The Morgan County press. (Wartburg, Tenn.) 1916-1926, 1917-08-10

| I'LL
The reign of Josiah Is in striking
and pleasing contrast with that o.
many of his predecessors especial!
that Of his father, Anon, and grand
father, Manasseh.
|. Time of Beginning ". y. He as
cended the throne when only eight
years Of age. At this tender age he
evidently had a sense of the import OF
the service Of Gods house. This
sense must have been strong to en-
able him to withstand the corrupt in
| fluences of his surroundings. The pre-
vailing idolatry influenced this boy
but influenced him in the opposite way
in which boys are usually Influenced.
1t aroused his hatred for it. This
serves to demonstrate the fact that
circumstances do not necessarily de-
termine the direction a life may go.
Each individual has the ability to de-
termine the course Of his life; and
moreover, his responsibility so to do.
1t is a most perilous thing to be
thrust into such a prominent position
while so young. However, sometimes
such responsibility has a SOLDERING eff
feet, calling forth ones latent powers.
That his aspiration for God and the
right was genuine is proven by the
fact that he persisted therein for thir-
ty-one years.
II. The Character Of His Reign
". p. "He did that which was right
in the sight of the Lord, and walked
in the ways of David his father, and
declined neither to the right hand nor
to the left" He not only maintained
outward order and decorum as to the
worship Of God, but doubtless at heart
desired to please God.
Ill. Josiah's Reformation In the
Kingdom wv. 80. He first set out to
root out idolatry from the land. This
was a prodigious task, requiring great
courage and skill. He did this with
strong hand. Without pity he swept
out from the land these denominations.
In the execution Of this task he
1. Broke down the affairs of Baalim
". ~. This form of idolatry was first
brought into the land by Jezebel when
;he married Ahab. The images seem
o have been such as would appeal to
he sensual nature of men; therefore
t was but natural that the grossest
icentious practices should be asso-
lated with this worship.
2. He broke in pieces the groves,
arved images, and molten images ". |
}. He even made dust Of them and |
trewed it upon the graves of those
Tho had been offering unto them.
8. He burned the bones of the
RESTS on their affairs ". 81. He not
My showed no pity for them, but he
lanifested decided fierceness in the
xecution Of his task.
4. He extended this destruction to
ertain districts in the northern king
ON. 1t was not until all this was
one that he returned to Jerusalem
w. 6, y. His reformation thus be-
an at home, but was extended to the
idest extent of his kingdom.
". Josiah Repaired the Temple
W. 9-13). Having rid the land of it's
olatry, he set himself to the repair
g of the temple which had been so
ng neglected. This neglect, coupled
it'll gross abuses at times, made it
be sadly in need of attention.
1. His deputies ". 81. This work
, intrusted to a committee of three
laphan, the royal secretary U
ngs 22:3); Masseiah, mayor of
and Joah, the recorder, the
storian of the nation. In the matter
Kidding the city and country of
olatry Josiah took the lead in per- ,
q, but now the work had gone far ;
ough forward that he could work by
putty. He chose his deputies from
long 'laymen" instead of the priests.
2. Method of procedure wv. 9-13).
Collection of money ". 81. 1t c
'uld seem that for some time collec-
n of money for temple repairs had
en- going on. Perhaps 1t was begun
connection with the destruction of U
'latry some six years before. The Il
ents in this work were the Levites. II
ey collected it from all over the c.
Igdom, even giving the remnant of Il
ael an opportunity for fellowship al
this matter. This shows us that
lgious interests of the people should A.
sustained by all the people adhering b
reto.
By Money placed into the treasury
81. W
the high priest, was the bi
lsurer. From this treasury the
rseers drew the money and paid II
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