While they were bringing out the money that had been taken into the temple of the LORD, Hilkiah the priest found the Book of the Law of the LORD that had been given through Moses.
2 Chronicles 34:14 NIV
Josiah was eight years old when he became king. In the eighth year of his reign, he began purifying the land of the idols his father and grandfather had introduced. And in the eighteenth year, he began to repair the Temple of the Lord.
During this repair work, they found “the Book of the Law of the Lord given through Moses.” What was this book? Most scholars believe that it was what we know today as Deuteronomy. This book represented the core of Israel’s Scripture. And it had been lost, hidden away in the temple for many years.
The priests read this book to Josiah, who tore his robes because of the nation’s failure to live up to what the book contained. After enquiring of a prophet of God, he redoubled his efforts at leading the nation away from idolatry and to the worship of the Lord, in accordance with what he found in the Book of the Law of the Lord.
Losing the Bible
In this age of the printing press and the internet, it seems inconceivable that the Bible could become lost. Although some parts of the world have limited access to the Bible, most of us who can read this post have ready access to multiple translations.
Yet, for many, the Bible is functionally lost. A 2022 American Bible Society survey* reported that only 10% of Americans read the Bible on a daily basis. And only 39% read it multiple times a year. That means that 61% of Americans, including many who identify as Christian, seldom, if ever, read the Bible.
The Bible can be difficult to read and understand. But let me encourage you to make the effort. Read it for yourself on a daily basis. Let its words sink deep into your heart and mind. Let it transform your life and walk with our Lord.
*https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2022/april/state-of-bible-reading-decline-report-26-million.html
