Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-06

Josiah's unanimous election to be
King of Judah came at crucial nour
in that nations history. His father,
ANON, may have been named after
prominent god of Egypt by his tatner'
Manasseh, when the latter was
fanatical idolatov. ANON rSigned 1or
two years. His evil career was cut short
bv Assassination. If ever there was a
land needing a reformation. 1t was
Judah, when they placed josiah, an
8-year-old boy, upon the throne. Botn
zephaniah and jeremiah have given US
a picture of the Ubiquitous condition
that existed in Judah when Josiah, VINO
was destined to become one OF the
greatest kings of all history, was elected
to rule. People reveal their religious
life by their care of their religious places
of Worship. For about $50 years the
temple had been neglected zephaniahs
denunciation of the nations morals
was marked by his condemnation OF
their "syncretism in worship, apostasy
from Jehovah, the Worship of the
heavenly bodies, the aping of foreign
customs in religion and in dress, and
their practical skepticism."
Farrar suggests that the prominent
place given to his mother-Jedidah
("Beloved"), daughter of Adaiah of
Boscath--in the opening accounts OF
the commencement of JoslahS reign
was probably due to the fact that she
influenced her son ito walk in the ways
of David his father" so that 'he turned
not aside to the right hand or to the
left" Dean Stanley points out how
her efforts were supplemented by a
band of able and faithful advisers, who
had probably been driven together by
prosecutions under ANON. They
formed a compact circle about the
Young King and their influence played
prominent part in his personal life
and devotion to the restoration OF the
temple Besides the queen mother, we
note in our lesson special mention OF
some of this band, Hilkiah the high
priest Shaphan the scribe, Tuldah the
prophecies and her husband Shallum,
who was the father of the high priest,
SO that he and his wife had quarters
in the temple, where probably he acted
at this period as captain of the guard. "
This deeply religious band influenced
Josiah early in his reign to commence
the work of restoring the temple. which
had become almost mass of ruins
through its neglect by the nation.
The Temples Restoration.
The coterie who were the powers
behind the throne did not push the
needed reformation Immediately upon
the enhancement of Josiah. They had
learned something from the failure OF
the reforms instituted by Manasseh,
who had built affairs for all the hosts
of Heaven in the two courts Of the
temple" and set up in 1t an idol. After
his conversion, he tried in vain to re-
form conditions. He made an earnest
effort after his repentance to restore
the temple worship, which evidently had
been suspended during his exile. He
provided for the offering up of sacrt-
fees of peace offerings and of thanks
giving. While his personal reformation
was complete, he was unable to undo
the evil he had done, for he was not
able to persuade his own children to
follow him in his devotion to Jehovah.
Probably when Josiah was made a
child Of the law, a deep impression was
made upon the mind of the young
king, for several years later we learn
that when he was Is years of age
he began to seek after the God of
David" In this connection in all proba-
bility the work of restoring the temple
along the successful lines of Josiah was
started. The funds obtained from the
poll tax and the gifts of the people
provided the money needed for its
restoration. In connection with that
work an ancient copy of the book Of the
law was found, which was the basis
of thorough reformation made in
accordance with Gods word.
The Biblical Reformation.
When Tisendorf was a guest in the
Greek Catholic Monastery of st. Cath
crime, which was erected near the
scenes of the Twelve Tribes encamp-
ment near Mount Sinai, when. they
came out Of Egypt, he discovered one
Of the oldest copies of the New Testa-
ment and parts of the Old Testament
that the members of the monastery
were about to use to kindle fires be-
cause they did not know its value.
Possibly during a persecution an an
Gent copy of Gods law, probably
Deuteronomy, had been placed within
one Of the sacred compartments, and
during the years that followed 1t was
forgotten. When this Sa-
cred book was discovered in connection
with the temples restoration it created
a stir in the court circles and in the
life of the nation similar to that which
the printing and circulating of the
Bible has done in the character of men
and nations.
Green, in his "Short History Of the
English People" tells us that mo
greater moral change has ever passed
over a nation than passed over England
turing the years which parted the mid
lie of the reign of Elizabeth from the
meeting of the Long Parliament. Eng
and became the people of a book and
.he book was the Bible" It's literary
and social effects were great, "but far
yreater was the effect of the Bible on