2 Chronicles 34:26
“And as for the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the Lord, so shall ye say unto him, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel concerning the words which thou hast heard.”
This verse is part of a larger passage that describes the righteous reforms initiated by King Josiah in the kingdom of Judah. Josiah became king at a young age and sought to restore the worship of the Lord and purge the land of idolatry.
To fully understand the significance of this verse, let’s explore its context and the surrounding verses:
Chronicles 34:19-28 (KJV):
“19 And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the law, that he rent his clothes. 20 And the king commanded Hilkiah, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Abdon the son of Micah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah a servant of the king’s, saying, 21 Go, inquire of the Lord for me, and for them that are left in Israel and in Judah, concerning the words of the book that is found: for great is the wrath of the Lord that is poured out upon us, because our fathers have not kept the word of the Lord, to do after all that is written in this book. 22 And Hilkiah, and they that the king had appointed, went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvath, the son of Hasrah, keeper of the wardrobe; (now she dwelt in Jerusalem in the college:) and they spake to her to that effect. 23 And she answered them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Tell ye the man that sent you to me, 24 Thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof, even all the curses that are written in the book which they have read before the king of Judah: 25 Because they have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the works of their hands; therefore, my wrath shall be poured out upon this place, and shall not be quenched. 26 And as for the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the Lord, so shall ye say unto him, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel concerning the words which thou hast heard; 27 Because thine heart was tender, and thou didst humble thyself before God, when thou heardest his words against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, and humbledst thyself before me, and didst rend thy clothes, and weep before me; I have even heard thee also, saith the Lord. 28 Behold, I will gather thee to thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered to thy grave in peace, neither shall thine eyes see all the evil that I will bring upon this place, and upon the inhabitants of the same. So they brought the king word again.”
In this passage, we see that King Josiah discovered the Book of the Law during the process of repairing the temple. When he heard the words of the Law, he was deeply moved and recognized that the people of Judah had not been following God’s commandments. As a result, he tore his clothes, a sign of repentance and distress, and sought guidance from the Lord.
King Josiah instructed his officials to inquire of the Lord through the prophetess Huldah regarding the words they had discovered in the book. Huldah relayed the message from God to them, affirming that God would indeed bring judgment upon the land for their disobedience. However, she also conveyed a message of grace specifically for King Josiah.
In verse 26, Huldah instructs the messengers to relay to King Josiah what the Lord had spoken: “Thus saith the Lord God of Israel concerning the words which thou hast heard.” This message serves as a direct response to Josiah’s humble and repentant heart. God acknowledges Josiah’s tender heart, his humility, and his response of mourning and weeping for the sins of his people.
The subsequent verses (27-28) reveal that due to Josiah’s repentance, God promised to bring him to his grave in peace. Although the nation would still face the consequences of their disobedience, Josiah would be spared from personally witnessing the calamity that would befall Judah.
