"Hilkiah the Priest Has Given Me a Book"

There's truly no book like the Book! :)

    The latter half of 2 Chronicles 34 is kind of set up like a dramatic story. Wicked kings had been reigning in the land for fifty-seven years, doing their very best to stamp out proper worship of the true God; but then King Josiah ascended to the throne and got to work in leading the nation back to the Lord. One of the things King Josiah did was start restoring the temple of God (which his predecessors had trashed and filled with profane idols), and while the reconstruction took place, something very significant was discovered.
    It was a copy of the Scriptures, the book listing all the instructions and statutes God gave His people. And it was taken to the royal scribe, Shaphan, right away in order to show the king what had been found. Once King Josiah had seen and had read the Scriptures, he quickly made sure the people also learned what it said. And in verse 34:33, it's said that for all of Josiah's lifetime, the people "did not depart from following the LORD God of their fathers" (NKJ).
    This story is so awesome on multiple levels! The very way that Hilkiah, Shaphan, and King Josiah all reacted when they found the precious word of God was fascinating. Hilkiah, the high priest, seemed surprised but elated to have discovered the Word of his God. Shaphan, when showing Josiah the rediscovered Scriptures, didn't have to explain what it was or even call it something like "the holy words of our God;" all he had to do was say, "Hilkiah the priest has given me a book" to convey that it was the most important document ever written. Even the way King Josiah grieved after he read the Scriptures--because he compared the current quasi-pagan traditions to what God had actually instructed them do to--is a huge deal because it shows he took every word to heart. He didn't come across something he didn't like and think, "well, that's not a huge rule that needs to be followed; we can overlook it." No, he was determined to obey it to the letter. All three of the people mentioned in this story showed God's word the absolute respect and obedience it deserves; it's great when that happens!
    And another incredible thing about this story is the way it shows how God can protect His Word. Today there are so many people who say that the Bible is "nice" but not absolute truth because supposedly the translations it's been given have mixed up the meaning of the message. But this 2 Chronicles account--and just the plain logic that the God who sculpted the entire world out of nothing probably wouldn't fail to keep His truth available to people--shows how He can keep His Word completely intact, no matter what. Kings Manasseh and Amon had apparently been so thorough in their attempts to bring down worship of the true God that the high priest was shocked to find a copy of the Law in his hands. But as powerful as the wicked rulers had been, God was clearly stronger, and as always, His good will prevailed.
    The whole dramatic element of this story is also a really fascinating part as well. After so many years of darkness, finding a sole surviving copy of the Scriptures was the spark that began an age of light and obedience. And the fact that there was possibly just one surviving copy that made it possible to revive a whole nation to God's ways is incredible! It's something you'd think could only happen in fiction; something that only God could accomplish in real life.
    Isn't it an awesome event in Israel's history? What aspect of this story do you find most impressive?