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Before we see Judah and Jerusalem ruined we shall yet see some glorious years, while good Josiah sits at the helm. By his pious endeavours for reformation God tried them yet once more; if they had known in this their day, the day of their visitation, the things that belonged to their peace and improved them, their ruin might have been prevented. But after this reign they were hidden from their eyes, and the next reigns brought an utter desolation upon them. In this chapter we have, I. A general account of Josiah's character, 2Ch 34:1,2. II. His zeal to root out idolatry, 2Ch 34:3-7. III. His care to repair the temple, 2Ch 34:8-13. IV. The finding of the book of the law and the good use made of it, 2Ch 34:14-28. V. The public reading of the law to the people and their renewing their covenant with God thereupon, 2Ch 34:29-33. Much of this we had 2Ki 22:1-20
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The Reign of Josiah (623 BC)
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約西亞的治期（主前 623 年）
¹ 約西亞登基的時候年八歲，在耶路撒冷作王三十一年。 ² 他行耶和華眼中看為正的事，效法他祖大衛所行的，不偏左右。 ³ 他作王第八年，尚且年幼，就開始尋求他祖大衛的 神；到了第十二年，才開始潔淨猶大和耶路撒冷，除掉邱壇、木偶、雕刻的像和鑄造的像。 ⁴ 眾人在他面前拆毀巴力的壇，他把其上的日像盡行砍下，又將木偶、雕刻的像和鑄造的像打碎，磨成灰塵，撒在向那些像獻祭之人的墳上。 ⁵ 又將祭司的骨頭燒在他們的壇上，潔淨了猶大和耶路撒冷。 ⁶ 又在瑪拿西、以法蓮、西緬各城，直到拿弗他利，以及四圍廢壘之處，都這樣行。 ⁷ 他拆毀了祭壇和木偶，把雕刻的像磨成粉碎，砍斷以色列遍地所有的偶像，就回到耶路撒冷。
關於約西亞，此處告訴我們：1. 他登基時極其年幼，只有八歲（然而他的幼年並不能剝奪他的權利），他在位三十一年（代下 34:1），為期頗長。然而我恐怕在他即位之初，國事大體仍如他父親在位時一般，因為他既是孩童，必將國政交託他人辦理；因此直到他作王第十二年——這年歲在他為王的年日中已不算短——改革才開始（代下 34:3）。他不能像希西家那樣立即著手行事。2. 他行善政（代下 34:2），在 神面前蒙悅納，跟隨大衛的腳蹤，並不偏左右，因為左右兩端皆有偏差。3. 他在年幼之時，約十六歲，就開始尋求 神（代下 34:3）。我們有理由相信他所受的教育不如瑪拿西所受的那般良好（若周圍的人沒有竭力引誘他、敗壞他，已屬萬幸）；然而他在年幼時就這樣尋求 神。青年人在達到能分辨是非的年紀時，就當開始尋求 神，這既是他們的本分，也是他們的益處，對年輕紳士而言更特別是榮耀；因為凡早早尋求他的，就必尋見。4. 在他作王第十二年，那大概是他將國政完全攬入己手之時，他開始潔淨他的國，除掉偶像崇拜的遺痕；他毀壞了邱壇、木偶、神像、祭壇，以及一切偶像之物（代下 34:3–4）。他不僅像瑪拿西那樣將它們逐出，更將其打碎，磨成灰塵。這裡說他除滅偶像是在第十二年，但在列王紀下 23:23 卻說是在第十八年。第十二年大概已有所作為；那時他開始清除偶像，但這善工遭到反對，直到六年後尋得律法書之後才徹底完成。此處將整個工作簡述於一處，而在《列王紀》中則更為詳盡具體地記述。他的熱心不僅限於猶大和耶路撒冷，更擴及以色列各城，凡他所能施加影響之處皆然。
