BRAGADAYJAH 1144

BRAGADAYJAH 1154

Import of the Kings Letter

We may well see in terms of the King’s letter what in today’s jargon may be called an injunction; an interim measure while the matter awaits final determination. It also reveals a ray of hope by the words, “Until another commandment shall be given from me.” That could be the legalistic interpretation of the term of the letter; but we must also see that while the building work could have been suspended or thwarted temporarily, there is no way it could have been halted permanently, because it was God’s will for it to be built. So by this we may know that even along the course of the execution of God’s own will, His purposes may be diverted, thwarted or hindered even for a short time. So then we see the prophets Haggai, Zechariah, the son of Iddo, prophesied unto the Jews that were in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, as a result of which prophesy, Zerubbabel, the son of Shealiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak rising up to continue with building of the house of God and with them and the prophets of God also helping them we ought not to be greatly surprised; for notwithstanding the king’s strong order they continued with the building.    

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BRAGADAYJAH 1153

BRAGADAYJAH 1153

The King’s Reply

At long last, the enemy received the reply they long canvassed and hoped for.  Artaxerxes ordered work on the temple suspended. This was the king’s reply. “The letter which you sent to me was plainly read before me. And I commanded and search has been made and it is found that this city of old time has made insurrection against kings and sedition and rebellion has been made therein. There has been mighty kings also over Jerusalem which have ruled over all countries, beyond the river and toll, custom and tribute was made to them. I now give commandment to cause these men to and that this city be not built until another commandment shall be given by me. Take heed therefore that you fail not to do this in order that damage may not grow to the hurt of the kings. So upon the receipt of the king’s letter the recipients rushed up to Jerusalem and by authority of the letter and by force, caused the building work to cease

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BRAGADAYJAH 1152

BRAGADAYJAH 1152

Contents of complaint sent to Artaxerxes

The contents of the letter sent to Artaxerxes were as follows: “Be it known, O king that the Jews which came up from you to us, came to Jerusalem, and has started to build a rebellious city and have set up the walls thereof, and joined the foundation. Be it further known unto the king that if this city be built and the walls set up again, then they will not pay toll or tribute or custom; and so will they endanger the revenue of the king. Now because we receive maintenance from the king’s palace, and it was not meet for us to see the king’s dishonor, therefore have we sent to inform the King; that search may be made in the book of the records of thy father, so shall you find in the records of the book, and find that this city is a rebellious city, and hurtful unto kings and provinces, and that they have moved sedition within the city as of old time; for which cause was the city destroyed. We certify the king that if the city be built again, and the walls thereof be set up by this means, you shall no portion on this side of the river.   

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BRAGADAYJAH 1151

BRAGADAYJAH 1151

Opposition mounted in the days of Artaxerxes

Adversaries to the work did not cease their campaign which persisted which through to the end of Cyrus, twenty years, (550-530), Cambyses, eight years, (530-522), the entire reign of Darius, thirty six years,  (522-486), even unto the reign of Ahasuerus, twenty one years, 486-465 in whom the adversaries thought they could make an impact; so they wrote to him making an accusation against again the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem, at the very beginning of his reign. Ahasuerus though he reigned for twenty one years, (485-465) did not accommodate the complaint. So in the days of Artaxerxes eighty six years later (465-424), the complaint was renewed, this time by Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel and the rest of the detractors who wrote to Artaxerxes, the King of Persia the letter to the king being written and translated in the Syrian tongue. Also Rehum the Chancellor, and Shimshai, the Scribe, and others of their companions the Dinaites, Apharsathchites, the Tarpelites, the Apharsites, Archevites, the Babylonians, the Susanchites, the Dehavites, the Elamites whom the great and noble Asnapper brought over and set in the cities of Samaria and all who were on the other side of the Jordon, all joined together to frustrate the workers on the house of the Lord in Jerusalem.

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BRAGADAYJAH 1150

BRAGADAYJAH 1150

Attempts To Frustrate the Works

Now in the course of time the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity had started to re-build the temple of the Lord God of Israel; and they came to Zerubbabel, and the chief of the fathers and told them they would like to build with them; for they said, they sought the Lord in the same way they did, and explained that they had been doing so since the days of their own captivity. But Zerubbabel and the chiefs of the fathers of Israel told them that they by themselves would build the house of their God according to the decree of Cyrus king of Persia. So they left and tried to persuade the people of the land to withdraw their support and their contributions toward the building work. And they hired counsellors in order to frustrate the will of the people even from that time onwards all during the rest of the reign of Cyrus even to the time when Darius succeeded him as king of Persia.

