Study Focus: 2 Kings 22; Neh. 9:6, 16, 21, 35–37; Jer. 7:1–7; Ps. 148:4; Jer. 29:13; Mic. 6:1–8; Dan. 9:1–19.
Part I: Overview
As the first section of the biblical revelation, the Torah—that is, the five books of Moses (Pentateuch)—is expected to be the part of the Bible that will be the most referred to in the later writings. The book of Genesis, with its report of the events of the Creation of heavens and earth, the story of the Tower of Babel, and especially the stories of the patriarchs and of Joseph, will remain vivid in the memory of the people of Israel, the prophets, and the Psalms. Likewise, the other books of the Pentateuch—Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers—will be present in the worship service and will inspire the meditation of the priests, the kings, and the prophets. During the course of this week, we will focus on the book of Deuteronomy, which more than any other had an impact on the spiritual destiny of the people of Israel. Because the book of Deuteronomy was the book that reminded Israel of the law, it remained the favorite reference to initiate reforms or to rebuke the people who had gone astray from the directions of the law.
In our exploration of the presence of the book of Deuteronomy in the latter writings, we will rediscover familiar themes that will be refreshed and reoriented, according to new historical contexts, to make the “old paths” relevant again.
Lesson Themes:
• The reformation of Josiah. Lessons from a faithful leader
• The prayer of Nehemiah. More deep truths based on revival and reformation
• The prayer of Daniel. Mourning for loss
• The religion of Micah. On what true religion really means
Part II: Commentary
The Reformation of Josiah
The radical return to the law is, first of all, to be attributed to the personal character of Josiah and to his profound piety. Never in the history of Israel was a king so close to the ideal of the Torah. The idols that had been accumulated by his predecessors had been “utterly destroy[ed]” by Josiah, according the ideal of Deuteronomy (Deut. 12:2, 3). So, God blessed Josiah’s reign (639–608 b.c.), which lasted more than thirty years and was much longer than the reign of his predecessors. Josiah is only eight years old when he becomes king. In the twelfth year of his reign, he makes his first formal decision, and it involves the restoration of the temple in Jerusalem, a concern that is clearly at the heart of the book of Deuteronomy (Deut. 12:1–7). Josiah’s first work of restoration concerns, therefore, the whole religious economy.
The temple in Jerusalem is repaired and purified. All the Canaanite and Assyrian idols are removed; the whole country is involved, through offerings, in this reconstruction. But it is the eighteenth year in which the next step of his reformation is engaged. This time, however, the reformation does not concern just the rituals; it has a definite spiritual character. As the king inquires of the high priest, Hilkiah, about the progress of the restoration, Hilkiah discovers “the book of the law in the house of the Lord” (2 Kings 22:8). This original manuscript, written by Moses, is turned over to Shaphan, the royal scribe. He then goes to the king to read it before him. According to the biblical record, when the king hears the words of this book, he is troubled because he understands that this book speaks about the wrath of God and the curses. The king tears his clothes as a sign of contrition and gives orders to the priests and other officers of the royal court to consult the prophet Huldah. This is one of the rare examples in which a king seeks, from a prophet, the solution to a problem. A number of clues suggest that this “book of the law” is the book of Deuteronomy, in which the same words are used (compare Deut. 31:24–26). The troubling passages that intrigue and disturb the king are probably Deuteronomy 28 and 29, which declare the two ways—the way of life and the way of death, with their respective blessings and curses, which are conditions of the covenant. Contained also therein is the reference to the wrath of the Lord (Deut. 29:20), and Moses’ exhortation to Israel to take the right way (Deut. 28:13).
King Josiah is moved. As soon as the reading is finished, Josiah understands the seriousness of the situation, and immediately undertakes a reformation that goes beyond mere cultic measures and becomes a profound spiritual awakening throughout the whole country. Josiah reaffirms the centralization of the cult in Jerusalem, and his reformation reaches out beyond the borders of Judah to the country of northern Israel. Josiah travels north to Bethel. Thanks to the book of Deuteronomy, King Josiah was able to promote the spiritual unity of the people, an accomplishment that no king had ever been able to achieve.
Discussion and Thought Questions: What methods did Josiah use to deal with the problem that divided his people? What was Josiah’s personal attitude in his call for repentance?
