We are now carried back to a period over six hundred years before Christ. The glory and greatness of the kingdom founded by David had long departed. The kingdom of Israel, erected at the revolt of the Ten Tribes, had fallen before the resistless march of the great Assyrian power, and the kingdom of Judah, still ruled by the line of David, had been reduced by idolatry and foreign invasion to a low ebb. Manasseh, the Son of Hezekiah, had deliberately attempted to supplant the worship of God, and had persecuted the true worshipers unto death; the temple was desecrated, and the knowledge of the Law partly lost. The son of Manasseh was slain after a reign of two years, and his son, Josiah, was called to the throne when only eight years old. His education seems to have been directed by pious men, and he grew up with a zeal for the Lord which showed itself in his great reformation of religion.

      Among the later kings Josiah stands forth like a shining light. He did what was in his power to arrest the rush of his country to ruin. The inevitable day was stayed until after his death, but the doom could not be averted. The great kingdoms of Egypt and Assyria pressed from each side, while idolatry had turned away the favor of God, and after the death of Josiah, when the nation again relapsed into the idol-worship of their neighbors, the ruin came swiftly.

      This lesson gives an account of Josiah's restoration of the Law. It will be observed that he was ably seconded by faithful coadjutors, especially Shaphan the secretary, Hilkiah the high priest, and Huldah the prophetess. The copy of the Law found in the temple when the offerings for its repair were gathered has caused considerable discussion. Dean Milman holds that there were other copies in existence and well known, but that this was the original, autograph copy, deposited by Moses. In Deut. 31:24, 25, it is recorded that "Moses [11] commanded the Levites which bare the ark of the covenant, saying, Take this book of the law, and put it in the side of the ark of the covenant, that it may be there for a witness against thee." He holds that this venerable and sacred copy, long overlooked, was now discovered, and read in the presence of the king, and its solemn denunciations produced a profound impression on his pious heart. Others insist that during the persecution of Manasseh and the efforts to supplant the true religion, all known copies were destroyed, and that when this one was providentially discovered it was a restoration of a long lost treasure.

      1. When Josiah was eight years old. The death of his father Amon at the hands of conspirators caused his ascension of the throne at so early an age. His education and the conduct of the government during his tender years were evidently in the hands of such men as Hilkiah, Shallum and Shaphan, men zealous for the law. There is evidence of a reaction from idolatry which began at once. Josiah reigned thirty-one years, died at thirty-nine, slain in battle with Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt, and is one of the noblest characters in Hebrew history. He began well, continued well and ended well.

      2. Walked in the ways of David his father. He was a descendant of David, and hence David was called his father. The seed of David continued to reign in Jerusalem until the Captivity. Unlike Ahaz, Manasseh and Amon, his predecessors, Josiah served the Lord zealously, like his great ancestor. It is reported of him that he "turned not aside to the right hand nor to the left." This record, seldom made in the degenerate age we have reached, was common at an earlier period. See Deut. 5:32; 17:11; 28:14; and Josh. 1:7; 23:6. It implies a loyal obedience to the will of the Lord, shown by keeping his commandments.

      3. It came to pass in the eighteenth year. This was when king Josiah was twenty-six years old. It is probable that all these events did not occur in a single year, but the year in which they began, or culminated, is named. The pious training of the young king now began to show fruit. Surrounded by great officers who were zealous for the Law, he desired to effect a full restoration of the ancient religion, long corrupted by the idolatry which had been favored by the former kings. Shaphan the scribe. This great officer is often mentioned by Jeremiah (see Jer. 26:24), and his family continued prominent in Israel. When [12] Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem he left Gedaliah, the grandson of Shaphan, as governor of the country (2 Kings 25:22). Several of Shaphan's sons are named as occupying prominent positions.

      4. Go up to Hilkiah the high priest. He is principally known for his part in the noteworthy event that our lesson records. His grandson, Seraiah, was high priest at the time of the Captivity. That he may sum up the silver. The temple, neglected and desecrated in the times of Manasseh and Amon, was sadly in need of repairs. For some time, probably since Josiah assumed charge of the government, six years before (2 Chron. 34:3), the offerings of the people had been gathered for this purpose at the door of the temple. This collection had now gone on for six years, and no reckoning had been taken of the amount. The king now asks that the accumulated treasure be counted, and that the work of restoration be begun. A revival of religion always shows itself in increased liberality, in zeal for the Lord's house, and in efforts to build or restore his holy temple.

      5. Deliver it to the doers of the work. To the overseers who would have general charge of the work and who would provide the workmen and materials needed for the repairs.

      7. They dealt faithfully. The integrity, zeal and wise management of these overseers seemed to make a deep impression. The names of these faithful men are preserved in 2 Chron. 34:12.

