2 Chronicles 34:8–28

Introduction

2 Chronicles 34:8–28: During King Josiah’s reign and his program of religious reform, Hilkiah, the High Priest, discovers the book of the Law based on the Law that God had given to Moses. When Josiah hears the contents of the book being read, he tears his clothes as a sign of grief, recognizing God’s anger that past generations had not obeyed the word of the LORD. Hilkiah consults the prophet Huldah, who sends a message to the king.

Today’s Key Verse: 2 Chronicles 34:21b GNT

[Josiah said:] “The LORD is angry with us because our ancestors have not obeyed the word of the LORD and have not done what this book says must be done.”

Read

⁸ In the eighteenth year of his reign, after he had purified the land and the Temple by ending pagan worship, King Josiah sent three men to repair the Temple of the Lord God: Shaphan son of Azaliah, Maaseiah, the governor of Jerusalem, and Joah son of Joahaz, a high official. ⁹ The money that the Levite guards had collected in the Temple was turned over to Hilkiah the High Priest. (It had been collected from the people of Ephraim and Manasseh and the rest of the Northern Kingdom, and from the people of Judah, Benjamin, and Jerusalem.) ¹⁰ This money was then handed over to the three men in charge of the Temple repairs, and they gave it to ¹¹ the carpenters and the builders to buy the stones and the timber used to repair the buildings that the kings of Judah had allowed to decay. ¹² The men who did the work were thoroughly honest. They were supervised by four Levites: Jahath and Obadiah of the clan of Merari, and Zechariah and Meshullam of the clan of Kohath. (The Levites were all skillful musicians.) ¹³ Other Levites were in charge of transporting materials and supervising the workers on various jobs, and others kept records or served as guards.

¹⁴ While the money was being taken out of the storeroom, Hilkiah found the book of the Law of the Lord, the Law that God had given to Moses. ¹⁵ He said to Shaphan, “I have found the book of the Law here in the Temple.” He gave Shaphan the book, ¹⁶ and Shaphan took it to the king. He reported, “We have done everything that you commanded. ¹⁷ We have taken the money that was kept in the Temple and handed it over to the workers and their supervisors.” ¹⁸ Then he added, “I have here a book that Hilkiah gave me.” And he read it aloud to the king.

¹⁹ When the king heard the book being read, he tore his clothes in dismay ²⁰ and gave the following order to Hilkiah, to Ahikam son of Shaphan, to Abdon son of Micaiah, to Shaphan, the court secretary, and to Asaiah, the king’s attendant: ²¹ “Go and consult the Lord for me and for the people who still remain in Israel and Judah. Find out about the teachings of this book. The Lord is angry with us because our ancestors have not obeyed the word of the Lord and have not done what this book says must be done.”

²² At the king’s command, Hilkiah and the others went to consult a woman named Huldah, a prophet who lived in the newer part of Jerusalem. (Her husband Shallum, the son of Tikvah and grandson of Harhas, was in charge of the Temple robes.) They described to her what had happened, ²³ and she told them to go back to the king and give him ²⁴ the following message from the Lord: “I am going to punish Jerusalem and all its people with the curses written in the book that was read to the king. ²⁵ They have rejected me and have offered sacrifices to other gods, and so have stirred up my anger by all they have done. My anger is aroused against Jerusalem, and it will not die down. ²⁶ As for the king himself, this is what I, the Lord God of Israel, say: You listened to what is written in the book, ²⁷ and you repented and humbled yourself before me, tearing your clothes and weeping, when you heard how I threatened to punish Jerusalem and its people. I have heard your prayer, ²⁸ and the punishment which I am going to bring on Jerusalem will not come until after your death. I will let you die in peace.”

The men returned to King Josiah with this message.

Reflect

How does Hilkiah find the book of the Law (verse 14)? After hearing the book being read, what does Josiah want to find out (verse 21)? Describe Huldah’s message to the king (verses 24–28). Why does the LORD intend to punish Jerusalem and its people? Why is Josiah to be spared? (The prophesied punishment probably refers to the invasion of the Babylonians in 587/586 B.C., the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, and the deportation of the people to Babylon.)

Pray

Holy God, keep me close to you so that I do not stray from your teachings. You are my Shepherd and I seek to hear your voice. Thank you for your life-giving word that sustains me day by day. Amen.

Tomorrow’s Reading

2 Chronicles 34:29–33: King Josiah makes a covenant to obey the LORD.