prophets and kings-第62节

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oon　God　would　arise　to　punish　those　who　had　brought　dishonor　upon　His　name。　Already　the　anger　of　the　Lord　was　kindled　against　the　people。　Overwhelmed　with　sorrow　and　dismay；　Josiah　rent　his　garments　and　bowed　before　God　in　agony　of　spirit；　seeking　pardon　for　the　sins　of　an　impenitent　nation。

At　that　time　the　prophetess　Huldah　was　living　in　Jerusalem；　near　the　temple。　The　mind　of　the　king；　filled　with　anxious　foreboding；　reverted　to　her；　and　he　determined　to　inquire　of　the　Lord　through　this　chosen　messenger　to　learn；　if　possible；　whether　by　any　means　within　his　power　he　might　save　erring　Judah；　now　on　the　verge　of　ruin。

The　gravity　of　the　situation　and　the　respect　in　which　he　held　the　prophetess　led　him　to　choose　as　his　messengers　to　her　the　first　men　of　the　kingdom。　〃Go　ye；〃　he　bade　them；

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〃inquire　of　the　Lord　for　me；　and　for　the　people；　and　for　all　Judah；　concerning　the　words　of　this　book　that　is　found：　for　great　is　the　wrath　of　the　Lord　that　is　kindled　against　us；　because　our　fathers　have　not　hearkened　unto　the　words　of　this　book；　to　do　according　unto　all　that　which　is　written　concerning　us。〃　2　Kings　22：13。

Through　Huldah　the　Lord　sent　Josiah　word　that　Jerusalem's　ruin　could　not　be　averted。　Even　should　the　people　now　humble　themselves　before　God；　they　could　not　escape　their　punishment。　So　long　had　their　senses　been　deadened　by　wrongdoing　that；　if　judgment　should　not　come　upon　them；　they　would　soon　return　to　the　same　sinful　course。　〃Tell　the　man　that　sent　you　to　me；〃　the　prophetess　declared；　〃Thus　saith　the　Lord；　Behold；　I　will　bring　evil　upon　this　place；　and　upon　the　inhabitants　thereof；　even　all　the　words　of　the　book　which　the　king　of　Judah　hath　read：　because　they　have　forsaken　Me；　and　have　burned　incense　unto　other　gods；　that　they　might　provoke　Me　to　anger　with　all　the　works　of　their　hands；　therefore　My　wrath　shall　be　kindled　against　this　place；　and　shall　not　be　quenched。〃　Verses　15…17。

But　because　the　king　had　humbled　his　heart　before　God；　the　Lord　would　acknowledge　his　promptness　in　seeking　forgiveness　and　mercy。　To　him　was　sent　the　message：　〃Because　thine　heart　was　tender；　and　thou　hast　humbled　thyself　before　the　Lord；　when　thou　heardest　what　I　spake　against　this　place；　and　against　the　inhabitants　thereof；　that　they　should　become　a　desolation　and　a　curse；　and　hast　rent　thy　clothes；　and　wept　before　Me；　I　also　have　heard　thee；　saith　the　Lord。　Behold　therefore；　I　will　gather　thee　unto　thy　fathers；　and　thou　shalt　be　gathered　into　thy　grave　in

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peace；　and　thine　eyes　shall　not　see　all　the　evil　which　I　will　bring　upon　this　place。〃　Verses　19；　20。

The　king　must　leave　with　God　the　events　of　the　future；　he　could　not　alter　the　eternal　decrees　of　Jehovah。　But　in　announcing　the　retributive　judgments　of　Heaven；　the　Lord　had　not　withdrawn　opportunity　for　repentance　and　reformation；　and　Josiah；　discerning　in　this　a　willingness　on　the　part　of　God　to　temper　His　judgments　with　mercy；　determined　to　do　all　in　his　power　to　bring　about　decided　reforms。　He　arranged　at　once　for　a　great　convocation；　to　which　were　invited　the　elders　and　magistrates　in　Jerusalem　and　Judah；　together　with　the　common　people。　These；　with　the　priests　and　Levites；　met　the　king　in　the　court　of　the　temple。

To　this　vast　assembly　the　king　himself　read　〃all　the　words　of　the　book　of　the　covenant　which　was　found　in　the　house　of　the　Lord。〃　2　Kings　23：2。　The　royal　reader　was　deeply　affected；　and　he　delivered　his　message　with　the　pathos　of　a　broken　heart。　His　hearers　were　profoundly　moved。　The　intensity　of　feeling　revealed　in　the　countenance　of　the　king；　the　solemnity　of　the　message　itself；　the　warning　of　judgments　impendingall　these　had　their　effect；　and　many　determined　to　join　with　the　king　in　seeking　forgiveness。

Josiah　now　proposed　that　those　highest　in　authority　unite　with　the　people　in　solemnly　covenanting　before　God　to　co…operate　with　one　another　in　an　effort　to　institute　decided　changes。　〃The　king　stood　by　a　pillar；　and　made　a　covenant　before　the　Lord；　to　walk　after　the　Lord；　and　to　keep　His

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commandments　and　His　testimonies　and　His　statutes　with　all　their　heart　and　all　their　soul；　to　perform　the　words　of　this　covenant　that　were　written　in　this　book。〃　The　response　was　more　hearty　than　the　king　had　dared　hope　for：　〃All　the　people　stood　to　the　covenant。〃　Verse　3。

