Sermon Central
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Rediscovering The Book From God
Contributed by John Gaston on Mar 14, 2018 (message contributor)
Summary: A generation of God's people had lost the Word, like many Christians today who have the Word but don't read it. Luckily Josiah responded to the Word with tears, evangelistic zeal, and obedience -- as we should!
REDISCOVERING THE BOOK FROM GOD
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR: THE THOUGHTFUL HUSBAND
1. On the morning of her birthday, a woman told her husband, "I just dreamed that you gave me a diamond necklace. What do you think it means?"
2. "Maybe you'll find out tonight," he said. That evening the man came home with a small package and gave it to his wife.
3. She ripped off the wrapping paper and found a book entitled, "The Meaning of Dreams." (RD June 2013)
4. We’re going to look at another, better Book.
B. TEXT
Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem thirty-one years. His mother’s name was Jedidah daughter of Adaiah; she was from Bozkath. 2 He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and followed completely the ways of his father David, not turning aside to the right or to the left. 3 In the eighteenth year of his reign, King Josiah sent the secretary, Shaphan son of Azaliah, the son of Meshullam, to the temple of the Lord. He said: 4 “Go up to Hilkiah the high priest and have him get ready the money that has been brought into the temple of the Lord, which the doorkeepers have collected from the people. 5 Have them entrust it to the men appointed to supervise the work on the temple. And have these men pay the workers who repair the temple of the Lord— 6 the carpenters, the builders and the masons. Also have them purchase timber and dressed stone to repair the temple. 7 But they need not account for the money entrusted to them, because they are honest in their dealings.” 8 Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the secretary, “I have found the Book of the Law in the temple of the Lord.” He gave it to Shaphan, who read it. 9 Then Shaphan the secretary went to the king and reported to him: “Your officials have paid out the money that was in the temple of the Lord and have entrusted it to the workers and supervisors at the temple.” 10 Then Shaphan the secretary informed the king, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.” And Shaphan read from it in the presence of the king. 11 When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his robes. 12 He gave these orders to Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Akbor son of Micaiah, Shaphan the secretary and Asaiah the king’s attendant: 13 “Go and inquire of the Lord for me and for the people and for all Judah about what is written in this book that has been found. Great is the Lord’s anger that burns against us because those who have gone before us have not obeyed the words of this book; they have not acted in accordance with all that is written there concerning us.”
2. HILKIAH had found a BOOK, and it was a more important find than if he had discovered a mine of diamonds, or, like Columbus, a new world.
3. How reverently did he lift it from its hiding-place, remove its dust, and commence to read its title and contents! This particular Book of the Law was probably the first five Books of Moses, commonly called the Pentateuch.
4. What is the Bible? It’s a Book which has God for its Author. Peter said, “holy men of old spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” Paul said it’s divinely inspired by the Holy Spirit, Who breathes it into the hearts of believing readers.
5. This book is of inestimably value for three reasons; a). God is its author; b). it’s God’s thoughts, and c). because it’s directed to us.
6. It’s not a letter written from God to angels, but for us. He directs his teaching not to that part of us that will die, but to that part that will live forever.
7. If ever a man ought to concentrate all his faculties, and pray to be in the best mental order, it should be when he comes to study the Word of God.
C. THESIS
1. I speak to you tonight on, "Rediscovering The Book From God."
2. Notice first, The Strange Episode; secondly, The Commendable Sharing Of God’s Word, and thirdly, The Influence of God’s Word.
I. THE STRANGE EPISODE
A. LOST IN THE HOUSE OF GOD!
1. Now here is a strange episode, about as strange as The Twilight Zone; that the Book of the Law should be lost in the House of God!
2. It had been lost, for what length of time, we don’t know, but the impression you get, is that Josiah had never heard of it before, nor had Hilkiah or Shaphan the scribe. It was something totally new.
