During the repair, hilkiah, the high priest, found the book of the law of the lord given by moses, perhaps in a dusty unused. Josiah had it read aloud and tore his clothes at the hearing. Hilkiah was a high priest who served during the reign of king josiah. After josiah ascended the throne, the book of the law was found in the temple 2 kings 22. This phrase usually means the book of moses, the first five books of our bible. Josiah was very young, but he knew the people were sinning and worshipping false gods. The book of the law found josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in jerusalem thirtyone years. In the book of the law itself he found a treasure of knowledge, a powerful ally in the work of reform.
This bible story tells the account of josiahs life and focuses on how he helped israel follow the book of the law again. In his position as king, it was the work of josiah to carry out in the jewish nation the principles taught in the book of the law. It was read to josiah and the words he heard caused him to tear his clothes and weep 2 chronicles 34. Josiahs appointments proved their loyalty in carrying out gods work. Josiah was the first ruler who turned to the lord with all his heart. Josiahs immediate procedure was to call to the temple a representative assemblageelders, prophets, priests, populaceand to read to them this book of the covenant 2 kings 23. Shaphan reported to king josiah about the workers being paid.
He did not lay this book aside as something too precious to be handled. The great event of his reign came in its 18th year, when the book of the law, apparently deuteronomy deuteronomy, book of the bible, literally meaning second law, last of the five books the pentateuch or torah ascribed by tradition to moses. Because josiah was a righteous king, he tore his clothes in repentance upon hearing the lost book read aloud v. During the repair, hilkiah, the high priest, found the book of the law of the lord. It was during josiahs reign that the temple was repaired and hilkiah, the high priest, found the book of the law. Josiah put away all the mediums, the wizards, the idols and all the evil things that were discovered in the land of judah and in jerusalem, that he might carry out the words of the law which were written in the book that hilkiah, the priest, found in the temple of the lord. Josiah was one of the good kings of judah and during his rein a. The book that grieved josiah reformed bible studies. The book of gods laws is found in the temple and read to king josiah. However, it is also possible that all of the law was lost and found again thereby explaining josiah s response 18 or that all of the law was lost but only deuteronomy was found which would still allow for josiah s response. In the time of king josiah, the book of the law was found in the temple of yahweh. After the death of king amon of judah and after his conspirators were killed by the people.
The book of the law that was supposedly found in the temple during the seventhcenturybce reign of king josiah is believed to have been an early version of the book of deuteronomy, placed. And shaphan read it before the king19 and it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the law, that he rent his clothes20 and the king commanded hilkiah. The book of the law in the house of the lord just as josiah discovered gods word and demanded to know what it said in order to follow it. It is because of this command that you have been baptized and made a child of god. It was josiah s zeal in the repairing of the temple which prepared the way for the discovery here. The identification with deuteronomy rests on the dependence of some of josiahs actions on the book e. Josiah and hilkiah and the lost book of the law of the lord. Unlike his father and grandfather, josiah tore down the pagan altars, pounded the stone idols into powder, and began repairing the temple. Josiah 16th king of judah the book of the law found. The prophet josiah recorded lamentation songs about josiah, and they are found in the book of lamentations. The book of the law in the house of the lord sermon by. When hilkiah read it to josiah, the king tore his clothes, a sign of mourning and repentance verse 11. He then commanded that it be read to the people of god.
It was so called because the book of the law found in the temple of jerusalem c. Finding the lost book sermon by john lowe, 2 kings 22. Josiah was eighteen years of age when he began to rule in judah. In the 18th year of the his reign, king josiah began the reconstruction of the temple in jerusalem. Some believe that the particular portion of the law that was found and read before king josiah was the book of deuteronomy. Hilkiah speaks of it as the book of the law a book long lost, now found, and at. The book found in the temple was the book of the law. Which book was found when the temple was refurbished answers. When he presented this information to king josiah, the king read the words of gods law. King josiah the 16th and a good king of judah, 2 kings 22. Then he made a solemn covenant before yahweh to obey it, and all the people stood to the covenant. King josiah called for a time of national repentance.
