Josiah ordered priests to consult the lord about the words in the book. After josiah ascended the throne, the book of the law was found in the temple 2 kings 22. Oct 24, 2017 to conclude, the reform of josiah has some historical foundation, but it is highly unlikely that history has been favored by the discovery of the book of the law. The hebrew bible states that the priest hilkiah found a book of the law in the temple during the early stages of josiahs. When the king heard the content describe josiahs response to the discovery of the book of the law in the temple read more. Then he made a solemn covenant before yahweh to obey it, and all the people stood to the covenant. Feb 07, 2017 this bible story tells the account of josiah s life and focuses on how he helped israel follow the book of the law again. Because josiah was a righteous king, he tore his clothes in. Deuteronomic reform history of religion britannica. This bible story tells the account of josiahs life and focuses on how he helped israel follow the book of the law again. Josiah put away all the mediums, the wizards, the idols and all the evil things that were discovered in the land of judah and in jerusalem, that he might carry out the words of the law which were written in the book that hilkiah, the priest, found in the temple of the lord. Josiah article about josiah by the free dictionary. He read the whole book of the covenant to all the people that had been found in the temple. During the repair, hilkiah, the high priest, found the book of the law of the lord.
Unlike his father and grandfather, josiah tore down the pagan altars, pounded the stone idols into powder, and began repairing the temple. Describe josiahs response to the discovery of the book of. The young josiah and the book of the law bible hub. In the process of restoring the temple, the high priest hilkiah found the book of the law. King josiah called for a time of national repentance. It was so called because the book of the law found in the temple of jerusalem c. According to the bible, king josiah then changed his form of leadership entirely, entering into a new form of covenant with the lord. 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. Josiahs appointments proved their loyalty in carrying out gods work. Hilkiah gave the book to shapan who read it and later read it to the king. Josiah understood the depth of the sin of the people and gods righteous anger against them. Josiah and the newly found law expositions of holy scripture alexander maclaren 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. Josiah did not need the word of god explained the word of god to him. When king josiah was eighteen years old on the throne, he started his religious reforms.
In the eighteenth year of his reign, he raised money to repair the temple, and during the repairs the high priest hilkiah found the book of the law. The book of the law in the house of the lord sermon by. After hilkiah found the book of the law, it was eventually read in the presence of king josiah, who, upon hearing it, tore his clothes, repented, and launched a national reformation in israel 22. In conclusion it seems that the book of the law which hilkiah found in the temple was not a recently written deuteronomy for the purpose of and. Josiahs reformation included the removal of idols from israels life. Was the book of the law lost for a long time that king josiah never saw it before. The identification with deuteronomy rests on the dependence of some of josiahs actions on the book e. When he presented this information to king josiah, the king read the words of gods law.
Josiahs immediate procedure was to call to the temple a representative assemblageelders, prophets, priests, populaceand to read to them this book of the covenant 2 kings 23. Then hilkiah the high priest said to shaphan the scribe, i have found the book of the law in the house of the lord. The book that grieved josiah reformed bible studies. It is in this book he tells you that he who believes and is baptized shall be saved. Which book was found when the temple was refurbished answers. The book of the law found 22 josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in jerusalem thirtyone years. When josiah heard the words of the law, he tore his clothes. The children of israel had been following traditions and handmedown religion and not the true words of god. Jun 19, 2014 14 while they were bringing out the money that had been taken into the temple of the lord, hilkiah the priest found the book of the law of the lord that had been given through moses. His history is one that offers christians some of the greatest encouragement they will ever find in the bible.
It had been ignored for up to 57 years after the days of hezekiah, but during the 55 year reign of manessah, 2 years of amons reign and 18 years of josiah s reign up to this point. The roll certainly contained deuteronomy and perhaps all the books of moses. He did not lay this book aside as something too precious to be handled. Josiah was the first ruler who turned to the lord with all his heart. As long as josiah reigned, the people kept the laws that were written in the book of the law.
The hebrew bible states that the priest hilkiah found a book of the law in the temple during the early stages of josiah s temple renovation. It was josiahs zeal in the repairing of the temple which prepared the way for the discovery here. In his position as king, it was the work of josiah to carry out in the jewish nation the principles taught in the book of the law. He destroyed all the places where false gods had been worshipped. Then hilkiah, the chief priest, said to shaphan, the scribe, i have found the book of the law in the temple of jehovah.
In the 18th year of the his reign, king josiah began the reconstruction of the temple in jerusalem. The book of the law found josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in jerusalem thirtyone years. No matter what, it is certain that deuteronomy was the book which was discovered. Some believe that the particular portion of the law that was found and read before king josiah was the book of deuteronomy. He was unable to soften the hearts of the people of israel until he read to them the book of the. So, perhaps for the first time, the people of judah and. The book of the law that was supposedly found in the temple during the seventhcenturybce reign of king josiah is believed to have been an early. Josiah continued to remove all the evil priests, idols, wooden images and altars. Josiah and the book of the law shepherd of the hills. Jan 05, 2011 in the 18th year of the his reign, king josiah began the reconstruction of the temple in jerusalem. According to 2 kings 2223, in the eighteenth year of the reign of josiah, the priest hilkiah found a roll during the renovation work of the temple of jerusalem. He then commanded that it be read to the people of god. However, probably the most favored view by modern old testament scholars is that which was originally presented by w. Hilkiah speaks of it as the book of the law a book long lost, now found, and at once recognized.