⁸ 約西亞王在位第十八年，淨化了地和殿之後，就差遣亞薩利雅的兒子沙番、邑宰瑪西雅、約哈斯的兒子記錄官約亞，去修繕耶和華他 神的殿。 ⁹ 他們到了大祭司希勒家那裡，將交進 神殿的銀子奉上；這銀子是守門的利未人從瑪拿西、以法蓮和以色列其餘所有的人，以及猶大和便雅憫眾人手中收來的，帶回耶路撒冷。 ¹⁰ 他們將銀子交在耶和華殿裡督工的手中，轉交在耶和華殿裡作工的人手中，用以修補殿宇。 ¹¹ 他們又把銀子交給匠人和建造的人，用以買鑿成的石頭和用作接合的木料，並裝修猶大列王所毀壞的房屋。 ¹² 那些人辦事誠實；督工的是利未人，米拉利子孫中有雅哈和俄巴底，哥轄子孫中有撒迦利亞和米書蘭，統管工程；其餘能彈奏樂器的利未人也是如此。 ¹³ 他們又管理扛抬的人，監督一切作工辦事的人；利未人中也有作書記、官長和守門的。
此處：1. 王下命修理聖殿（代下 34:8）。他先潔淨殿中的污穢，繼而將其修整妥當，以備在其中舉行事奉。我們對待心靈這屬靈的殿也當如此——先除去罪的污穢，再使其更新，以致變化成為 神的形像。約西亞在此稱 神為「耶和華他的 神」。凡真心愛 神的，必愛他居所的殿。2. 關於此事，作了切實的安排。利未人走遍各地，為修殿募捐銀錢，交給代下 34:8 所提及的三位受託人。他們將銀子帶到大祭司希勒家那裡（代下 34:9），他和受託人將其交在工匠手中——無論是監工還是工人——他們承攬整體工程，正如我們所說，是「全包」來作（代下 34:10–11）。經文記載這些工匠勤勉而誠實：他們「辦事誠實」（代下 34:12）；工匠若不謹慎勤勉，就不能算是完全忠心，因為人所託付於他們的，正是信賴他們必如此而行。經文也暗示這些監工都很有才智；因為經上說，凡善於「彈奏樂器」的人都被派來監督這工程；並不是說他們的音樂技巧對建築有何幫助，而是這證明了他們是有見識、有才智的人，尤其顯示他們的天賦傾向數學一類的學問，這使他們非常勝任此項託付。聰明人若將其聰明用於行善——幫助朋友，並在有機會時服務公眾——那時才是真正有智慧的人。請留意這工程中，神如何將各樣恩賜分賜各人；此處有「扛抬的人」，他們天生適合體力勞動，也適合作工。又有別人（用更精細的材料所造）精通音樂，他們是「作工之人的監督」，又是書記和官長。前者是手，後者是腦。他們彼此相需，工程也二者皆需。願監督工程的不要輕看扛抬的人，願作工的不要嫉妒那受派管理的人；各人要在愛中彼此敬重服事，讓 神得榮耀，使教會因兩樣不同恩賜與性情的益處而受益。
¹⁴ 他們將奉進耶和華殿的銀子拿出來的時候，祭司希勒家偶然得了摩西所傳耶和華的律法書。 ¹⁵ 希勒家對書記沙番說：「我在耶和華殿裡得了律法書。」於是希勒家將書遞給沙番。 ¹⁶ 沙番把書帶到王那裡，回報王說：「凡交給僕人辦的事，他們都行了。 ¹⁷ 他們把耶和華殿裡所找到的銀子都聚集起來，交在督工和工匠的手中。」 ¹⁸ 書記沙番又告訴王說：「祭司希勒家遞給我一卷書。」沙番就在王面前誦讀。 ¹⁹ 王聽見律法的話，就撕裂衣服。 ²⁰ 王吩咐希勒家、沙番的兒子亞希甘、米迦的兒子亞伯頓、書記沙番，以及王的臣僕亞撒雅，說： ²¹ 「你們去為我，也為以色列和猶大剩下的人，以這書上所找到的話求問耶和華；因為我們列祖沒有遵守耶和華的言語，沒有遵行這書上所寫的一切，耶和華的烈怒倒在我們身上。」 ²² 於是希勒家和王所派的人，都去見女先知戶勒大；戶勒大是掌管禮服的沙龍的妻子，沙龍是哈斯拉的孫子、特瓦的兒子（戶勒大住在耶路撒冷第二區）；他們就照這話對她說。 ²³ 她回答他們說：「耶和華以色列的 神如此說：『你們去告訴那差遣你們來見我的人，說： ²⁴ 耶和華如此說：我必降禍與這地方和其中的居民，就是這書上所寫的一切咒詛，因為他們在猶大王面前誦讀了它。 ²⁵ 因為他們離棄了我，向別 神燒香，用他們手所做的惹我發怒；所以我的烈怒必倒在這地方，總不熄滅。 ²⁶ 至於那差遣你們來求問耶和華的猶大王，你們要這樣對他說：耶和華以色列的 神論到你所聽見的話，如此說： ²⁷ 因為你聽見我指著這地方和其上居民所說的話，心裡柔順，在 神面前自卑，又在我面前自卑、撕裂衣服、哭泣——我已聽見了你。這是耶和華說的。 ²⁸ 我必使你歸到列祖那裡，平平安安歸入墳墓，你也必看不見我所降與這地方和其中居民的一切災禍。』」他們就回覆了王。
