The Word of God Lost In The House of God
Pastor Leslie Chua
“While they were bringing out the money that had been brought into the house of the LORD, the priest Hilkiah found the book of the law of the LORD given through Moses. Hilkiah said to the secretary Shaphan, “I have found the book of the law in the house of the LORD.””
“I have found the book of the law in the house of the LORD.” This is a remarkable statement. Perhaps, it is more appropriate to say that it is a shocking statement.
The implication is the book of the law was lost. Where? In house of the LORD. How can that be possible? Didn’t the book of the law belong in the house of God? How did it get lost inside God’s house?
Here is the background.
For more than seven decades after the death of King Hezekiah, Judah backslid spiritually. The people fell into apostasy. King Manasseh, one of the worst kings in Judah’s history, rebuilt the high places and restored idolatry in the land. He even did the unthinkable, sacrificing his own sons to pagan gods and erecting altars for the starry host of heaven inside God’s temple. His son, Amon, who succeeded him, continued the vile practices.
During this time, God’s temple in Jerusalem, which was the centre of religious life in Judah, was left unattended. With time, it became dilapidated.
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While it was a pleasant surprise for Hilkiah and King Josiah, this is a shocking truth for anyone reading the Bible. The Word of God got lost in the house of God! What an irony!
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In the eighteenth year of King Josiah’s reign, he ordered the repair and restoration of the run-down temple. That was when the high priest, Hilkiah, found the book of the law in the temple.
It was an accidental find. Hilkiah stumbled upon it. After several decades of negligence and neglect, the forgotten book of the law was rediscovered.
While it was a pleasant surprise for Hilkiah and King Josiah, this is a shocking truth for anyone reading the Bible. The Word of God got lost in the house of God! What an irony!
Well, we should not be surprised. We see parallels of this irony repeated often in the Old Testament period, during Jesus’ time, and in our modern days.
In The Old Testament Period
Solomon built the temple for God. It was an architectural masterpiece. But barely a few years later, he forgot the Word of God and ignored its warnings. He had many wives, and they led him astray with their pagan religious beliefs and practices.
Solomon opened the floodgates of the nation to idolatry. All the kings of the northern kingdom of Israel and many kings in the southern kingdom of Judah followed in his footsteps. Idolatry became prevalent in the land.
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Magnificent as it was, God’s temple in Jerusalem was reduced to a lifeless monument as the Word of God was despised and rejected more often than it was esteemed.
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Manasseh and Amon were just two examples of kings who did what was evil in the sight of God.
Magnificent as it was, God’s temple in Jerusalem was reduced to a lifeless monument as the Word of God was despised and rejected more often than it was esteemed. Though sacrifices continued to be offered in the temple, God took no delight in them.
God made His displeasure known to the Israelites through His prophets.
Amos declared, “I hate, I despise your feasts, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies. Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them; and the peace offerings of your fattened animals, I will not look upon them” (Amos 5:21-22).
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The brick-and-mortar splendour of the temple means nothing to God compared to having His people take His Word seriously. As Isaiah prophesied, God esteems those who tremble at His Word.
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Isaiah declared - Thus says the LORD: “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool; what is the house that you would build for me, and what is the place of my rest? All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the LORD. But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word (Isaiah 66:1-2).
The brick-and-mortar splendour of the temple means nothing to God compared to having His people take His Word seriously. As Isaiah prophesied, God esteems those who tremble at His Word.
The Word of God is of paramount importance. Unfortunately, it was lost on the Israelites, who did not give it their due reverence.
We read in Ezekiel chapters 8, 9, and 10 a sad prophetic commentary of God’s glory leaving the temple because of idolatry and vile pagan practices happening inside it. When God’s Word is not obeyed and followed, His Presence will depart.
During Jesus’ Time
This is not an Old Testament idea. The principle remains the same in the New Testament.
Once again, the law of God was lost in His people. Jesus frequently chided the Jews for their fake religious piety. The religious leaders were the worst culprits. They honoured God outwardly. Their external form of worship was impeccable, but their heart attitude toward God was appalling.
Listen to what Jesus had to say – “You hypocrites! Isaiah prophesied rightly about you when he said: 'This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching human precepts as doctrines'" (Matthew 15:7-9 NRSV).
Jesus did not hide His displeasure at the spiritual state of God’s chosen people. He did not mince His words. He called them hypocrites. Rightly so. Their action was not a genuine reflection of their hearts. It was foolhardy of them to think that God could be deceived.
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Once again, the law of God was lost in His people. Jesus frequently chided the Jews for their fake religious piety. The religious leaders were the worst culprits. They honoured God outwardly. Their external form of worship was impeccable, but their heart attitude toward God was appalling.
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Why did God’s people behave in such an atrocious manner? Because they did not tremble at God’s Word.
The apostle Paul made a somewhat similar comment as Jesus. He warned his protégé, Timothy, about some Christians “holding to the outward form of godliness but denying its power” (2 Timothy 3:5).
In Our Time
The spiritual state of the church has not become better with time. In reality, it has become worse.
It is an irony because of the ‘proliferation’ of the Word of God. By proliferation, I mean Christians have easy access to the Bible. In the past, when the printing press had not been invented yet, only the clergy had access to the Holy Scripture and the privilege to read and study it. Besides, most of the people then were illiterate.
It is not surprising that a typical church-going Christian today possesses several copies of the Bible. They have different translations of the Bible, and some of which are beautifully bound with high-quality leather. Many varieties of study Bibles are also available to help readers understand the Word of God better.
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The primary reason is that Christians do not tremble at the Word of God. Many who profess faith in Christ do not take the Word of God seriously enough. They read the Bible selectively. They claim the promises but reject the warnings. They choose the love of God but ignore His judgements. Instead of embracing the whole counsel of the Word, they pick and choose the portions of the Scripture that they would embrace and discard.
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Those having digital Bible apps, like the YouVersion, have instant access to multiple versions of the Bible on their mobile phones and digital devices. We can choose to read or listen to it. We can even choose from different voices to read the Scriptures to us. Accessibility to the Word of God has never been so easy and convenient.
Despite all this, serious prophetic voices and church commentators have remarked that the modern church is a mile wide but only an inch deep. In other words, contemporary Christianity is appallingly shallow. It is a sad reality of the spiritual condition of the church today.
The primary reason is that Christians do not tremble at the Word of God. Many who profess faith in Christ do not take the Word of God seriously enough. They read the Bible selectively. They claim the promises but reject the warnings. They choose the love of God but ignore His judgements. Instead of embracing the whole counsel of the Word, they pick and choose the portions of the Scripture that they would embrace and discard.
Sadly, the irony of the law of God lost in the house of God is again repeated in our time. Christians must take it upon themselves to take the Word of God seriously and live according to it without turning aside from it to the right or the left.
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Under the New Covenant, we are the temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). We are the houses of God. It is our responsibility to make sure that the law of God – the Word of God – is found in us, in our hearts and minds.
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The consequences for ignoring the Word of God are serious. It has eternal ramifications.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus warns, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21).
Jesus is talking to believers. Do not miss the critical point here. Only those who do the will of God will enter the kingdom of heaven. The implication is obeying the Word of God.
If this is not clear enough, listen to Jesus’ concluding statement in this matter – “And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.” Matthew 7:23).
Workers of lawlessness refer to those ‘without the law.’ These are believers who ignore and do not live by the Word of God.
Under the New Covenant, we are the temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). We are the houses of God. It is our responsibility to make sure that the law of God – the Word of God – is found in us, in our hearts and minds.