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BRAGADAYJAH 1149

BRAGADAYJAH 1149

Mingled Joy and Weeping

In the second year after the people had come to the house of God in Jerusalem, in the second month, Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak together with the remnant of the brethren and the priests and Levites and the others out of the captivity appointed the Levites that were twenty years old and upwards to oversee work on the house of the Lord. Then Jeshua with his sons and brethren and Kadmiel with his sons the sons of Judah stood together to set forward the workmen for the house of the Lord. Together with Henadad and his sons and their brethren the Levites And when they had laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, they set the priests with their apparel with trumpets and the Levites the sons of Asaph with their cymbals to praise the Lord after the ordinance of David King of Israel. And they sang, “Praise and thanksgiving unto the Lord because He is good, and his mercy endureth forever.” And all the people shouted with a great shout of joy because the foundation was laid. But many of the older men, the Levites and priests who had seen with their eyes the first foundation that was laid wept and shouted for joy. And the shouts of weeping and shouts of joy were mingled together, so that it was difficult to distinguish between the shouts of weeping and the shouts of sheer joy; but the noise could be heard a long way off.   

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BRAGADAYJAH 1148

BRAGADAYJAH 1148

Work Began on the Foundation of the Temple

Having re-built the altar of the Lord, they set it upon its bases, because fear was upon them because of the people of those countries; and they offered burned offerings thereon unto the Lord, morning and evening. They kept also the feast of Tabernacles as it is written and offered the daily burnt offerings by number according to the custom as the duty of every day required. And afterwards they offered the continual burnt offering both of the new moons and all the set feats of the Lord that were consecrated, and of everyone that offered a free will offering to the Lord. From the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offering unto the Lord; but the foundation of the temple of the Lord was not yet laid. They gave money also to the masons and to the carpenters; and meat and drink and oil, unto the workers in Zidon and Tyre to bring cedar trees from Lebanon to be transported via the sea of Joppa according to the grant which they had of Cyrus King of Persia. 

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BRAGADAYJAH 1147

BRAGADAYJAH 1147

The Altar of the Lord erected by the returning Remnants

The inventory of the things retuned to Jerusalem by Cyrus the King was as follows: Thirty chargers of gold, a thousand chargers of silver, nine and twenty knives, thirty basons of gold, silver basons of another sort four hundred and ten and a thousand other vessels. And the vessels of gold and silver came to five thousand four hundred. All these Sheshbazzar brought to them of the captivity. Now at that time, there came forth of the captivity members of every tribe, both of people and the priests and Levites. And when the seventieth month had come, and the people were gathered all together as one man in the city Jerusalem, Jeshua the son of Jozadak and his brethren the priest s and Zerubbabel the son of Shealiel and his brethren, built the altar of the God of Israel to offer burnt offerings thereon, as it is written in the law of Moses the man of God.

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BRAGADAYJAH 1146

BRAGADAYJAH 1146

Cyrus Returned sacred Vessels seized by Nebuchadnezzar

Interesting is it not? God called Cyrus who was not of the tribe of Israel His servant.  The point is, wherever we come from whoever we are, God can use any of humanity to be His servant to do His will. When God called Abraham He promises him that through him all the families of the earth would be blessed. We see it through Ruth the Moabitess; through Rahab the prostitute; we see it through the calling into blessing of those who were once called gentiles. God is in the people business; He is also in the family business. What advantage then have the Jews over the gentiles? Only in that to them were given the oracles of God. So following upon Cyrus’ decree, the chief of the Fathers of Judah and Benjamin and the priests, and the Levites and all those whose spirit God had raised up to go up to Jerusalem to build the house of the Lord. And all they that were around them strengthened their hands with vessels of silver, with gold, and with goods and with beasts, and with precious things along with all that was willingly offered. Also Cyrus the king brought forth the vessels of the house of the Lord which Nebuchadnezzar had taken away from Jerusalem and placed in the house of his gods. All these did Cyrus send forth by the hand of Mithredath the Treasurer and numbered them and delivered them to Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah.   

