The Topeka state journal., 1922-11-18

Where Studied? Parentage? Character? d?
Events? Contemporaries Influence? Spe-
eial Work. DeathG Most Significant Fact 1?
Joash. the Second Reformer of Judah.
The story of the rapid and fearful cor
tween Israel and Judah. Both sections are
seen sinking deeper into sin and decay.
Jehu was used as the scourge of God in
sweeping out Ahab's posterity, and in
breaking and destroying the power of
Baalism His own story was one of per
Jehoshaphat made the awful mistake of
marrying his son Joram to Athaliah, the
daughter of Ahab. In her eliminated the
fierce determined energy of her mother,
Jezebel. In her husbands reign she had
the worship of Baal restoredi and when
the news reached Jerusalem of the fall of
her own fathers house, the awful death
of her mother and the destruction of her
more heroic effort Judah had been
thinned out in her royal houses until only
Ahaziah her son had perished with his
uncle on the plains of Esdraleon, and
when Athaliah saw that he was dead she
rose up and destroyed all the seed royal.
You remember when she married Joram
she had him kill all his own brothers. The
whole race of David seemed to be swept
away. The worship of Baal uprooted in
Samaria sprang up In Jerusalem The
the established worship of the Temple.
The priests were not prosecuted in Judah
seems to have married into the royal fam
ally and thru his wifes help he was able
to save one of the royal children and bring
him up with their own in the Temple.
The stem of Jesse was cut very short. For
six years they waited as Athaliah reigneo
IN her sin, and in the seventh year brought
forth the child Joash. The revolutionary
stroke was taken on the Sabbath day. 1t
was the first direct example Of a corona
ton So we'll was it managed and so loyal
were the people that the shout OF Long
i've the King" was the first Information
TO Athaliah in her palace. With the same
high spirit that marked her mother she
came to the Temple and denounced the
proceedings. but the High Priest ordered
her dragged away and killed
Then came one Of the Covenants of that
age--a league between the king and peo-
ple.N or the king and true religion as a
crusade against false, worship. The Boy
seated on the golden throne, and the tenn
pie of Baal with its altarss and statutes
were shattered to pieces by the popular
fury. The first refoOn Of Joash came to
given away by the most devout of kings
Asa-and twice been plundered by the
Egyptians and Arabs. The new manner of
getting money and doing the work was in
mere ornament-everything was devoted to
the solid repair of the fabric. The joint rule
Of priest and king did much for Judah.
| and when Jehoida died he was given an
honor allowed to no other. subject in the
Jewish monarchy-he was buried in state
within the walls Of Jerusalem in the royal
Sepulchers.
The romantic beginning of Joash came
to a most tragic end. Like RehobOam.
who held in check during his fathers
reign allowed his real life to be supreme
cations by the death of his adopted father
threw himself into the wrong side When
Zechariah, son of Jehoida. companion and
playmate of Joash rebuked him. the king
had him stoned TO death. His last words
EEsaF' Jehovah look upon it and require