SOME ROYAL CHILDREN

Of the boy prince Abijah, son of the first king of Israel it is recorded that, alone of his family, "in him there is found something good toward Jehovah, the God of Israel". He was still only a child when he fell ill and died, and it may well be that God in His mercy took him out of a scene of great sorrow. Though so young he must have feared God in the secret of his own soul so that his desire was to be pleasing to Him. No doubt we can think of him as having beforehand the benefit of the redeeming work of the Lord Jesus Christ.

A century later there was another boy named Joash, this time a prince of the house of Judah. Because of wicked people he had been kept in hiding in the temple for his first six years so as to protect him. It is perhaps remarkable that this history of confinement did not turn him against God. Rather did it make him ready, when seven he was rightly proclaimed king to seek to do that which pleased God. He is especially an example of learning from godly persons and benefitting by their influence. The scripture says quite simply that in so doing "he did what was right in the sight of Jehovah". He reigned for forty years.

Many years later there was another prince of Judah who became king when he was only aged eight years old. His name was Josiah, meaning 'whom Jehovah helps'. A little book I have calls him 'the faithful servant' because he purged out idolatry and set up again the holy, priestly service of God. Of him scripture says that "he did what was right in the sight of Jehovah and walked in the ways of David his father and turned not aside to the right hand nor to the left". I think that as he grew up he must have read in the parchments about God's pleasure in David his forbear, just as children today are able to read of God's pleasure in the Lord Jesus so as to follow in His steps. Do you read about Him?

J.C.Evershed