2 Kings 22:8-13 – The danger of neglecting God’s Word

Shaphan was like the Secretary of State of king Josiah. He was instructed to relay the king's desire for the repair of the temple to Hilkiah the priest. The latter was told how the fund collected by the gatekeepers of the house of the LORD was to be used for the repair of it. While repairing the temple, we learn in 2 Kings 22:8-10 that the priest found the book of the law in the house of the LORD. He then gave it to Shaphan, who read it. Verse 9 then said that Shaphan returned to report to the king how he had carried out his order and how the fund was delivered to the workmen. While reporting, he also made known to Josiah that Hilkiah had given him a book that was found while repairing the temple. Shaphan then had it read to the king.  

Second Kings 22:11 describes how moved Josiah was when the content of the book was read to him. When he heard what was written in the book “he tore his clothes.” What Josiah did was an indication that he realized how much the nation had failed the LORD. It revealed the careless disregard the priests and kings before him had for the LORD. They, the custodians of the law did not take care to rightly handle the LORD’s instructions. The priests who were supposed to teach it had obviously neglected their duties. Hence, the kings were oblivious of the instruction resulting in many of them conducting their lives deplorably towards their covenant God.

Josiah immediately commissioned an inquiry board comprising “Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam the son of Shaphan, Achbor the son of Micaiah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah.” Their task outlined in verse 13 was: “Go, inquire of the LORD for me and the people and all Judah concerning the words of this book that has been found, for great is the wrath of the LORD that burns against us, because our fathers have not listened to the words of this book, to do according to all that is written concerning us.” The king realized how the whole nation had disobeyed God and incurred His wrath. Seeing how Josiah responded when the law was read to him, we guess that his intention was to make right where the nation had failed.

From this passage, we can see how convicting the Word of God can be when we approach them with a receptive heart. “The Law of the Lord,” according to Psalm 19:7, “is perfect reviving the soul.” And “All Scripture (the Word of God) says Paul in 2 Timothy 3:16-17, “is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” The underpinning message of this passage is that we must not neglect the Word of God.  We neglect it at our own peril. But when we receive and obey it, there is no telling of how much we will be revived and used by the LORD. So do what Paul urges us in 2 Timothy 2:15, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.”