Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to ourchristianwalk@aol.com In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem thirty-one years. His mother’s name was Jedidah daughter of Adaiah; she was from Bozkath. He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and followed completely the ways of his father David, not turning aside to the right or to the left.
In the eighteenth year of his reign, King Josiah sent the secretary, Shaphan son of Azaliah, the son of Meshullam, to the temple of the Lord. He said: “Go up to Hilkiah the high priest and have him get ready the money that has been brought into the temple of the Lord, which the doorkeepers have collected from the people. Have them entrust it to the men appointed to supervise the work on the temple. And have these men pay the workers who repair the temple of the Lord— the carpenters, the builders and the masons. Also have them purchase timber and dressed stone to repair the temple. But they need not account for the money entrusted to them, because they are honest in their dealings.”
Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the secretary, “I have found the Book of the Law in the temple of the Lord.” He gave it to Shaphan, who read it. Then Shaphan the secretary went to the king and reported to him: “Your officials have paid out the money that was in the temple of the Lord and have entrusted it to the workers and supervisors at the temple.” Then Shaphan the secretary informed the king, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.” And Shaphan read from it in the presence of the king.
When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his robes. He gave these orders to Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Akbor son of Micaiah, Shaphan the secretary and Asaiah the king’s attendant: “Go and inquire of the Lord for me and for the people and for all Judah about what is written in this book that has been found. Great is the Lord’s anger that burns against us because those who have gone before us have not obeyed the words of this book; they have not acted in accordance with all that is written there concerning us.”
Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Akbor, Shaphan and Asaiah went to speak to the prophet Huldah, who was the wife of Shallum son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe. She lived in Jerusalem, in the New Quarter.
She said to them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Tell the man who sent you to me, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am going to bring disaster on this place and its people, according to everything written in the book the king of Judah has read. Because they have forsaken me and burned incense to other gods and aroused my anger by all the idols their hands have made, my anger will burn against this place and will not be quenched.’ Tell the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the Lord, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says concerning the words you heard: Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before the Lord when you heard what I have spoken against this place and its people—that they would become a curse and be laid waste—and because you tore your robes and wept in my presence, I also have heard you, declares the Lord. Therefore I will gather you to your ancestors, and you will be buried in peace. Your eyes will not see all the disaster I am going to bring on this place.’”
So they took her answer back to the king.
2 Kings 22
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
At the end of Hezekiah’s reign, we’re made aware that trouble awaits the Southern Kingdom of Judah. They would pay the price for their disobedient attitude toward God’s expectations as set forth through His commands.
But how did the people of Israel get to such a place where they were so far astray?
Today’s scripture offers the answer.
For as Chapter 22 of 2 Kings opens, we read about Judah’s newest king, Josiah. Beginning his 31 year reign at the age of eight, Josiah “did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and followed completely the ways of his father David, not turning aside to the right or to the left”.
Scripture tells us that in his 18th year of his reign, Josiah ordered his secretary Shaphan to go to “the temple of the Lord” with guidance for “Hilkiah the high priest:. He was to tell Hilkiah to “get ready the money that has been brought into the temple of the Lord, which the doorkeepers have collected from the people” and entrust that money to “the men appointed to supervise the work on the temple”. Those building supervisors were to “pay the workers who repair the temple of the Lord— the carpenters, the builders and the masons” as well as “purchase timber and dressed stone to repair the temple”. And so Shaphan set out to carry out Josiah’s desires.
When Shaphan met with Hilkiah, he received something unexpected. For Hilkiah told him, “I have found the Book of the Law in the temple of the Lord.” We read that he gave it to Shaphan who read it before returning to Josiah to file a report.
Upon going to Josiah, Shaphan made the following report:
“Your officials have paid out the money that was in the temple of the Lord and have entrusted it to the workers and supervisors at the temple.”
And then he followed his report with saying, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book” before reading from it to the king.
When Josiah heard the words from the Book of the Law, he became extremely distressed and “tore his robes” Why? Because the words in the Book of the Law served as condemnation for the blatant sinfulness of the people of Israel. Josiah knew they were in trouble.
And so he sent Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Shaphan, Akbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah to “Go and inquire of the Lord for me and for the people and for all Judah about what is written in this book that has been found. Great is the Lord’s anger that burns against us because those who have gone before us have not obeyed the words of this book; they have not acted in accordance with all that is written there concerning us.”
Did you hear those words? “Great is the Lord’s anger that burns against us because those who have gone before us have not obeyed the words of this book; they have not acted in accordance with all that is written there concerning us.”
The Book of Law containing everything that God expected in the way of righteous behavior was hidden away in the temple and discovered. Why was God’s word just put in storage? What good was God’s word when it wasn’t being used?
The same holds true today. People are openly sinning against God while God’s word sits in storage. The Bible is the world’s all time best selling book but sadly too many people have one but let it sit on the shelf or the coffee table to collect dust. Like Israel, they don’t place a priority on the word and so they have no idea what way they are supposed to live. Instead of living according to God’s devices, they live under their own…or Satan’s…or both.
The good news for us is that we can do what Judah was about to do. Return to the word of God and allow it to convict us toward being the kid of men and women that God wants us to be.
Josiah sure was convicted…and his attitude showed it. In return, the Lord blessed him and delayed the coming attack and exile until after Josiah passed.
Friends, the Lord is waiting to do the same thing for us…all we need to do is open our bibles and study from God’s word. It will instruct us, guide us, inspire us, comfort us, and ultimately sanctify us when we respond in obedience to the conviction it brings…just as Josiah did.
So where do you stand in your relationship with the word of God? Do you read your bibles daily? Weekly? Monthly? Annually? Never? The only answer that works for God is that you read His word every day. Then and only then, can we be assured we’ll be walking in the His will and way, trading in darkness for light. Choosing to do otherwise leads us to the wrath of God who doesn’t take lightly to anyone who rejects His word and way.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to ourchristianwalk@aol.com
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