這整段我們已在列王紀下 22:8–20 中讀過，與此處所記幾乎完全相同，在那裡所作的觀察之外，此處無須再添甚麼。但是：1. 我們可因此趁機為自己擁有豐富的聖經而稱頌 神，且聖經人人可讀，或在所有人手中——律法與福音之書未曾失落，並不稀少——從這意義上說，「耶和華的言語」並不「稀少」。聖經是珍寶，但感謝 神，它不是稀有之物。生命水的泉源並非封閉的泉或封緘之泉，其河流在各處「使 神的城歡喜」。倘若 神律法中的大事既已如此普及，我們竟把它當作奇異之事，我們將有何等多的事要交帳！2. 我們可由此學到：每逢閱讀或聽見 神的話，總要讓它感動我們的心，使我們對其中所啟示、向一切不敬不義之人發出的 神之烈怒，懷有聖潔的敬畏，正如約西亞柔順的心那樣。他聽見律法的話，就「撕裂衣服」（代下 34:19）， 神也喜悅他這樣行（代下 34:27）。倘若聖經中所記的事對我們而言是新奇的——正如當日對約西亞是新奇的一樣——它們必定在我們心中留下比我們通常所有的更深刻的印象；然而它們並不因此減輕分量，所以也不當因為我們已十分熟悉就不加思想。所以要撕裂心腸，不撕裂衣服。3. 此處教導我們，當我們在罪的知覺與 神烈怒的警覺之下，當求問耶和華；約西亞正是如此行（代下 34:21）。我們理當問（如他們所問的，徒 2:37）：「弟兄們，我們當怎樣行？」更具體地問（如禁卒那樣）：「我當怎樣行才可以得救？」（徒 16:30）。「你們若要這樣查問，就可以查問」（賽 21:12）；感謝 神，我們有活潑的聖言，可帶著這些詢問來就。4. 此處警告我們，罪給列國與邦國帶來何等的傾覆。離棄 神的人必把災禍帶到自己頭上（代下 34:24–25），並點起「總不熄滅」的火。當判令已出，那些頑固不化、不肯悔改、堅持惡道的人， 神的烈怒之火必如此臨到。5. 此處勉勵我們在 神面前自卑、尋求他，正如約西亞所行。我們若不能借此挽回 神對我們這地的怒氣，也必拯救自己的靈魂（代下 34:27–28）。敬虔的人在此受教：不但不要怕死，反當在死亡將他們「從將到的災禍中接去」時，情願迎接它。請看死亡的本性既成為應許的內容，便如何改變：你「必平平安安歸入墳墓」，正如挪亞被安置在那方舟中，當洪水將至之時。
²⁹ 王差遣人招聚猶大和耶路撒冷的眾長老來。 ³⁰ 王和猶大眾人、耶路撒冷的居民、祭司、利未人，以及所有百姓，無論大小，都上耶和華的殿去；王在耳中誦讀那在耶和華殿裡所找到的約書上的一切話。 ³¹ 王站在他的位上，在耶和華面前立約，要盡心盡性跟從耶和華，遵守他的誡命、法度、律例，成全這書上所記約中的話。 ³² 又使所有在耶路撒冷和便雅憫的人都站立附和。於是耶路撒冷的居民都遵行他們列祖之 神的約。 ³³ 約西亞從以色列人各邦中除掉一切可憎之物，又使所有在以色列的人都事奉耶和華他們的 神。他一生的日子，他們總不離開耶和華他們列祖的 神。
此處記述約西亞聽了律法、又領受 神藉女先知所傳的信息之後，在國中改革上更進一步。有這樣一位王的百姓有福了；因為此處我們看見：1. 他們受良好的教導。他並非先以強制手段驅使他們盡本分，而是先將本分指教他們。他把所有百姓——無論大小、老幼、貧富、貴賤——都召集來。「凡有耳可聽的，就應當聽」「約書」上的話，因為所有人都與這些話有關。為使這事奉得尊榮，並更加吸引人注意，雖有祭司利未人在場，王仍親自向百姓誦讀此書（代下 34:30），並且無疑他是用自己深受感動的方式誦讀，這就成為感動聽眾的媒介。2. 他們立定心志。 神與以色列所立之約的條款既已誦讀，使他們能明白地與 神立約，於是王與百姓都極其莊重地，彷彿在條款上簽署。王在他的位上立約，要盡心盡性遵守 神的誡命，照「書上所寫的」而行（代下 34:31），又勸勉百姓也同樣表達他們對這約的同意，鄭重應許他們必忠心履行、成全、遵守這約中凡他們當盡的一切：他們就如此行了；他們羞於不如此行。他「使所有在場的人都站立附和」（代下 34:32），又使他們都事奉，「甚至事奉耶和華他們的 神」（代下 34:33）——不但作，更以此為業。