The Prayer of Nehemiah
Like the reformation of Josiah, the reformation of Nehemiah is triggered by the reading of the Word of God. The people here also read from the same “Book of the Law” (Neh. 9:3, NKJV), within the same spiritual context of an intense need for repentance (Neh. 9:1, 2). The event of this special gathering and fasting takes place “on the twenty-fourth day of [the seventh] month” (Neh. 9:1, NKJV; compare Neh. 8:14). This is during the somber period of the Day of Atonement, followed immediately by the entire festive period of the Feast of Tabernacles, including the “eighth day” of the feast (twenty-third day), which was the prescribed assembly that closed the feast (compare Neh. 8:18, Lev. 23:39). The prayer of Nehemiah is imbued with references to the book of Deuteronomy. It begins with a blessing and an invocation of the Creator, “exalted above all” (Neh. 9:5; compare Deut. 6:4), who created “the heaven of heavens” (Neh. 9:6), a superlative expression that designates the highest place of the abode of God, wherein dwell the angels of God, “the host of heaven,” who worship Him (Deut. 10:14; compare 1 Kings 8:27). The prayer continues with a reminder of the covenant, the basic theme around which the book of Deuteronomy is structured, and all that God did for Israel: how He took care of them during the 40 years in the wilderness (Neh. 9:21; compare Deut. 2:7; Deut. 8:4; Deut. 29:5); the stubborn and rebellious response of Israel, who hardened their necks (Neh. 9:16; compare Deut. 1:26–33; Deut. 31:27). They did not repent from their wicked works (Neh. 9:35; compare Deut. 28:45–47). Nehemiah deplores, then, that God’s people are now reaping the fruit of their past disobedience and are under the curse of the covenant (Neh. 9:35–37; compare Deut. 28:47, 48).
Nehemiah concludes his prayer with a last thought about the mystery of the covenant. The Hebrew phrase ubekol zo’t, which opens Nehemiah’s conclusion and is translated “and because” by the New King James Version, is an idiomatic expression meaning “and yet” (JPS). Nehemiah is struck by the paradox of this covenant, which is made in spite of the iniquity of the kings, the princes, and the priests (Neh. 9:34, 37).
Discussion and Thought Questions: Why is the abode of God called “heaven of heavens”? Why does Nehemiah begin with the reference to the God of Creation and to His worship by the host of heavens?
The Prayer of Daniel
Like Josiah and Nehemiah, the prophet Daniel, who is in the same mode of praying and mourning, reads into “ ‘the Law of Moses’ ” and prays about the disasters that have come upon God’s people as a result of their unfaithfulness (Dan. 9:13, NKJV; compare Deut. 28:15–68).
The Religion of Micah
Like Moses, Micah begins his speech with the same appealing question: “What does the Lord require of you . . . ?” (Micah 6:8, NKJV; compare Deut. 10:12). This question represents one of the most crucial concerns about religion. How can humans approach God and respond to His expectations? The traditional answer would be: sacrifices, precious offerings, good works for God. Micah’s answer, just as Moses’, is not to offer such external gifts from the worshiper to God, “but . . . to do justice, and to love kindness” toward humans in need (Micah 6:8, ESV). Micah echoes Deuteronomy in his words. The phrase “do justice” and the key word “love” are common to both texts. Micah is not saying that sacrifice and offerings are wrong, but that all religious acts, without the proper relationship with God and one’s neighbor, are worthless.
Discussion and Thought Questions: According to the examples of Josiah, Nehemiah, and Daniel, what is the first requirement to begin the process of repentance? Why was the consultation of the prophets (Moses, Huldah, Jeremiah, etc.) necessary in order to bring about the repentance of the people and the blessings of God?
Part III: Life Application
Divisions
You are a leader of the church, and you suffer as you witness division in your community. Choose one of the following options:
• You side with one of the factions against another group, and you accuse the other group of being wrong.
• You listen to both groups and acknowledge where they are both right, and you go to both groups to help them see the values of the other group.
• You realize that you are a part of the problems of your community, and you call both groups to pray with you and consider how you were all wrong in the dispute.
Local Church
How should you respond to areas in local church life in which the church is not living up to the light that it has been given? What are the best ways to go about seeking to bring reformation? What principles can we take from these accounts that we could apply to our own churches?
