And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the law, that he rent his clothes.
When the book of the law was read to him, Josiah was deeply moved, and his tearing of his clothes expressed grief, humility, sorrow and dismay. His sorrow came from seeing that Israel had departed from the Lord's statutes, had failed to keep the law and had dishonored God, had nearly exhausted divine forbearance, and faced punishment for that dishonor. He also grieved because he realized the law itself had been lost and neglected.
Bowed before God, he sought pardon for the sins of his unrepentant nation and sought the Lord's direction. His hearing produced a deep-seated work of repentance and a return to the Lord that extended into repentance and reformation among the people. He entered into a covenant to keep God's commandments.
He recognized the law as a treasure of knowledge and a powerful help for the reform he desired, resolved to follow its counsel, and purposed to make its teachings known to his people so they would revere and love it. The people's weeping and mourning expressed sorrow for failing to keep God's law, while rediscovering the law gave them reason to rejoice and to commit themselves to obey it.
When the book of the law was read to him, Josiah was deeply moved, and his tearing of his clothes expressed grief, humility, sorrow and dismay. His sorrow came from seeing that Israel had departed from the Lord's statutes, had failed to keep the law and had dishonored God, had nearly exhausted divine forbearance, and faced punishment for that dishonor. He also grieved because he realized the law itself had been lost and neglected.
Bowed before God, he sought pardon for the sins of his unrepentant nation and sought the Lord's direction. His hearing produced a deep-seated work of repentance and a return to the Lord that extended into repentance and reformation among the people. He entered into a covenant to keep God's commandments.
He recognized the law as a treasure of knowledge and a powerful help for the reform he desired, resolved to follow its counsel, and purposed to make its teachings known to his people so they would revere and love it. The people's weeping and mourning expressed sorrow for failing to keep God's law, while rediscovering the law gave them reason to rejoice and to commit themselves to obey it.