他竭盡所能帶領他們——「事奉，甚至事奉」；這重複的話表明這是他全心所追求的唯一目標；他所行的一切別無他圖，只為使他們歸向 神與他們的本分。3. 他們受良好的牧養與看顧。他「一生的日子，他們總不離開跟從耶和華」；他用盡力氣，才勉強使他們不致再陷入偶像崇拜。「他一生的日子」對他們都是約束的日子；但這也暗示他們裡面有「退後的傾向」，有強烈趨向偶像的癖性。他們中間許多人只盼望他不在眼前，便要把他們的邱壇和偶像重新設立。因此我們看見，「在約西亞的日子」（耶 3:6） 神指控背道的猶大：她「沒有全心全意歸向我，只是假意歸向」（參代下 34:10），更「行了淫亂」（代下 34:8），甚至「稱背道的以色列為義」（代下 34:11）。在他作王第二十三年——這事之後四五年——他們已「繼續以手所做的惹 神發怒」（耶 25:3–7）；而很值得注意的是，正是在約西亞改革開始之時，即他第十二或第十三年，「猶大家」那招致傾覆、先知要右側臥承當的罪孽開始計算（結 4:6），因為從那時到耶路撒冷毀滅，正好四十年。約西亞所行的出於真誠，但百姓大體上厭惡此事，仍舊戀慕他們的偶像；因此這改革雖由君王精心設計、切實推行，對百姓卻幾乎毫無果效。他們極不情願地放棄偶像；心裡仍與偶像相連，巴不得再得回它們。 神看見了，所以從那時候——人本以為已為永久的平安穩妥立下根基的時候——正是從那時候，毀滅他們的判令便發出了。再沒有甚麼比改革有望之嘗試遭受挫敗、虛假的歸向 神，更能加速一個民族的傾覆，使他們趨於敗亡。「不要自欺， 神是輕慢不得的。」
英語原文
The Reign of Josiah (623 BC)
¹ Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem one and thirty years.
² And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the ways of David his father, and declined neither to the right hand, nor to the left.
³ For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet young, he began to seek after the God of David his father: and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem from the high places, and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images.
⁴ And they brake down the altars of Baalim in his presence; and the images, that were on high above them, he cut down; and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images, he brake in pieces, and made dust of them, and strowed it upon the graves of them that had sacrificed unto them.
⁵ And he burnt the bones of the priests upon their altars, and cleansed Judah and Jerusalem.
⁶ And so did he in the cities of Manasseh, and Ephraim, and Simeon, even unto Naphtali, with their mattocks round about.
⁷ And when he had broken down the altars and the groves, and had beaten the graven images into powder, and cut down all the idols throughout all the land of Israel, he returned to Jerusalem.