      8. I have found the book of the law. We are told that Hilkiah made this discovery when they brought the money out of the Lord's house. Tradition has sought to explain this remarkable event, but it is probable that the copy had been hidden at the time of the desecration of the temple by Manasseh, and was now found as the rubbish was removed. Much discussion has arisen concerning the nature of the book found. Skeptics have asserted that Hilkiah was the author of a "pious fraud" and manufactured the book, but, it would have been impossible to palm [13] off such a fraud upon the nation. Even if all other copies had been destroyed during the persecution of Manasseh, many living persons would remember back to that time and in those days, when the memory instead of printed books was relied upon so extensively, large portions would be preserved in the memory. Besides, extensive quotations were made in the psalms and prophets. Adam Clarke insists that the autograph copy of Moses was discovered; Dean Milman holds that it was the book of Deuteronomy, the second law, which he supposes to have been entirely lost. The remarkable effect of the reading upon king Josiah harmonizes with this view. "The duties of the prophetic order, the duties of the king, the necessity of religious and political unity, the prohibition of high places, the extreme severity against high places, the blessings and curses pronounced on disobedience to the Divine precepts, are all peculiar to Deuteronomy, and either applied or were directly applicable to the evils that Josiah was called to reform."--Stanley. This subject is discussed at length and with great learning under the head of Hilkiah in Smith's Dictionary of the Bible. This holds, for various reasons that we have not space to give, that the roll of the law discovered was Deuteronomy. The writer explains that there were very few copies of sacred books in those days, that the law was taught by public readings, that during the spiritual declension of the preceding reign this book had been entirely neglected, that in the reforms of Josiah attention had not been directed to this book until it was discovered in the temple. There may have been other copies in Judea, but the high priest and king had not met with them until this time. God had directed (Deut. 31:26) that a copy be preserved in the temple. Dr. Smith further insists that the artless simplicity of the whole story proves its truth. Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it. It is not certain that Hilkiah could read. The art of writing was confined to a few professional scribes. Even Jeremiah was constantly attended by "Baruch the scribe."

      9. Thy servants have gathered the money. This is Shaphan's official report of the way the king's orders had been obeyed.

      10. Shaphan read it before the king. He further reports the great discovery. When Shaphan read it he was doing his duty as scribe. It is likely that Josiah was unable to read. This was an uncommon accomplishment in that age when books were so rare. It should be kept in mind that the "book" was a manuscript roll of parchment.

      11. He rent his clothes. This act indicated grief, horror and repentance. The [14] king now heard for the first time the solemn denunciations of the sins of Israel found in Deut. chap. 28. He was alarmed at the terrible penalties which were denounced against the sins of which the people had been guilty. For other cases of rending garments see Gen. 37:29, the case of Reuben; Job 1:20 and 1 Kings 21:27.

      12. Commanded Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan. The persons named were appointed a formal deputation to seek the will of the Lord. Ahikam is named (Jer. 26:24) as Jeremiah's protector.

      13. Go ye, and inquire of the Lord for me. This order is equivalent to a command to seek the presence of a prophet. There were two of this order in Judea at this time of whom we know, Jeremiah who had begun to prophesy five years before (Jer. 1:2), and Huldah, the wife of Shallum.. For some reason unknown to us they went to the prophetess. Then followed a solemn public reading of the law and a national repentance and reformation. The whole nation renewed its covenant with Jehovah, and the, king proceeded to carry into execution the diving precepts.

      1. Elijah in Israel, Josiah in Judah, and Luther in Europe, were all restorers of the word of God. Idolatrous princes and nobles in the one case, and in the other idolatrous priests had wrested it from the people. The ignorance of Christendom of the Divine law before Wickliffe and Luther gave it to the people was as great as that of the Jews before the reformation of Josiah.

      2. There is no better proof of spiritual decay than neglect and ignorance of God's word; there, is no better proof of spiritual revival than an increase of interest in its study. A religious age is always a Bible reading age.

      3. Too often the Bible is lost. Sometimes it is lost in the temple or church; buried under the rubbish of creeds, traditions of men, human dogmas and opinions which have usurped its place. If it were brought forth from the rubbish and read the people would be, astonished. Sometimes it is lost in the home, covered with the dust of disuse, buried under the love of the world. It should be sought out, brought forth, and made the man of counsel. To refuse to hear the voice of God is a proof of idolatry.

      4. In times of sorrow or perplexity we should always "inquire of the Lord." [15] We may not have the Urim and Thummim, or be able to consult a prophet in person, but we can go to the throne of grace. "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God who giveth liberally and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him."

      5. The day of grace may be sinned away. Josiah's piety and repentance stayed but did not avert the ruin brought on Judah by disobedience. There is a point beyond which "no place for repentance" can be found, "though sought carefully with tears." "Seek the Lord while he may yet be found." All "who seek him early shall find him."

      6. Josiah from a child walked in the fear of the Lord. The man will be what the boy was, only more fully developed. "On the mantel-shelf of my grandmother's best parlor, among other marvels, was an apple in a phial. It quite filled up the body of the bottle, and my wondering inquiry was how it could have been got into its place. But the apple remained to me an enigma and a mystery. Walking in the garden I saw a phial placed upon a tree, bearing within it a tiny apple, which was growing within the crystal. Now I saw it all. The apple was put into the bottle when it was little, and it grew there. Just so we must catch the little men and women who swarm our streets, and introduce them within the influence of the Church; for, alas! it is hard indeed to reach them when they have ripened in carelessness and sin."--Spurgeon.

[CLC01 11-16]