In　the　reformation　that　followed；　the　king　turned　his　attention　to　the　destruction　of　every　vestige　of　idolatry　that　remained。　So　long　had　the　inhabitants　of　the　land　followed　the　customs　of　the　surrounding　nations　in　bowing　down　to　images　of　wood　and　stone；　that　it　seemed　almost　beyond　the　power　of　man　to　remove　every　trace　of　these　evils。　But　Josiah　persevered　in　his　effort　to　cleanse　the　land。　Sternly　he　met　idolatry　by　slaying　〃all　the　priests　of　the　high　places；〃　〃moreover　the　workers　with　familiar　spirits；　and　the　wizards；　and　the　images；　and　the　idols；　and　all　the　abominations　that　were　spied　in　the　land　of　Judah　and　in　Jerusalem；　did　Josiah　put　away；　that　he　might　perform　the　words　of　the　law　which　were　written　in　the　book　that　Hilkiah　the　priest　found　in　the　house　of　the　Lord。〃　Verses　20；　24。

In　the　days　of　the　rending　of　the　kingdom；　centuries　before；　when　Jeroboam　the　son　of　Nebat；　in　bold　defiance　of　the　God　whom　Israel　had　served；　was　endeavoring　to　turn　the　hearts　of　the　people　away　from　the　services　of　the　temple　in　Jerusalem　to　new　forms　of　worship；　he　had　set　up　an　unconsecrated　altar　at　Bethel。　During　the　dedication　of　this　altar；　where　many　in　years　to　come　were　to　be　seduced　into　idolatrous　practices；　there　had　suddenly　appeared　a　man　of　God　from　Judea；　with　words　of　condemnation　for　the　sacrilegious　proceedings。　He　had　〃cried　against　the　altar；〃　declaring：

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〃O　altar；　altar；　thus　saith　the　Lord；　Behold；　a　child　shall　be　born　unto　the　house　of　David；　Josiah　by　name；　and　upon　thee　shall　he　offer　the　priests　of　the　high　places　that　burn　incense　upon　thee；　and　men's　bones　shall　be　burnt　upon　thee。〃　1　Kings　13：2。　This　announcement　had　been　accompanied　by　a　sign　that　the　word　spoken　was　of　the　Lord。

Three　centuries　had　passed。　During　the　reformation　wrought　by　Josiah；　the　king　found　himself　in　Bethel；　where　stood　this　ancient　altar。　The　prophecy　uttered　so　many　years　before　in　the　presence　of　Jeroboam；　was　now　to　be　literally　fulfilled。

〃The　altar　that　was　at　Bethel；　and　the　high　place　which　Jeroboam　the　son　of　Nebat；　who　made　Israel　to　sin；　had　made；　both　that　altar　and　the　high　place　he　brake　down；　and　burned　the　high　place；　and　stamped　it　small　to　powder；　and　burned　the　grove。

〃And　as　Josiah　turned　himself；　he　spied　the　sepulchers　that　were　there　in　the　mount；　and　sent；　and　took　the　bones　out　of　the　sepulchers；　and　burned　them　upon　the　altar；　and　polluted　it；　according　to　the　word　of　the　Lord　which　the　man　of　God　proclaimed；　who　proclaimed　these　words。

〃Then　he　said；　What　title　is　that　that　I　see？　And　the　men　of　the　city　told　him；　It　is　the　sepulcher　of　the　man　of　God；　which　came　from　Judah；　and　proclaimed　these　things　that　thou　hast　done　against　the　altar　of　Bethel。　And　he　said；　Let　him　alone；　let　no　man　move　his　bones。　So　they　let　his　bones　alone；　with　the　bones　of　the　prophet　that　came　out　of　Samaria。〃　2　Kings　23：15…18。

On　the　southern　slopes　of　Olivet；　opposite　the　beautiful　temple　of　Jehovah　on　Mount　Moriah；　were　the　shrines　and

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images　that　had　been　placed　there　by　Solomon　to　please　his　idolatrous　wives。　See　1　Kings　11：6…8。　For　upwards　of　three　centuries　the　great；　misshapen　images　had　stood　on　the　〃Mount　of　Offense；〃　mute　witnesses　to　the　apostasy　of　Israel's　wisest　king。　These；　too；　were　removed　and　destroyed　by　Josiah。

The　king　sought　further　to　establish　the　faith　of　Judah　in　the　God　of　their　fathers　by　holding　a　great　Passover　feast；　in　harmony　with　the　provisions　made　in　the　book　of　the　law。　Preparation　was　made　by　those　having　the　sacred　services　in　charge；　and　on　the　great　day　of　the　feast；　offerings　were　freely　made。　〃There　was　not　holden　such　a　Passover　from　the　days　of　the　judges　that　judged　Israel；　nor　in　all　the　days　of　the　kings　of　Israel；　nor　of　the　kings　of　Judah。〃　2　Kings　23：22。　But　the　zeal　of　Josiah；　acceptable　though　it　was　to　God；　could　not　atone　for　the　sins　of　past　generations；　nor　could　the　piety　displayed　by　the　king's　followers　effect　a　change　of　heart　in　many　who　stubbornly　refused　to　turn　from　idolatry　to　the　worship　of　the　true　God。

For　more　than　a　decade　following　the　celebration　of　the　Passover；　Josiah　continued　to　reign。　At　the　age　of　thirty…nine　he　met　death　in　battle　with　the　forces　of　Egypt；　〃and　was　buried　in　one　of　the　sepulchers　of　his　fathers。〃　〃All　Judah　and　Jerusalem　mourned　for　Josiah。　And　Jeremiah　lamented　for　Josiah：　and　all　the　singing　men　and　the　singing　women　spake　of　Josiah　in　their　lamentations　to　this　day；　and　made　them　an　ordinance　in　Israel：　and；　behold；　they　are　written　in　the　lamentations。〃　2　Chronicles　35：24；　25。　Like　unto　Josiah　〃was　there　no　king　before　him；

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that　turned　to　the　Lord　with　all　his　heart；　and　with　all　his　soul；　and　with　all　his