Concerning Josiah we are here told, 1. That he came to the crown when he was very young, only eight years old (yet his infancy did not debar him from his right), and he reigned thirty-one years (2Ch 34:1), a considerable time. I fear, however, that in the beginning of his reign things went much as they had done in his father's time, because, being a child, he must have left the management of them to others; so that it was not till his twelfth year, which goes far in the number of his years, that the reformation began, 2Ch 34:3. He could not, as Hezekiah did, fall about it immediately. 2. That he reigned very well (2Ch 34:2), approved himself to God, trod in the steps of David, and did not decline either to the right hand of to the left: for there are errors on both hands. 3. That while he was young, about sixteen years old, he began to seek after God, 2Ch 34:3. We have reason to think he had not so good an education as Manasseh had (it is well if those about him did not endeavour to corrupt and debauch him); yet he thus sought God when he was young. It is the duty and interest of young people, and will particularly be the honour of young gentlemen, as soon as they come to years of understanding, to begin to seek God; for those that seek him early shall find him. 4. That in the twelfth year of his reign, when it is probable he took the administration of the government entirely into his own hands, he began to purge his kingdom from the remains of idolatry; he destroyed the high places, groves, images, altars, all the utensils of idolatry, 2Ch 34:3,4. He not only cast them out as Manasseh did, but broke them to pieces, and made dust of them. This destruction of idolatry is here said to be in his twelfth year, but it was said (2Ki 23:23) to be in his eighteenth year. Something was probably done towards it in his twelfth year; then he began to purge out idolatry, but that good work met with opposition, so that it was not thoroughly done till they had found the book of the law six years afterwards. But here the whole work is laid together briefly which was much more largely and particularly related in the Kings. His zeal carried him out to do this, not only in Judah and Jerusalem, but in the cities of Israel too, as far as he had any influence upon them.
⁸ Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had purged the land, and the house, he sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, and Maaseiah the governor of the city, and Joah the son of Joahaz the recorder, to repair the house of the LORD his God.
⁹ And when they came to Hilkiah the high priest, they delivered the money that was brought into the house of God, which the Levites that kept the doors had gathered of the hand of Manasseh and Ephraim, and of all the remnant of Israel, and of all Judah and Benjamin; and they returned to Jerusalem.
¹⁰ And they put it in the hand of the workmen that had the oversight of the house of the LORD, and they gave it to the workmen that wrought in the house of the LORD, to repair and amend the house:
¹¹ Even to the artificers and builders gave they it, to buy hewn stone, and timber for couplings, and to floor the houses which the kings of Judah had destroyed.
¹² And the men did the work faithfully: and the overseers of them were Jahath and Obadiah, the Levites, of the sons of Merari; and Zechariah and Meshullam, of the sons of the Kohathites, to set it forward; and other of the Levites, all that could skill of instruments of music.
¹³ Also they were over the bearers of burdens, and were overseers of all that wrought the work in any manner of service: and of the Levites there were scribes, and officers, and porters.
Here, 1. Orders are given by the king for the repair of the temple, 2Ch 34:8. When he had purged the house of the corruptions of it he began to fit it up for the services that were to be performed in it. Thus we must do by the spiritual temple of the heart, get it cleansed from the pollutions of sin, and then renewed, so as to be transformed into the image of God. Josiah, in this order, calls God the Lord his God. Those that truly love God will love the habitation of his house. 2. Care is taken about it, effectual care. The Levites went about the country and gathered money towards it, which was returned to the three trustees mentioned, 2Ch 34:8. They brought it to Hilkiah the high priest (2Ch 34:9), and he and they put it into the hands of workmen, both overseers and labourers, who undertook to do it by the great, as we say, or in the gross, 2Ch 34:10,11. It is observed that the workmen were industrious and honest: They did the work faithfully (2Ch 34:12); and workmen are not completely faithful if they are not both careful and diligent, for a confidence is reposed in them that they will be so. It is also intimated that the overseers were ingenious; for it is said that all those were employed to inspect this work who were skilful in instruments of music; not that their skill in music could be of any use in architecture, but it was an evidence that they were men of sense and ingenuity, and particularly that their genius lay towards the mathematics, which qualified them very much for this trust. Witty men are then wise men when they employ their wit in doing good, in helping their friends, and, as they have opportunity, in serving the public. Observe, in this work, how God dispenses his gifts variously; here were some that were bearers of burdens, cut out for bodily labour and fit to work. Here were others (made meliori luto—of finer materials) that had skill in music, and they were overseers of those that laboured, and scribes and officers. The former were the hands: these were the heads. They had need of one another, and the work needed both. Let not the overseers of the work despise the bearers of burdens, nor let those that work in the service grudge at those whose office it is to direct; but let each esteem and serve the other in love, and let God have the glory and the church the benefit of the different gifts and dispositions of both.
