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2 Kings Chapter 22
Josiah Reigns in Judah
- 2Kings 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.
Here was a good king that influenced
the people to follow after him but in their hearts they were just
going with the flow and were not for real. The influence of the
wicked kings before them was still strong within them as we see when
wicked kings arise again before the judgment finally falls and
Babylon takes over the whole region. We see though that God does not
bring the evil upon them when Josiah is reigning. Perhaps it is his
mother that influenced him in the right direction. My speculation
here. It is possible for someone evil to begat a righteous offspring
or someone righteous to bring forth evil offsprings but it is rare.
When one finds God and follows Him, anything is possible.
Josiah Repairs the Temple
- 2Kings 22:3 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.
Neglect of any building over the years
requires money to repair and bring it back to where it should be.
The house of worship should be the first priority, not the last but
Josiah did what was right. Everyone worked together to see that this
was done. One thing lacks though but it's coming next.
Hilkiah Finds the Book of the Law
- 2Kings 22:8 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.
Tearing clothes was a sign of remorse
and grief. Josiah was a good king before this time but now he
realizes the depth to which his country had fallen away from God and
His word. This was more important even that repairing the house of
God. The people needed to be brought back into fellowship with God.
The breech between God and the people needed to be repaired.
- 2Kings22:12 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, 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.
Josiah was so grieved in his spirit
that he sought those that knew the Lord. They sought out a
prophetess. She was a woman that was faithful to God and could
intervene. We must remember these were days before Jesus came and
made the way for any person who received Jesus into their lives
could seek God and get directions for themselves. It happened on
occasion before Christ but mostly it was through individuals who
made a daily practice of communicating with the Lord like a prophet. After the law was given, a priest was used to seek the Lord on
behalf of a king or nation.
Abraham was an exception because the
call of God was upon him to start a nation from whom He would bring
His own Son into the world to bring in a way for any who believed to
be reconciled back to God our creator.
- 2 Kings 22:14 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 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;
- 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.
Because of the faithfulness of Josiah,
judgment is delayed and he will not see the evil that is pronounced
against the nation itself. Judgment will come to any nation that
does evil. God gives them space to repent but if they continue in
evil eventually their time of judgment will come. In this though God
sees those that have stayed true to Him and have not departed from
His word. He always has a people that stay faithful. He also sees
those that genuinely repent and return from their wicked ways in
truth. He is always with those that choose to live for Him even in
the midst of those that do wickedly.
Here is what God says to one faithful
church in the book of Revelation:
- Revelation 3:7
And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These
things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the
key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and
shutteth, and no man openeth;
- 8 I know thy
works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man
can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my
word, and hast not denied my name.
- 9 Behold, I will
make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews,
and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and
worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.
- 10 Because thou
hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from
the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to
try them that dwell upon the earth.
- 11 Behold, I
come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take
thy crown.
- 12 Him that
overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he
shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my
God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem,
which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write
upon him my new name.
- 13 He that hath
an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
Our God is an aweseome God. -DC
2 Kings Chapter 23
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