“Hilkiah the high priest said
to Shaphan the secretary, “I have found the Book of the
Law in the temple of
the LORD.” He gave it to Shaphan, who read it.
Then Shaphan the secretary
went to the king and reported to him: “Your officials have paid out the money
that was in the temple of the LORD and have entrusted it to the workers and
supervisors at the temple.”
Then Shaphan the secretary
informed the king, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.” And Shaphan read
from it in the presence of the king.
When the king heard the words
of the Book of the Law, he tore his robes.
He gave these orders to
Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Akbor son of Micaiah, Shaphan the
secretary and Asaiah the king’s attendant:
“Go and inquire of the LORD for me and for the
people and for all Judah about what is written in this book that has been
found. Great is the LORD’s anger that burns against us because those who have
gone before us have not obeyed the words of this book; they have not acted in
accordance with all that is written there concerning us.” (2 Kings 22:8-13)
In the 18th year
of King Josiah in Judah, Hilkiah the high priest found the Book of the Law and
gave it to Shaphan, the secretary. Shaphan read the book, and then took it to
the king. Once he told the king of the discovery, the king told him to read the
book aloud. When King Josiah heard the words of the Book of the Law he tore his
clothes.
Please notice these points
about the Book of the Law:
1.
They FOUND it.
2.
They READ it.
3.
They REPENTED.
The Book of the Law was just
a portion of the entire Bible we have today. In other words, they found the
Bible, just not completed. Even though it was not completed, it was all they
needed at that time. God provided what they needed, as He has provided His word
to us today.
Concluding that the Book of
the Law was in fact the Bible, even though it was only part of what we have
today, let us look at this from our standpoint. They found the Bible. They read
it and they repented. That is the true path to repentance resulting in real
revival.
Why doesn’t that work for us
today? We don’t have to look for the Bible. Unlike Judah of King Josiah’s day,
there are plenty of Bibles available today to any and all. The problem is they
BELIEVED the Book of the Law was God’s word and they BELIEVED what God said,
but we DO NOT BELIEVE IT. (I say “We” in speaking of those it applies to, and
that would be most.)
Their belief resulted in
their repenting. This is exactly why we are not experiencing revival today,
regardless of what comes from our mouth. If we really and truly believe what
the Bible says, we would not acquiesce to all the satanic garbage that has been
shoved down our throats by the Devil’s children. There would be more than just
a few here and there standing up for righteous living.
King Josiah was willing to
see himself as God saw him; i.e. a vile sinner. He was willing to believe the
word of God and change his way of living. As the leader of the nation of Judah,
his people followed him in true repentance before God.
Satan is blinding the eyes of
those without Jesus Christ in their lives. Being a Christian is not a religion
of do’s and don’ts, but a Christian wants to be obedient to God. No Christian
is perfect, but we desire to live for Jesus and allow the Holy Spirit to lead
us. However, Satan takes this and causes those who are lost to see his vileness
has a better way. This is nothing new. He began this tactic with Eve by causing
her to doubt the veracity (truth) of God.
Why won’t people soften their
hearts and believe God? This also includes some Christians. “Christians! You
say?” Yes, even Christians. There is one reason so many are not ready for
revival and here it is. They are not ready to give up that sin they love so
much.
The Bible is Truth because it
is God’s book. He wrote it via many secretaries. It is what the God of Heaven
and earth has to say to all mankind. As said by others, “History is His story.”
The Bible cuts no corners. It cuts deep with a sharp edge and tells the truth
with a level of accuracy that can only come from God himself.
“For the word of God is alive
and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing
soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the
heart.” (Hebrews 4:12)
Oh yeah, we know where a
Bible is that we could read if we really wanted to. The problem is we don’t
want to read it, because it would open up old sores that we forgot about. It
would remind us that our deeds are a sin against God, no matter how much
societal approval we receive. It would reveal that we are just as rotten as God
says. Even though He says He will forgive, it isn’t forgiveness we seek. It is
approval, and approval will not be found in His word. Every secret thing we
think is hidden is known by God, and He actually tells us so.
“Nothing in all creation is
hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes
of him to whom we must give account.” (Hebrews 4:13)
God has never said “No” to
anyone who has come to Him, putting their faith in His Son, and asking
forgiveness. He has never said “No” to any of His own children (Christians) who
come to Him asking forgiveness for their sins. He is always willing to forgive,
but I repeat, there are so many who don’t want forgiveness. They want His
approval. Let’s get it straight, God is never going to put His stamp of
approval on a life that is contrary to His own words.
If you and I are living in
sin, we need to do as King Josiah. We need to repent. Every time Judah had a
king that turned to God’s Word, they repented and God blessed them.
They found the Word. They
read the Word. They repented. We have the Word. We are not reading the Word. We
will not repent until we do. Even then, we will never repent until we BELIEVE
the Word and act upon it.
Grant Phillips
Email: Phillip5769@twc.com
Pre-Rapture Commentary: http://grant-phillips.blogspot.com
Rapture Ready: http://www.raptureready.com/featured/phillips/phillips.html
