Someone Find the Book!
(2 Chronicles 34:1-8; 14-15)
1Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem one and thirty years.
2And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the ways of David his father, and declined neither to the right hand, nor to the left. 3For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet young, he began to seek after the God of David his father: and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem from the high places, and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images. 4And they brake down the altars of Baalim in his presence; and the images, that were on high above them, he cut down; and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images, he brake in pieces, and made dust of them, and strowed it upon the graves of them that had sacrificed unto them. 5And he burnt the bones of the priests upon their altars, and cleansed Judah and Jerusalem. 6And so did he in the cities of Manasseh, and Ephraim, and Simeon, even unto Naphtali, with their mattocks round about. 7And when he had broken down the altars and the groves, and had beaten the graven images into powder, and cut down all the idols throughout all the land of Israel, he returned to Jerusalem.
8Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had purged the land, and the house, he sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, and Maaseiah the governor of the city, and Joah the son of Joahaz the recorder, to repair the house of the LORD his God.
14And when they brought out the money that was brought into the house of the LORD, Hilkiah the priest found a book of the law of the LORD given by Moses.
15And Hilkiah answered and said to Shaphan the scribe, I have found the book of the law in the house of the LORD. And Hilkiah delivered the book to Shaphan.
Introduction: We see that in our text Josiah at the age of 8 years becomes the King of Judah. At age 16 verse 3 says, “he began to seek after the God of David his father.”
At the age of 20 Josiah began to purge Judah of its idols. Josiah hated the spiritual condition of Judah. It had fallen deep into sin. Judah had become a pagan nation. Josiah destroyed not only all the idols but he also killed the priest that had sacrificed to these idols.
Oh, how we need to have our land purged of its idols! We , just as Josiah, need to get of those things we have built to take the place of God. 2 Chronicles 34:2 says that Josiah, “Walked in the way of David his father.” Not only did he walk in the ways of his father, but also he didn’t waver. Verse 2 goes on to say, “He declined neither to the right hand, nor to the left.”
Josiah was a godly man, and he was a consistent man. He cared about the things of God. Josiah was a young man that made a difference. At the age of 26, something wonderful happened in Josiah’s life that made a big impact on his life. While repairing the Temple, Hilkiah the priest found, “The Book.”
Folks, its time that someone fines The Book, Judah had lost the Book. We see in our text the shape that Judah found herself in after she had lost The Book. Look at the shape we are in today.
Over 200 years ago our forefathers came to this land and founded a nation using this Book as her guideline. Up until the last 45 years or so this Book has played a vital role in the shaping of the great nation. What’s happened over the last 45 years? We lost The Book.
Let’s look at what happened when Josiah found the Book.
1) Josiah Was Humbled Before The Word: (Vs. 19-27)
19And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the law, that he rent his clothes.
20And the king commanded Hilkiah, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Abdon the son of Micah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah a servant of the king’s, saying, 21Go, inquire of the LORD for me, and for them that are left in Israel and in Judah, concerning the words of the book that is found: for great is the wrath of the LORD that is poured out upon us, because our fathers have not kept the word of the LORD, to do after all that is written in this book. 22And Hilkiah, and they that the king had appointed, went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvath, the son of Hasrah, keeper of the wardrobe; (now she dwelt in Jerusalem in the college:) and they spake to her to that effect. 23And she answered them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Tell ye the man that sent you to me, 24Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof, even all the curses that are written in the book which they have read before the king of Judah: 25Because 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 poured out upon this place, and shall not be quenched. 26And as for the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the LORD, so shall ye say unto him, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel concerning the words which thou hast heard; 27Because thine heart was tender, and thou didst humble thyself before God, when thou heardest his words against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, and humbledst thyself before me, and didst rend thy clothes, and weep before me; I have even heard thee also, saith the LORD
a. Josiah’s heart was convicted; his ears may have heard read Deuteronomy 17:18-20
18And 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:
19therein 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: 20That 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.
b. Josiah’s heart was awakened. Vs. 21
21Go, inquire of the LORD for me, and for them that are left in Israel and in Judah, concerning the words of the book that is found: for great is the wrath of the LORD that is poured out upon us, because our fathers have not kept the word of the LORD, to do after all that is written
2) Josiah Was Hungry For The Word: Vs. 21
21Go, inquire of the LORD for me, and for them that are left in Israel and in Judah, concerning the words of the book that is found: for great is the wrath of the LORD that is poured out upon us, because our fathers have not kept the word of the LORD, to do after all that is written
a. Josiah wanted to hear from God.
b. Josiah wanted others to hear from God.
3) Josiah Was Holding Fast To The Word: Vs. 31; 33
31And 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 which are written in this book.
33And Josiah took away all the abominations out of all the countries that pertained to the children of Israel, and made all that were present in Israel to serve, even to serve the LORD their God. And all his days they departed not from following the LORD, the God of their fathers.
a. Are we holding fast to the Word?
b. Are we compromising the Word?
Psalms 119:112 I have inclined mine heart to perform thy statutes alway, even unto the end.
c. Are we living the Word? Psalms 119:101
I have refrained my feet from every evil way, that I might keep thy word.
Conclusion: Are we humbled when you hear the Word read? Are we hungry for the Word? Are we holding fast to the word? Someone find The Book!