¹⁴ And when they brought out the money that was brought into the house of the LORD, Hilkiah the priest found a book of the law of the LORD given by Moses.
¹⁵ And Hilkiah answered and said to Shaphan the scribe, I have found the book of the law in the house of the LORD. And Hilkiah delivered the book to Shaphan.
¹⁶ And Shaphan carried the book to the king, and brought the king word back again, saying, All that was committed to thy servants, they do it.
¹⁷ And they have gathered together the money that was found in the house of the LORD, and have delivered it into the hand of the overseers, and to the hand of the workmen.
¹⁸ Then Shaphan the scribe told the king, saying, Hilkiah the priest hath given me a book. And Shaphan read it before the king.
¹⁹ And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the law, that he rent his clothes.
²⁰ 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,
²¹ Go, enquire 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: 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 after all that is written in this book.
²² And Hilkiah, and they that 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 dwelt in Jerusalem in the college:) and they spake to her to that effect.
²³ And she answered them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Tell ye the man that sent you to me,
²⁴ Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof, even all the curses that are written in the book which they have read before the king of Judah:
²⁵ Because they have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto 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.
²⁶ And as for the king of Judah, who sent you to enquire of the LORD, so shall ye say unto him, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel concerning the words which thou hast heard;
²⁷ Because thine heart was tender, and thou didst humble thyself before God, when thou heardest his words against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, and humbledst thyself before me, and didst rend thy clothes, and weep before me; I have even heard thee also, saith the LORD.
²⁸ Behold, I will gather thee to thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered to thy grave in peace, neither shall thine eyes see all the evil that I will bring upon this place, and upon the inhabitants of the same. So they brought the king word again.
This whole paragraph we had, just as it is here related, 2Ki 22:8-20, and have nothing to add here to what was there observed. But, 1. We may hence take occasion to bless God that we have plenty of Bibles, and that they are, or may be, in all hands,—that the book of the law and gospel is not lost, is not scarce,—that, in this sense, the word of the Lord is not precious. Bibles are jewels, but, thanks be to God, they are not rarities. The fountain of the waters of life is not a spring shut up or a fountain sealed, but the streams of it, in all places, make glad the city of our God. Usus communis aquarum—These waters flow for general use. What a great deal shall we have to answer for if the great things of God's law, being thus made common, should be accounted by us as strange things! 2. We may hence learn, whenever we read or hear the word of God, to affect our hearts with it, and to get them possessed with a holy fear of that wrath of God which is there revealed against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, as Josiah's tender heart was. When he heard the words of the law he rent his clothes (2Ch 34:19), and God was well pleased with his doing so, 2Ch 34:27. Were the things contained in the scripture new to us, as they were here to Josiah, surely they would make deeper impressions upon us than commonly they do; but they are not the less weighty, and therefore should not be the less considered by us, for their being well known. Rend the heart therefore, not the garments. 3. We are here directed when we are under convictions of sin, and apprehensions of divine wrath, to enquire of the Lord; so Josiah did, 2Ch 34:21. It concerns us to ask (as they did, Ac 2:37), Men and brethren, what shall we do? and more particularly (as the jailor), What must I do to be saved? Ac 16:30. If you will thus enquire, enquire (Isa 21:12); and, blessed be God, we have the lively oracles to which to apply with these enquiries. 4. We are here warned of the ruin that sin brings upon nations and kingdoms. Those that forsake God bring evil upon themselves (2Ch 34:24,25), and kindle a fire which shall not be quenched. Such will the fire of God's wrath be when the decree has gone forth against those that obstinately and impenitently persist in their wicked ways. 5. We are here encouraged to humble ourselves before God and seek unto him, as Josiah did. If we cannot prevail thereby to turn away God's wrath from our land, yet we shall deliver our own souls, 2Ch 34:27,28. And good people are here taught to be so far from fearing death as to welcome it rather when it takes them away from the evil to come. See how the property of it is altered by making it the matter of a promise: Thou shalt be gathered to thy grave in peace, housed in that ark, as Noah, when a deluge is coming.
²⁹ Then the king sent and gathered together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem.
³⁰ And the king went up into the house of the LORD, and all the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the priests, and the Levites, and all the people, great and small: and he read in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant that was found in the house of the LORD.
