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英文原文
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)
约西亚的治绩（公元前623年）
¹ 约西亚登基的时候年八岁，在耶路撒冷作王三十一年。 ² 他行耶和华眼中看为正的事，行他祖大卫的道，不偏左右。 ³ 他作王第八年，尚且年幼，就开始寻求他祖大卫的神；第十二年开始洁净犹大和耶路撒冷，除掉邱坛、木偶、雕刻的像，和铸造的像。 ⁴ 他们在约西亚面前拆毁巴力的坛；他又砍下坛上高处的像；又把木偶、雕刻的像和铸造的像打碎成灰，撒在曾向那些像献祭之人的坟上。 ⁵ 他又将他们祭司的骨头烧在他们坛上，洁净了犹大和耶路撒冷。 ⁶ 他在玛拿西、以法莲、西缅各城，直到拿弗他利，以及四围荒废之地，都这样行。 ⁷ 他拆毁了坛和木偶，把雕刻的像打成粉末，砍断以色列遍地的一切偶像，就回到耶路撒冷。
关于约西亚，此处告诉我们：1. 他非常年幼登基——只八岁（然而他的幼年并不剥夺他的权利），他作王"三十一年"（代下34:1），相当长久。但我恐怕在他作王初期，事务多半照他父亲时代那样继续下去，因为他既是个孩子，就必把事务交给别人管理；所以直到他第十二年——这在他的年岁中已相当大——才开始改革（代下34:3）。他不能像希西家那样立即着手。2. 他作王治理得很好（代下34:2），向神蒙悦纳，效法大卫的脚踪，不偏"左右"：因为两偏都是偏差。3. 他年轻时，约十六岁，就"开始寻求神"（代下34:3）。我们有理由想他所受的教育不如玛拿西所受的那样好（他周围的人若不设法败坏他，就算不错了）；然而他这样年轻时就来寻求神。这是年轻人的本分和利益，特别是少年贵族一到了懂事的年岁，就当"开始寻求神"；因为早早寻求他的，必寻见。4. 在他作王第十二年，大概他完全接管了政务，他"开始洁净他的国，除掉偶像崇拜的残余"；他毁掉邱坛、木偶、偶像、祭坛——一切拜偶像的器具（代下34:3-4）。他不像玛拿西那样只是丢弃，而是打碎成灰。这里把这次毁坏偶像之举放在他第十二年，但在王下23:23中却放在他第十八年。第十二年大概有所行动；那时他开始清除偶像，但这善工遭遇了阻挠，所以直到六年后他们寻得律法书才彻底完成。但此处把整件工作简略地集合在一起，而《列王纪》中有更详尽的记述。他的热心驱使他在犹大和耶路撒冷之外，也在以色列的城邑中行这事，凡他能影响之处皆然。
⁸ 约西亚作王第十八年，他既洁净了地和殿，就差遣亚萨利雅的儿子沙番，和邑宰玛西雅，又差遣约哈斯的儿子约阿书记，去修理耶和华他神的殿。 ⁹ 他们去见大祭司希勒家，将奉献到神殿的银钱交给他——这些银钱是守门的利未人从玛拿西、以法莲、以色列余民，以及犹大、便雅悯众人手中收来的；他们带回耶路撒冷。 ¹⁰ 他们将银钱交在耶和华殿监管者的手中，由他们分给在殿里办事的工人，去修缮补葺殿宇。 ¹¹ 他们又把银钱交给匠人和建造的人，去买凿成的石头和梁木，并铺装犹大列王所毁坏的房屋。 ¹² 那些人办事诚实；管理他们的，是利未人米拉利子孙耶哈和俄巴底；又有哥辖子孙撒迦利雅、米书兰监督他们；还有其余能弹奏乐器的利未人。 ¹³ 他们又管理扛抬的人，又监管一切在何种职任上作工的人；利未人中也有书记、官长、守门的。
此处，1. 王下令修理圣殿（代下34:8）。他既洁净了殿中可憎之物，便开始修整它，使其适合在其中所当行的事奉。我们对待内心的属灵圣殿也当这样——先除去罪的污秽，再使之更新，以致"变成神的形象"。约西亚在这命令中称神为"耶和华他的神"。真心爱神的人必"爱他殿的居所"。2. 为这事也切实作了安排。利未人在全国巡行，为这事收捐，转交给代下34:8所提的三位受托人。他们带到大祭司希勒家那里（代下34:9），他和他们把银钱交给工人，无论是监工的还是作工的；这些工人承揽这工——所谓"包作"或"整批"——而去行（代下34:10-11）。经上注意到工人殷勤诚实："他们办事诚实"（代下34:12）；工人若不谨慎殷勤，便算不得完全诚实，因为托付他们的人正信任他们会这样行。又暗示监工们是有才智的；因为经上说凡"精通乐器"的人都受雇来监察此工；这并非说他们音乐上的技能对建筑有何用处，而是证明他们是有见识、有才智之人，尤其他们的天赋倾向于数学，这使他们非常适合承担这信托。聪明人用其聪明行善——帮助朋友，并按机会服事公众——那时才是智慧人。请观察在这工作上神如何赐下各不相同的恩赐：这里有的是"扛抬的人"——专门从事体力劳动的人；又有别的（"meliori luto"——更精良的材料所造）——精通音乐的，他们"管理那些作工的人"，作书记、官长。前者是手，后者是头。他们彼此需要，工作也需要两者。愿监工的不轻看扛抬的，愿作工的不怨恨那指挥的；各人当在爱中彼此敬重、彼此服事；愿神因两者不同的恩赐和性情得荣耀，教会因之得益。
