Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-06-21
Judnhs Prosperity and Ad,cr,r.,.

Judnh's Prosperity and Adversely.
The history of the FIRST two Kings
of Judah is summed up in the chron-
iclcrs note upon tn" second, lie
walked in all the sins of his father"
But of the third King II is said. "itc
did that which VAS good" That is
the history Of the kingdom IN cpitOmc.
Light and shade In succession as good
Kings and evil Kings rcigu.d. Rcfor-
nations following hackslidnss THAT
IN degree, - universal history. Dh-
hebrews were human aud their faults
ana virtues were such a. are COM
mon 10 man. ASA was the
praGticing the strenuous life" It is
quantity said. they fell TO him in
abundance out OF Israel" lie drew
men like Il magnet. Men loved lc;ti
defended his country. He left one OF
the finest forms and examples ~ in
Ter, 80 prayer to be found in or
the Lady Machcth OF her age. She
tried 10 KIN nIl claimants to the
crown. but overlooked ono infant hei.
while the high priest planned the
I, o!ution which finally. placed him
mnGm me throne. IzHial,s reign
was Il builder like Solomon. a granger
whose wealth was on the hoof. q gen
eral mob.iizing an army; Al arts and
industries prOspcTcd and domestic lie
was happily frel from fears OF in
NHsion. Great in state, great in army.
he WAS tempted To be great in church.
iiu, 1t happened there was u priest
WHO stood for his prcrogatiYc even
against King. The white ash az
lcprosy on the Kings forehead
brought the contest To Il close.
Isaiah. though the most impersonal OF
prophets. projects himself further
through Isracls history than amy
other prophet and abidcs Twins
fore. in Christianity even To this day.
His Induction into office was through
a sublime vision OF Coo III the temple
ana summons To service 10 which ne
gave untaltcrlng obedience. The
prophets description oil the Assyrian
invasion Is under the figure OF
forest. The enemies are as tail. strong
and numerous as CcdarS Of Lebanon.
But their naughty commander is only
the unconscious instrument with
which God is Christening His people.
After the instrumcn, has served Ills
the cedar, he shall never rise again.
But Judah is AN oak and II is the
nature OF the oak TO sprout again.
So from the stump the branch" Shall
come. The story or HcZckiah Is
an Old Testament commentary on the
New Testament verse. See first the
kingdom and all else is added" The
kinG found Judah in decay and peril,
but put all economic and political cX-
pcdients aside and gave first atten
ton 10 religion. He cleansed the
Wealth. power and freedom followed.
Another dark age OF apostasy
interviewed in which the temple be
came ali but a ruin. Even the Bible
itself was lost But when the good
King Josiah began the W ork OF rcstor
alton. the Book OF the Law was
found and worship was Reconstructed
The prophet Jcrcmiah's contention
with his nation was that there could
he no perpeluity apart from moral
not insure IL. This was Isracls error.
| They We're obscsscd with the idea
that no matter how wicked they
might be. God would never forsake
the throne OF His glory" which to
them meant Jerusalem and the temple.
In answer. the prophet showed them
contingent upon the persistent right
eousncss Of the nation. He declared
those promises already revoked be-
cause of the prevailing wickedness,
prophets inspired message into
shreds and burnt 1t defiantiy in the
presence of the princes. But the
scroll proved Il phoenix. II came up
| out OF the flames and not syllable
and penalties were added. :. The
| King thought to rid himself of the
prophet 10y throwing him into II
dungeon. where he should die Of
hunger; thirst and pcstiicncc. But
Jshoxah kent Ills promise; The
of an empire is Il solemn event. |, is
an avalanche OF historical associa :
tons of more or less venerable
memories, the ruin OF what has been
built up by sacrifice mad cndcavor
through Il term OF years ii not of cen
| turtles In such Il chaos other nations
viii naturally he more or less in
volvcd, for no nation can live to itself
any more than can an individual. our
own generation has witnessed the
ruin OF two empires. Tragic as they
have been, they do not approach the
| fatal and mournful event in which
the Kingdom OF Judah fell in ruins.
| That nation had a unique vocation.
The oracle of Cod was committed
| to 1t. 1t was to have been the world s