II
C H R O N I C L E S
CHAP. XXXIV.
Before
we see
Judah
and
Jerusalem
ruined we shall yet see some glorious years,
while good Josiah sits at the helm. By his pious endeavours for reformation
God tried them yet once more; if they had known in this their day, the day of
their visitation, the things that belonged to their peace and improved them,
their ruin might have been prevented. But after this reign they were hidden
from their eyes, and the next reigns brought an utter desolation upon them. In
this chapter we have, I. A general account of Josiah's character, ver. 1, 2.
II. His zeal to root out idolatry, ver. 3-7. III. His care to repair the
temple, ver. 8-13. IV. The finding of the book of the law and the good use
made of it, ver. 14-28. V. The public reading of the law to the people and
their renewing their covenant with God thereupon, ver. 29-33. Much of this we
had 2 Kings xxii.
|
The
Reign of Josiah.
|
B.
C. 623.
|
|
|
1 Josiah was eight years old when he
began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem one and thirty years.
2 And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD,
and walked in the ways of David his father, and declined neither to the
right hand, nor to the left. 3 For in the eighth year of his
reign, while he was yet young, he began to seek after the God of David his
father: and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem from the
high places, and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten
images. 4 And they brake down the altars of Baalim in his
presence; and the images, that were on high above them, he cut down;
and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images, he brake in
pieces, and made dust of them, and strowed it upon the graves of
them that had sacrificed unto them. 5 And he burnt the bones of
the priests upon their altars, and cleansed Judah and Jerusalem. 6
And so did he in the cities of Manasseh, and Ephraim, and Simeon, even
unto Naphtali, with their mattocks round about. 7 And when he had
broken down the altars and the groves, and had beaten the graven images into
powder, and cut down all the idols throughout all the land of Israel, he
returned to Jerusalem.
Concerning Josiah we are here told, 1. That he came to the crown when he was
very young, only eight years old (yet his infancy did not debar him from his
right), and he reigned thirty-one years (v. 1), a considerable
time. I fear, however, that in the beginning of his reign things went much as
they had done in his father's time, because, being a child, he must have left
the management of them to others; so that it was not till his twelfth year,
which goes far in the number of his years, that the reformation began, v.
3. He could not, as Hezekiah did, fall about it immediately. 2. That he
reigned very well (v. 2), approved himself to God, trod in the steps of
David, and did not decline either to the right hand of to the left: for
there are errors on both hands. 3. That while he was young, about sixteen
years old, he began to seek after God, v. 3. We have reason to
think he had not so good an education as Manasseh had (it is well if those
about him did not endeavour to corrupt and debauch him); yet he thus sought
God when he was young. It is the duty and interest of young people, and will
particularly be the honour of young gentlemen, as soon as they come to years
of understanding, to begin to seek God; for those that seek him early
shall find him. 4. That in the twelfth year of his reign, when it is probable
he took the administration of the government entirely into his own hands, he began
to purge his kingdom from the remains of idolatry; he destroyed the high
places, groves, images, altars, all the utensils of idolatry, v. 3, 4.
He not only cast them out as Manasseh did, but broke them to pieces, and made
dust of them. This destruction of idolatry is here said to be in his twelfth
year, but it was said (2 Kings xxiii. 23) to be in his eighteenth year.
Something was probably done towards it in his twelfth year; then he began to
purge out idolatry, but that good work met with opposition, so that it was not
thoroughly done till they had found the book of the law six years afterwards.
But here the whole work is laid together briefly which was much more largely
and particularly related in the Kings. His zeal carried him out to do
this, not only in Judah and Jerusalem, but in the cities of Israel too, as far
as he had any influence upon them.
8 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. 9 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. 10 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: 11 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. 12 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 music. 13 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.
Here, 1. Orders are given by the king for the repair of the temple, v.
8. When he had purged the house of the corruptions of it he began to fit it up
for the services that were to be performed in it. Thus we must do by the
spiritual temple of the heart, get it cleansed from the pollutions of sin, and
then renewed, so as to be transformed into the image of God. Josiah, in this
order, calls God the Lord his God. Those that truly love God will love
the habitation of his house. 2. Care is taken about it, effectual care.
The Levites went about the country and gathered money towards it, which was
returned to the three trustees mentioned, v. 8. They brought it to
Hilkiah the high priest (v. 9), and he and they put it into the hands
of workmen, both overseers and labourers, who undertook to do it by the great,
as we say, or in the gross, v. 10, 11. It is observed that the
workmen were industrious and honest: They did the work faithfully (v.
