April 1929
189
T h e
K i n g ' s
B u s i n e s s
I n t e r n a t i o n a l L e s so n C om m e n ta r y By David L. Cooper 1
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By the age of twelve, the child had grown spiritual sufficiently that he began reforms which purged out the grosser forms of idolatry from Judah and Jeru salem. According to 3b and 4, “the images and high places which had been set up during the reigns of Manasseh and Amon were removed.” In order to make the reforms thorough and to impress the people with the seriousness of the situa tion, he burned the bones of the idola trous priests upon their altars. His re forms extended not only to the southern kingdom, but to the northern tribes, even unto Naphtali. II. Temple Repaired by Josiah. Vs. 8-13. From the context, it appears that these reforms continued for a period of six years, at the expiration of which the grosser forms of idolatry had been re moved from the Holy Land, and the House (the Temple at Jerusalem) had been cleansed from the idols which had been set up by his predecessors. In the eighteenth year of his reign, he gave or ders to Shaphan, to the governor of the city, and to the recorders “to repair thé House of Jehovah his God.” During the 57 years of the two preceding reigns, since the Temple had been devoted to idolatrous worship and had been neglect ed, it was greatly in need of repairs. During the reforms of the preceding six years, the Levites had gathered money from the different tribes in order to repair the House and to re-establish the worship. These funds were delivered to the faithful High Priest Hilkiah. Evi dently this money was the free will offer ings and tithes of the people whose hearts yearned for the true worship of God. The children of God are to give, freely and cheerfully after the Lord prospers them (1 Cor. 16:1, 2). According to verses 10 and 11, there was system and order in the carrying out of the great work of re-establishing the worship. Those into whose hands the funds were entrusted are accountable to God for the proper use of said funds. No greater commendation could be spoken concerning the labors of anyone than that which the Holy Spirit gives, “and the men did the work faithfully." When the Lord returns and rewards His servants, His commendation will be in terms of their faithfulness (see Matt. 25 : 14-30; Luke 19:11-27). III. The Book of the Law Found. Vs. 14-16. When men set their hearts to seek God and to do His will, He always sees that they have an opportunity of learning the truth (John 7:17). He always works everything together for those who love Him and are called according to His pur pose (Rom. 8:28). During the 57 preceding years, doubt less much rubbish had accumulated in the Temple. Under some of this debris a
May S> 1929 What Hilkiah Found In the Temple Golden Text: “Thy word is a lamp un to my feet, And liqht unto my path” (Psa. 119:105). Lesson Text: 2 Chron. 34:1-33. L esson in O utline I. Early Reforms of Josiah. Vs. 1-7. II. Temple Repaired by Josiah. Vs. 8-13. III. The Book of the Law Found. ,Vs. 14-16. IV. The Effect of the Word of God up on the King. Vs. 17-21. V. The Prophecy of Huldah. Vs. 22-28. VI. A Great Revival Caused by the Word of God. Vs. 29-33. I. Early Reforms of Josiah. Vs. 1-7. J OSIAH whs eight years of age when he mounted the throne, and by the bless ing of God he reigned for thirty-one years. Though his life was very short, it was eventful and fruitful. The secret of his and turned not aside to the left hand nor to the right.” It is very evident that he was not a man-pleaser, nor a time-server. Doubtless whenever any issue arose, his first thought was, “What is the will of God in this matter?” Man’s ways are not God’s ways, neither are his thoughts God’s thoughts (cf. Isa. 55:8-9). “He walked in the ways of David, his father.” The life of a child of God is never represented by hopping, skipping or jumping, but always by the figure of walking or running—steady progress. Jo siah walked in the ways of his father David. David was a man after God’s own heart, and purposed always to please God, though on occasions, through the weakness of the flesh, he miserably failed. When, however, he failed, he came back in genuine repentance with an open con fession of his failures. “And turned not aside to the right hand nor to the left.” This statement of the Holy Spirit is a great eulogy of the fidel ity of the young king. Evidently he, like Daniel (Dan. 1:8), purposed always to do that which is pleasing in the sight of God. According to verse 3, the boy King be gan to seek after God. Men were created “that they should seek God” (Acts 17: 27). God also seeks after men (see Luke 15, and Gal. 4:9). success is set forth in th e following words: “A nd he did that which was right in the eyes of Jehovah, and walk ed in the ways of David h i s father,
copy of “the Book of the Law of Je hovah given by Moses” was found. The writer of Chronicles clearly states that this book of the Law was that which had been given by Moses. According to Deut. 31:9, 24-26 Moses wrote “the words of this Law in the book, until they were finished,” and delivered it to the Levites, charging them: “Take this book of the law, and put it by the side of the ark of the Covenant of Jehovah your God, that it may be there for a witness against thee.” Rationalistic critics have put forth the thesis that the book which the workmen discovered and delivered to Hilkiah was not written by Moses, but was a produc tion of some conniving partisan, selfish priest who drew up the “Deuteronomic code” and palmed it upon the young un suspecting King as an ancient document from the hands of Moses. A thorough investigation of the five books of Moses and a close study of the data supplied by the writer of Kings and Chronicles will prove to the unbiased mind that the the ory of the rationalists is without a foun dation in fact. It is inconceivable to the unprejudiced mind that the King, to gether with all the elders of the nation, could be deceived and made to believe that a bogus document of recent compo sition was an ancient production. Only the most gullible ones who have a theory to support believe such. The book contained “the Law of Jeho vah.” It was God’s Law in that Moses, the human author, was inspired by the Spirit of God to speak the very words of God (see 2 Pet. 1:21). IV. The Effect of the Word of God upon the King. Vs. 17-21. Immediately upon the discovery of the Book of the Law, Shaphan the scribe re ported to the King that Hilkiah the Priest had found the Book of the Law and had delivered it to him. This report was good news to the King, who had the scribe read therein before him. The King, being thoroughly convinced that he was listening to the Word of God written by Moses, rent his clothes as an indication of grief over the existing con dition. Immediately he did that which a sensible, practical, God-fearing man would do; namely, he called his spiritual advisers to him and commanded them to go and to inquire of the Lord concerning the words to which he had listened. There was no doubt in his mind as to the message being from God, but it seems that he wanted to know what God would have him and his fellow men to do in order to avert the calamities threatened in the book. V. The Prophecy of Huldah. Vs. 22-28. Those sent by the King immediately went to Huldah, a prophetess, and in quired from her concerning the will of God. According to verses 24 and 25, she declared that the judgments threatened
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