Charles Spurgeon Commentary 2 Chronicles 34

This was a very remarkable find. Of all the discoveries that they might have made, they could have discovered nothing that would bring about so much good for all the people as this book of the law of the Lord given by Moses.

Such was his horror upon discovering how they had all sinned, and how many terrible judgments were to be inflicted upon them because of all that long time of sin, that he tore his clothes.

And the king commanded Hilkiah, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Abdon the son of Micah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah a servant of the king's, saying, Go, inquire of the LORD for me, and for them that are left in Israel and in Judah, concerning the words of the book that is found:

Oh, that all who read God's Book now would do as young Josiah did! If there is any difficulty in a book, the short way to understand it is to inquire of the author. And surely, there is never greater wisdom than, when we have read any of the deep mysteries or solemn threats in this Volume and feel staggered by them, to inquire of the Lord concerning them. I believe that there is many a puzzling passage in the Bible deliberately so that we may be driven to inquire of the Lord about it.

If the Book were all so easy to understand that, at the first reading of it, we could comprehend all its meaning, we might, perhaps, keep away from God. But He has purposely given us many dark sentences and made the meaning somewhat obscure, so that we may wait upon His enlightening Spirit and so obtain instruction, for the Spirit of God is even more useful to us than the Word itself. Great as the blessing of the Book is, the blessing of the living Spirit is greater still, and anything is good that drives us to Him. What had influenced Josiah's mind was the terror of the Book.

For great is the wrath of the LORD that is poured out upon us, because our fathers have not kept the word of the LORD, to do according to all that is written in this book. And Hilkiah, and those whom the king had appointed, went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvath, the son of Hasrah, keeper of the wardrobe (now she lived in Jerusalem in the college; ), and they spoke to her to that effect. And she answered them, Thus says the LORD God of Israel, Tell you the man that sent you to me, Thus says the LORD, Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, and upon its inhabitants, even all the curses that are written in the book which they have read before the king of Judah: because they have forsaken me, and have burned incense to other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the works of their hands; therefore my wrath shall be poured out upon this place, and shall not be quenched. And as for the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the LORD, so shall you say to him, Thus says the LORD God of Israel concerning the words which you have heard; because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before God, when you heard his words against this place, and against its inhabitants, and humbled yourself before me, and tore your clothes, and wept before me; I have also heard you, says the LORD. Behold, I will gather you to your fathers, and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace, neither shall your eyes see all the evil that I will bring upon this place, and upon its inhabitants. So they brought the king word again.

When God selects an instrument for his own service, how well he tunes it for the use to which it is to be put! Here is a woman, a married woman, and she is selected to be the Lord's prophetess to the king; but never has any man spoken more bravely than she did.

Her opening words show a holy courage that is lifted above all fear of men: Thus says the Lord God of Israel, Tell you the man that sent you to me, for before God kings are only men; and though Huldah was only a subject of Josiah, see with what real dignity God's ordination had invested her. Josiah was not to succeed in the reformation of Israel. He was true and sincere, but the people were steeped in hypocrisy, and formality, and idolatry, and they did not go with the king in all his root and branch reforms. They still clung in their hearts to their idols, and therefore they must be destroyed, and the nation must be carried away captive.

It was, however, a very singular promise that God gave to Josiah: I will gather you to your fathers, and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace. Yet he was mortally wounded in battle, so how could that promise be fulfilled? You know how it could be. However we may die — if sword or plague or fire consume the saints among the rest of mankind, their very deaths and graves are blessed. There was no fighting about Josiah's grave; he was buried in peace. Pharaoh-Necho had struck him, but he did not destroy the land; and Josiah was allowed to be buried amid the great lamentations of a people who only began fully to appreciate him when he was taken away from them.

That was a grand Bible-reading, with a king for reader, and all his princes and all his people gathered to listen to the Word of God.

What could he have said better, had he been the greatest of orators?

To read from this blessed Book must surely be to the edification of the hearers.