2 Kings 22:1-11
1 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.
므낫세는 가장 악한 왕이었습니다. 그 손자 요시야는 여덟살에 왕이되었고, 하나님 보시기에 정직하게 행하는 사람이었습니다. 악한 할아버지와 아버지 밑에서 자란 요시야가 하나님 보시기에 정직한 자가 되기 위해서는 아마도 어머니의 교육이 중요한 역할을 하지 않았을까 생각합니다.
Manasseh was the most wicked king. His grandson Josiah became king at the age of eight and did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. Growing up under an evil grandfather and father, it seems likely that Josiah’s mother’s upbringing played a crucial role in helping him become a man who did what was right in the eyes of God.
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.”
요시야가 했던 중요한 일은 성전 수리 사역이었습니다. 하나님께 예배를 드리기위해 성전을 계속 사용했다면 지속적인 유지보수가 있었을 것입니다. 그러나 아버지와 할아버지 대에서는 하나님을 경외하는 대신에 우상 숭배가 만연했습니다. 성전을 수리할 정신도, 관심도 없었을 것입니다. 그러나 요시야는 성전에 부서진 것들을 수리하게 했습니다. 또한 진실하게 행하는 자들과 함께 사역을 했습니다.
One of the significant actions taken by Josiah was the restoration of the temple. If the temple had been continuously used for worshiping God, it would have undergone regular maintenance. However, during the reigns of his father and grandfather, idol worship was rampant instead of reverence for God. They likely had neither the mindset nor the interest to repair the temple. But Josiah initiated the repair of the temple's broken parts and worked alongside those who were sincere in their efforts.
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.
대제사장 힐기야는 성전을 수리하는 중에 율법책을 발견했습니다. 얼마나 말씀과 동떨어진 삶을 살았는지 율법책이 어디에 있는지 조차 모르고 요시야의 시대까지 흘러 온 것입니다. 지금이야 우리는 인쇄술과 인터넷의 발달로 성경책을 언제든 어디서든 볼 수 있지만, 그 당시에는 율법책 한권이 교육을 통해 입으로 전해져야 했을 시대입니다. 악한 왕의 세대에 잃어버렸던 율법책을 요시야 왕의 시대에 찾을 수가 있었습니다.
During the restoration of the temple, the high priest Hilkiah discovered the Book of the Law. It had been so long since the people had lived lives disconnected from God’s Word that they did not even know where the Book of the Law was until the time of Josiah. Today, with the advancements in printing and the internet, we can access the Bible anytime and anywhere. However, in that era, a single copy of the Book of the Law had to be transmitted orally through education. It was remarkable that this lost Book of the Law was found during the reign of Josiah after being neglected in the time of wicked kings.
11 When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his robes.
요시야 왕이 율법책을 읽고 옷을 찢었습니다. 하나님의 뜻과 명령이 백성들의 삶과는 크게 다른 것을 발견했기 때문입니다. (옷을 찢는 것은 당시의 문화에서 큰 슬픔과 비통함을 나타내는 전통적인 표현이었습니다.) 그래서 요시야는 종교개혁을 시작합니다. 히스기야가 무너뜨렸던 산당을 므낫세가 다시 지었고, 요시야는 다시 산당을 헐었습니다. 그리고 유월절을 지키기 시작했습니다.
King Josiah tore his clothes after reading the Book of the Law because he discovered that God's will and commands were vastly different from the lives of the people. (Tearing one’s clothes was a traditional expression of deep sorrow and distress in that culture.) As a result, Josiah initiated religious reforms. The high places that Hezekiah had destroyed were rebuilt by Manasseh, and Josiah demolished them once again. He also began to observe the Passover.
요시야는 말씀을 읽고난 후에야 현실이 하나님의 뜻과 얼마나 멀었는지 깨닫고 종교개혁을 단행했습니다. 우리도 말씀이신 예수그리스도를 떠나서는 이 세상의 일상이 하나님의 뜻에 얼마나 합하는지를 알 수 없습니다. 마음만 먹으면 성경 말씀을 접할 수 있음에도 불구하고 잃어버린 율법책처럼 되버린 것은 아닌지요? 아무리 접근성이 좋아도 나의 눈으로 말씀을 읽지않고, 내 마음 안에 예수그리스도를 영접하지 않으면 므낫세 시대를 사는 것과 별반 다를바 없습니다. 말씀이 삶이되고, 삶이 말씀이 되는 여러분이 되시기를 축복합니다.
Josiah, after reading the Scriptures, realized how far reality was from God's will and carried out religious reforms. Similarly, without the guidance of Jesus Christ, who is the Word, we cannot truly understand how the everyday affairs of this world align with God's will. Even though the Bible is readily accessible, we must be careful not to let it become like the lost Book of the Law. No matter how accessible it is, if we do not read the Word with our own eyes and welcome Jesus Christ into our hearts, our lives will be no different from the time of Manasseh. May you be blessed to have the Word become your life, and your life become the Word.
