Josiah, Only a Book
Part 3
And Hilkiah the high priest said unto Shaphan the scribe, I have found the book of the law in the house of the LORD. And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it. (2 Kings 22:8)
And Shaphan the scribe came to the king, and brought the king word again, and said, Thy servants have gathered the money that was found in the house, and have delivered it into the hand of them that do the work, that have the oversight of the house of the LORD. (2 Kings 22:9)
And Shaphan the scribe shewed the king, saying, Hilkiah the priest hath delivered me a book. And Shaphan read it before the king. (2 Kings 22:10)
And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the book of the law, that he rent his clothes. (2 Kings 22:11)
With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments. (Psalm 119:10)
With this ring I thee wed. What ring? The ring of God’s suffering on the cross of Calvary. The eternal ring of His rainbow of love. The majesty of God coming down to man to die on the cross and become mans’ Redeemer:To this end was I born,.(John 18:37) The eternal relationship in the heart and soul of a believer is inseparable, as the bride feels the ring slip on to her finger, a bond of eternity is settled. God will always see her, at that moment, bound to her husband for they have become one flesh, and no man can change this in the eyes of God. For His counsel has established her love forever. They are a symbol of Christ and His Bride, the Church. Each soul bound together in His undying love for eternity. What has this to do with — The Book?
Salvation is the subject of faith. It is the substance of belief in Jesus Christ my Lord. It is the evidence of things hoped for. It is the crown jewel of the soul. And with it comes the Spirit of God sent by the Son to seal for all eternity that salvation. Now the eagle of the spirit flies within the pages of the word of God, bringing food back to the nest to feed it’s young. Line upon line and precept upon precept — as new born babes desire the sincere milk of the word — crying for more — this soul sees more than just a book.
The Book of the Law Found
Hilkiah found the book of the law. This book was in his realm as a priest, and yet, he found little importance and sends it to the king. In the previous verses, the distribution of the silver to the workmen was more important than the book of the law. (2 Kings 22:8) Hilkiah now passed the book on to Shaphan, and Shaphan read the book, and then delivered it to King Josiah. (2 Kings 22:10) You would think after reading the book of the law Shaphan would have been excited to deliver it to the king. But as he brought the book forth, he said only Hilkiah the priest hath delivered me a book. The word of God is merely a book to many individuals; yet, it holds the history of eternity. Shaphan was in a position to know what a great treasure had been found. When he began to read it to the king, Josiah was struck in his heart. The king recognized the value of the word of God, so when Josiah heard the word of God, the book of the law, he rent his clothes for his soul had no doubt when the Spirit of God sealed the words to his heart. It was the word of truth, and the king was humbled in it’s presence. Josiah immediately knew that they were in great straights, and great was the wrath of the Lord against the kingdom of Judah and Israel.
Go ye, enquire of the LORD for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that is found: for great is the wrath of the LORD that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not hearkened unto the words of this book, to do according unto all that which is written concerning us.(2 Kings 22:13)
Josiah rent his clothes and laid bare his chest before God. His heart was in God’s hands, and he knew the peril that they were in. He did not discuss or wait for proof from the scribe or the sage. This was the word of God, and this was more than just a book. To every soul that is born of God we see the word of God as God’s breathe to us. At night, when one hears the breathe of the Spirit of God calling, and a verse comes in a whisper, one must follow the Spirit’s call to the Book of Books. The Scriptures are the royal treasure chest of heaven, and the unsearchable riches of Christ, and we search it’s pages for learning, patience, comfort, and hope. For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. (Romans 15:4) These are four jewels found in it’s pages, but only part of the unfathomable treasure within it’s cover.
If thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which are written in this book of the law, and if thou turn unto the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul. (Deuteronomy 30:10)
For this commandment which I command thee this day, it is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off. (Deuteronomy 30:11)
It is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? (Deuteronomy 30:12)
Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? (Deuteronomy 30:13)
But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it. (Deuteronomy 30:14)
See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil; (Deuteronomy 30:15)
In that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it. (Deuteronomy 30:16)
But if thine heart turn away, so that thou wilt not hear, but shalt be drawn away, and worship other gods, and serve them; (Deuteronomy 30:17)
I denounce unto you this day, that ye shall surely perish, and that ye shall not prolong your days upon the land, whither thou passest over Jordan to go to possess it. (Deuteronomy 30:18)
I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: (Deuteronomy 30:19)
That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them. (Deuteronomy 30:20)
Tell me — what have you just read — in your own words — did you hear the voice of God concerning His word? His word is not in heaven alone, but down here on earth. We have the abundance of Bibles, we do not have to climb mountains to find the word of God, or prove it, for it proves itself. We do not have to voyage across the seas to rescue the word of God, for it rescues us, But the word is very nigh unto thee. How is this word maintained? By the Holy Spirit of God preserving it by His power, as He hovered or brooded over the deep He hovers over the word of God to preserve it without blemish and without spot. The rulers or the powers of this world have done everything humanly possible to destroy the word of God, but God has anchored the word of God in a Rock. And that Rock is the living Word, Jesus Christ, and He sends the Word of God as a sword into the world. He is the one who pulls Excalibur from the stone to send forth the spirit of life by the Holy Ghost, and with the Holy Spirit comes the assurance of His presence and the divine authority of the Word of God from the beginning — inseparable.
<<A Song or Psalm of David.>> O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise, even with my glory. (Psalm 108:1)
Awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early. (Psalm 108:2)
I will praise thee, O LORD, among the people: and I will sing praises unto thee among the nations. (Psalm 108:3)
For thy mercy is great above the heavens: and thy truth reacheth unto the clouds. (Psalm 108:4)
Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: and thy glory above all the earth; (Psalm 108:5)
That thy beloved may be delivered: save with thy right hand, and answer me. (Psalm 108:6)
David, the sweet psalmist of Israel, sees the power of God and that power is in the God of truth, and that truth reaches unto heaven or the skies. ‘Thy word is true’ is not a variable statement, but an infallible statement from the heart and mind of God. Thy word [is] true [from] the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments [endureth] for ever.(Psalm 119:160) These verses from the Book of Psalms are not just random words, but treasures out of the word of God. All the proof of the Holy Word of God is contained in the hundred and seventy-six verses of Psalm 119. If one would bow to the voice of the Spirit, you would hear the Lord Himself reading and discerning the verses for you. Your heart will examine itself, and at the end you will shed a tear of joy to accompany all the others tears you have shed.
We believe the worlds were framed by the word of God. The same Lord Jesus Christ upholds them by the word of His power. Some have said that ‘The Bible is a hard book to understand,’ and that is true, for without the guidance of the Holy Spirit one cannot understand the moving of God upon the heart of man. The Bible is a spiritual book, and must be under the direction of the Holy Spirit of God. The Book has been given for the souls of men to renew the heart of man. When man, under Adam sin, reads this book of God there is a blackness between his eyes and the book of God. This can only be removed by the light of God in Jesus Christ. He must give His light to the soul and the Holy Spirit must infuse life into the being. This brings forth a new born babe in Christ. The new birth brings forth a new creature. They are not angels, and they are not natural men, but supernatural beings surrounded by the grace of God and indwelt by God the Holy Spirit. We have life from above which is not of this earth. Adam has died and is gone forever. This heavenly being now tells a story of a Great King. He went into battle for our souls and defeated death and the devil. Sin is blotted out, and we can now say, My beloved is mine, and I am his (Song of Songs 2:16) We will run together through this life, His hand in mine, and my hand in His till I come in the fullness of God in Jesus Christ, and dwell with Him in the heavenly Jerusalem with the King of Salem, (the King of Peace). All this is given as an eternal contract in the Word of God and His blood. These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.(Hebrews 11:13) As children of God we are strangers to the world around us. In many ways the world does not know what to do with us. They wish that we would just go away. We will soon be gone, caught up to God in the translation of the Body of Christ. The world will think it is done with God, but not yet, for God will still have a witness, and He will continue to use the sword of the Word of God. He will call out 144,000 witnesses, 12,000 from each of the 12 tribes of Israel. They will declare God’s truth until the end of the Gentile Age, and then the Living Word will come. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. (Revelation 19:13)
Jesus Christ will come as The Word of God. He will bring forth judgment against the nations of the world, and He will fulfill the prophecies of His kingdom. There will be no questions to settle for everything will have been settled out of the Book of God by The Living Word. He will be the last faithful and true witness of God, and His authority will be as the eternal King of kings, and Lord of lords.
Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: (Philippians 2:9)
That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; (Philippians 2:10)
And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:11)
Amen.
© Copyright 2016, Michael Haigh
Article may be used, but not for gain. Freely ye have received, freely give.
All Scripture references are from the Authorized King James Bible. (KJV)