“Lost in the House of God” 

Out of the twenty rulers of Judah only eight of them could be called "good": Asa, Jehoshaphat, Joash, Amaziah, Uzziah, Jotham, Hezekiah and Josiah. There's no question that Josiah was a great king, for even the Prophet Jeremiah used him as an example for the other rulers to follow. "He pled the cause of the afflicted and needy," said Jeremiah of Josiah.  Josiah ruled for 31 years and walked in the ways of the Lord.  He was only eight years old when they made him king, so the court officials were his mentors; but at age sixteen, Josiah committed himself to the Lord and began to seek His blessing.  

At age 20 Josiah, after seeking the Lord for four years, was now prepared to cleanse the land.  He purged the land of the high places and called the people back to worship at the temple in Jerusalem. He destroyed the idols and the altars dedicated to Baal and other false gods, and he defiled the places where the people worshiped these idols.  He repaired the temple of the Lord where the Book of the Law was discovered; he made a covenant with the Lord; and he hosted a great celebration of Passover. He was 26 at the time.   

With the people giving money for the upkeep of the temple, Josiah ordered Shaphan to tell Hilkiah the high priest to distribute the funds to the workers and start repairing the temple. 

It seems remarkable that the Book of the Law should be lost in the temple!  Shaphan "read in the book"; perhaps from the Book of Deuteronomy and Leviticus. It's to Josiah's credit that he desired to hear what the book said, and when he heard it read, he was smitten with fear and grief.  

The prophetess Huldah after being consulted gave her message to the king about what should be done.  Josiah called the elders, priests, and prophets together, with the people of the land, and shared the message with them.   

The king stood by a pillar of the temple and read the words of the law to the assembly. He covenanted with them to walk before the Lord in obedience and devotion.  The king then began to implement the terms of the covenant and obey the law of the Lord. First, he removed from the temple everything that belonged to idolatrous worship including the golden calf that Jeroboam I had set up. He also broke down that shrine and destroyed everything associated with it. He brought Manasseh's infamous idol out of the temple, burned and pulverized it, and sprinkled the ashes on the graves of those who worshiped it.   

He removed the horses dedicated to the sun god and burned the chariots in the fire. Imagine stabling horses in the temple precincts! He pulled down and destroyed the altars to the heavenly host that had been placed by Ahaz on the roof of the temple buildings.  He also did away with the altars Manasseh had put in the temple court.  

While all the appointed feasts in Lev 23 were meaningful and important, the feast of Passover was especially significant.  Passover reminded the Jewish people of their national origin at the Exodus when the Lord delivered them from Egyptian bondage.  He took them to Himself as His own people and entered into a covenant relationship with them at Mount Sinai. They were God's chosen people, God's covenant people; a people to bring glory to His name. 

At least 37,600 small animals were offered, plus 3,800 bulls. The priests and Levites were cleansed and sanctified, ready to serve, and there were many Levites who sang praises to the Lord and played instruments. 

And Jeremiah, standing at the entrance into that glorious restored temple where thousands of worshipers were gathering for worship and to celebrate the Passover, he thundered forth the message of God.   

Jer 7:1-15

7 The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, 2 "Stand in the gate of the Lord's house, and proclaim there this word, and say, 'Hear the word of the Lord, all you of Judah who enter in at these gates to worship the Lord!'" 3 Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel:"Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place. 4 Do not trust in these lying words, saying, 'The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord are these.'  5 "For if you thoroughly amend your ways and your doings, if you thoroughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbor, 6 if you do not oppress the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place, or walk after other gods to your hurt, 7 then I will cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers forever and ever.  8 "Behold, you trust in lying words that cannot profit. 9 Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, burn incense to Baal, and walk after other gods whom you do not know, 10 and then come and stand before Me in this house which is called by My name, and say, 'We are delivered to do all these abominations'? 11 Has this house, which is called by My name, become a den of thieves in your eyes? Behold, I, even I, have seen it," says the Lord.  12 "But go now to My place which was in Shiloh, where I set My name at the first, and see what I did to it because of the wickedness of My people Israel. 13 And now, because you have done all these works," says the Lord, "and I spoke to you, rising up early and speaking, but you did not hear, and I called you, but you did not answer, 14 therefore I will do to the house which is called by My name, in which you trust, and to this place which I gave to you and your fathers, as I have done to Shiloh. 15 And I will cast you out of My sight, as I have cast out all your brethren — the whole posterity of Ephraim. NKJV