During the repair of the temple, a copy of the book was discovered by hilkiah the high priest. Shaphan comes to the king and announces that hilkiah has found a book and read it to josiah. The prophet josiah recorded lamentation songs about josiah, and they are found in the book of lamentations. However, the first edition of the book of deuteronomy may well have been made under his realm. It is usual to identify this document with deuteronomy, or with a substantial portion of it, mainly on the ground that the book demands that centralization of sacrifice which was the outstanding feature of josiahs reforms, and makes modifications in existing practice which suggest. Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned thirtyone years in jerusalem. Help them understand that josiah responded by sending his priests to inquire of the lord about the book. However, it is also possible that all of the law was lost and found again thereby explaining josiahs response 18 or that all of the law was lost but only deuteronomy was found which would still allow for josiahs response. Josiah, manassehs grandson, became king of judah when he was only eight. Sep 23, 2012 he made sure that all of the pagan idols and altars were removed from the temples area.
The reaction is strong and the king is deeply touched by the curses contained in the book. This phrase usually means the book of moses, the first five books of our bible. The same kind of book is in mind when you read in rev. Various ideas have been put forward about what the book was and why it was lost.
The book of gods laws is found in the temple and read to king josiah. Finding the lost book sermon by john lowe, 2 kings 22. While cleaning the temple, hilkiah found the book of the law of god. Hilkiah the high priest said to shaphan the secretary, i have found the book of the law in the temple of the lord. According to the bible, king josiah then changed his form of leadership entirely, entering into a new form of covenant. They took the book to the king and shaphan read the book to the king. Tradition attributes the authorship of the book of law deuteronomy to moses, but scholars attribute the book, or most of it, to a source now known as the deuteronomist, writing during the reign of king josiah in jerusalem. The scroll of the law found by josiah in the temple. The lord jehovah will support or supported of yahweh. A book of the law was known to have been once in existence.
The copy found was the complete, standard, authoritative copy. During the repair, hilkiah, the high priest, found the book of the law of the lord given by moses, perhaps in a dusty unused corner of the temple or in an area being repaired. In the 18th year of his reign, he gathered money to repair the temple and during the repairs, the high priest found the book of the law. So, now that we know how josiah responded to finding the law say, josiah rejoiced because he finally had the law of the lord. He turned to god with all his heart, with all his soul and with all his. King josiah said he would follow the lord and keep his commandments and gods laws with his whole heart and soul. This bible story tells the account of josiah s life and focuses on how he. The young josiah and the book of the law bible stories. By order of the king, high officer shaphan reads the scroll in front of all the people. It was read to josiah and the words he heard caused him to tear his clothes and weep 2 chronicles 34. When the scrolls containing the word of god was found there was much distress for they realized that they had not been doing gods word. The high priest then read the book back to king josiah, who then tore his clothes in despair. And shaphan read it before the king19 and it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the law, that he rent his clothes20 and the king commanded hilkiah. Josiah s immediate procedure was to call to the temple a representative assemblageelders, prophets, priests, populaceand to read to them this book of the covenant 2 kings 23.
Hilkiah the priest found a book of the law of the lord given by moses18 then shaphan the scribe told the king, saying, hilkiah the priest hath given me a book. You have heard how people in josiahs time did many wrong things while the book was lost. Josiah righteous king of judah amazing bible timeline with. Josiah righteous king of judah amazing bible timeline. When hilkiah read it to josiah, the king tore his clothes, a sign of mourning and repentance verse 11. Josiah was one of the good kings of judah and during his rein a great discovery was made. Jan 02, 2020 in the eighteenth year of his reign, he raised money to repair the temple, and during the repairs the high priest hilkiah found the book of the law. Aug 31, 2012 josiah was one of the good kings of judah and during his rein a great discovery was made.
Deuteronomic reform, great religious reformation instituted in the reign of king josiah of judah c. Now when they brought out the money that was brought into the house of the lord, hilkiah the priest found the book of the law given by moses. The finding of the book of the law by hilkiah in the temple marks a distinct turningpoint in josiah s reformation it is admitted generally that this law book included, if it did not exclusively consist of, the book of deuteronomy. Since the book no longer is a lost book, you have a light on your journey through life. Our lesson focuses upon one of the great heroes of the old testament. Hilkiah the high priest finds the book of the law of moses and gives it to shaphan the scribe who reads it. In the time of king josiah, the book of the law was found in the temple of yahweh. What was the book of the law that was found in the temple. Josiah had it read aloud and tore his clothes at the hearing. The great event of his reign came in its 18th year, when the book of the law, apparently deuteronomy deuteronomy, book of the bible, literally meaning second law, last of the five books the pentateuch or torah ascribed by tradition to moses.
The king josiah found the very book of the law thought to be the book of deuteronomy, written by moses finding the book of the law. King josiah heard the reading of the book of law and tore his clothes in distress. Oct 07, 2014 gods law had been lost in his own house. The book found in the temple was the book of the law. Josiah 16th king of judah the book of the law found. He humbly admitted his mistakes and sought to make things right again. King josiah the 16th and a good king of judah, 2 kings 22. The high priest found the book of the law in the temple and a scribe read the book to the king 2 kin 22.
He did what was right in the eyes of the lord and followed completely the ways of his father david, not turning aside to the right or to the left. In the book of the law itself he found a treasure of knowledge, a powerful ally in the work of reform. That was practically a finding of the lawbook of the church, as marvelous and as providential as this discovery in the reign of josiah. Hilkiah then gave the scroll to his secretary shaphan, who took it to king josiah. During the restoration project, a high priest named hilkiah found the book of the law which was created by moses. It was during josiahs reign that the temple was repaired and hilkiah, the high priest, found the book of the law. What happened to the book of the law in the time of josiah.
He told shaphan and hilkiah and a few others to go and ask the prophet what they should do since they had not been keeping the law of the lord at all. Because josiah was a righteous king, he tore his clothes in repentance upon hearing the lost book read aloud v. Hilkiah was a high priest who served during the reign of king josiah. In the eighteenth year of his reign, king josiah sent.