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BRAGADAYJAH 1145

BRAGADAYJAH 1145

Second world Empire – Media Persia

Most people would be aware of the story of Daniel and King Nebuchadnezzar and his dream, how the king had a dream he could not remember and how Daniel, who was a prince from Judah, was carried away to Babylon and how luckily for the king, and all the phony wise men about him, Daniel was on hand to not only tell the King his dream, but also the interpretation of it.  By that interpretation the Medio Persian Empire was foretold to be the second World Empire featured in the dream, the empire of the Medes and the Persians now under Cyrus. So now Cyrus prompted by God gave decree for the building of God’s house in Jerusalem which was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar some seventy years earlier.  The amazing thing is, Cyrus was clearly not a creature in being at the time, except as the narrative clearly shows, in the mind of God, who inspired his Prophet Isaiah to write as follows:  Thus saith of Cyrus he is my shepherd and shall perform all my pleasure even saying to Jerusalem thou shalt be built and to the temple the foundation shall be laid  (44:28)   Thus sayeth the Lord, to his anointed to Cyrus whose right hand I have holden to subdue nations before him, and I will lose the loins of kings to open before him the two leaved gates and the gates shall not be shut.” (Isaiah 45 I)  Surely we know that as of old, the word of the Lord God Almighty never returns void, as every purpose, every word of prophesy is fulfilled in its time, however long it takes. 

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BRAGADAYJAH 1144

      BRAGADAYJAH 1144

Fulfilled Prophesy

Following upon yesterday’s account how Darius king of Persia decreed ordered that the scattered remnants of the children of Israel who were willing, to return to Jerusalem and start collecting gold and silver and other supplies for the building of the house of the Lord in Jerusalem, it is thought that some explanation of the background history and circumstances was necessary. Over the immediate past days we were dealing with the mighty king of Babylon who had overran Israel, that is to say the Northern kingdom and carried away the children of Israel and then finally Jerusalem, the Southern kingdom, and carrying away and executing all except the laborers in agriculture. But to understand the jump from Babylon to Persia we must see that some seventy years intervened, during which time Babylon had fallen and given way to the Medio- Persian Empire. What is remarkable is to know that the city of Babylon was thought to be impregnable to any invading force, by virtue of its levered gates built under the city, the only way to get into it, and then could be opened only from the inside. Yet some 800 years before, God had said that King Cyrus his servant would do just that. We note too that in that same era almost a hundred years before, God’s prophet Daniel, in the time of Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon Daniel had his famous dream which he told the king signified that his empire would fall into the hands of another imperial ruler. (to be continued)

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BRAGADAYJAH 1143

BRAGADAYJAH 1143

Cyrus King of Persia

Some fifty years after the final deportation of Judah it happened that Cyrus king of Persia was moved during the first year of his reign, by the unseen power of the Spirit of God, to make a proclamation throughout all the kingdom and reduced it into writing to the effect: “Thus sayeth Cyrus king of Persia, the Lord God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth. And He hath charged me to build Him a house in Jerusalem which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all His people? His God be with him. Therefore let him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah and build the house of the Lord God of Israel; for He is the God. And whosoever remains in any place, where he dwells, let the men of that place help him with silver, with gold, with goods, and with beasts together with the free-will offering, to build the house of the Lord there in Jerusalem.” (See Tomorrow’s comment on this)

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BRAGADAYJAH 1142

BRAGADAYJAH 1142

Gedaliah Appointed Governor

And having spoiled Judah, Nebuchadnezzar appointed Gedaliah governor over the remnant he had left in the land to work in the fields. And when all the captains of the armies and their men heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah governor, there came to Gedaliah, Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, Johanan, the son of Careah, Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth, the Netophathite and Jaazaniah the son of a Maachathite along with their men. And Gedaliah swore to them and told them not to be afraid to become the servants of the Chaldees, but that they should dwell in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it shall be well with them. But it came to pass that in the seventh month that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah the son of Elishama of the seed royal came and ten men with him and smote Gedaliah and he died, along with the Jews and the Chaldees that were with him.at Mizpah. And after that in the thirteenth year after the captivity of Jehoiachin, that the king of Babylon, Evil-merodach released Jehoiachin from prison and treated him kindly and set his throne above the thrones of his other kings, and the king ordered that he be given a daily allowance all the days of his life. And the end all the days of the kings of Israel and of Judah.

