2 Chronicles 34:8-21--The Book of the Law Found

2 Chronicles 34:8-21
English Standard Version

The Book of the Law Found
8 Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had cleansed 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 They came to Hilkiah the high priest and gave him the money that had been brought into the house of God, which the Levites, the keepers of the threshold, had collected from Manasseh and Ephraim and from all the remnant of Israel and from all Judah and Benjamin and from the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 10 And they gave it to the workmen who were working in the house of the LORD. And the workmen who were working in the house of the LORD gave it for repairing and restoring the house. 11 They gave it to the carpenters and the builders to buy quarried stone, and timber for binders and beams for the buildings that the kings of Judah had let go to ruin. 12 And the men did the work faithfully. Over them were set Jahath and Obadiah the Levites, of the sons of Merari, and Zechariah and Meshullam, of the sons of the Kohathites, to have oversight. The Levites, all who were skillful with instruments of music, 13 were over the burden-bearers and directed all who did work in every kind of service, and some of the Levites were scribes and officials and gatekeepers.

14 While they were bringing out the money that had been brought into the house of the LORD, Hilkiah the priest found the Book of the Law of the LORD given through Moses. 15 Then Hilkiah answered and said to Shaphan the secretary, “I have found the Book of the Law in the house of the LORD.” And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan. 16 Shaphan brought the book to the king, and further reported to the king, “All that was committed to your servants they are doing. 17 They have emptied out the money that was found in the house of the LORD and have given it into the hand of the overseers and the workmen.” 18 Then Shaphan the secretary told the king, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.” And Shaphan read from it before the king.

19 And when the king heard the words of the Law, he tore his clothes. 20 And the king commanded Hilkiah, Ahikam the son of Shaphan, Abdon the son of Micah, Shaphan the secretary, and Asaiah the king's servant, saying, 21 “Go, inquire of the LORD for me and for those who are left in Israel and in Judah, concerning the words of the book that has been found. For great is the wrath of the LORD that is poured out on us, because our fathers have not kept the word of the LORD, to do according to all that is written in this book.”

---

Once again, we see God using both a young king and a priest to bring about reforms.  While Josiah has been ridding the Land of idols and the priests and false prophets of these false gods, the true priests have been cleansing the Temple (with the support of two of the king's officials.  They were there to help record the offerings that were made to the Temple and that the money was being used for its upkeep and repair.  At the same time the Levites were once again given their assignments and they consecrated themselves to the LORD.

In the process of repairing the Temple, the high priest found the Book of the Law (the book of Deuteronomy).  Because the king was to have his own personal copy of this book sitting by him at all times, the high priest told the officials to tell the king that he had found the Book of the Law.  Everything that was happening was reported to the king and when it was reported that Hilkiah had found the Book of the Law, they immediately started to read from it for the king.

When the king heard the words of the book (probably referring to not only its commands, but its associated blessings and curses), he tore his clothes--a sign of grief, mourning, and sometimes repentance.  The king would rarely tear his clothes because they would be so expensive.  The king told the high priest to go in before the LORD to inquire what the king and the people of Judah were to do--likely the king got to the part at the end of the book where the LORD laid out their future and it ended in being sent off into Exile, and they were very close to that time.  Josiah knew that the people deserved the LORD's wrath for the unrepentant sin they had been committing for generations and generations.  They had not been faithful to the LORD or His covenant that He had made with them.  They were Law-breakers and anyone who read from the Book of the Law knew it.