Notes
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Key Text: Deuteronomy 10:15
Study Focus: 2 Kings 22; Neh. 9:6, 16, 21, 35–37; Jer. 7:1–7; Ps. 148:4; Jer. 29:13; Mic. 6:1–8; Dan. 9:1–19.
Part I: Overview
As the first section of the biblical revelation, the Torah—that is, the five books of Moses (Pentateuch)—is expected to be the part of the Bible that will be the most referred to in the later writings. The book of Genesis, with its report of the events of the Creation of heavens and earth, the story of the Tower of Babel, and especially the stories of the patriarchs and of Joseph, will remain vivid in the memory of the people of Israel, the prophets, and the Psalms. Likewise, the other books of the Pentateuch—Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers—will be present in the worship service and will inspire the meditation of the priests, the kings, and the prophets. During the course of this week, we will focus on the book of Deuteronomy, which more than any other had an impact on the spiritual destiny of the people of Israel. Because the book of Deuteronomy was the book that reminded Israel of the law, it remained the favorite reference to initiate reforms or to rebuke the people who had gone astray from the directions of the law.
In our exploration of the presence of the book of Deuteronomy in the latter writings, we will rediscover familiar themes that will be refreshed and reoriented, according to new historical contexts, to make the “old paths” relevant again.
Lesson Themes:
• The reformation of Josiah. Lessons from a faithful leader
• The prayer of Nehemiah. More deep truths based on revival and reformation
• The prayer of Daniel. Mourning for loss
• The religion of Micah. On what true religion really means
Part II: Commentary
The Reformation of Josiah
The radical return to the law is, first of all, to be attributed to the personal character of Josiah and to his profound piety. Never in the history of Israel was a king so close to the ideal of the Torah. The idols that had been accumulated by his predecessors had been “utterly destroy[ed]” by Josiah, according the ideal of Deuteronomy (Deut. 12:2, 3). So, God blessed Josiah’s reign (639–608 b.c.), which lasted more than thirty years and was much longer than the reign of his predecessors. Josiah is only eight years old when he becomes king. In the twelfth year of his reign, he makes his first formal decision, and it involves the restoration of the temple in Jerusalem, a concern that is clearly at the heart of the book of Deuteronomy (Deut. 12:1–7). Josiah’s first work of restoration concerns, therefore, the whole religious economy.
The temple in Jerusalem is repaired and purified. All the Canaanite and Assyrian idols are removed; the whole country is involved, through offerings, in this reconstruction. But it is the eighteenth year in which the next step of his reformation is engaged. This time, however, the reformation does not concern just the rituals; it has a definite spiritual character. As the king inquires of the high priest, Hilkiah, about the progress of the restoration, Hilkiah discovers “the book of the law in the house of the Lord” (2 Kings 22:8). This original manuscript, written by Moses, is turned over to Shaphan, the royal scribe. He then goes to the king to read it before him. According to the biblical record, when the king hears the words of this book, he is troubled because he understands that this book speaks about the wrath of God and the curses. The king tears his clothes as a sign of contrition and gives orders to the priests and other officers of the royal court to consult the prophet Huldah. This is one of the rare examples in which a king seeks, from a prophet, the solution to a problem. A number of clues suggest that this “book of the law” is the book of Deuteronomy, in which the same words are used (compare Deut. 31:24–26). The troubling passages that intrigue and disturb the king are probably Deuteronomy 28 and 29, which declare the two ways—the way of life and the way of death, with their respective blessings and curses, which are conditions of the covenant. Contained also therein is the reference to the wrath of the Lord (Deut. 29:20), and Moses’ exhortation to Israel to take the right way (Deut. 28:13).
King Josiah is moved. As soon as the reading is finished, Josiah understands the seriousness of the situation, and immediately undertakes a reformation that goes beyond mere cultic measures and becomes a profound spiritual awakening throughout the whole country. Josiah reaffirms the centralization of the cult in Jerusalem, and his reformation reaches out beyond the borders of Judah to the country of northern Israel. Josiah travels north to Bethel. Thanks to the book of Deuteronomy, King Josiah was able to promote the spiritual unity of the people, an accomplishment that no king had ever been able to achieve.
Discussion and Thought Questions: What methods did Josiah use to deal with the problem that divided his people? What was Josiah’s personal attitude in his call for repentance?
