Book of the law found king josiah reformation

God has for us today, we will need to know a little more about the main character of our story. A similar pattern is found throughout church history. Josiah reigned for some thirtyone 31 years 639608 b. Reformation and desolation kindle edition by marshall. During the reformation wrought by josiah, the king found himself in bethel, where stood this ancient altar. About this time an egyptian king named neco was crossing into a region near judahs territory. Josiahs reforms the book of the law found 2 chronicles 34. When the king heard the words of the book of law, he tore his robes. This reformation of josiah wrought, after all, only on the exterior of the nations life. The pleasure of god in the good of his people desiring god. Josiah s reformation is a book that will impact your life and offers food for the soul on almost every page.

Hernandez on apr 9, 2011 message contributor based on 5 ratings rate this sermon 8,250 views. When the temples wealth was distributed among the workers, shaphan informed josiah of the book of the law found in the temple by hilkiah, reading it aloud before him. It had been lost probably durig the dark days of manassehs reign. The historicalcritical analyses of the books of kings and. The account of the religious reforms of king josiah of the southern kingdom. Davies, josiah and the law book in good kings and bad kings.

While hilkiah was clearing the treasure room of the temple he. The book of the law was discovered in the temple and when josiah heard it, he took gods word to heart and began to establish justice in the land. We make a covenant before the lord to keep all his commandments written in the book of the law. The next part of josiahs policy was to destroy and defile the high places themselves. And now, while the scribe was reading to him out of the book of the law, the king knew he found a treasure of knowledge. During the repair, hilkiah, the high priest, found the book of the law of the lord given by moses, perhaps in a dusty unused. He destroyed all the places where false gods had been worshipped. Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned thirtyone years in jerusalem. What happened to the book of the law in the time of josiah. But josiah, from his earliest manhood took advantage of his position as king to exalt the principles of gods holy law.

In the midst of reforms prompted by the preaching of the prophets, josiah is. King josiah made a vow to keep all the laws written in it. Deuteronomic reform, great religious reformation instituted in the reign of king josiah of judah c. They had found a scroll they had found the law they had found scripture. Shaphan brings the book to josiah and reads from it. Almost a hundred years had passed since israel had been taken away by the assyrians and gods servants the prophets have warned that judah would now be held to the same standard that had once condemned israel. The religious reformation under king josiah bishop. As a result, josiah started a nationwide reformation. In the 18th year of the his reign, king josiah began the reconstruction of the temple in jerusalem. Josiah continued to remove all the evil priests, idols, wooden images and altars. Many identify the book as deuteronomy, however, what is meant by deuteronomy varies greatly from one scholar to another. The citizens of judah fared well under josiah s rule. It made at once a great impression and led to the centralizing of all sacrificial worship at jerusalem and the abolition of local idolatrous sanctuaries or high places.

The only question raised by the opposition was whether josiah s reform was based upon deuteronomy only, or parts of it, or the entire pentateuch. It begins with the decision to renovate the temple, which leads to the discovery of the book of the law. One way in which this was done was by covering them with dead mens bones, or burning dead bones upon them. The great reformation of state under king josiah began in this very way. A skeptical note on the document discovered in the temple under. A few years later, hilkiah found the book of the law of the lord given by moses. He humbled himself before the lord and rent his clothes and wept 2 kings 22. I have found the book of the law in the house of the lord by the time josiah was 26 years of age, the restoration of judahs standing before god was well under way.

Opposition to this conspiracytheory asserts however, that the integrity of the biblical text is certain and maintains that the law book was indeed found and supported the reform of the nation. It was so called because the book of the law found in the temple of. Deuteronomic reform, great religious reformation instituted in the reign of king josiah of. King josiah then preserves the discovered book of the law. It should have been in the most holy place in the temple, beside the ark of the covenant. Josiah or yoshiyahu was the sixteenth king of judah c. Unlike his father and grandfather, josiah tore down the pagan altars, pounded the stone idols into powder, and began repairing the temple. For some reason, king josiah wanted to go to war with him.

