The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1924-05-25
BY GEO. LEWIS BALES

ranged with Mr.. Bales of the Birrning-
ham bar and teacher of the Cosmopolitan
Mems class of the First Baptist church at
the Strand theatre to prepare a short Bible
talk each Sunday. These talks are based
upon the passages of scripture selected by
the International Sunday school lesson
committee for the current series of les
sons.
Last Sundays Bible talk gave sort
of aeroplane view of Judah and her
history during the reigns of Joash, ANA
ziah, Uzziah, lothian, Ahaz and Heze-
kiah.
This period extended over nearly two
hundred years, roughly, from 900 to
700 B. G. The outstanding prophet of
that period was Isaiah. He began his
ministry and came to be a national in
fluence during the reign of Uzziah. His
work continued through the reign of
Hezekiah. Manasseh came to the throne
of Judah at the time of his fathers
death, sos B. G.
Manasseh
This unworthy son unded all the con-
struction work of his father, and
brought the country back to idolatry.
For his wickedness he was dethroned
by the Assyrians and taken to Babylon
and imprisoned.
His son Anon succeeded to the
throne. He followed his fathers ex-
ample in all matters of both policy and
religion. He ruled "Ad Nauseum" two
years and was butchered like an OK in
the palace.
Amon's SON, Josiah was one of Judah's
great kings. His chief adviser was the
priest Hilkiah. 1t was this great re-
ligious teacher who found among the
broken plaster and rubbish of the de-
spoiled temple the lone copy of the lost
{ Bible
y Josiah held a public celebration in
honor of the discovery. He next set
about abolishing idol worship; he or
dered the temple repaired and reopened
for the true worship; he reestablished
the observance Of the Passover at each
Easter-time.
Even though misfortune had come to
be the rule rather than the exception,
the people evidently regarded, and the
brilliant Jeremiah recorded, the tragic
death of the good king in battle as one
Of the severest calamities that ever be-
fell Judah.
Jeh0ahaz
but when he had ruled only three
months, he was carried as a captive
to Egypt. Having slain the father and
imprisoned one of the princes, Pharaoh
Necho, now regarding Judah as a con-
quered province placed Jehoiakim, an
other son of Josiah, on the Jewish
throne.
JehOiakim
He reignad II years. He is said to
have disgraeed the memory of his il
lustrious father, and to have dishonor-
ed jeremiah, the great prophet of Je-
hovah.
He acknowledged his kingdom as
tributary of Egypt, and was kept busy
defending his borders against the Am
monites, Moabites and Syrians.
JehoiacEin
His son, Jehoiachin, succeeded to the
throne to rule only three months.
Babylonia disputed the power of
Egypt, laid seige to Jerusalem, cap
tured it, and carried the king, his
household and the national treasury to
Babylon.
Not yet determined to set up Baby
lOnian government in Judah, Nebuchad-
nezzar made Zedikiah, a third son of
the illustrious King Josiah, ruler at
Jerusalem.
ZedelZiah
He continued as a sort of satrap or
provincial ruler at Jerusalem, under the
authority of Babylon, for IL years.
He was the last king in Judah. With
him the tragic, troublOus history of
Judah reaches its unhappy end.
The Prophet Jeremiah
This transcendent character is rec
ognized wherever the Old Testament is
known, as one of the greatest of the
Hebrew prophets.
jeremiah began his ministry about
625 years B. G. He lived at little
village called Anathoth, about three
miles west of Jerusalem. He was then
about 20 years of age.
During the reign of the good King
Josiah, the great prophet moved to Je-
rusalem. The spirit of the immediate
day was most congenial to him. He
gathered new hope and courage, and
pleaded with increased emphasis for a
permanent return on the part of his
nation to the simple virtues that alone
could steer the ship of state clear of
the rocks upon which Israel had been
wrecked.
The kings who came after Josiah
we're men who lacked character. They
were materialists. They had no time
or sympathy for Jeremiah's teachings
upon justice, morality and religion.
Naturally. the relationship between each
of them and him lacked sympathy. Co
operation was impossible, and hostil-
ity was the mutually accepted atti-
tude between them.
Kings and princes considered him
a disturber. They came to regard him
as a dangerous menace because he
searched out and pointed his finger
at entrenehed evil He addressed his