries had plundered, he
sent boastful message to Joash king
of Israel. challenging him to fight. Jo-
ash promptly accepted the challenge,
completely worsted Amaziah, captured
Jerusalem, and went away with all the
treasure Of the Temple and royal pal
ace and with many OF the citizens as
hostages. Amaziah continued to
reign for fifteen years, but his sub
iects never were contented, and at last
they rose In revolt and murdered him.
The son of Amaziah, Uzziah, a lad
of sixteen. was chosen by the people,
He continued his fathers conquest of
the Edemites by fortifying Eloth, an
important city at the head of the east
ern branch of the Red Sea, thus put
ting Judah in a position TO renew the
rich commerce with India which Solo
mon had established.
UzziaA's was a religious life. He
did that which was right In the sight
of the Lord. He followed Amaziah in
the better part of his life, and not in
his idolatry. There is no better prep
aratiou for the eyes OF the world than
to be conscious ever OF Gods eyes
upon us
The period of Uzziah and Jeroboam
was the golden age of Israel AS a
result OF conquest and OF commercial
enterprise the accumulation of wealth
was greater than had ever been
known before. The rich lived In
palaces of hewn stone and OF ivory
They reposed on couches with damask
coverings, They lay upon beds OF
ivory and stretched themselves upon
sofas They ate lambs selected out
OF The hoeks and calves fattened in
the stall They sang to the accom-
paniment OF harps songs that they
thought as line as those of David.
They drank beakers of rare wine, and
anointed themselves with precious
ointments This prosperity, however,
was restricted to the upper classes.
While the mobiles hourished the poor
grew constantly poorer. The peasant
proprietOrs were crowded cut. and all
the land came into the hands of a few
great mobiles The free-born Israelites
sank TO the position OF serfs. Pros.
peFliy Las more peris than adversely,
ana pride is one of them. Dressed. ac-
cofdinS TO Joscphus, in priestly attire,
and perhaps on the celebration of some
nigh national feast, Uzziah presumed
70 enter he Holy Place, which it was
aealh Tor any but priest to enter,
ana TO offer incense upon the sacred
a!lar' Uzziah appears to have desired
70 become supreme pontiff as we'll as
KING, and to exercise the same dual
functions as the Egyptian Pharaohs
were wont to do. He had to disregard
tue direct command of Jehovah that
The priests alone should burn incense
on MIS- altar; he had to despise the his,
Tory OF his people. to defy the holy
name by which he himself was called.
mus reign of flfty-two years was
spoiled in an hour.
what terrible punishment came to
ozzlah? The infliction of that most
.oalhsome, incurable disease, leprosy.
mus Miriam had been punished. and
Nehaz According to Josephus, it was
"l tAiS very moment that the famous
earthquake Of uzziah's reign occurred
fof the rest of his life he lived in a
separate house. 1t was perhaps some