The
Book of Second kings
Chapter 22
[1] Josiah 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.
[2] And 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.
1) Coronation
of the Potentate 1,2
Josiah was 8 yrs old when he began
to reign and he reigned 31 yrs in Jerusalem as King of Judah
Josiah was young because his daddy
Amon, a wicked king, was assassinated at the age of 24.
The nation of Judah had fallen on
hard times because of the wickedness of 2 kings Amon & Manesseh
Remember his grandfather Manesseh
was 12 when he began to reign and reigned 55yrs in evil.
There would have been a great moral
decay in the nation for 57 years his father & grandfather reigned
Josiah was the complete opposite of
his wicked father and grandfather.
The general description of the reign
of Josiah was he did right in the LORD’s sight and he reigned 31yrs
More than 300 years before (1Kings 13:1-6) it was
prophesied that a king named Josiah would be born. This king Josiah would help
the nation to turn away from false gods.
·
1Kings 13: [1] And, behold, there came a man of God out of Judah by the
word of the LORD unto Bethel: and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense.
[2] And he cried against the altar in the word of the LORD, and said, O altar,
altar, thus saith the LORD; Behold, a child shall be born unto the house of
David, Josiah by name; and upon thee shall he offer the priests of the high
places that burn incense upon thee, and men's bones shall be burnt upon thee.
[3] And he gave a sign the same day, saying, This is the sign which the LORD
hath spoken; Behold, the altar shall be rent, and the ashes that are upon it
shall be poured out.
[4] And it came to pass, when king Jeroboam heard the saying of the man of God,
which had cried against the altar in Bethel, that he put forth his hand from
the altar, saying, Lay hold on him. And his hand, which he put forth against
him, dried up, so that he could not pull it in again to him.
[5] The altar also was rent, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according
to the sign which the man of God had given by the word of the LORD.
[6] And the king answered and said unto the man of God, Intreat now the face of
the LORD thy God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored me again. And
the man of God besought the LORD, and the king's hand was restored him again,
and became as it was before.
2) Commitment of the Palace
2Chr 34:3
[3] For in the eighth year of his reign, while he
was yet young, he began to seek after the God of David his father:
In the 8th year of his reign, at the age
of 16, Josiah began to seek after the LORD
In the 12th year of his reign, at the age
of 20, Josiah purged Judah of idolatry and evil practices
He put many false prophets to death, thus fulfilling
the prophecy of 1 K 13:2,3.
[3] And 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,
[4] Go 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:
[5] And 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,
[6] Unto carpenters, and builders, and masons, and to buy timber and hewn stone
to repair the house.
[7] Howbeit there was no reckoning made with them of the money that was
delivered into their hand, because they dealt faithfully.
3) Commencement of the Project 3-7
In the 18th year of his reign, at the age
of 26, Josiah intends to repair and amend the House of the LORD
King Josiah knew this project would need
organization and funding
The king sends a message via Shaphan, the scribe, to
the High Priest Hilkiah to oversee the project
*Hilkiah was the father of
the prophet Jeremiah (Jer 1:1,2)
Jer 1:[1] The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah,
of the priests that were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin:
[2] To whom the word of the LORD came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon
king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign.
The money was furnished and the
workers were hired and the project was commenced.
The High Priest Hilkiah and the
workers were completely trustworthy and faithful to the work.
[8] And 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.
[9] And 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.
[10] And Shaphan the scribe shewed the king, saying, Hilkiah the priest hath
delivered me a book. And Shaphan read it before the king.
[11] And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the book of the
law, that he rent his clothes.
[12] And 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,
[13] Go ye, inquire 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.
4) Confrontation of Power 8-13
During the work of this immense
project, the High Priest shares that he has found the Book of the Law.
No doubt during the reign of evil kings the Word of
God was abolished and they thought it had been done away with. BUT GOD, protects
and preserves HIS Word. Matt 24:35 “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my
words shall not pass away.”
Deut 31: [24] And it came to pass, when Moses had
made an end of writing the words of this law in a book, until they were
finished,
[25] That Moses commanded the Levites, which bare the ark of the covenant of
the LORD, saying,
[26] Take this book of the law, and put it in the side of the ark of the
covenant of the LORD your God, that it may be there for a witness against thee.
The Book of the Law was given to the
scribe, the kings messenger Shaphan and Shaphan read the Book.
·
Why
didn’t the High Priest read the Book of the Law?
A recent poll was taken and it was revealed that 90%
of current pastors have not read the Book.
·
How
was Josiah making reforms without the Book of the Law?
The providence of God!
·
How
could the Book of the Law have been neglected?
Is the Word of God neglected at the modern church of today?
Scripture teaches that each king was to have his own
personal copy of the Book of the Law. Obviously this was not happening.
Deut 17: [18] And it shall be, when he sitteth upon
the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book
out of that which is before the priests the Levites:
[19] And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his
life: that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words of this
law and these statutes, to do them:
[20] That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not
aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left: to the end that
he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he, and his children, in the midst of
Israel.
The Book of the Law was to be read once every 7yrs
at the Feast of Tabernacles, publicly
Deut 31: [9] And Moses wrote this law, and delivered
it unto the priests the sons of Levi, which bare the ark of the covenant of the
LORD, and unto all the elders of Israel.
