II Kings 22: A King's Heart and the Rediscovery of God's Word
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.
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.
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,
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:
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,
Unto carpenters, and builders, and masons, and to buy timber and hewn stone to repair the house.
Howbeit there was no reckoning made with them of the money that was delivered into their hand, because they dealt faithfully.
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.
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.
And Shaphan the scribe shewed the king, saying, Hilkiah the priest hath delivered me a book. And Shaphan read it before the king.
And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the book of the law, that he rent his clothes.
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,
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.
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.
And she said unto them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Tell the man that sent you to me,
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:
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.
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;
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.
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.
II Kings 22 recounts a pivotal moment in Judah's history, marked by the reign of King Josiah and the rediscovery of the Book of the Law. This chapter reveals the transformative power of God's Word and the importance of a leader's humble and responsive heart.
Josiah's Righteous Reign (II Kings 22:1-2)
Josiah ascended to the throne at the tender age of eight (II Kings 22:1). This young king, guided by wise advisors in his early years, distinguished himself by doing what was right in the eyes of the Lord. He is even favorably compared to David, a testament to God's grace and the possibility of breaking free from the legacy of unfaithful parents. According to 2 Chronicles 34:3-7, at sixteen, Josiah began seeking the Lord, and at twenty, he initiated religious reforms, purging Judah of the idolatrous practices instigated by his grandfather Manasseh. Josiah's reign demonstrates that one is not destined to repeat the mistakes of their predecessors, and that even a young leader can bring about significant positive change.
Repairing the Temple and Rediscovering the Law (II Kings 22:3-10)
At the age of twenty-six, Josiah undertook a significant project: the restoration of the Temple in Jerusalem (II Kings 22:3). This sacred place had been desecrated by idolatrous altars and images erected during Manasseh's reign. The process mirrors that of King Joash (II Kings 12:1-16), with priests collecting funds and entrusting them to supervisors who then paid the workmen to repair the damage (II Kings 22:5). Like the workers in Joash's time, these laborers performed their duties with integrity (II Kings 22:7).
During the Temple renovation, a remarkable discovery was made: the High Priest Hilkiah found the Book of the Law (II Kings 22:8). This could have been a copy of the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible. It seems Manasseh had suppressed the Word of God to further his idolatrous agenda, perhaps even destroying other copies. Shaphan, the court secretary, read the book and then presented it to Josiah, reading it aloud to him (II Kings 22:8-10).
A King's Repentance (II Kings 22:11-13)
Josiah's reaction upon hearing the words of the Law was immediate and profound. He tore his robes in grief (II Kings 22:11), indicating deep sorrow and repentance. This suggests that the Law had been absent from Judah's life and worship for a considerable time. This moment powerfully illustrates the convicting power of God's Word when it is encountered with an open heart.
Josiah recognized the grave consequences of neglecting God's Law. He assembled five of his top advisors and sent them to inquire of the Lord, seeking to understand how to appease God's wrath against Judah for their neglect (II Kings 22:12-13).
Huldah the Prophetess and God's Judgment (II Kings 22:14-17)
The king's men sought guidance from Huldah, a prophetess (II Kings 22:14). Her message was grim: disaster was impending for Judah. The people had forsaken God to serve other gods, provoking Yahweh's anger to such an extent that His wrath would not be quenched (II Kings 22:14-17). This stern warning highlighted the severity of Judah's apostasy and the inevitability of God's judgment.
Mercy for Josiah (II Kings 22:18-20)
However, the Lord had a word of mercy specifically for Josiah. Because of his tender heart, his humility, and his tears of repentance on behalf of himself and his people, Josiah would be spared from witnessing the coming disaster that God would bring upon Judah in the form of the Babylonian captivity (II Kings 22:19-20). Josiah's life was spared from witnessing the initial stages of the Babylonian exile, as he died in 609 BC, just four years before Nebuchadnezzar's first invasion of Judah. This demonstrates God's compassion and His willingness to show grace to those who genuinely turn to Him.
II Kings 22 serves as a potent reminder of the importance of God's Word, the need for repentance, and the power of a humble and responsive heart. It underscores the transformative impact of rediscovering and embracing God's truth, and the hope that even in the face of judgment, God extends mercy to those who seek Him with sincerity.
