Hilkiah Discovers Lost Book of the Law
14 When they were bringing out the money which had been brought into the house of the Lord, Hilkiah the priest found the book of the law of the Lord given by Moses. 15 Hilkiah responded and said to Shaphan the scribe, “I have found the book of the law in the house of the Lord.” And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan. 16 Then Shaphan brought the book to the king and [d]reported further word to the king, saying, “Everything that was [e]entrusted to your servants they are doing. 17 They have also emptied out the money which was found in the house of the Lord, and have delivered it into the hands of the supervisors and the workmen.” 18 Moreover, Shaphan the scribe told the king saying, “Hilkiah the priest gave me a book.” And Shaphan read from it in the presence of the king.
19 When the king heard the words of the law, he tore his clothes. 20 Then the king commanded Hilkiah, Ahikam the son of Shaphan, [f]Abdon the son of Micah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the king’s servant, saying, 21 “Go, inquire of the Lord for me and for those who are left in Israel and in Judah, concerning the words of the book which has been found; for great is the wrath of the Lord which is poured out on us because our fathers have not observed the word of the Lord, to do according to all that is written in this book.”
Huldah, the Prophetess, Speaks
22 So Hilkiah and those whom the king [g]had told went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of [h]Tokhath, the son of Hasrah, the keeper of the wardrobe (now she lived in Jerusalem in the Second Quarter); and they spoke to her regarding this. 23 She said to them, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Tell the man who sent you to Me, 24 thus says the Lord, “Behold, I am bringing evil on this place and on its inhabitants, even all the curses written in the book which they have read in the presence of the king of Judah. 25 Because they have forsaken Me and have burned incense to other gods, that they might provoke Me to anger with all the works of their hands; therefore My wrath will be poured out on this place and it shall not be quenched.”’ 26 But to the king of Judah who sent you to inquire of the Lord, thus you will say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord God of Israel regarding the words which you have heard, 27 Because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before God when you heard His words against this place and against its inhabitants, and because you humbled yourself before Me, tore your clothes and wept before Me, I truly have heard you,” declares the Lord. 28 Behold, I will gather you to your fathers and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace, so your eyes will not see all the evil which I will bring on this place and on its inhabitants.”’” And they brought back word to the king.
29 Then the king sent and gathered all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. 30 The king went up to the house of the Lord and all the men of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the priests, the Levites and all the people, from the greatest to the least; and he read in their hearing all the words of the book of the covenant which was found in the house of the Lord.
Josiah’s Good Reign
31 Then the king stood in his place and made a covenant before the Lord to walk after the Lord, and to keep His commandments and His testimonies and His statutes with all his heart and with all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant written in this book. 32 Moreover, he made all who were present in Jerusalem and Benjamin to stand with him. So the inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers. 33 Josiah removed all the abominations from all the lands belonging to the sons of Israel, and made all who were present in Israel to serve the Lord their God. Throughout his [i]lifetime they did not turn from following the Lord God of their fathers.
It’s no wonder that Israel failed to follow God’s commands when many, if not all, of them, had no idea what the law of God said. When Hilkiah found a copy of the book of the law, he knew the king needed to see it. Josiah’s response shows his heart, for when he found out how far they had strayed, he wept and tore his clothes.
Josiah could have done many things just for the sake of control, and that would not be unheard of in any totalitarian government such as the monarchy in Judah and Israel. But Josiah’s heart for God is what motivated his search for righteousness, and God recognized that as we see in verse 27.
The result was a display of mercy and grace from God, to withhold the judgment that was rightfully going to be poured out for Judah’s wayward journey. Josiah cleansed all of Israel and commanded all to follow the law, and they did so for all of his days as king.
We no longer have to depend on a priest to find God’s law, or a king to instruct us how we should live. The Word of God is readily available in nearly every language, and we can know God’s love for us, and his instructions for following His ways. We can see well the consequences of ignoring God’s law, even in this passage, but we can also see the rewards for choosing God. He does not desire that any should perish, but that all would find eternal life in, through, and with Him. To that end he sent his Son over 2,000 years ago, and gave himself as a ransom for our mistakes.
There is no one righteous but Him, and yet God himself has provided the payment and poured out the punishment for our disobedience on the Son. Jesus did what none of us could do, lived without sin, and took our place, so that all might come to repentance and find what God desires for every one of us. And that is to live life to the full, not with the cheap counterfeits this world has to offer, but knowing his love, peace, and His amazing presence in our lives, now and forevermore.