The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Kings — Section 399

"the book of the Law of Moses" (eh. xiv. 6)--had undergone etrange viciseitudoR. We see it : 1. Sinfully lost. What treasure, one would think, so preciollB 88 the words which God had spoken to this nation through their great law-giver Mosee--the statutes and judgments and commandments he had ordered them to keep, and which constituted their great glory as a people (Deut. iv. 5-8)? "What advantage then bath the Jew? .. , Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God" (Rom. iii. 1, 2). Yet this Law of God had been so sinfully neglected that the very knowledge of it had well-nigh perished out of the land, and the book which contained it, from which this knowledge might be revived, had dis- appeared. 'l'he king had neglected it, he who should have been its chief defender; the official classes of the court had neglected it; the priests who had charge of God's house had neglected it, and allowed it to remain unused till it had got into some comer or room where it was covered up with rubbish and lost eight of; the ecribes used what knowledge they retained of it only to falsify it. What sin I It was as if there were a deliberate conspiracy to hunt this first Bible out of existence, If to-day there is not the same danger of the knowledge of the Bible being lost 88 at some past periods of history, it is not because among many clas1101 there is not as strong a hatred of it or as great neglect. With how many is the Bible an unopened book from one week's end to the other! Multitudes are as ignorant of its contents as the far-off heathen; multi- tudes more have lost whatever knowledge they once had of it through neglect and misuse; in the case of yet greater multitudes its truths are as inoperative as if the book were indeed lost. 2, Providentially found. God's providence is seen in nothing more remarkably than in the care he has exercised over the written Word. He has wonderfully protected it through all ages alike from the neglect and the fury of men. If for a time the knowledge of it seemed lost, it was again revived at the most favour- able juncture for the execution of his purposes. Thus at the Reformation we see a preparation for the new movement in the revival of learning, the invention of printing, the emergence into light of important manuscripts of the New Testament, etc. That was practically a finding of the Law-book of the Church, as marvellous and as provi- dential as this discovery in the reign of Josiah. It was Josiah's zeal in the repairing of the temple which prepared the way for the discovery here; and the book was found just in time to give a new impetus to the reforming movement. In Divine providence, all things fit together in time and place. 3. Reverently e:r:amined. Hil.kiah knew the book when he saw it, and he gave it to Shaphan the scribe, and he read it. It would be with trembling, eager hand that Shaphan turned over the pages, and, with his scribe's professional instinct, satisfied himself that this was the veritable lost copy of the Law. Taking it with him, he read it more leisurely, not completely, of course, but parts of it, those parts especially which were new to him. This we.s the right way to treat God's Word. Our chief anxiety, if we possess the sacred volume, should be to know what God the Lord will speak to us (Ps. lxxxv. 8). Cf. Edward Irving's lectures on "The Word of God "-(1) the preparation for consulting the Word of God; (2) the manner of consulting the Word of God; (3 and 4) the obeying of the Word of God (' Lectures,' vol. i.). II. 'l'BEMDLING AT GoD's WoBD. 1. Shaphan's announcement. Having ascertained the contents of the book for himself, Shaphan lost no time in bringing it under the notice of the king. He seems to have felt the need of care in his manner of doing this. The book contained strong denunciations and terrible threatenings (cf. Deut. xxviii.), and be was not sure how the king would receive the ancient message. He resolved, therefore, not to prejudice its reception by any statements of his own, but simply to make the announcement of the discovery, and leave the book to speak for itself. He begins, accordingly, by stating the fulfilment of his commission in regard to the monies of the temple. Then he showed the book to the king, saying merely, "Hilkiah the priest hath delivered me a book." Critics have detected subtle meanings in the studiously simple way in which this announcement is made; but the above, pro- bably, is the true explanation of it, 2. The book read. The king, whose interest we.s at once awakened, naturally asked to have part of the book read to him. Shaphan began to read, selecting apparently parts towards the close of the roll--Deut. xxviii., xxix., and the like. How much he read we are not informed, but the effect produced was instantaneous and profound. Our aim in reading the Scriptures should be to 11, KINGS, 2G  450 THE SECOND BOOK OF THE KINGS. [cu. xxn.1-20.