Responding to the Word of God

How do we respond to the Word of God?

The Tale of Several Kings

Hezekiah - good king - 25 yrs old - reigned 29 years

Manasseh - bad king - 12 yrs old - reigned 55 years

Amon - bad king - 22 yrs old - reigned 2 yrs

Josiah - good king - 8 yrs old - reigned 31 years

For 77 years Judah was governed by bad kings

The Temple Repaired

Takes place during the 18th year of Josiah’s reign

Josiah sends Shaphan to the house of the Lord

“Go up to Hilkiah the high priest, that he may count the money that has been brought into the house of the Lord, which the keepers of the threshold have collected from the people. And let it be given into the hand of the workmen who have the oversight of the house of the Lord, and let them give it to the workmen who are at the house of the Lord, repairing the house (that is, to the carpenters, and to the builders, and to the masons), and let them use it for buying timber and quarried stone to repair the house. But no accounting shall be asked from them for the money that is delivered into their hand, for they deal honestly.”

The Law Found

2 Kings 22:10 ESV

Then Shaphan the secretary told the king, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.” And Shaphan read it before the king.

2 Kings 22:11 ESV

When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his clothes.

2 Kings 22:13 ESV

“Go, inquire of the Lord for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that has been found. For great is the wrath of the Lord that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book, to do according to all that is written concerning us.”

Judgment dispensed

2 Kings 22:16–17 ESV

Thus says the Lord, Behold, I will bring disaster upon this place and upon its inhabitants, all the words of the book that the king of Judah has read. Because they have forsaken me and have made offerings to other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the work of their hands, therefore my wrath will be kindled against this place, and it will not be quenched.

Application - How do we take what we have learned in this narrative passage and apply it to our own lives