The young josiah and the book of the law bible stories. He wanted to do the right thing and keep gods laws. As josiah grew older, he became more experienced and powerful. What was the book of the law that was found in the temple. It is in this book he tells you that he who believes and is baptized shall be saved. Josiah, manassehs grandson, became king of judah when he was only eight. In the eighteenth year of his reign, he raised money to repair the temple, and during the repairs the high priest hilkiah found the book of the law.
Josiah article about josiah by the free dictionary. They took the book to the king and shaphan read the book to the king. The roll certainly contained deuteronomy and perhaps all. He ruled judah and jerusalem for thirtyone years and was reared by his mother jedidah the daughter of adaiah from boscath. Hilkiah the priest found a book of the law of the lord given by moses18 then shaphan the scribe told the king, saying, hilkiah the priest hath given me a book.
Then hilkiah the high priest said to shaphan the scribe, i have found the book of the law in the house of the lord. Josiah understood the depth of the sin of the people and gods righteous anger against them. It was during this time that hilkiah discovered the book of the law. Our lesson focuses upon one of the great heroes of the old testament. The young josiah and the book of the law bible hub. The lord jehovah will support or supported of yahweh. His history is one that offers christians some of the greatest encouragement they will ever find in the bible. The scroll of the law found by josiah in the temple.
Shaphan comes to the king and announces that hilkiah has found a book and read it to josiah. It is usual to identify this document with deuteronomy, or with a substantial portion of it, mainly on the ground that the book demands that centralization of sacrifice which was the outstanding feature of josiahs reforms, and makes modifications in existing practice which suggest. While hilkiah was clearing the treasure room of the temple. The children of israel had been following traditions and. You have heard how people in josiah s time did many wrong things while the book was lost. So, perhaps for the first time, the people of judah and. He was unable to soften the hearts of the people of. You have heard how people in josiahs time did many wrong things while the book was lost. Deuteronomic reform history of religion britannica. While shaphan was in the temple, hilkiah told him that he had found the book of the law in the temple. It was josiahs zeal in the repairing of the temple which prepared the way for the discovery here. So too, today, are we as a church of god expected to discover gods word in this house and make it the only rule of our faith and practice.
He humbly admitted his mistakes and sought to make things right again. After hilkiah found the book of the law, it was eventually read in the presence of king josiah, who, upon hearing it, tore his clothes, repented, and launched a national reformation in israel 22. Josiah righteous king of judah amazing bible timeline. What happened to the book of the law in the time of josiah. So, now that we know how josiah responded to finding the law say, josiah rejoiced because he finally had the law of the lord. The king josiah found the very book of the law thought to be the book of deuteronomy, written by moses finding the book of the law 7 the rule of josiah was one of the most remarkable in the. During the repair, hilkiah, the high priest, found the book of the law of the lord given by moses, perhaps in a dusty unused corner of the temple or in an area being repaired. Josiah and the newly found law expositions of holy scripture alexander maclaren and 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. Deuteronomic reform, great religious reformation instituted in the reign of king josiah of judah c.
No matter what, it is certain that deuteronomy was the book which was discovered. Josiahs reformation included the removal of idols from israels life. That was practically a finding of the lawbook of the church, as marvelous and as providential as this discovery in the reign of josiah. While cleaning the temple, hilkiah found the book of the law of god. Help them understand that josiah responded by sending his priests to inquire of the lord about the book. In the process of restoring the temple, the high priest hilkiah found the book of the law. Since the book no longer is a lost book, you have a light on your journey through life. His father, amon, was an evil king who worshipped idols. He gave it to shaphan and after he read it, he went to king josiah. Sternly he met idolatry by slaying all the priests of the high places. Hilkiah the high priest finds the book of the law of moses and gives it to shaphan the scribe who reads it.
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