¹⁴ 他们将奉献到耶和华殿的银钱拿出来的时候，祭司希勒家得了耶和华藉摩西所传的律法书。 ¹⁵ 希勒家对书记沙番说：我在耶和华殿里得了律法书。希勒家就将书交给沙番。 ¹⁶ 沙番把书带到王那里，回奏王说：凡交给仆人办的，他们都办了。 ¹⁷ 他们已将耶和华殿里所寻得的银钱收齐，交在监管和工人的手中。 ¹⁸ 书记沙番又告诉王说：祭司希勒家递给我一卷书。沙番就在王面前读那书。 ¹⁹ 王听见律法上的话，就撕裂衣服。 ²⁰ 王吩咐希勒家、沙番的儿子亚希甘、米迦的儿子亚伯顿、书记沙番，和王的臣仆亚撒雅，说： ²¹ 你们去，为我，为以色列和犹大剩下的人，以所寻得这书上的话求问耶和华；因为我们列祖没有遵守耶和华的话，没有照这书上所记的一切去行，耶和华向我们大发烈怒。 ²² 希勒家和王所派的人去见女先知户勒大；她是管理礼服的沙龙的妻子；沙龙是提克瓦的儿子、哈斯拉的孙子（户勒大住在耶路撒冷第二区）；他们对她如此说。 ²³ 她回答说：耶和华以色列的神如此说：你们去告诉那差你们来见我的人说， ²⁴ 耶和华如此说：我必使灾祸临到这地和这地的居民，就是犹大王面前所读那书上的一切咒诅。 ²⁵ 因为他们离弃我，向别神烧香，用他们手中所作的一切惹我发怒；所以我的忿怒必倒在这地，总不止息。 ²⁶ 至于那差你们去求问耶和华的犹大王，你们当这样告诉他：耶和华以色列的神论你所听见的话如此说： ²⁷ 因为你听见我论这地和其居民的话，心里便柔软，在神面前自卑；又在我面前自卑，撕裂衣服，向我哭泣；因此我也垂听你。这是耶和华说的。 ²⁸ 看哪，我必招聚你归你列祖，你必平平安安归入坟墓；我要临到这地和这地居民的一切灾祸，你必不至亲眼看见。他们就回去回奏王。
这一整段经文，与王下22:8-20所记一字不差，我们在那里已作观察，此处无需多加。但是，1. 我们可以因此有所感而称颂神：我们有充足的圣经，并且圣经已在人人的手中——律法和福音的书并未失落，也不稀少——"耶和华的话"在这个意义上并不"稀贵"。圣经是珠宝，但感谢神，它们并非珍玩。生命活水的泉源不是关闭的泉或封闭的池，它的河流在各处"使神的城欢喜"。"Usus communis aquarum"——"这些水为众人所用"。神的律法大事既如此普及，若我们却把它们当作稀奇的事，我们将要交账的何等多啊！2. 我们可以由此学习，每当我们读或听神的话，都当让心被其感动，并使其充满对神向一切不敬不义之人所显之忿怒的圣洁敬畏，正如约西亚柔软的心那样。他听见律法上的话，就"撕裂衣服"（代下34:19），神也喜悦他这样行（代下34:27）。圣经中的事若像对约西亚那样对我们是新的，它们必比寻常更深刻地感动我们；但它们既已为我们所熟知，并不因此更轻省，所以也不当为我们更少思想。所以要撕裂心肠，不撕裂衣服。3. 此处指示我们：当我们处于对罪的觉悟和对神忿怒的恐惧之下，当去求问耶和华；约西亚正是这样行（代下34:21）。我们当问（如他们所问，徒2:37）："弟兄们，我们当怎样行？"更具体地问（如禁卒），"我当怎样行才可以得救？"（徒16:30）。"你们若要这样"求问，"就求问"（赛21:12）；感谢神，我们有活泼的圣言，可以带着这些求问到它面前。4. 此处警告我们：罪为列国和诸国所带来的毁灭。那些离弃神的人必自招灾祸（代下34:24-25），并点燃"总不止息"的火。当判令已经发出，攻击那些顽梗不悔改、坚持恶道的人时，神忿怒的火也是如此。5. 此处鼓励我们在神面前自卑、寻求他，正如约西亚所行。我们若不能因此转消神对这地的忿怒，也必拯救自己的灵魂（代下34:27-28）。敬虔的人在此受教：不但不怕死，反当在死"把他们从将来的恶中取去"之时，情愿接受。请看死之事如何因成为应许的内容而性质改变了："你必平平安安归入坟墓"——在那方舟里有避难所，正如挪亚在洪水将至之时。
