2 Chronicles 34:19 (ESV) — And when the king heard the words of the Law, he tore
his clothes.
2 Chronicles 34:21 (ESV) — “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 great is the wrath of the Lord that is poured out on us, because our
fathers have not kept the word of the Lord, to do according to all that is
written in this book.”
NOTE: A book of the
law has been found in the temple during the renovation. In our age, it is hard
to imagine how a book could be lost and forgotten. But they did not have
Kindles or printing presses. We are not sure what book was lost, or if the
entire Pentateuch was lost, but given the King's response, it was most likely
Deuteronomy (and many scholars agree). Why do I think Deuteronomy? Again, given
Josiah's response, it seems as if they read Deuteronomy Chapter 28. Josiah now
responds in two ways, and these two ways are still the best response to the
word of God today. One, Josiah heard the word and tore his clothes -- his heart
was touched and repentance overtook him. He would have been a failure if he had
stopped there, an emotional response to the hearing. Two, his next step was to
go to God and figure out what he needed to do. He realized that they had not
been doing the word. He did not just hear it, but he took steps to apply it.
This is the single greatest failure of the church today bar none. We hear the
word but we don't individually apply it to our lives. We apply it to others in
terms of what they "ought" to be doing. But we don't apply it
ourselves. We are fools. "But be doers of
the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. James 1:22 (ESV)"
PRAYER: Father, I
pray for myself. As you speak to me, make it clear to me my failures. Help me
to develop plans to apply the word of God to my life. Thank you for the IDQs
and the emphasis on application. I want to be known as a doer of the Word, and
not just a hearer.
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