12); and workmen are not completely faithful if they are not both careful and
diligent, for a confidence is reposed in them that they will be so. It is also
intimated that the overseers were ingenious; for it is said that all those
were employed to inspect this work who were skilful in instruments of
music; not that their skill in music could be of any use in architecture,
but it was an evidence that they were men of sense and ingenuity, and
particularly that their genius lay towards the mathematics, which qualified
them very much for this trust. Witty men are then wise men when they employ
their wit in doing good, in helping their friends, and, as they have
opportunity, in serving the public. Observe, in this work, how God dispenses
his gifts variously; here were some that were bearers of burdens, cut
out for bodily labour and fit to work. Here were others (made meliori luto--of
finer materials) that had skill in music, and they were overseers of
those that laboured, and scribes and officers. The former were the hands:
these were the heads. They had need of one another, and the work needed both.
Let not the overseers of the work despise the bearers of burdens, nor let
those that work in the service grudge at those whose office it is to direct;
but let each esteem and serve the other in love, and let God have the glory
and the church the benefit of the different gifts and dispositions of both.
14 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. 15 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. 16 And Shaphan carried
the book to the king, and brought the king word back again, saying, All that
was committed to thy servants, they do it. 17 And they have
gathered together the money that was found in the house of the LORD,
and have delivered it into the hand of the overseers, and to the hand of the
workmen. 18 Then Shaphan the scribe told the king, saying, Hilkiah
the priest hath given me a book. And Shaphan read it before the king.
19 And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the law, that he
rent his clothes. 20 And the king commanded Hilkiah, and Ahikam
the son of Shaphan, and Abdon the son of Micah, and Shaphan the scribe, and
Asaiah a servant of the king's, saying, 21 Go, enquire of the LORD
for me, and for them that are left in Israel and in Judah, concerning the
words of the book that is found: 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. 22 And Hilkiah, and they
that the king had appointed, went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of
Shallum the son of Tikvath, the son of Hasrah, keeper of the wardrobe; (now
she dwelt in Jerusalem in the college:) and they spake to her to that effect.
23 And she answered them, Thus saith the LORD
God of Israel, Tell ye the man that sent you to me, 24 Thus saith
the LORD,
Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof, even
all the curses that are written in the book which they have read before the
king of Judah: 25 Because they have forsaken me, and have burned
incense unto other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the
works of their hands; therefore my wrath shall be poured out upon this place,
and shall not be quenched. 26 And as for the king of Judah, who
sent you to enquire of the LORD,
so shall ye say unto him, Thus saith the LORD
God of Israel concerning the words which thou hast heard;
27 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. 28 Behold, I
will gather thee to thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered to thy grave in
peace, neither shall thine eyes see all the evil that I will bring upon this
place, and upon the inhabitants of the same. So they brought the king word
again.
This whole paragraph we had, just as it is here related, 2 Kings xxii. 8-20,
and have nothing to add here to what was there observed. But, 1. We may hence
take occasion to bless God that we have plenty of Bibles, and that they are,
or may be, in all hands,--that the book of the law and gospel is not lost, is
not scarce,--that, in this sense, the word of the Lord is not precious.
Bibles are jewels, but, thanks be to God, they are not rarities. The fountain
of the waters of life is not a spring shut up or a fountain sealed, but the
streams of it, in all places, make glad the city of our God. Usus communis
aquarum--These waters flow for general use. What a great deal shall we
have to answer for if the great things of God's law, being thus made common,
should be accounted by us as strange things! 2. We may hence learn, whenever
we read or hear the word of God, to affect our hearts with it, and to get them
possessed with a holy fear of that wrath of God which is there revealed
against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, as Josiah's tender heart
was. When he heard the words of the law he rent his clothes (v.
19), and God was well pleased with his doing so, v. 27. Were the things
contained in the scripture new to us, as they were here to Josiah, surely they
would make deeper impressions upon us than commonly they do; but they are not
the less weighty, and therefore should not be the less considered by us, for
their being well known. Rend the heart therefore, not the garments. 3. We are
here directed when we are under convictions of sin, and apprehensions of
divine wrath, to enquire of the Lord; so Josiah did, v. 21. It concerns
us to ask (as they did, Acts ii. 37), Men and brethren, what shall we do?
