Reflections on 2 Kings 22

 2 Kings 22(Contemporary English Version)

1. Josiah was eight years old when he became king of Judah, and he ruled thirty-one years from Jerusalem. His mother Jedidah was the daughter of Adaiah from Bozkath.
   
2. Josiah always obeyed the LORD, just as his ancestor David had done.
   
3. After Josiah had been king for eighteen years, he told Shaphan, one of his highest officials: Go to the LORD's temple
   
4. and ask Hilkiah the high priest to collect from the guards all the money that the people have donated.
   
5. Have Hilkiah give it to the men supervising the repairs to the temple. They can use some of the money to pay
   
6. the workers, and with the rest of it they can buy wood and stone for the repair work.
   
7. They are honest, so we won't ask them to keep track of the money.
   
8. While Shaphan was at the temple, Hilkiah handed him a book and said, "Look what I found here in the temple--The Book of God's Law." Shaphan read it,
   
9. then went back to Josiah and reported, "Your officials collected the money in the temple and gave it to the men supervising the repairs.
   
10. But there's something else, Your Majesty. The priest Hilkiah gave me this book." Then Shaphan read it out loud.
    
11. When Josiah heard what was in The Book of God's Law, he tore his clothes in sorrow.
    
12. At once he called together Hilkiah, Shaphan, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Achbor son of Micaiah, and his own servant Asaiah. He said,
    
13. "The LORD must be furious with me and everyone else in Judah, because our ancestors did not obey the laws written in this book. Go find out what the LORD wants us to do."
    
14. The five men left right away and went to talk with Huldah the prophet. Her husband was Shallum, who was in charge of the king's clothes. Huldah lived in the northern part of Jerusalem, and when they met in her home,
    
15. she said: You were sent here by King Josiah, and this is what the LORD God of Israel says to him:
    
16. "Josiah, I am the LORD! And I will see to it that this country and everyone living in it will be destroyed. It will happen just as this book says.
    
17. The people of Judah have rejected me. They have offered sacrifices to foreign gods and have worshiped their own idols. I cannot stand it any longer. I am furious.
    
18. "Josiah, listen to what I am going to do.
    
19. I noticed how sad you were when you read that this country and its people would be completely wiped out. You even tore your clothes in sorrow, and I heard you cry.
    
20. So I will let you die in peace, before I destroy this place." The men left and took Huldah's answer back to Josiah.

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One of Judah's best kings came to the throne at this time. His name was Josiah, and he became king at the age of 8. Again we wonder what the primary influencers were that raised up good or evil kings. We noted in the reflections on the previous chapter that Hezekiah, who was also one of the better kings of Judah, followed evil kings and might have been expected to also be an evil king. But instead, he chose to follow the Lord. He was followed by Manasseh and Amon who were both evil kings - Manasseh being one of the worst. Now Josiah comes to the throne at a young age when he could have been so easily influenced toward evil. Instead, he was of strong character and initiated reform, making even more extensive reforms than previous reformers. But he was the last of the reformers and unfortunately those kings following him did not continue his reforms.

In the 18th year of Josiah's reign he initiated one of his greatest acts of reformation - the repair of the temple. While this was significant in itself, it led to an even more significant discovery - a long lost copy of the book of the law. Evidently previous evil kings had destroyed the known copies and knowledge of the law had been lost with them. No wonder Judah was sinking more and more into darkness. It makes the goodness of kings Hezekiah and Josiah even more remarkable.

Discovery of the book of the law was made known to king Josiah and read in his presence and he "he tore his clothes" in distress, realizing the failures of Judah to obey the Lord's instructions. Then he sent several officials to inquire of the Lord, "For great is the LORD's wrath that is kindled against us because our ancestors have not obeyed the words of this book in order to do everything written about us." (22:13) The officials went to the prophetess Huldah. The Lord spoke through her saying, " I am about to bring disaster on this place and on its inhabitants, fulfilling all the words of the book that the king of Judah has read, because they have abandoned Me and burned incense to other gods in order to provoke Me with all the work of their hands." (22:16-17) But the Lord also said to Josiah, "because you have torn your clothes and wept before Me, I Myself have heard you--declares the LORD. Therefore, I will indeed gather you to your fathers, and you will be gathered to your grave in peace." (22:19-20)

Josiah would not experience the judgment God planned for Judah, but storm clouds were forming during his lifetime in preparation for the storm of judgment that would befall Judah. During Josiah's reign world power passed from Assyria to Babylon. When Josiah died in 609, Nebuchadnezzar’s first attack on Jerusalem was just four years away.