The Prayer of Nehemiah
Like the reformation of Josiah, the reformation of Nehemiah is triggered by the reading of the Word of God. The people here also read from the same “Book of the Law” (Neh. 9:3, NKJV), within the same spiritual context of an intense need for repentance (Neh. 9:1, 2). The event of this special gathering and fasting takes place “on the twenty-fourth day of [the seventh] month” (Neh. 9:1, NKJV; compare Neh. 8:14). This is during the somber period of the Day of Atonement, followed immediately by the entire festive period of the Feast of Tabernacles, including the “eighth day” of the feast (twenty-third day), which was the prescribed assembly that closed the feast (compare Neh. 8:18, Lev. 23:39). The prayer of Nehemiah is imbued with references to the book of Deuteronomy. It begins with a blessing and an invocation of the Creator, “exalted above all” (Neh. 9:5; compare Deut. 6:4), who created “the heaven of heavens” (Neh. 9:6), a superlative expression that designates the highest place of the abode of God, wherein dwell the angels of God, “the host of heaven,” who worship Him (Deut. 10:14; compare 1 Kings 8:27). The prayer continues with a reminder of the covenant, the basic theme around which the book of Deuteronomy is structured, and all that God did for Israel: how He took care of them during the 40 years in the wilderness (Neh. 9:21; compare Deut. 2:7; Deut. 8:4; Deut. 29:5); the stubborn and rebellious response of Israel, who hardened their necks (Neh. 9:16; compare Deut. 1:26–33; Deut. 31:27). They did not repent from their wicked works (Neh. 9:35; compare Deut. 28:45–47). Nehemiah deplores, then, that God’s people are now reaping the fruit of their past disobedience and are under the curse of the covenant (Neh. 9:35–37; compare Deut. 28:47, 48).
Nehemiah concludes his prayer with a last thought about the mystery of the covenant. The Hebrew phrase ubekol zo’t, which opens Nehemiah’s conclusion and is translated “and because” by the New King James Version, is an idiomatic expression meaning “and yet” (JPS). Nehemiah is struck by the paradox of this covenant, which is made in spite of the iniquity of the kings, the princes, and the priests (Neh. 9:34, 37).
Discussion and Thought Questions: Why is the abode of God called “heaven of heavens”? Why does Nehemiah begin with the reference to the God of Creation and to His worship by the host of heavens?
The Prayer of Daniel
Like Josiah and Nehemiah, the prophet Daniel, who is in the same mode of praying and mourning, reads into “ ‘the Law of Moses’ ” and prays about the disasters that have come upon God’s people as a result of their unfaithfulness (Dan. 9:13, NKJV; compare Deut. 28:15–68).
The Religion of Micah
Like Moses, Micah begins his speech with the same appealing question: “What does the Lord require of you . . . ?” (Micah 6:8, NKJV; compare Deut. 10:12). This question represents one of the most crucial concerns about religion. How can humans approach God and respond to His expectations? The traditional answer would be: sacrifices, precious offerings, good works for God. Micah’s answer, just as Moses’, is not to offer such external gifts from the worshiper to God, “but . . . to do justice, and to love kindness” toward humans in need (Micah 6:8, ESV). Micah echoes Deuteronomy in his words. The phrase “do justice” and the key word “love” are common to both texts. Micah is not saying that sacrifice and offerings are wrong, but that all religious acts, without the proper relationship with God and one’s neighbor, are worthless.
Discussion and Thought Questions: According to the examples of Josiah, Nehemiah, and Daniel, what is the first requirement to begin the process of repentance? Why was the consultation of the prophets (Moses, Huldah, Jeremiah, etc.) necessary in order to bring about the repentance of the people and the blessings of God?
Part III: Life Application
Divisions
You are a leader of the church, and you suffer as you witness division in your community. Choose one of the following options:
• You side with one of the factions against another group, and you accuse the other group of being wrong.
• You listen to both groups and acknowledge where they are both right, and you go to both groups to help them see the values of the other group.
• You realize that you are a part of the problems of your community, and you call both groups to pray with you and consider how you were all wrong in the dispute.
Local Church
How should you respond to areas in local church life in which the church is not living up to the light that it has been given? What are the best ways to go about seeking to bring reformation? What principles can we take from these accounts that we could apply to our own churches?
Notes