Show Me The Book

“Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had purged the land, and the house, he sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, and Maaseiah the governor of the city, and Joah the son of Joahaz the recorder, to repair the house of the LORD his God. And when they came to Hilkiah the high priest, they delivered the money that was brought into the house of God, which the Levites that kept the doors had gathered of the hand of Manasseh and Ephraim, and of all the remnant of Israel, and of all Judah and Benjamin; and they returned to Jerusalem. And they put it in the hand of the workmen that had the oversight of the house of the LORD, and they gave it to the workmen that wrought in the house of the LORD, to repair and amend the house: Even to the artificers and builders gave they it, to buy hewn stone, and timber for couplings, and to floor the houses which the kings of Judah had destroyed. And the men did the work faithfully: and the overseers of them were Jahath and Obadiah, the Levites, of the sons of Merari; and Zechariah and Meshullam, of the sons of the Kohathites, to set it forward; and other of the Levites, all that could skill of instruments of musick. Also they were over the bearers of burdens, and were overseers of all that wrought the work in any manner of service: and of the Levites there were scribes, and officers, and porters.

And when they brought out the money that was brought into the house of the LORD, Hilkiah the priest found a book of the law of the LORD given by Moses.”

2 Chronicles 34:8-14

Josiah was only eight years old when he began to reign in Jerusalem (2 Chron. 34:1). His wicked grandfather, Manasseh, offered his children as sacrifices to devils. His father Amon transgressed more than Manasseh did, and it was only by the grace of God through a political conspiracy (33:24-25) that a lone son, Josiah was spared the same fate. Josiah began with a clean mind, with little memory of what his fathers had done. But Josiah was also clearly immature in his outlook for his kingdom. For his predecessors had kindled the wrath of God, (2 Kings 21:10-15) and it was hidden from King Josiah. Until one day, while cleaning out and repairing the Temple of the Lord, the high priest made a miraculous discovery.

A Diamond in the Dirt

A tremendous amount of work was undertaken to repair the damage in the Temple. The blasphemy and perversity of idol-worship had literally tore the place apart. According to 2 Chronicles 34:11, the flooring had to be completely redone. It was a disaster. There were broken boards, bent nails, and scraps everywhere. If you have ever remodeled a house, you may have already experienced the inconvenience, the cramped spaces, and the incredible mess that can be. But in the middle of the mess: they found a book.

“And when they brought out the money that was brought into the house of the LORD, Hilkiah the priest found a book of the law of the LORD given by Moses.”

2 Chronicles 34:14

• A book had been hidden in the rubble. That demolished Temple had once been the Divine library. Years it had been available, but never noticed. They spotted it because now it was out of place in the reconstruction.
• A book stood out because of the apostasy. Books were unneeded in adulterous, idolatrous worship. A book in that place meant there was depth beyond the sensual, beyond the emotional, beyond the ritual part of worship. The true God had a mind as well as a heart and will. A book would communicate His thoughts and mind. They did not know how much they needed a book at this crucial moment, but they did.

The Crown Jewel

Hilkiah the priest opened the page, and instantly recognized what he had. This was no ordinary Book. It was the Book of God. Above all artifacts that were preserved, or time capsules that were sealed, the Book connected the trials they faced with the blessing and cursing of God Almighty. It also pointed to a coming tragedy they were totally unaware of.

“And Hilkiah answered and said to Shaphan the scribe, I have found the book of the law in the house of the LORD. And Hilkiah delivered the book to Shaphan.”

2 Chronicles 34:15

• The Book must be recognized for the artifact that it is. 178 million books in the Library of Congress (2023) and not a one of them more valuable than the Book. For every book has had its day, but the Book’s day is never yesterday.
• The Book must be relayed to the highest authority. I ask a young man, “Do you have a Bible at home?” He says, “I think so.” Why, a book as rarified as the Bible, you ought to know for sure when its in the house with you! Such a treasure should be put in a place of reverence in the home. “And Shaphan carried the book to the king,” (2 Chron. 34:15)
  • Concerning the Bible: the Book has survived burnings of organized religion for 2,000 years. The Book has been banned in over 50 countries across the globe. The Book has been imitated, but never duplicated in beauty or in truthfulness. The Book like that ought to have a prominent place on every desk, every dinner table, every library, every judge’s bench, every windowsill. For it is the power for every walk of life.
• The Book must be read. (2 Chron. 34:18)
  • In times of personal darkness- the Book sheds light.
  • In times of national distress- the Book discloses the purpose.
  • In every change of human history- the Book provides a common point of reference.

In a mountain of books, there is no question which we refer to when we say, The Book!

The Secret That Should Never Have Been

Josiah wilted when this Book was read to him. Here he was as the crowned king of Israel, and he is found guilty by the very God he claimed to worship! The words were hid from him, and had he not been diligent about the repairs to the Temple, he might have easily missed them altogether. He would then have wandered cluelessly through life into the boiling wrath of the Holy One of Israel.

“For great is the wrath of the LORD that is poured out upon us, because our fathers have not kept the word of the LORD, to do after all that is written in this book.”

2 Chronicles 34:21b

• God leaves most of Himself undiscernible apart from His words. God peeks occasionally through nature. A man’s experience may grant some further understanding. The record of history grants a panorama of His ways, but to know the will of God, man must read this Book.
• God parlays even just judgment to give time to read and heed the warnings. This is a gamble on man’s part to obey God’s words for two factors: judgment is just whether it is forewarned or not, and many stripes are due the man once he knows better (Luke 12:47). This Book takes all guesswork away from the phenomena of Divine Justice for all.

How shall they hear without a preacher? There is only a prophetess left in Jerusalem at this time. All the men were scattered. She is able to explain and confirm what Shaphan the scribe had read to king Josiah. She had no word for the kingdom, and had remained silent til now– til now that this Book was opened. “Because thine heart was tender, and thou didst humble thyself before God, when thou heardest his words against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, and humbledst thyself before me, and didst rend thy clothes and weep before me; I have even heard thee also, saith the LORD.” (2 Chronicles 34:27)

The 26 year-old King Josiah was wise beyond his years, yet it was youthful tenderheartedness that spared him and his people from the punishment they had been handed. No longer a stranger to this Book, Josiah covenanted with all his citizens in a beautiful trust of monarch and subject.

“And the king stood in his place, and made a covenant before the LORD, to walk after the LORD, and to keep his commandments, and his testimonies, and his statutes, with all his hear, and with all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant which are written in this book.”

2 Chronicles 34:31

A Kingdom was spared. A crisis was avoided. All due to the chance discovery of a book: the right book, the book of the law of God. At the close of the chapter the mystery of this Book is solved once and for all. The supernatural shows through the voice of the Narrator as He concludes: “the words of the covenant which are written in THIS BOOK.” Why, I am holding this kingdom-shaking, death-defying, future-telling Book.

Any man in possession of a King James Bible has the right book. The words of God are what made Hilkiah shudder. The Authorized Version of 1611 contains what rent the priest’s garments and brought tears to King Josiah’s eyes. This is that Book.

A Book. Do you have it?

The Book. Have you read it?

This Book. Do you believe it?

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