2 Chronicles 34:14-28 - Homilies By T. Whitelaw

The book of the Law.

I. THE FINDING OF THE BOOK . ( 2 Chronicles 34:14 , 2 Chronicles 34:15 .)

1 . The finder. Hilkiah the priest ( 2 Chronicles 34:18 ), the high priest ( 2 Chronicles 34:9 ), the son of Shallum ( 1 Chronicles 6:13 ), the son of Zadok; not to be identified with either the father of Jeremiah ( Jeremiah 1:1 ) or the father of Gemariah ( Jeremiah 29:3 ); and certainly to be distinguished from the father of Eliakim, Hezekiah's house-steward ( Isaiah 22:20 ).

2 . The place. The temple (verse 15), though in what part is not stated (verse 14); perhaps the treasure-chest out of which Hilkiah was fetching gold. to make cups and other vessels (Josephus, 'Ant.,' 10.4. 2), but more probably the vicinity of the ark in the holy of holies.

3 . The time. The eighteenth year of Josiah's reign, when he was in the middle of his reformation work (verse 8), and just before the celebration of the Passover ( 2 Chronicles 35:1 )—a circumstance calculated to suggest the presence of God's finger in the opportune discovery of a book which exercised so powerful an influence upon the religious life of the nation at this critical juncture in its history; though the same circumstance has been used (Wellhausen, Kuenen, Ewald, Colenso, R. Smith, Cheyne) to support the theory that the book was now or shortly before for the first time written, by either Hilkiah himself, Jeremiah, or some other unknown prophet, as the legislative programme of the reforming party.

4 . The book.

(a) The title of the book—"the book of the Law" (verse 15), "a book of the Law of the Lord" (verse 14)—a designation which appears to be reserved for the fifth alone of the so-called Mosaic books ( Deuteronomy 28:61 ; Deuteronomy 30:10 ; Deuteronomy 31:26 ). But it is likewise styled "the book of the covenant" (verse 30); and this phrase occurs only in the second of the Pentateuchal books ( Exodus 24:7 ). Whence, by parity of reasoning, the book found must have been the Book of Exodus alone. The probability, however, is, that the volume contained both the second and the fifth books of Moses; in other words, that it was the whole Pentateuch.

(b) The size of the book. As Shaphan is said to have read it through at a sitting (verse 18), it is hardly likely to have been the whole Pentateuch, but may have been Deuteronomy. But the revised translation, "therein" (verse 8), has deprived this of the force it was formerly sup, posed to possess as an argument.

(c) The teaching of the book. The principle of Josiah's reformation, which it is argued was based upon the book—the principle, viz; of the abolition of local sanctuaries and the centralization of worship in the temple at Jerusalem—corresponds exactly with the legislation of the Deuteronomic code, which declares the law of one central altar, and forbids the erection of local sanctuaries ( Deuteronomy 12:5-8 ). This, however, may be conceded without holding that Hilkiah's Law-book contained nothing but Deuteronomy or the original draft thereof—unless, indeed, it be assumed that Deuteronomy was only then for the first time written—against which stands the fact that the law of the king ( Deuteronomy 17:18 ) appears to have been known and observed in the days of Jehoiada and Jonah ( 2 Chronicles 23:11 ; 2 Kings 11:12 ). Besides, it is too readily assumed that Josiah had no knowledge of the sinfulness of local sanctuaries and the imperative obligation of a central altar until he heard Hilkiah's book read, and that from the hearing of that book he derived his impulse to destroy the heathen altars in Jerusalem, Judah, and certain cities of Israel. As to the first, if Josiah had no acquaintance with the law of one altar, it would seem that Hezekiah had ( 2 Kings 18:4-6 ); while, with reference to the second, the Book of Kings indeed adopts the view here stated; but the Chronicler represents the finding of the book as having taken place after the purgation of the land (verse 8).

