Sunday, May 13, 2012

Hilkiah Found The Law

And Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the secretary, "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. And Shaphan the secretary came to the king, and reported to the king, "Your servants have emptied out the money that was found in the house and have delivered it into the hand of the workmen who have the oversight of the house of the Lord." Then Shaphan the secretary told the king, "Hilkiah the priest has given me a book." And Shaphan read it before the king.
When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his clothes. And the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Achbor the son of Micaiah, and Shaphan the secretary, and Asaiah the king's servant, saying, "Go, inquire of the Lord for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that has been found. For great is the wrath of the Lord that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book, to do according to all that is written concerning us." (2 Kings 22:8-13 ESV)

Hilkiah handed the book to Shaphan the official and said, "Look what I found here in the temple - The Book of God’s Law."
Shaphan took the book to Josiah and reported, "Your officials are doing everything you wanted. They have collected the money from the temple and have given it to the men supervising the repairs. But there’s something else, Your Majesty. The priest Hilkiah gave me this book." Then Shaphan read it aloud.
When Josiah heard what was in The Book of God’s Law, he tore his clothes in sorrow. At once he called together Hilkiah, Shaphan, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Abdon son of Micah, and his own servant Asaiah. He said, "The Lord must be furious with me and everyone else in Israel and Judah, because our ancestors did not obey the laws written in this book. Go find out what the Lord wants us to do." (2 Chronicles 34:15-21 CEV)

During this time, the Law (Torah) is like our Bible today, the Word of God. I wonder what about the Psalms and the other wisdom books, writings of prophets Isaiah, Amos and Hosea, and Joshua and Judges. The rest of the Prophets are still being written or yet to be written. Are they also classified as the Word of God like the Torah?

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