and more particularly (as the jailor), What must I do to be saved? Acts
xvi. 30. If you will thus enquire, enquire (Isa. xxi. 12); and,
blessed be God, we have the lively oracles to which to apply with these
enquiries. 4. We are here warned of the ruin that sin brings upon nations and
kingdoms. Those that forsake God bring evil upon themselves (v. 24,
25), and kindle a fire which shall not be quenched. Such will the fire
of God's wrath be when the decree has gone forth against those that
obstinately and impenitently persist in their wicked ways. 5. We are here
encouraged to humble ourselves before God and seek unto him, as Josiah did. If
we cannot prevail thereby to turn away God's wrath from our land, yet we shall
deliver our own souls, v. 27, 28. And good people are here taught to be
so far from fearing death as to welcome it rather when it takes them away
from the evil to come. See how the property of it is altered by making it
the matter of a promise: Thou shalt be gathered to thy grave in peace,
housed in that ark, as Noah, when a deluge is coming.
29 Then the king sent and gathered together all
the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. 30 And the king went up into
the house of the LORD,
and all the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the priests,
and the Levites, and all the people, great and small: and he read in their
ears all the words of the book of the covenant that was found in the house of
the LORD.
31 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 heart, and
with all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant which are written in
this book. 32 And he caused all that were present in Jerusalem and
Benjamin to stand to it. And the inhabitants of Jerusalem did according
to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers. 33 And Josiah
took away all the abominations out of all the countries that pertained
to the children of Israel, and made all that were present in Israel to serve, even
to serve the LORD
their God. And all his days they departed not from following the LORD,
the God of their fathers.
We have here an account of the further advances which Josiah made towards the
reformation of his kingdom upon the hearing of the law read and the receipt of
the message God sent him by the prophetess. Happy the people that had such a
king; for here we find that, 1. They were well taught. He did not go about to
force them to do their duty, till he had first instructed them in it. He
called all the people together, great and small, young and old, rich and poor,
high and low. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear the words of the
book of the covenant; for they are all concerned in those words. To put an
honour upon the service, and to engage attention the more, though there were
priests and Levites present, the king himself read the book to the people (v.
30), and he read it, no doubt, in such a manner as to show that he was himself
affected with it, which would be a means of affecting the hearers. 2. They
were well fixed. The articles of agreement between God and Israel being read,
that they might intelligently covenant with God, both king and people with
great solemnity did as it were subscribe the articles. The king in his place
covenanted to keep God's commandments with all his heart and soul, according
to what was written in the book (v. 31), and urged the people to
declare their consent likewise to this covenant, and solemnly to promise that
they would faithfully perform, fulfil, and keep, all and every thing that was
on their part to be done, according to this covenant: this they did; they
could not for shame do otherwise. He caused all that were present to stand
to it (v. 32), and made them all to serve, even to serve the
Lord their God (v. 33), to do it and to make a business of
it. He did all he could to bring them to it--to serve, even to serve;
the repetition denotes that this was the only thing his heart was set on; he
aimed at nothing else in what he did but to engage them to God and their duty.
3. They were well tended, were honest with good looking to. All his days
they departed not from following the Lord; he kept them, with much ado,
from running into idolatry again. All his days were days of restraint
upon them; but this intimated that there was in them a bent to backslide,
a strong inclination to idolatry. Many of them wanted nothing but to have him
out of the way, and then they would have their high places and their images up
again. And therefore we find that in the days of Josiah (Jer. iii. 6)
God charged it upon treacherous Judah that she had not returned to him with
all her heart, but feignedly (v. 10), nay, had played the harlot
(v. 8) and thereby had even justified backsliding Israel, v.
11. In the twenty-third year of this reign, four or five years after this,
they had gone on to provoke God to anger with the works of their hands
(Jer. xxv. 3-7); and, which is very observable, it is from the beginning of
Josiah's reformation, his twelfth or thirteenth year, that the iniquity of
the house of Judah, which brought ruin upon them, and which the prophet
was to bear lying on his right side, was dated (Ezek. iv. 6), for thence to
the destruction of Jerusalem was just forty years. Josiah was sincere in what
he did, but the generality of the people were averse to it and hankered after
their idols still; so that the reformation, though well designed and well
prosecuted by the prince, had little or no effect upon the people. It was with
reluctancy that they parted with their idols; still they were in heart joined
to them, and wished for them again. This God saw, and therefore from that
time, when one would have thought the foundations had been laid for a
perpetual security and peace, from that very time did the decree go forth for
their destruction. Nothing hastens the ruin of a people nor ripens them for it
more than the baffling of hopeful attempts for reformation and a hypocritical
return to God. Be not deceived, God is not mocked.
Contents
|
Next
Section
