“Then
Shaphan the secretary told the king, ‘Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.’
And Shaphan read it before the king. When the king heard the words of the
Book of the Law, he tore his clothes” (2 Kings 22:10-11, ESV).
Notice
the reaction of King Josiah when his secretary read the Book of the Law or the
books written by Moses. He tore his clothes.
Why? What
did he hear from the book?
The king
said, “… For great is the wrath of the LORD that is kindled against
us, because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book, to do according
to all that is written concerning us" (verse 13).
He did not take the words of the book lightly. He
acknowledged that their ancestors transgressed what were written and they
offended not just another human king, but “the wrath of the Lord … is kindled
against us”!
Later, God Himself declared, “…Behold, I will bring
disaster upon this place and upon its inhabitants, all the words of the book
that the king of Judah has read. Because they have forsaken me and have
made offerings to other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the
work of their hands, therefore my wrath will be kindled against this
place, and it will not be quenched” (vv. 16-17).
The king regarded the words that he heard the very words of
the Almighty God. And because of his right reaction to His words, he was spared
from the punishment of the people.
Notice carefully what God said:
“But to the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the
LORD, thus shall you say to him, Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel:
Regarding the words that you have heard, because your heart was penitent,
and you humbled yourself before the LORD, when you heard how I spoke
against this place and against its inhabitants, that they should become a
desolation and a curse, and you have torn your clothes and wept
before me, I also have heard you, declares the LORD. Therefore, behold, I
will gather you to your fathers, and you shall be gathered to your grave
in peace, and your eyes shall not see all the disaster that I will bring upon
this place” (vv. 18-20).
God pointed out to the king, “Regarding the words that you
have heard…” When the secretary read the words of the book, “…your heart was
penitent, and you humbled yourself before the Lord…” The king did not just
regard the words he heard as the words of any man. So, his heart was penitent and he
humbled himself before the Lord.
After God declared how the king humbled himself, He
proceeded to say these significant remark: “…when you heard how I spoke against
this place…”
Did you get it?
When the king heard the secretary reading the words of the
book, he regarded those words from God! And God Himself validated it, “…when
you heard how I spoke…”
How do we also regard the message of the Bible? Do we
consider it just the ideas of men, which some words of God?
Or, do we humble ourselves before God as we read the Book,
like King Josiah who regarded the words he heard as the very words of the Living
and Sovereign God?
