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Expanded Comments |
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| 1 A son of eight years [is] Josiah in his reigning, and thirty and one years he hath reigned in Jerusalem, |
One and thirty years – Link No. 42 in the chain of Bible chronology. B50; R1980:4
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| 2 and he doth that which is right in the eyes of Jehovah, and walketh in the ways of David his father, and hath not turned aside right or left. |
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| 3 And in the eighth year of his reign (and he yet a youth), he hath begun to seek to the God of David his father, and in the twelfth year he hath begun to cleanse Judah and Jerusalem from the high places, and the shrines, and the graven images, and the molten images. |
In the eighth year – 651 BC, parallel to 1869 AD, when the editor of Zion's Watch Tower first began to search the Scriptures for the true plan of God. R3574:4*
While he was yet young – An example of the proper course for every young person in that the heart should be given to the Lord in the days of youth before evil experiences have come. R4838:5
He began to seek – It is one thing to be well disposed and another thing entirely to consecrate the heart to the Lord. R2390:3
In the twelfth year – By the time he was twenty, Josiah's religious convictions were so deep and fixed that he dared to begin the work of reformation. R4837:3, R3607:2
It is a great mistake to assume that children must first "sow wild oats" before they can appreciate righteousness. R4837:6
He began to purge – Under the Law every king of Israel had a responsibility to oppose idolatry with violence because the kingdom typically represented God and his reign of righteousness. But when fleshly Israel was cast off, all such laws were made null and void. R3607:3
With spiritual Israel each heart has its own dominion to conquer, to clear of idols. R3607:5
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| 4 And they break down before him the altars of the Baalim, and the images that [are] on high above them he hath cut down, and the shrines, and the graven images, and the molten images, he hath broken and beaten small, and streweth on the surface of the graves of those sacrificing to them, |
Brake down the altars – As it was with Josiah's work, so it should be with all who present themselves to the Lord. They should begin by breaking off their sins, destroying the fleshly idols of the heart. R2390:5
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| 5 and the bones of the priests he hath burnt on their altars, and cleanseth Judah and Jerusalem, |
Burnt the bones – This work of reform had been prophesied for him years before (1 Kings 13:1-3; 2 Kings 23:15-17). R3607:3
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| 6 and in the cities of Manasseh, and Ephraim, and Simeon, even unto Naphtali, with their tools, round about. |
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| 7 And he breaketh down the altars and the shrines, and the graven images he hath beaten down very small, and all the images he hath cut down in all the land of Israel, and turneth back to Jerusalem. |
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| 8 And in the eighteenth year of his reign, to purify the land and the house he hath sent Shaphan son of Azaliah, and Maaseiah head of the city, and Joah son of Johaz the remembrancer, to strengthen the house of Jehovah his God. |
In the eighteenth year – 641 BC, parallel to 1879 AD, the date of the founding of Zion's Watch Tower. R3574:4*
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| 9 And they come in unto Hilkiah the high priest, and they give the money that is brought in to the house of God, that the Levites, keeping the threshold, have gathered from the hand of Manasseh, and Ephraim, and from all the remnant of Israel, and from all Judah, and Benjamin, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, |
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| 10 and they give [it] into the hand of the workmen, those appointed over the house of Jehovah, and they give it [to] the workmen who are working in the house of Jehovah, to repair and to strengthen the house; |
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| 11 and they give [it] to artificers, and to builders, to buy hewn stones, and wood for couplings and for beams to the houses that the kings of Judah had destroyed. |
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| 12 And the men are working faithfully in the business, and over them are appointed Jahath and Obadiah, the Levites, of the sons of Merari, and Zechariah and Meshullam, of the sons of the Kohathite, to overlook; and of the Levites, every one understanding about instruments of song, |
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| 13 and over the burden-bearers, and overseers of every one doing work for service and service; and of the Levites [are] scribes, and officers, and gatekeepers. |
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| 14 And in their bringing out the money that is brought in to the house of Jehovah, hath Hilkiah the priest found the book of the law of Jehovah by the hand of Moses, |
Found – In the process of the cleaning up and restoring of the Temple services commanded by King Josiah. R3608:2
A book – Possibly including the five books of Moses and the book of Judges, including the original copy of Deuteronomy written by Moses' own hand. R4850:3, R3608:3, R2390:6
Now, in due time, the Word of God is being found, shining with wonderful brilliancy upon the path of the just. R4851:5
Law of the LORD – The Word of the Lord was lost during the Dark Ages, resulting in confusion and deterioration of spiritual vitality. His Word is found now in the sense of being easily accessible. R3609:3
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| 15 and Hilkiah answereth and saith unto Shaphan the scribe, 'A book of the law I have found in the house of Jehovah;' and Hilkiah giveth the book unto Shaphan, |
Shaphan the scribe – His position corresponded somewhat to the Secretary of State at the present time. R3608:2
In the house of the LORD – King Ahaz had caused the manuscripts to be burned, but in God's providence one copy of the Law was buried under a pile of stone and rubbish in one of the rooms surrounding the Court of the Temple. R3608:2
In one sense, the Word of the Lord is still hidden, covered with a thick coating of false teaching and human tradition. R3609:4
