Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1916-03-15

of righteousness.
Revelations.
An intelligent study of the biblc will
reveal many surprising things. We need
only TO be careful and unbiased in or
der To discover that there is "A con
tinuous progressive change in the be-
licfs and practices among the biblical
writers themselves. During the first
years which it is supposed to cover,
we lind records of ~fctishism, polythe-
isin and rude barbarism. when fierce
gods OF Savagery and naturc are wor-
SHIPPED; records of parents Offering
their children as Il sacrifice 10 some
imaginary deity. We find rudc rcgula-
lions, war songs and tribal traditions,
which tell of the gathering clans, war
RING tribes. belief in gods of angers n
favor. and we can trace the decline OF
bell"t IN many gods to a belief in one
god, called 'Nahwc.' to whom animals
and even children were offered as a
sacrificial atonctnent. This god was
linaged as II fierce and merciless being
and the rites hy which he WAS wor-
shipped were bloody and revolting. We
nave only t" read of the canaanites
and Amalekites. Samuel and Asog.
Saul, David and Soloman, to discover
What people believed concerning
'Yahwe' from the Fourteenth to the
Eleventh century. IL. c.
In the Tenth century, h. g.. 'Yahwe'
became the god of Israel and Solo
mans temple was erected and dedicat-
ca I" hlm, but temples We're also erect
al to other gods. The northern tribes
Seeded and 'Yahwc' was worshiped in
.hc form of "a bull, and prophets vent
torth urging that he alone should be
Worshiped. Then two kingdoms rose
up. among the Hebrcws-Israel and Ju-
sab. The lsraelites worshiped the god
under the name. .Yahwc,' and the peo-
Die or .INInh o1nptnx1 th. .nt-
nm. for their god. 'Yahwe' was rep
resented as a jealous II angry being
VINO was pleased with flattery, burnt
offerings, the sacrifices of fruits, AMI
mails II even children. 'Elohim' was
u diiferent type of a being-'a loving
1ather,' who asked not flattery. burnt
offerings or sacrifices, but Il clean con-
science and an upright character before
men, and "A humble spirit before the
Creator.
Tho Change.
The worshipers of 'Yahwc' still paid
their homage to him, through priestly
codes. dogmas. rituals, rites OF puri-
1,cation and sacrifice. as late as the
Ienth century, B. c., and here we dis
v the rise OF a nobler and more in
.elliSent order of prophets, who went
lorth with n greater vision, denouneing
the idolatry, image and sacrificial wor-
snip OF 'Yahwe.' threatening severe
punishment for sin. calling for individ-
a a righteousness az the only accept
tnis brings us down to the Ninth and
Eight centuries. u. c.. when Amos.
Hosea and Micah lived and taught.
During he centuries between this
ana the Babylonian captivity, there
was a constant struggle for the over
throw of %idolatry.. with it's absurd and
revolving ceremonies, and it was when
the Jews were in captivity, that the
larger ideals and truths of their great
er Inc nobler prophets began to grip
their souls. and When they returned.
there was a marked Improvement in
morals n and the willing
ness to give up idolatry.
Kings and priests had recognized
the necessity of worshiping one God
IN order that the race might maintain
its solidarity and life, Hezekiah on
posed the idolatry of Yahwe Worship
and Josiah. king of Judah. attempted
TO enforce the law of Deuteronomy
which had beer so revised that it was
iIlohistic instead of Jehovistic. the peo-
PIE reVolted and We're carried away in
to captivity, but the Christening and the
hardship. sweetened them and broad
ened their vision. so that shortly after
thelr return. The temple is rebuilt, but
from its service much that was fool
lsh and revolving was eliminated.
CSS VI NVNlSSys
All during this period the religious
of Egypt, Assyria and Babylon
We're being forced upon the Jewish
peoples, and about the time the Jews
returned from captivity, Persia began
TO feel strong and DESTROYS of more
power This is the age of great
anxiety among the Jews. Up to his
been handed down from one genera
ton to another by word of mouth. but
with such great literary men as ST.
who captured Sc prizes by
his poems, their traditions and laws
are in danger of extinction, so in the
write and publish 1.-THE law of Moses"
IN n years between 445 and 1872 b. c.
'Ihis work is known as the "Pente-
teuch." and was the first effort among
the Jews, in preserving this part Of
the Hebrew bible.
1888 B. c.. the books of Joel, Malachi,
Obadiah. portions Of Haggai and
Zechariah, some OF the Psalms. Ezra
Nehemiah. the stories Of Job, Ruth
n Jonah. were written. but we must
not lose sight of the fact that these
were the great days of xerxes. Phideas.
Pericles. M when the moral school,
master of Athens was arousing the
consciences of men. and Plato was
FORMULATING his ideals, and Demos
themes was delivering his orations. SO
1T Is not strange that there should have
been great progress in theology mi
morals.
AT this period Of the worlds prog
ress Alexander takes possession OF
Jerusalem and starts out upon his
bloody %conquests. favors the Jews and
appoints a high priest subhead Of the
state, and he governs by an indul-
of Over lord. then came the
SDrOnffnR nf tho nonoNv v,h3Nh 10
veloped into a power in medieval
times.