Torn robes, mended relationship

 This week's verses are 2 Kings 22:8-20:

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. 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.” 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.

When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his robes. He gave these orders to Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Akbor son of Micaiah, Shaphan the secretary and Asaiah the king’s attendant: “Go and inquire of the Lord for me and for the people and for all Judah about what is written in this book that has been found. Great is the Lord’s anger that burns against us because those who have gone before us have not obeyed the words of this book; they have not acted in accordance with all that is written there concerning us.”

Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Akbor, Shaphan and Asaiah went to speak to the prophet Huldah, who was the wife of Shallum son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe. She lived in Jerusalem, in the New Quarter.

She said to them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Tell the man who sent you to me, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am going to bring disaster on this place and its people, according to everything written in the book the king of Judah has read. Because they have forsaken me and burned incense to other gods and aroused my anger by all the idols their hands have made, my anger will burn against this place and will not be quenched.’ Tell the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the Lord, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says concerning the words you heard: Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before the Lord when you heard what I have spoken against this place and its people—that they would become a curse and be laid waste—and because you tore your robes and wept in my presence, I also have heard you, declares the Lord. Therefore I will gather you to your ancestors, and you will be buried in peace. Your eyes will not see all the disaster I am going to bring on this place.’”

So they took her answer back to the king.

These verses are a good example of godly character and a good example of God's character. 

 King Josiah is doing a public works project to do maintenance on the temple when the high priest discovers the book of the Law. This was the book that had all the old testament rules in it, which Israel was bound to follow as part of their covenant. They had basically done none of it.

When the king finds out they had violated the contract with God that gets them access to every good thing, he is terrified and full of sorrow. He tears his robes as a sign of submission and sends the priests to go find out what they can do to make it right.

God's answer is pure grace. Even though the people will receive the punishment they deserve, the king will be spared because he expressed sorrow and fear and wanted to make things right. He repented and was forgiven.

 When we read things in the Bible that we don't do, are we as agonized by it as Josiah was? Or do we just note it and move on? Does it affect us emotionally to have offended God by our actions? And do we realize the value of that relationship?

We don't tear our robes nowadays when something bad happens, but we do react emotionally. We don't throw on uncomfortable clothes and put ashes on our heads, but we do things to express sorrow and submission when we offend someone powerful or whose relationship is particularly valuable to us.

So that brings us to two questions for this week:

1. How do we feel when we become aware of sin in our lives? 

2. Is our relationship with God valuable to us, and do we see him as powerful and worthy of respect, or is it more abstract or distant or familiar?

If you do feel something, and you do see God as a valuable and real and powerful person, think about what you might do that could express repentance with the same authenticity as Josiah's torn robes did in his situation.

And if you don't feel anything or don't see God as valuable and real and powerful, maybe that's something you could humble yourself before him to change.