The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1911-05-04

/ TlME-Uz2iah's reign extended CBeech-
| er from B. G. 900 20 B @. 755. CHastlngs)
| B. G.. sJl TO 79. Uzziah may have become
lcper about r O. 768. lothian being the
regent from that time
/ PLACE-The Temple IN Jerusalem.
/ kINGS-In Israel. Jeroboam H. In
| Assyria, Shulmanezer H.
| PROPHETS-Amos. Hosea, Isaiah. tho
Hecharlah Of our lesson.
On tho murder of King Joash he
was succeeded by his eldest son,
Amaziah a man Of piety and force,
who slew the murderers Of his father,
sparing their sons and then turned up
on the enemies Of his country, the
Edomltes south Of the Dead Sea, who
had been rayaging southern Judea.
lie hired thousands Of mercenaries
from the Northern Kingdom, to aid
him in the war When a prophet re-
buked him for thus involving himself
with an idolatrous nation he dismiss
ed the mercenaries, who, on their way
home. plundered the cities Of Judah.
Amazlah 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 dishonorlng 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.
itish mercenaries had plundered, he
sent a boastful message 20 Joash king
Of Israel. challenging him TO fight Jo-
ash promptly accepted the challenge,
completely worsted Amazlah. captured
Jerusalem. and went away with all the
treasure Of the Temple and royal pal
ace, and with many OF the citizens az
hostages Amaziah continued to
reign for fifteen years. but his sub
jects 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.
lie continued his fathers conquest Of
the Edomites by fortilying Eloth, an
important city at the head of the east
ern branch of the Red Sea, thus put
ling Judah I'm position TO renew tho
rich commerce with India which Solo
mon had established
Uz2iah's was a religious life lie
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
aration 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 tlOcks. and calves fattened In
the stall They sang to the accom-
paniment Of harps songs that they
thought as fine as those of David.
They drank beakers of rare wine, and
anonted themselves with precious
ointments. This prosperity, however,
was restricted to the upper classes.
While the mobiles 1ourished, the poor
grew constantly poorer The peasant
proprietors were crowded out, and all
the land came into the hands of few
great mobiles The free-born Israeltes
sank to the position OF serfs. Pros
perity has more perils than adversely.
and pride is one OF them Dressed, &C.
cording to Josephus, In priestly attire.
and perhaps on the celebration OF some
high national feast Uzziah presumed
to enter the Holy Place, which IL was
death for any but a priest 20 enter,
and TO offer incense upon the sacred
altar UZziah appears TO have desired
TO become supreme pontin as we'll as
king, and to exercise the same dual
as the Egyptian Pharaohs
were wont to do lie had to disregard
the direct command Of Jehovah that
the priests alone should burn incense
on his altar; he had to despise the his
tory Of his people to defy the holy
name by which he himself was called.
Thus a reign of ffty-two years was
spoiled In an hour
What terrible punishment came 10
Uzziah? The naiction of that most
loathsome, incurable disease, leprosy.
Thus Miriam had been punished, and
Gehazi According to Josephus, it was
at this very moment that the famous
OF UZziah's reign occurred
For the rest Of his life he lived in
separate house. 1t was perhaps some
place in the country to which the king
confined himself We are not told
whether he repented of the sin that
he had committed; but We may per
laps assume that he did So
The story of Ahaz reinforces the
warning that comes to us from tho
story Of Uzziah, The pride Of Ahas
was pride OF opinion; that of Uzzah
was pride in accomplishment Pride
may spring from good looks, fine
,lothes. plenty Of money, a keen intel.
ect, distinguished social position
BOY may be vain Of his ball-playing
md a girl OF her white hands. What