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BRAGADAYJAH 1141

BRAGADAYJAH 1141

Jerusalem Destroyed after the Captivity.

After that the king of Babylon decided to destroy the city of Jerusalem itself and broke down all the walls round about it. And the people that were left behind and those that flew to the side of the king of Babylon and all the remnant of the multitude did Neburazadan the captain of the guard carry away. But the very poor and the laboring type he left in the land to be vinedressers and husbandmen. And the pillars of brass that were in the house of the Lord, and the bases and the brazen sea that were in the house of the Lord, the Chaldees broke into pieces, and carried into Babylon. And the pots and the shovels and the snuffers, the spoons and all the vessels used for ministering before the Lord they also carried away. And they also carried away the firepans and the bowls and everything that was in gold of gold or silver they took also away. And apart from every valuable thing which he took, he destroyed everything that was too heavy to carry or of little value. And he took all of the officers and officials that yet remained and brought them to the king of Babylon.  And the king of Babylon slew them all at Riblah in the land Hamath So Judah was carried away out of their land.  

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BRAGADAYJAH 1140

      BRAGADAYJAH 1140

Zedekiah Taken Captive

Once the siege had taken full effect and there was no food in the land the city was broken up and the men of the city fled by night by way of the gate between two walls which were by the king’s garden; and the king went towards the way of the plain. And the army of the Chaldees pursue after the king and overtook him near the plains of Jericho; and his army was scattered from him. And they slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes and put out the eyes of Zedekiah; and bound him with fetters of brass, and took him to Babylon. And in the fifth month on the seventh day of the month, which is the nineteenth year of the reign of king Nebuchadnezzar came Neburazadan captain of the guard, a servant of the king of Babylon and occupied Jerusalem. And he burnt the house of the Lord, and the king’s house, and all the houses of the great men of Jerusalem with fire.

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BRAGADAYJAH 1139

BRAGADAYJAH 1139

Mattaniah whose name was changed to Zedekiah made a puppet king

So it came to pass that after the asportation of the King of Juda and the treasures of the Lord’s house by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, he made Mattaniah Jehoiachin’s uncle king in his stead. And changed his name to Zedekiah. At that time Zedekiah was twenty one years old when he was made king and he reigned for eleven years in Jerusalem and his mother’s name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord just as Jehoiakim had done. And through the anger of the Lord, it came to pass in Jerusalem and Judah until he had cast them out of His presence; that Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon. And it came to pass that in the ninth year of his reign, Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon during the eleventh month on the tenth day of the month. And the king of Babylon came up with his hosts, and besieged Jerusalem, and built forts round about the city. And the city was besieged for two years to the eleventh year; and on the ninth day of the fourth month in the eleventh year of king Zedekiah’s reign the famine took effect and there was no food for the people of the land.   

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BRAGADAYJAH 1138

BRAGADAYJAH 1138

The King of Judah Carried into Babylon

During the reign of Jehoiachin, in the last days of Judah, the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon besieged the city of Jerusalem. And later Nebuchadnezzar himself came up and besieged the city. And Jehoiachin the king together with his servants and his mother, his princes and his officers went out to meet Nebuchadnezzar, and Nebuchadnezzar took him in the eight year of his reign. And Nebuchadnezzar carried off all the treasures that were in the house of the Lord, and cut in pieces all the vessels of gold which Solomon had made for the house of the Lord as the Lord had commanded. And Nebuchadnezzar carried away all the princes and all the mighty men of valor some ten thousand of them, and all the craftsmen and the smiths, leaving none behind but the poorest sort and unskilled sort of the people. And he carried away Jehoiachin and his household and his men at arms to Babylon.

