Bible Commentaries

With Josiah's accession came the last attempt at reformation before Judah was finally swept into captivity. Josiah's first act of reformation was to restore the Temple. All that followed grew out of that.

In connection with it came the discovery of the book of the Law. The condition of affairs in Judah may be gathered from this discovery. The nation had become utterly corrupt during the fifty-seven years covering the reigns of Manasseh and Amon. The Temple was neglected and deserted, and it would seem as though neither king nor priest knew of the whereabouts of this book. No doubt they were aware of its existence, but so far had the people grown from recognition of, and response to, the divine government, that the sacred writings had been neglected and the actual Temple copy lost.

The effect of the book on the king revealed his ignorance of its content. Therein he found how far the nation had wandered from the divine ideal, and how terrible were the curses pronounced on them for their wandering. Having a conscience quick and sensitive, he at once realized both the danger threatening them and its cause, and turned for counsel to the prophetess Huldah. Speaking on divine authority, she recognized the sincerity of the king and the corruption of the people; and declared, in effect that the reformation to follow would be unreal so far as the people were concerned, but that because of Josiah's loyalty to Jehovah he would be gathered in peace to his fathers before the final blow should fall.