King James Version, with Nii Okai's journal notes · 3 notes
1Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty and one years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Jedidah, the daughter of Adaiah of Boscath.
2And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, and walked in all the way of David his father, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left.
3And it came to pass in the eighteenth year of king Josiah, that the king sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, the son of Meshullam, the scribe, to the house of the LORD, saying,
4Go up to Hilkiah the high priest, that he may sum the silver which is brought into the house of the LORD, which the keepers of the door have gathered of the people:
5And let them deliver it into the hand of the doers of the work, that have the oversight of the house of the LORD: and let them give it to the doers of the work which is in the house of the LORD, to repair the breaches of the house,
6Unto carpenters, and builders, and masons, and to buy timber and hewn stone to repair the house.
7Howbeit there was no reckoning made with them of the money that was delivered into their hand, because they dealt faithfully.
8And Hilkiah the high priest said unto Shaphan the scribe, I have found the book of the law in the house of the LORD. And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it.
In the fifty years of Manasseh, the nation had so deteriorated that they were not even reading the law of the Lord.
Indeed, the house of the Lord was filled with pagan priests and idols.
Such a sad state of God's nation.
Wait, so all this while, what was guiding their worship? Was it the traditions passed on orally or from memory? Obviously whatever was informing their worship of God without the book was flawed, because we see in later verses that after reading the book of the law they were found greatly wanting.
They had been in great error the whole time. Indeed, the book prophesied exactly what will happen to those found in error of the law, and that is exactly what happened to them, and so they repented.
But this is so much like Christianity today. What started often as personal revelations of churches and their leaders soon became a doctrine that plagues the church and drifts them massively away from the truth of the book.
And we see it so now in our churches; we have drifted from the faith so far behind, it is terrible.
If the people of Israel, who had the traditions and systems, needed to go back to the book, then even so we need to go back to the book more than ever before, we who were engrafted into this whole new divine life.
We must follow the pattern set for us.
9And Shaphan the scribe came to the king, and brought the king word again, and said, Thy servants have gathered the money that was found in the house, and have delivered it into the hand of them that do the work, that have the oversight of the house of the LORD.
10And Shaphan the scribe shewed the king, saying, Hilkiah the priest hath delivered me a book. And Shaphan read it before the king.
11And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the book of the law, that he rent his clothes.
This shows how in touch Josiah was with the things of God. He, upon hearing the law, knew how bad their situation was.
He knew they were under the wrath of God without even knowing. He at this stage rent his clothes.
12And the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Achbor the son of Michaiah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asahiah a servant of the king’s, saying,
13Go ye, enquire 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.
14So 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; ( now she dwelt in Jerusalem in the college;) and they communed with her.
15And she said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Tell the man that sent you to me,
16Thus 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:
17Because 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.
18But 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;
19Because 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.
20Behold therefore, I will gather thee unto thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered into thy grave in peace; and thine eyes shall not see all the evil which I will bring upon this place. And they brought the king word again.