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BRAGADAYJAH 1137

BRAGADAYJAH 1137

Judah Under Condemnation

Now Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon went up and made Jehoiakim his servant and he served him for three years until at last he rebelled against him. And the Lord sent against him bands of the Chaldees, and bands of Syria, and bands of Moabites, and bands of Ammonites, all came up Against Judah in accordance with the promise of the Lord which He spoke concerning Judah; because of the sins of Manasseh which the Lord said He would do; for Manasseh had beside the wickedness which he did, shed much innocent blood, causing the Lord to vow to remove Judah out of His sight. So Jehoiakim died and slept with his fathers and was buried. And his son Jehoiachin reigned in his stead. And the king of Egypt came not up again against Judah for the king of Babylon had taken from the king of Egypt all the lands from the river of Egypt to the river Euphrates. And yet Jehoiachin, the son of Jehoiakim, did evil in the sight of the Lord. He was eighteen years old when he began to reign and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. And his mother’s name was Nehushta the daughter of El-nathan of Jerusalem.   

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BRAGADAYJAH 1136

BRAGADAYJAH 1136

Death of Josiah

Now during the time of Josiah, Pharaoh- Nechoh king of Egypt went up against the king of Assyria to the river Euphrates, and King Josiah went against him and he slew him at Megiddo when he had seen him. And his servants carried him in a chariot dead from Megiddo and took him to Jerusalem where he was buried in his own sepulcher; and the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah and anointed him king in his father’s stead. Jehoahaz was twenty three years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months on Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to all his fathers had done. By fathers it is of course understood to refer to his forefathers not including his immediate paternal ancestor Josiah. And Pharaoh-Nechoh put him in bands at Riblah in the land of Hamath that he might not reign in Jerusalem; and put the land to a tribute of an hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold.

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BRAGADAYJAH 1135

BRAGADAYJAH 1135

The Passover Re-instituted

Then King Josiah commanded all the people to keep the Passover unto the Lord their God, as it is written in the book of the covenant. For the Passover had not been kept going back to the days of the judges of Israel, nor in the days of the kings of Israel and Judah. So this Passover was being held in the eighteenth year of the reign of King Josiah. And he left no stone unturned in his zeal for God, and his desire to root out every trace of evil. So all those with familiar spirits, the wizards, the images and the idols, and all the abomination that were found in the land of Judah, did Josiah purge, that he might perform the word of the book of the law found by Hilkiah the priest in the house of the Lord. For indeed Josiah loved the Lord with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his might; so that there was none like him after him. But notwithstanding all that Josiah had done to serve the Lord according to the law, the Lord’s anger against Judah was not abated because of all the provocations of Manasseh. So the Lord said, “I will remove Judah out of my sight as I have removed Israel, and will cast off this city Jerusalem which I have chosen and the house of which I said my name shall be there.

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BRAGADAYJAH 1134

BRAGADAYJAH 1134

Josiah Goes on a Campaign of Cleansing.

And Josiah continued his campaign against idolatry and broke down every high place and every evil thing he found which was not of God. Including the priests who worshipped idols and made sacrifices to them. He turned his attention to cleansing the land of it all including anything and everything that were of idolatry. Then Josiah looked and he saw the sepulchers that were there in the mount, and he sent and took the bones and burnt them on the alter and polluted it according to the word of the Lord which the man of God had proclaimed (cf. 1 kings 13:2) Then seeing a marker he asked whose it was and he was told it is the sepulcher of the man of God which came from Judah and proclaimed all of these things, concerning this alter here at Bethel. And he said, “Let him alone let no man move his bones.” So they let him alone with the prophet that came from Samaria. He also broke down all the high places in Samaria which the Kings of Israel had erected to provoke the Lord their God, and he slew all the priests of the high places that were there upon the alters and he burnt their bones upon them, before returning to Jerusalem.

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BRAGADAYJAH 1133

BRAGADAYJAH 1133

Josiah set about cleansing the House of the Lord.

Then King Josiah sent and gathered all the elders of Judah and of Jerusalem and he in the company of all the elders and people read to them the words of the law. And the king stood by a pillar and made a covenant before the Lord to walk after the Lord and to keep His commandments, and his testimonies, and his statutes with all their hearts, and all their souls, and to perform the words of the covenant that were written in the book.  And all the people stood to the covenant. And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest and the priest of the second order and the keeper of the door,  to bring forth out of the temple of the Lord the vessels that were made for Baal, and for the grove and all the hosts of heaven; and he burnt them outside of Jerusalem in the field of Kidron; and carried the ashes of them to Bethel. And he put down the adulterous priests who the kings of Judah had ordained to burn incense in the high places, in the city of Judah, and in places around Jerusalem; and to Baal, and to the sun and to the moon, and to the planets and to all the hostS of heaven. 