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.
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.
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,
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:
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,
Unto carpenters, and builders, and masons, and to buy timber and hewn stone to repair the house.
Howbeit there was no reckoning made with them of the money that was delivered into their hand, because they dealt faithfully.
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.
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.
And Shaphan the scribe shewed the king, saying, Hilkiah the priest hath delivered me a book. And Shaphan read it before the king.
And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the book of the law, that he rent his clothes.
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,
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.
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.
And she said unto them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Tell the man that sent you to me,
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:
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.
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;
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.
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.
II Kings 22 recounts a pivotal moment in Judah's history, marked by the reign of King Josiah and the rediscovery of the Book of the Law. This chapter reveals the transformative power of God's Word and the importance of a leader's humble and responsive heart.
Josiah's Righteous Reign (II Kings 22:1-2)
Josiah ascended to the throne at the tender age of eight (II Kings 22:1). This young king, guided by wise advisors in his early years, distinguished himself by doing what was right in the eyes of the Lord. He is even favorably compared to David, a testament to God's grace and the possibility of breaking free from the legacy of unfaithful parents. According to 2 Chronicles 34:3-7, at sixteen, Josiah began seeking the Lord, and at twenty, he initiated religious reforms, purging Judah of the idolatrous practices instigated by his grandfather Manasseh. Josiah's reign demonstrates that one is not destined to repeat the mistakes of their predecessors, and that even a young leader can bring about significant positive change.
Repairing the Temple and Rediscovering the Law (II Kings 22:3-10)
At the age of twenty-six, Josiah undertook a significant project: the restoration of the Temple in Jerusalem (II Kings 22:3). This sacred place had been desecrated by idolatrous altars and images erected during Manasseh's reign. The process mirrors that of King Joash (II Kings 12:1-16), with priests collecting funds and entrusting them to supervisors who then paid the workmen to repair the damage (II Kings 22:5). Like the workers in Joash's time, these laborers performed their duties with integrity (II Kings 22:7).
During the Temple renovation, a remarkable discovery was made: the High Priest Hilkiah found the Book of the Law (II Kings 22:8). This could have been a copy of the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible. It seems Manasseh had suppressed the Word of God to further his idolatrous agenda, perhaps even destroying other copies. Shaphan, the court secretary, read the book and then presented it to Josiah, reading it aloud to him (II Kings 22:8-10).
A King's Repentance (II Kings 22:11-13)
Josiah's reaction upon hearing the words of the Law was immediate and profound. He tore his robes in grief (II Kings 22:11), indicating deep sorrow and repentance. This suggests that the Law had been absent from Judah's life and worship for a considerable time. This moment powerfully illustrates the convicting power of God's Word when it is encountered with an open heart.
Josiah recognized the grave consequences of neglecting God's Law. He assembled five of his top advisors and sent them to inquire of the Lord, seeking to understand how to appease God's wrath against Judah for their neglect (II Kings 22:12-13).
Huldah the Prophetess and God's Judgment (II Kings 22:14-17)
The king's men sought guidance from Huldah, a prophetess (II Kings 22:14). Her message was grim: disaster was impending for Judah. The people had forsaken God to serve other gods, provoking Yahweh's anger to such an extent that His wrath would not be quenched (II Kings 22:14-17). This stern warning highlighted the severity of Judah's apostasy and the inevitability of God's judgment.
Mercy for Josiah (II Kings 22:18-20)
However, the Lord had a word of mercy specifically for Josiah. Because of his tender heart, his humility, and his tears of repentance on behalf of himself and his people, Josiah would be spared from witnessing the coming disaster that God would bring upon Judah in the form of the Babylonian captivity (II Kings 22:19-20). Josiah's life was spared from witnessing the initial stages of the Babylonian exile, as he died in 609 BC, just four years before Nebuchadnezzar's first invasion of Judah. This demonstrates God's compassion and His willingness to show grace to those who genuinely turn to Him.
II Kings 22 serves as a potent reminder of the importance of God's Word, the need for repentance, and the power of a humble and responsive heart. It underscores the transformative impact of rediscovering and embracing God's truth, and the hope that even in the face of judgment, God extends mercy to those who seek Him with sincerity.