³¹ And the king stood in his place, and made a covenant before the LORD, to walk after the LORD, and to keep his commandments, and his testimonies, and his statutes, with all his heart, and with all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant which are written in this book.
³² And he caused all that were present in Jerusalem and Benjamin to stand to it. And the inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers.
³³ And Josiah took away all the abominations out of all the countries that pertained to the children of Israel, and made all that were present in Israel to serve, even to serve the LORD their God. And all his days they departed not from following the LORD, the God of their fathers.
We have here an account of the further advances which Josiah made towards the reformation of his kingdom upon the hearing of the law read and the receipt of the message God sent him by the prophetess. Happy the people that had such a king; for here we find that, 1. They were well taught. He did not go about to force them to do their duty, till he had first instructed them in it. He called all the people together, great and small, young and old, rich and poor, high and low. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear the words of the book of the covenant; for they are all concerned in those words. To put an honour upon the service, and to engage attention the more, though there were priests and Levites present, the king himself read the book to the people (2Ch 34:30), and he read it, no doubt, in such a manner as to show that he was himself affected with it, which would be a means of affecting the hearers. 2. They were well fixed. The articles of agreement between God and Israel being read, that they might intelligently covenant with God, both king and people with great solemnity did as it were subscribe the articles. The king in his place covenanted to keep God's commandments with all his heart and soul, according to what was written in the book (2Ch 34:31), and urged the people to declare their consent likewise to this covenant, and solemnly to promise that they would faithfully perform, fulfil, and keep, all and every thing that was on their part to be done, according to this covenant: this they did; they could not for shame do otherwise. He caused all that were present to stand to it (2Ch 34:32), and made them all to serve, even to serve the Lord their God (2Ch 34:33), to do it and to make a business of it. He did all he could to bring them to it—to serve, even to serve; the repetition denotes that this was the only thing his heart was set on; he aimed at nothing else in what he did but to engage them to God and their duty. 3. They were well tended, were honest with good looking to. All his days they departed not from following the Lord; he kept them, with much ado, from running into idolatry again. All his days were days of restraint upon them; but this intimated that there was in them a bent to backslide, a strong inclination to idolatry. Many of them wanted nothing but to have him out of the way, and then they would have their high places and their images up again. And therefore we find that in the days of Josiah (Jer 3:6) God charged it upon treacherous Judah that she had not returned to him with all her heart, but feignedly (2Ch 34:10), nay, had played the harlot (2Ch 34:8) and thereby had even justified backsliding Israel, 2Ch 34:11. In the twenty-third year of this reign, four or five years after this, they had gone on to provoke God to anger with the works of their hands (Jer 25:3-7); and, which is very observable, it is from the beginning of Josiah's reformation, his twelfth or thirteenth year, that the iniquity of the house of Judah, which brought ruin upon them, and which the prophet was to bear lying on his right side, was dated (Eze 4:6), for thence to the destruction of Jerusalem was just forty years. Josiah was sincere in what he did, but the generality of the people were averse to it and hankered after their idols still; so that the reformation, though well designed and well prosecuted by the prince, had little or no effect upon the people. It was with reluctancy that they parted with their idols; still they were in heart joined to them, and wished for them again. This God saw, and therefore from that time, when one would have thought the foundations had been laid for a perpetual security and peace, from that very time did the decree go forth for their destruction. Nothing hastens the ruin of a people nor ripens them for it more than the baffling of hopeful attempts for reformation and a hypocritical return to God. Be not deceived, God is not mocked.
在我們看見猶大和耶路撒冷傾覆之前，我們仍要看見幾個榮耀的年日，那時敬虔的約西亞執掌國政。神藉著他敬虔的改革努力，再給他們一次機會；若是他們在這屬他們的日子——就是眷顧他們的日子——明白關乎平安的事並加以善用，他們的毀滅原是可以避免的。但這個王朝之後，這些事就從他們眼前隱藏了，接下來的幾個王朝為他們帶來了徹底的荒涼。在本章中我們看到：一、約西亞性格的概述，代下三十四1、2。二、他剷除偶像崇拜的熱心，代下三十四3～7。三、他修繕聖殿的用心，代下三十四8～13。四、律法書的尋獲以及對它的善用，代下三十四14～28。五、向百姓公開宣讀律法，他們因此與神重新立約，代下三十四29～33。這些內容大部分已見於王下二十二1～20。