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| 16 and Shaphan bringeth in the book unto the king, and bringeth the king back word again, saying, 'All that hath been given into the hand of thy servants they are doing, |
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| 17 and they pour out the money that is found in the house of Jehovah, and give it into the hand of those appointed, and into the hands of those doing the work.' |
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| 18 And Shaphan the scribe declareth to the king, saying, 'A book hath Hilkiah the priest given to me;' and Shaphan readeth in it before the king. |
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| 19 And it cometh to pass, at the king's hearing the words of the law, that he rendeth his garments, |
The king had heard – Due to the long period of idolatry preceding Josiah's work of reformation, the king may have never heard of the divine Law up to this time. R4850:3
To the masses of the people today, God's Book is lost. R4851:1
Words of the law – He realized that the nation of Israel had committed the very sins recorded in Deuteronomy 28, and that therefore they were subject to the very penalties therein specified. R3608:3
Rent his clothes – The tearing of the loose outer garment in olden times was a symbol of distress, perplexity or fear. R3608:3
So it is with the Christian who at last discovers the true meaning of the great law of love, and feels his shortcomings. R2391:3
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| 20 and the king commandeth Hilkiah, and Ahikam son of Shaphan, and Abdon son of Micah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah, servant of the king, saying, |
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| 21 'Go, seek Jehovah for me, and for him who is left in Israel and in Judah, concerning the words of the book that is found, for great [is] the fury of Jehovah that is poured on us, because that our fathers kept not the word of Jehovah, to do according to all that is written on this book.' |
Wrath of the LORD – Deuteronomy 28 is a statement of the penalty due Josiah's kingdom because of idolatry preceding his day. R4851:1
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| 22 And Hilkiah goeth, and they of the king, unto Huldah the prophetess, wife of Shallum son of Tikvath, son of Hasrah, keeper of the garments, and she is dwelling in Jerusalem in the Second, and they speak unto her thus. |
Went to Huldah – Instead of Jeremiah or Zephaniah, perhaps to ascertain whether she would confirm their public prophecies of coming judgment upon the nation. R2391:1
The prophetess – God requires faithfulness on the part of female as well as male stewards in the use of all their talents. R1549:4
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| 23 And she saith to them, 'Thus said Jehovah, God of Israel, Say to the man who hath sent you unto me, |
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| 24 Thus said Jehovah, Lo, I am bringing in evil on this place, and on its inhabitants, all the execrations that are written on the book that they read before the king of Judah; |
Evil upon this place – It was too late for any national reformation, as it is now too late for the reformation of Christendom. R2391:4
Curses – Evils. R3608:5
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| 25 because that they have forsaken Me, and make perfume to other gods, so as to provoke Me with all the works of their hands, and poured out is My fury upon this place, and it is not quenched. |
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| 26 'And unto the king of Judah, who is sending you to inquire of Jehovah, thus do ye say unto him: Thus said Jehovah God of Israel, whose words thou hast heard: |
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| 27 Because thy heart [is] tender, and thou art humbled before God in thy hearing His words concerning this place, and concerning its inhabitants, and art humbled before Me, and dost rend thy garments, and weep before Me: even I also have heard the affirmation of Jehovah. |
Thine heart was tender – Words of comfort and consolation for the king himself. R2391:4
The Lord's promise is comforting to all those who mourn in Zion, who are out of sympathy with evil and unrighteousness. R2391:6
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| 28 Lo, I am gathering thee unto thy fathers, and thou hast been gathered unto thy graves in peace, and thine eyes do not look on all the evil that I am bringing upon this place, and upon its inhabitants;' and they bring the king back word. |
To thy grave – Qeber, tomb, place of interment. E348
In peace – The king, and presumably others who manifested a similar spirit, would be preserved from the trouble. It would not come at a time and manner as to involve them. R4851:1, R3608:5
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| 29 And the king sendeth and gathereth all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem, |
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| 30 and the king goeth up to the house of Jehovah, and every man of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the priests, and the Levites, even all the people, from great even unto small, and he readeth in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant that is found in the house of Jehovah. |
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| 31 And the king standeth on his station, and maketh the covenant before Jehovah, to walk after Jehovah, and to keep His commands, and His testimonies, and His statutes, with all his heart, and with all his soul, to do the words of the covenant that are written on this book. |
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| 32 And he presenteth every one who is found in Jerusalem and Benjamin, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem do according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers. |
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| 33 And Josiah turneth aside all the abominations out of all the lands that the sons of Israel have, and causeth every one who is found in Israel to serve, to serve Jehovah their God; all his days they turned not aside from after Jehovah, God of their fathers. |
All the abominations – The purging from idolatry was still more thoroughly carried out and the work of reformation made more deep. R4851:1
They departed not – The majority of the Israelites were swayed by the example of the king, without any clear moral and religious sentiments of their own. R3608:6
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