January 18, 2022
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Reading along with us in 2 Kings? Here’s today’s reading:
2 Kings 22 (NIV)
The Book of the Law Found
1 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. 2 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.
3 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: 4“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........Continue Reading
2kings19
Maybe it’s not hard to imagine that after 55+ years of evil the book of the law (most likely the book of Deuteronomy) would be misplaced. Now for 10 years Josiah was faithful to God without it and it was in this environment of obedience and rebuilding the temple that it was found. Once it was read Josiah has a fitting response….humility, repentance and worship. How often are we affected by God’s word in a similar way? His interaction with the word also causes Josiah to wonder where Judah stands with this great God and what is going to happen. So he consults a prophet who gives him the news that judgment is coming because of Judah’s disobedience. Now unlike Hezekiah who is just glad that he will not be the one judged and leaves it at that. Josiah, upon hearing these words, pursues even deeper reforms of Judean society and worship. But that is what we find in the next chapter.
2 Kings 22
So I imagine Josiah after this long reign of disobedience he is following and the on and off history of disobedience of the kings before finding the Book of the Law and thinking….Oh No! What a mess we have made things and God must be so upset!
So Josiah does what is right and consults God to find that his fear is true that the people have strayed so far and the Lord is angry and the consequence will come. Tough place to be in for Josiah a king trying to right ALL the wrong that has been done by God’s people.
Josiah is convicted by the reading of God’s word.