[10] And Moses commanded them, saying, At the end of every seven years, in the
solemnity of the year of release, in the feast of tabernacles,
[11] When all Israel is come to appear before the LORD thy God in the place
which he shall choose, thou shalt read this law before all Israel in their
hearing.
[12] Gather the people together, men, and women, and children, and thy stranger
that is within thy gates, that they may hear, and that they may learn, and fear
the LORD your God, and observe to do all the words of this law:
[13] And that their children, which have not known
any thing, may hear, and learn to fear the LORD your God, as long as ye live in
the land whither ye go over Jordan to possess it.
The Levites were given the responsibility of
teaching the Law amongst the nation daily
Probably because of the great persecution from the
government of Manesseh and Amon this had stopped
The scripture does tell us when the Book of the Law
was read publicly. 1st during Joshua’s days.
Josh 8:[34] And afterward he read all the words of
the law, the blessings and cursings, according to all that is written in the
book of the law.
[35] There was not a word of all that Moses commanded, which Joshua read not
before all the congregation of Israel, with the women, and the little ones, and
the strangers that were conversant among them.
The next time the scripture records the Book of the
Law read publicly was 500 yrs later, during the reign of Jehoshaphat. Here the
Book of the Law was read publicly and look how God blessed them.
2 Chr 17: [7] Also in the third year of his reign he
sent to his princes, even to Ben-hail, and to Obadiah, and to Zechariah, and to
Nethaneel, and to Michaiah, to teach in the cities of Judah.
[8] And with them he sent Levites, even Shemaiah, and Nethaniah, and Zebadiah,
and Asahel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehonathan, and Adonijah, and Tobijah, and
Tob-adonijah, Levites; and with them Elishama and Jehoram, priests.
[9] And they taught in Judah, and had the book of the law of the LORD with
them, and went about throughout all the cities of Judah, and taught the people.
[10] And the fear of the LORD fell upon all the kingdoms of the lands that were
round about Judah, so that they made no war against Jehoshaphat.
Now it may not be recorded every time the book was
read (maybe it was, maybe it wasn’t).
But now, 250 years after Jehoshaphat, right here in
2 Kings 22:8 the Book of the Law is found during the reign of Josiah. Again, wicked
king had probably tried to rid Judah of the True Word of God, but God preserved
HIS Word!
Shaphan, the scribe, reports back to King Josiah of
the project at the House of the LORD.
The first thing he mentions is money.
1st Vs9–
the money has been gathered and appropriated
The second thing he mentions is the project.
2nd Vs9-
the workers have been hired and the project is commenced
Then he mentions the Book!
3rd Vs10-
the High Priest found a book at the project and Shaphan the scribe read it to
King Josiah
Praise GOD somebody is willing to read the Book
aloud.
(The Word of God has been found, read and is
spread!)
* At the church where I serve. I stood and read the
New Testament aloud from the pulpit. It took 14 days reading 2 ˝ hours per
night, but I read the Book aloud. Some people attending the Scripture Reading.
The biggest attendance we had was 37. The next week during the service, the
LORD saved 37 in one night. Praise the LORD!!!
Confronted with hearing the Word of God, Josiah
tears his royal clothes showing his sorrow over sin
He realizes he had not obeyed the Word of God and
his nation has not obeyed the Word of God
King Josiah, commands the
High Priest and 4 others to enquire of the LORD concerning the Book of the Law
[14] 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; (now she dwelt in Jerusalem in the college;)
and they communed with her.
[15] And she said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Tell the man
that sent you to me,
[16] Thus 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:
[17] Because 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.
[18] But to the king of Judah which sent you to inquire of the LORD, thus shall
ye say to him, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, As touching the words which
thou hast heard;
[19] Because 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.
[20] Behold 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.
5) Communication of Promise 14-20
These 5 men went to Huldah
the prophetess and communed with her about this situation.
Huldah the prophetess said “tell the
King that GOD will bring calamity upon the nation.”
“This calamity will come because
Judah has forsaken HIM and served other gods.”
“God’s wrath is kindled and shall
not be quenched”……as the people would not truly repent
But Because the King Josiah’s heart
is tender
·
Tender
to the Word of God
·
Tender
to the convicting voice of the Spirit of God
·
Tender
to the message of Gods Judgment
GOD knew Josiah’s heart
Matt 12:34 out of the abundance of the heart the
mouth speaketh
Prov 4:23 keep thy heart with all diligence; for out
of it are the issues of life.
Mk 7:6 This people honoureth me with their lips, but
their heart is far from me.
Rom 9:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth
the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that GOD hath raised him from
the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto
righteousness; and the with the mouth confession is made unto salvation
Because the King Josiah humbled himself before the
LORD
Because King Josiah believed GOD, wept and sought
the LORD, the LORD says “I have heard thee”
GOD will extend mercy to Josiah and his nation.
GOD has granted a reprieve to the nation
Josiah will not have to endure this horrible
calamity of the judgment of GOD which is to come!
The inevitable judgment of GOD can be delayed
because of the tender heart of the people of GOD
·
Can
we as a nation repent and GOD grant to us a period of reprieve before judgment
falls?
There is an inevitable judgment of GOD the believer
will miss---- the GREAT Tribulation !!
The LORD will rapture HIS own before this GREAT
calamity takes place!!
Praise the LORD!!!