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BRAGADAYJAH 1132

The Prophetess declared Doom over Judah
Josiah to be spared.

Josiah ordered Hilkiah the priest and Ahikam, Achbor, Shaphan and Asahiah to go enquire unto the Lord on behalf of himself and the people; and they went to Huldah the prophetess the wife of Shallum the son of Hikvah the son of Harhas the keeper of the wardrobe. And they communed with her. And she said unto them, “Thus sayeth the Lord God of Israel: Tell the man that sent you to me, thus sayeth the Lord: I will bring evil upon this place and upon its inhabitants, according to all the words of the book which the King of Judah has read. Because they have forsaken me, and have burnt 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. But to the king of Judah which sent you to enquire of the Lord, thus shall ye say to him: Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, As touching the words which thou hast heard, Because thy heart was tender, and has humbled thyself before the Lord, when thou did hear what is spoken against this place, and against its inhabitants, that they shall become a desolation and a curse, and have rent thy clothes and wept before me, I have heard thy voice. Therefore I shall gather thee unto thy fathers. And you shall go into your grave in peace. And your eyes shall not see all the evil which I shall bring upon this place.

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BRAGADAYJAH 1131

BRAGADAYJAH 1131

Commentary Conclusion

Josiah’s Reaction to the Reading of the Law.

In talking about king Josiah let us not forget that his father before him was Amon who the scriptures described as a wicked king who did evil in the sight of the Lord in following in the footsteps of Manasseh who was one of the most wicked of all. So young Josiah took over the mantle when he was just eight, and after eighteen years he turned his attention to repairing the house of the Lord and it was thus that the book, the scroll really containing the words of the law was found. All this time there was a priest; so one is left to wonder what was the priest doing why the word of God was not been read, but leaves no wonder why the people had fallen into sin through the neglect of knowing and or adhering to the word of God, not unlike this very day. So Josiah was in sorrow for the word of the Lord so he wept to show his sorrow for the sins of the people and he tore his clothes as a sign of distress. The word of God was right there in the temple; it was nigh unto the priest, it was nigh unto the people; but it might as well have been a thousand miles away. Lots of people have bibles in their homes; but in many cases they sit there somewhere gathering dust. I aver that today you can go to many churches Sunday after Sunday and never see a bible opened by the congregation. Yet we call ourselves Christians and sit and wonder why sin is so prevalent in the world. As the Apostle Paul in writing the Book of Romans, “Therefore by the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified in his sight; for by the law is the knowledge of sin. (Rom 3:20) Tomorrow we will resume with the rest of Josiah’s actions with regard to the temple discovery. 

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BRAGADAYJAH 1130

BRAGADAYJAH 1130

King Josiah Wept and Tore his clothes.

When King Josiah heard the words of the law read to him, his reaction was to weep and to tear his clothes. Some may find Josiah’s reaction strange if not unbelievable. At the time when he heard the words of the law, he was a grown man at least twenty six years of age. He was a king and leader of a nation, and it is said grown men do not cry, much less a king and ruler. But having regard to the state of things in Judah it does not take much imagination or an intimate knowledge of Jewish history, to fathom the reason for the king’s reaction. One can image that the part of the book of the law read to the king was the words written in Exodus chapter twenty beginning at verse 2 “I am the LORD thy God which brought you up out of Egypt out of the house of bondage.” Verse 3 “Thou shall have no other God before me. Josiah would have been well aware of the apostasy and idolatry that was being practiced in the country and how such practices would have wounded the Lord God. Then verses 4 and five dealing with making and worshiping idols. Idolatry was the order of the day in Israel not long before taken away, and also right there in Judah. So knowing what was going on all around him the King cried and tore his clothes to show deep sorrow in his heart. [To be continued]