It helped that he seems to have had an honest group of repairmen. The church of rome could not keep up the use of images but by forbidding the use of the scripture. It was a great instance of gods favour, and a token for good to josiah and his people, that the book of the law was thus seasonably brought to light, to direct and quicken that blessed reformation which josiah. Josiah s reformation then the king directed that all the elders of judah and jerusalem should be gathered to him. Episode 4 josiah the king who found the book of the law. Hilkiah then gave the scroll to his secretary shaphan, who took it to king josiah. As long as josiah reigned, the people kept the laws that were written in the book of the law. Deuteronomic reform history of religion britannica. His reforms were carried out in full accordance with the book of the law possibly an early form of deuteronomy discovered in the temple during his reign. The book of law supposedly found in the jerusalem temple during renovations in the reign of king josiah is believed to be the book of deuteronomy. In the 18th year of josiah s reign hilkiah the priest found in the temple a copy of the book of the law that had been ignored for decades. The origin of deuteronomy, jedp and josiahs reform ba.

During the repairs, hilkiah discovered a book, he uncovered a scroll in the ruins of the temple. The discovered book and the legitimation of josiahs reform jstor. The author of kings describes the accession of josiah to the throne at 8 years, and then a busy year of reform in the 18th year of his reign. But now hilkiah the high priest tells shaphan the secretary, i have found the book of the law. 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. During this reformation a book of the law was found by hilkiah 2 kgs. The book of the law found josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in jerusalem thirtyone years. Idol worship had been abolished, and the temple was being renovated, with the ark of the covenant. The reformation under alfred the great included a return to the law of.

It was during this time that hilkiah discovered the book of the law. King josiah found great success in all he did to overthrow the idolatry and false worship of the nation once he read gods instructions for holiness out of the book of the law, which had been lost. Book of the law edit the hebrew bible states that the priest hilkiah found a book of the law in the temple during the early stages of josiahs temple renovation. The book that grieved josiah reformed bible studies. The occasion of josiah s religious reform was the repairing the temple of the lord2 kgs 22.

The story is told both in 2 kings 2223 and in 2 chronicles 3435. It will lead to a reformation of life, a reorienting of priorities and purpose. The book was likely known to the hebrews, for hilkiah claimed to have found the book of the law, 22. It was so called because the book of the law found in the temple of jerusalem c. In the eighteenth year of josiah s reign, at age 26, he began to repair the temple which had greatly deteriorated during the evil reigns of ahaz, manasseh and hezekiah vv. And hilkiah answered and said to shaphan the scribe, i have found the book of the law in the house of the lord. The reform began with the repairing of the temple of the lord. The book of the law was found contributed by jose r. After josiah ascended the throne, the book of the law was found in the temple 2 kings 22. The altar that was at bethel, and the high place which jeroboam the son of. Tearing of the king s robe symbolized great grief for the.

The king went up to the house of the lord, and with him went all the people of judah, all the inhabitants of jerusalem, the priests, the prophets, and all the people, both small and great. In the process of renovation a copy of the book of the law was found and it was read to the king vv. The whole of this illegitimate class of priests josiah put sternly down suppressing their order as contrary to the law of moses. Because josiah was a righteous king, he tore his clothes in repentance upon hearing the lost book read aloud v. The prophecy uttered so many years before in the presence of jeroboam, was now to be literally fulfilled. A scribe brought the book to king josiah and read it to him. What year did josiah find the book of deuteronomy and.

He was unable to soften the hearts of the people of israel until he read to them the book. He then throws a spectacular passover feast that is considered one the best in all of the history of judah. 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. Josiah righteous king of judah amazing bible timeline. As one examines the literature there seems to be a number of views as to the identity of the book of the law found by hilkiah in the temple during the reign of josiah 2 kim.