²⁹ 王差遣人招聚犹大和耶路撒冷的众长老来。 ³⁰ 王上耶和华的殿，犹大众人和耶路撒冷的居民、祭司、利未人，以及众百姓，无论大小，都与他同去；王在他们耳中念那在耶和华殿里所寻得的约书上的话。 ³¹ 王站在自己的位上，在耶和华面前立约，要尽心尽性地跟随耶和华，遵守他的诫命、法度、律例，成就这书上所记约上的话。 ³² 他又使一切在耶路撒冷和便雅悯的人都站立承诺。耶路撒冷的居民都遵照他们列祖之神的约而行。 ³³ 约西亚又从以色列人一切属地中除掉一切可憎之物，使一切在场在以色列的人都事奉耶和华他们的神。约西亚在世的一切日子，他们都不偏离耶和华他们列祖的神。
此处我们读到约西亚听见律法诵读、并领受神藉女先知所传信息之后，在国度改革上更进一步的进展。有这样的王的百姓是有福的；因为这里我们看见：1. 他们受了好的教导。他没有先强迫他们尽本分，直到他先把本分教导他们。他把一切百姓都召来——无论大小、老幼、贫富、贵贱。"有耳可听的，就当听""约书上"的话；因为那些话与他们所有人都有关。为要尊荣这服事，并使注意力更为专注，虽然有祭司和利未人在场，王却亲自向百姓念这书（代下34:30），并且他念这书，无疑念得使自己也被其感动——这是感动听众的方法。2. 他们立下了稳固的约。神与以色列之间的约款既已宣读，使他们能明智地与神立约，王和百姓都极其庄严地、如签字一般应许了这些约款。王在自己的位上立约，要尽心尽性遵守神的诫命，正如"书上所写的"（代下34:31），又催促百姓同样表明他们对这约的同意，并庄严应许：他们将忠心履行、成全、遵守他们这一方当行的一切；他们都这样行了——他们羞于不这样行。他使"一切在场的人都站立承诺"（代下34:32），使他们"都事奉——事奉耶和华他们的神"（代下34:33），就是去行这事，并把这事当作他们的本分。他尽其所能把他们带到这地步——"事奉，事奉"；这重复表明这是他心所惟一专注的事；他所作的一切，目的不过是要使他们归向神和当尽的本分。3. 他们受到了好的照料，有诚实的人看顾。"约西亚在世的一切日子，他们都不偏离跟随耶和华"；他费了好大力气保守他们，使他们不再陷入偶像崇拜。"他在世的一切日子"都是约束他们的日子；但这表明他们里头有"退后的倾向"，对偶像崇拜有强烈的偏好。他们中许多人所等候的，不过是叫他离开现场，那时他们就要把他们的邱坛和偶像重新立起来。所以我们读到"在约西亚的日子"（耶3:6），神指责背道的犹大说她"没有一心一意地归向他，只是假意归向"（代下34:10，参耶3:10），不，她"行了淫乱"（代下34:8），并因此"甚至为背道的以色列显为义"（代下34:11）。在他作王第二十三年——此事之后四五年——他们仍"继续以手所作的惹神发怒"（耶25:3-7）；并且很值得注意的是，正是从约西亚改革开始、也就是他第十二或十三年起，"犹大家的罪孽"——这罪孽带来了他们的毁灭，也是先知要右侧卧担当的——是被纪年的（结4:6），因为从那时到耶路撒冷毁灭恰好四十年。约西亚在自己所作之事上是真诚的，但百姓中的多数对此反感，仍恋慕他们的偶像；所以这场改革虽由君王善意设计、用心推进，对百姓却几乎全无果效。他们不舍地撇下他们的偶像；他们的心仍与偶像相结，巴不得再得回。神看见了这事；所以从那时——人本以为在那样的改革上已为永久的平安保障立下了根基之时——正是从那时，毁灭他们的判令便已发出。没有什么比挫败改革的可盼尝试、并假冒为善地归向神，更能加速一个国家的毁灭、使它趋于成熟。"不要自欺，神是轻慢不得的。"
（注：原文"meliori luto"为拉丁语，意为"更精良的材料"，按规则保留。）
英文原文
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.
在看见犹大和耶路撒冷倾覆之前，我们仍要看见几年荣耀的岁月——正当敬虔的约西亚掌舵之时。借着他在改革上敬虔的劳力，神再给他们一次试验；他们若在这日——他们蒙眷顾的日子——明白那关乎平安的事而加以善用，他们的倾覆本可避免。可惜这朝之后，这些事便向他们的眼隐藏了，接续的几朝给他们带来了彻底的荒凉。本章所记的有：一、约西亚品格的概述（代下34:1-2）。二、他根除偶像的热心（代下34:3-7）。三、他重修圣殿的用心（代下34:8-13）。四、律法书的发现，以及对它所尽的善用（代下34:14-28）。五、向百姓宣读律法，他们因此与神重新立约（代下34:29-33）。这些事大半我们也已在王下22:1-20读过了。