Get Ready
Does your family have any heirlooms – something passed down the generations? Perhaps a book or a set of photographs or something that symbolizes your family? How old is it? Who is responsible for keeping it and passing it on? How important is it to your family?
The Word
34 Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign; he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem.
2 He did what was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the ways of his ancestor David; he did not turn aside to the right or to the left. 3 For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was still a boy, he began to seek the God of his ancestor David, and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, the sacred poles, and the carved and the cast images. 4 In his presence they pulled down the altars of the Baals; he demolished the incense altars that stood above them. He broke down the sacred poles and the carved and the cast images; he made dust of them and scattered it over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them. 5 He also burned the bones of the priests on their altars, and purged Judah and Jerusalem. . . .
8 In the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had purged the land and the house, he sent Shaphan son of Azaliah, Maaseiah the governor of the city, and Joah son of Joahaz, the recorder, to repair the house of the Lord his God. 9 They came to the high priest Hilkiah and delivered 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 They delivered it to the workers who had the oversight of the house of the Lord, and the workers who were working in the house of the Lord gave it for repairing and restoring the house. . . .
14 While they were bringing out the money that had been brought into the house of the Lord, the priest Hilkiah found the book of the law of the Lord given through Moses. 15 Hilkiah said to the secretary Shaphan, “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 delivered it into the hand of the overseers and the workers.” 18 The secretary Shaphan informed the king, “The priest Hilkiah has given me a book.” Shaphan then read it aloud to the king.
19 When the king heard the words of the law he tore his clothes. 20 Then the king commanded Hilkiah, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Abdon son of Micah, the secretary Shaphan, and the king’s servant Asaiah: 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 the wrath of the Lord that is poured out on us is great, because our ancestors did not keep the word of the Lord, to act in accordance with all that is written in this book.”
22 So Hilkiah and those whom the king had sent went to the prophet Huldah, the wife of Shallum son of Tokhath son of Hasrah, keeper of the wardrobe (who lived in Jerusalem in the Second Quarter) and spoke to her to that effect. 23 She declared to them, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Tell the man who sent you to me,
24 Thus says the Lord: I will indeed bring disaster upon this place and upon its inhabitants, all the curses that are written in the book that was read before the king of Judah. 25 Because they have forsaken me and have made offerings to other gods, so that they have provoked me to anger with all the works of their hands, my wrath will be poured out on this place and will not be quenched. 26 But as to the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the Lord, thus shall you say to him: Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Regarding the words that you have heard, 27 because your heart was penitent and you humbled yourself before God when you heard his words against this place and its inhabitants, and you have humbled yourself before me, and have torn your clothes and wept before me, I also have heard you, says the Lord. 28 I will gather you to your ancestors and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace; your eyes shall not see all the disaster that I will bring on this place and its inhabitants.” They took the message back to the king. NRSV
Get into the Word:
1. What is unusual about the king of Judah? How was he different than most other kings? What did he start doing as a teenager? Why did he take these actions? How do you suppose the people reacted to these programs?
2. What did he do after the land and house were clean? Who all was involved in this program? What did they do first? Where did they get the money for this project? Why was it necessary [see Notes]?
3. What happened while the project was getting started? Who made the discovery? Who did he tell about it? Who brought it to the king? What happened next? How did the king respond when he heard the reading? Why do you think he reacted this way?
4. What did the king do about the discovery? Who did he involve? What task did he give the group? What was the king most concerned about?
5. Who did the group go to for answers to the king’s questions? Why did they go to this person? Where was she? How did she answer the group’s questions?
6. What did she say about the Lord? What did she say about the curses? What did she say about the people of Judah? What did she say about the king?
Get Personal:
How does God remind you of his expectations for your life and work? How do you usually respond to these nudges? How does God help you follow his direction?
Notes . . .
34:1. Josiah — reigned over Judah from 640 to 609 BCE, a time when there was no strong power in the region.
34:3. Purge — stamp seals (recording official transactions) of this time period show a shift from fertility symbols to simple identification of the person making the seal.
Sacred poles — symbols of the fertility goddess Asherah worship.
34:8. Repair the house of the Lord — in ancient time the ruler was responsible for maintaining the “house” of the deity, to ensure continued support from the god and blessings for the people.
34:9. Money — often there was a temple tax and/or use of conscript labor.
34:14. Found the book — in many cases the builders would include a “cornerstone” box with copies of official documents (or building plans).
The law — Deuteronomy for sure, and perhaps other parts of the Torah.
34:19. Words of the law — included the king’s responsibility to maintain and study the law [Deut 17:18-20].
34:22. Huldah — there are not many female prophets, but there are some – such as Deborah [Judges 4-5] and Anna [Luke 2:36-38].
34:24. Curses — the consequences of ignoring the law are spelled out in Deuteronomy 28:15-24 [there is another list at Leviticus 26:14-20].
Memory Verse
O Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like you, in heaven or on earth, keeping covenant in steadfast love with your servants, [2 Chronicles 6:14].
Next Lesson
Ezra 3:1-13: Rebuilding the altar and the temple.
