2 Kings 22:20

11-20 The book of the law is read before the king. Those best honour their Bibles, who study them; daily feed on that bread, and walk by that light. Convictions of sin and wrath should put us upon this inquiry, What shall we do to be saved? Also, what we may expect, and must provide for. Those who are truly apprehensive of the weight of God's wrath, cannot but be very anxious how they may be saved. Huldah let Josiah know what judgments God had in store for Judah and Jerusalem. The generality of the people were hardened, and their hearts unhumbled, but Josiah's heart was tender. This is tenderness of heart, and thus he humbled himself before the Lord. Those who most fear God's wrath, are least likely to feel it. Though Josiah was mortally wounded in battle, yet he died in peace with God, and went to glory. Whatever such persons suffer or witness, they are gathered to the grave in peace, a...

Verse 2 Kings 22:20. _THOU SHALT BE GATHERED INTO THY GRAVE IN PEACE_] During thy life _none of these calamities_ shall fall upon the people, and no _adversary_ shall be permitted to disturb the peace of Judea, and thou shalt die in peace with God. But was Josiah _gathered to the_ _grave in peace_? Is it not said, 2 Kings 23:29, that Pharaoh-nechoh slew him at Megiddo? On this we may remark, that the Assyrians and the Jews were at peace; that Josiah might feel it his duty to oppose the Egyptian king going against his friend and ally, and endeavour to prevent him from passing through his territories; and that in his endeavours to oppose him he was mortally wounded at Megiddo: but certainly was not killed _there_; for his servants put him in his second chariot and brought hi...

IN PEACE - The death of Josiah in battle 2 Kings 23:29 is in verbal contradiction to this prophecy, but not in real opposition to its spirit, which is simply that the pious prince who has sent to inquire of the Lord, shall be gathered to his fathers before the troubles come upon the land which are to result in her utter desolation. Now those troubles were to come, not from Egypt, but from Babylon; and their commencement was not the invasion of Necho in 608 B.C., but that of Nebuchadnezzar three years later. Thus was Josiah “taken away from the evil to come,” and died “in peace” before his city had suffered attack from the really formidable enemy....

EXPOSITION 2 KINGS 22:1 ACCESSION OF JOSIAH. REPAIR OF THE TEMPLE. RECOVERY OF THE BOOK OF THE LAW. 2 KINGS 22:1 GENERAL CHARACTER OF JOSIAH'S REIGN. _His repair of the temple_._ _The writer begins his account of Josiah's reign with the usual brief summary, giving his age at his accession, the length of his reign, his mother's name and birthplace ...

BEHOLD THEREFORE, I WILL GATHER THEE UNTO THY FATHERS,.... To his godly ancestors, to share with them in eternal life and happiness; otherwise it could be no peculiar favour to die in common, as his fathers did, and be buried in their sepulchres: AND THOU SHALL BE GATHERED INTO THY GRAVE IN PEACE; in a time of public peace and tranquillity; for though he was slain in battle with the king of Egypt, yet it was what he was personally concerned in, and it was not a public war between the two kingdoms, and his body was carried off by his servants, and was peaceably interred in the sepulchre of his ancestors, 2 Kings 23:29, as well as he died in spiritual peace, and entered into eternal peace, which is the end of the perfect and upright man, as he was, Psalms 37:37 but this chiefly regards h

V. THE REIGN OF JOSIAH 1. The Revival CHAPTER 22 _ 1. Josiah begins to reign (2 Kings 22:1; 2 Chronicles 34:1)_ 2. The temple repaired (2 Kings 22:3; 2 Chronicles 34:8) 3. The law discovered (2 Kings 22:8; 2 Chronicles 34:14) 4. The reading of the law and its results (2 Kings 22:10) 5. The

2 KINGS 22:1 TO 2 KINGS 23:30_ A_. THE REIGN AND REFORMS OF JOSIAH. The fifty-seven years of the reigns of Manasseh and Amon were, according to Kings (not Chronicles), a period of apostasy, which probably continued for the first ten years of Josiah. The prophetic party had consequently remained out of power since the persecution of Manasseh (2 Kings 21:16). They regained their influence by the discovery of the Book of the Law (2 Kings 22:8). The prophetess Huldah, on being consulted, foretold that all the calamities predicted in the book would come true, but that Josiah should go to his grave in peace and not witness the ruin of hi

GATHERED. See note on Genesis 49:33. THY GRAVE. Hebrew. _keber_ (not Sheol). in 2 Kings 21:26 rendered sepulchre. IN PEACE. Josiah died in war (2 Kings 23:29); but why not "in peace" of mind and heart as well? Compare Isaiah 57:2,...

THOU SHALT BE GATHERED INTO THY GRAVE IN PEACE— The death of Josiah was indeed sudden and immature; he fell in battle against the Egyptians, (see the next chap. 2 Kings 23:29.); and yet he may be said to have _gone to his grave in peace,_ because he was recalled from life while his kingdom was in a prosperous condition, before the calamities wherewith it was threatened were come upon it, and whilst he himself was in peace and reconciliation with God. Thus, when the righteous are taken away from the evil to come, though in the sight of the universe they seem to die, and their departure is taken for misery; yet, in what manner soever their exit be, they may well be said to die in peace, who, after their dissolution here, are numbered among the children of God, and have their lot among the saints. See Isaiah 5

D. THE PROPHETIC WORD OF HULDAH 22:14-20 TRANSLATION (14) And Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Achbor, Shaphan, and Asahiah went onto Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah the son of Harhas, the one who kept the garments (now she dwelt in Jerusalem in the second city); and they spoke unto her. (15) And she said unto them, Thus says the LORD God of Israel, Say to the man who sent you unto me, (16) Thus says the LORD: Behold I am about to bring evil against this place and against its inhabitants, all the words of the book which the king of Judah has read, (17) because they have forsaken Me, and have made offerings to other gods in order to provoke Me with all the deeds of their hands. And My wrath is kindled against this place, and it shall not be extinguished. (18) But to the king of Judah who has sent you to inquire of the LORD, Thus you shall say unto him: Thus says t...