| Church School Lesson: Finders Keepers! |
"Finders Keepers!"
September 21, 2025
Background: 2 Chronicles 34:1-33; Print: 2 Chronicles 34:15-22, 26-27:
Key Verse: 2 Chronicles 34:15; Devotional: Romans 7:7-12
2 Chronicles 34:15-22 (ESV)
15 Then Hilkiah answered and said to Shaphan the secretary, “I have found the Book of the Law in the house of the LORD.” And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan.
16 Shaphan brought the book to the king, and further reported to the king, “All that was committed to your servants they are doing.
17 They have emptied out the money that was found in the house of the LORD and have given it into the hand of the overseers and the workmen.”
18 Then Shaphan the secretary told the king, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.” And Shaphan read from it before the king.
19 And when the king heard the words of the Law, he tore his clothes.
20 And the king commanded Hilkiah, Ahikam the son of Shaphan, Abdon the son of Micah, Shaphan the secretary, and Asaiah the king’s servant, saying,
21 “Go, inquire of the LORD for me and for those who are left in Israel and in Judah, concerning the words of the book that has been found. For great is the wrath of the LORD that is poured out on us, because our fathers have not kept the word of the LORD, to do according to all that is written in this book.”
22 So Hilkiah and those whom the king had sent went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tokhath, son of Hasrah, keeper of the wardrobe (now she lived in Jerusalem in the Second Quarter) and spoke to her to that effect.
2 Chronicles 34:26-27 (ESV)
26 But to the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the LORD, thus shall you say to him, Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Regarding the words that you have heard,
27 because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before God when you heard his words against this place and its inhabitants, and you have humbled yourself before me and have torn your clothes and wept before me, I also have heard you, declares the LORD.
2 Chronicles Chapter 34 (Commentary)
34:8-18 It was during extensive and much-needed renovations to the temple (34:8-13) that the priest Hilkiah found the book of the law of the Lord written by the hand of Moses (34:14). What happened next is famous in biblical history: Hilkiah told the court secretary Shaphan, “I have found the book of the law in the Lord’s temple,” and he gave the book to Shaphan. Shaphan took the book to the king (34:15-16).
Just imagine it. The book of God’s law, “written by the hand of Moses,” had been tossed aside in some closet in the temple! Imagine Josiah’s shock when Shaphan told him, “Guess what we found.”
34:19-28 When he heard the law being read, Josiah tore his clothes—a symbolic act indicating great grief and mourning (34:19). He realized how far God’s people had fallen from him and how much God’s wrath was against them for their sin (34:21). The king’s men took the book to the prophetess Huldah, who confirmed God’s intent to bring disaster upon Judah for abandoning the Lord. His wrath would be poured out and would not be quenched (34:22-25) However, because Josiah had a tender heart and humbled himself, God promised that he would not see the disaster when it came (34:26-28).