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BRAGADAYJAH 1129

BRAGADAYJAH 1129

The Book of the Law Found in the Temple

While the repairs to the house of the Lord were underway, Hilkiah the priest found the book of the law within the house and told Shaphan the scribe that he had found it, and gave the book to Shaphan the scribe to read. And Shaphan the scribe took the book to the king, Josiah and told him that the silver that was collected was been used for the repair of the house of the Lord, and also that while the work was being done, Hilkiah the priest had found in the house the book of the law; and he read the book to the king. And it was so that when the king heard the words of the law read to him that he wept and tore his clothes. And the king commanded Hilkiah the priest and Ahikam the son Shaphan, and Achbor the son of Michaiah a servant of the king, to go before the Lord to enquire for him and for Judah and for the people concerning the words of the book of the law, for the wrath of the Lord that was kindled against them was great, because their fathers had not hearkened to the words of the law, to do according to all that was written in the law concerning them. So Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam and Achbor and Shaphan and Asahiah went unto Huldah the prophetess the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah the son of Harhas keeper of the wardrobe and communed with her, as she was dwelling in Jerusalem.  

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BRAGADAYJAH 1128

BRAGADAYJAH 1128

Josiah Ordered Repairs of the Temple

[i]Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign and he reigned thirty one years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Jedidah the daughter of Adaiah of Boscath. And Josiah did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in all the ways of King David, turning not aside to the right or to the left. And it came to pass that in the eighteenth year of his reign he sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah the son of Meshullam the scribe to the house of the Lord and ordered him to go up to the high priest that he may calculate the silver that was being brought into the house of the Lord, and which the keeper of the door had collected from the people. And that they should then give it to the workmen who were working on the repairs to the house of the Lord, that the carpenters and masons and builders may buy materials necessary to repair the house of the Lord. And that was done, and the workmen all worked honestly so that no accounting of the money given to them to do the work of the Lord was necessary.

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BRAGADAYJAH 1127

BRAGADAYJAH 1127

Amon Reigned over Judah

Amon was twenty two years old when he began to reign over Judah; and he reigned two years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Meshullemeth the daughter of Haruz of Jotbah. And Amon did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord as his father Manasseh did. And he walked in all the ways that his father walked in; and served the idols that his father served and worshipped them. And he forsook the Lord God of his fathers and walked not in the way of the Lord. And the servants of Amon conspired against him and slew him in his own house. And the people of the land in turn slew all those who had conspired against the King. And they made Josiah king in his stead. And so Amon died and was buried in the sepulcher in the garden of Uzza, and Joash his son reigned in his stead.  

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BRAGADAYJAH 11126

BRAGADAYJAH 1126

The Lord’s Judgment against Manasseh

Moreover, said the Lord, “I will stretch over Jerusalem the line of Samaria and the plummet of the house of Ahab; and I will wipe Jerusalem as a man wipes a dish, wiping it and turn it upside down. And I will forsake the remnant of my inheritance and deliver them into the hands of their enemies. And they shall become a prey and a spoil to all their enemies. Because they have done that which was evil in my sight and have provoked me to anger since the day their fathers came forth out of Egypt unto this day.” Moreover Manasseh shed much innocent blood till he had filled Jerusalem with blood from one end to another, in addition to the sin he made Israel to sin in doing that which was evil in the sight of the Lord. But at last Manasseh slept with his fathers and was buried in the garden of his own house in the garden of Uzza and Amon his son reigned in his stead.  

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BRAGADAYJAH 1125

BRAGADAYJAY 1125

Further provocations by Manasseh
God’s Condemnation

And Manasseh set a graven image of the idols he had made in the house of the Lord, the house concerning which the Lord had spoken to David and to Solomon his son saying, “In this house and in Jerusalem which I have chosen out of all tribes of Israel, will I put my name forever. Neither will I make the feet of Israel move any more out of the land which I gave to their fathers, only if they will observe to do according to all that I have commanded them, and according to all the laws that my servant Moses commanded them.” But they hearkened not, and Manasseh seduced them to do even more evil than did the nations whom the Lord destroyed before the children of Israel. And the Lord spoke by his servant the prophets saying, “Because Manasseh king of Judah hath done these abominations; and has done wickedly above all that the Amorites did, which were before him, and has made Judah also to sin with idols, Therefore thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I am bringing such evil upon Jerusalem and Judah that whosoever hears of it his ears shall tingle.

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