(d) The style of the book. On the ground of certain linguistic resemblances between Deuteronomy and Jeremiah, it is argued that the former must have been Hilkiah's book, and composed about Josiah's time. But this reasoning is not good. As Hilkiah's book contained Deuteronomy, whatever else it contained, it would most likely make on Jeremiah, as on Josiah, a deep impression, which would reflect itself upon his own writings. Hence, from mere verbal correspondences, it cannot be inferred that Deuteronomy was not written till the age of Josiah; and if' this position be abandoned, it will not be necessary to maintain that Hilkiah's book was only the last of the (so-called) books of Moses.

(a) The fact that "it was a common practice of Egyptian scribes to insert in their transcripts of great religious or scientific works a statement that the writing in question had been 'found' in a temple," hardly warrants the suggestion that Deuteronomy 31:6 was "an imitation of this custom," or that Hilkiah's book "was not lost by accident, nor yet placed in the sanctuary with the intention to deceive, but simply taken to the temple and formally placed there, and then communicated to Josiah with a view to its promulgation".

(b) The phrase, "by Moses," is not sufficiently explained by saying that the author meant that Moses, had he been alive, would have so written.

(c) It is difficult to perceive why Hilkiah, Shaphan, and Josiah should have given out that the work was by Moses, if they really knew that it was not, but was merely an "imitation" of the great lawgiver.

(d) It is too much to ask any but the credulous to believe that Josiah was not acting a part in pretending to be impressed by the contents of the book, if he knew it was not by the lawgiver, but by an unknown and recent author. That it was the autograph copy of the lawgiver's work (Kennicott) is an unverifiable surmise; that it was "the three middle books of the Pentateuch" (Bertheau) or only the second (Gramberg) does not seem likely.

II. THE READING OF THE BOOK . ( Deuteronomy 31:18 , Deuteronomy 31:19 )

1 . The reader. Shaphan the scribe, the son of Azaliah ( Deuteronomy 31:8 ), the son of Meshullam ( 2 Kings 22:1-20 :37, one of Josiah's commissioners for the repairing of the temple.

2 . The auditor. Josiah ( 2 Kings 22:18 ), to whom Shaphan carried the book in obedience to Hilkiah's instructions.

3 . The lesson. "It" or "in it" (Revised Version). Not necessarily the whole book, but only portions of it, as e.g. those containing the curses against disobedience (Deuteronomy 27-31.; Le Deuteronomy 26:14 -46), warnings against idolatry (Le 26:1-30; Deuteronomy 4:15 ; Deuteronomy 27:15 ), and perhaps also the directions relating to the observance of the Passover ( Exodus 12:1-51 .7 and the making of a covenant ( Exodus 24:1-18 .).

4 . The impression. Josiah rent his clothes ( Exodus 12:19 ).

(1) In astonishment (cf. Genesis 37:29 ; Genesis 44:13 ) at the teaching rather than at the finding of the book. Many persons still would be surprised at the contents of the Bible if they only read it. The Bible is often rejected by those who are entirely ignorant of it.

III. THE INQUIRING ABOUT THE BOOK . ( Exodus 12:21-28 .) Done at Josiah's instance.

1 . The reason of this inquiry. The terror in which the king was about the wrath of Jehovah against himself and people on account of the failure of their fathers to do after all that was written in the book. Josiah recognized the solidarity of the race, according to which the proverb held good, "The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge" ( Ezekiel 18:2 ). Besides, Josiah must have known the reforming zeal of the people was at best but superficial ( Jeremiah 3:10 ). Hence, though the land and the house had been purged, he was uncertain whether the curses denounced against idolatry might not still overtake them. It is good when"the terror of the Lord" ( 2 Corinthians 5:11 ) persuades men to inquire about escaping, from the wrath to come.

2 . The quarter at which this inquiry was made.

3 . The persons through whom this inquiry was made. The deputation sent by the king consisted of five individuals, most likely all high officials connected with his court.

4 . The answer returned to this inquiry.

Learn:

1 . The inspiration of Scriptures.

2 . The profitableness of Scripture-reading.

3 . The testimony of conscience to the Word of God.

4 . The certainty of God's anger against sin.

5 . The blessedness of sincere mourning on account of sin.

6 . The mercifulness of God in the providential preservation of his Word.

7 . The certainty that God never loses sight of the Bible, though man often does.—W.