Have You Found The Book?

Today’s Reading – 2 Kings 20 – 22 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers Read – Luke 21 – 22; Psalms 11 – 15; Proverbs 3)

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Joshua 1:8

Read the “0503 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Read a previous post from this passage – “He Should Have Quit While He Was Ahead”

“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)

In chapter 22, we have the account of the great king Josiah. I used to have debates with a good friend of mine as to who was the greatest king of Israel or Judah. His favorite was Hezekiah, but mine was Josiah. I like Josiah. He started young but he had a heart for God from the beginning of his reign until he died, and he caused God to postpone the judgment that was coming due to the sins of the kings before him.

As I mentioned already, Josiah was a good king from the start, but something happens in verses 10 and 11 that will destine him for greatness. The men that were working on the Temple discover a copy of “the book of the law”, the Bible. Apparently the Bible had been missing and out of use for many years because nobody seemed to even know about it at this point. When Josiah reads it for the first time, he “rent his clothes” because he knew that Israel and Judah had gotten completely away from the principles contained in “the Book”. Once he has finished mourning over the sad state of affairs in his nation, he begins to implement in the nation all of precepts contained in the law. He follows God with all of his heart and all of his strength, and God puts his blessings once again on the nation of Judah.

How about you? Have you found “the Book”? Have you discovered that “the Book” is not just a dusty decoration on your coffee table but is a powerful source of nourishment for your hungry soul, and a bright light of direction in this dark world that we live in today. Find your Bible, read your Bible, study your Bible, apply your Bible, and share your Bible with others.

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Phil Erickson

Pastor Phil Erickson has been the pastor of Jersey Shore Baptist Church since 2002. Having grown up in Ocean County, Pastor Phil has always had a burden for the south Jersey area. After graduating from Bible College in Longview, Texas, he and his family moved to Galloway Township with the vision of digging in and serving the Lord and the people of Atlantic County. Pastor Phil and Cindy Erickson have been married for 34 years, and have four children and eight grandchildren. His oldest son, Phil Jr., and wife, Katelyn, are serving the Lord at a church in Paradise, TX. His oldest daughter, Melissa, is married to Wesley Clayton who is in the Air Force and is currently stationed in South Carolina. Samantha, his third child is married to Justin Mears and they are both serving the Lord here at the church in Galloway. Hannah is the youngest and is a sophomore at Vision Baptist College while also serving the Lord at Jersey Shore Baptist Church.