When God’s Word is Found

Reformation (Observed) | 2 Kings 22:8-20; 23:4

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Around 508 years ago, Martin Luther could hardly sleep. Luther was a monk and a pastor, and his conscience was heavy. His mind was restless. For months he had watched preachers travel through Germany selling indulgences — official documents from the pope that promised to reduce your time in purgatory. The preachers were leading people to believe they no longer needed to repent of their sins. “As soon as the coin in the coffer rings,” the friar Johann Tetzel boasted, “a soul from purgatory springs.” And Luther saw how easily hearts were being turned away from Christ and toward a piece of paper. So the next morning, October 31, he took hammer and nails in hand and posted ninety-five theses — points for debate — on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg. It was the bulletin board of the day.  

Why did this happen? Because Luther was convinced that selling forgiveness contradicted Scripture, and he was ready to debate it. By Luther’s day, the Bible was functionally hidden from the people. Locked away in Latin, obscured under layers of tradition, it had become a closed book. The Word hadn’t disappeared, but it was buried  beneath a system that made people believe they could buy God’s favor. The Reformation didn’t begin with protests and pamphlets. It began with Scripture. As Luther read the Palms, Romans and Galatians, the Word confronted him. And when it spoke, Luther recognized it as the very Word of God. God’s Word changed the world. 

But Luther’s story is not unique. That’s the story of King Josiah in 2 Kings 22–23. Centuries before, God’s Word had been lost and forgotten by His people — buried under neglect, ignored by leaders, and unknown in the land. Then one day, it was found again. It was read. It was heard. And everything changed. And that’s our story too. Because whenever God’s Word is found— whether in a forgotten temple in Jerusalem or nailed to a church door in Wittenberg — it brings both repentance, and mercy.

I. The Word Is Found (2 Kings 22:8–11)

The reading from 2 Kings opens in the reign of Josiah, king of Judah. Here we see that God’s Word was lost. Not destroyed. Not forgotten by accident. Lost in God’s own house. That’s where the story begins. Hilkiah the high priest says to Shaphan the secretary, “I have found the Book of the Law in the house of the LORD.” (v. 8)

What book was found? It wasn’t a commentary. It wasn’t someone’s devotional thoughts. It was the Law of Moses — the very words God had spoken to His people. And nobody had been reading it. Nobody even seemed to miss it. The Word of God had been lost. Why was it missing? Because Josiah’s grandfather Manasseh worshiped false gods and did everything he could eradicate true religion. The Book of the Law was intentionally removed from its place beside the ark of the covenant — and it got lost in the Temple. And how long had it been missing? No one seemed to care for nearly two generations, until the priests were repairing the temple and they stumbled upon it. Shaphan reads it to the king. And with that reading, everything begins to change. Because when the Word is read, God Himself speaks again to His people.

The uncomfortable truth is that the same thing happens now. God’s Word still gets lost. Not because we buried it, but because we shelved it. We say we love our Bibles, but we don’t open them. We defend its authority, but we don’t submit to it. It gathers dust on coffee tables and pew racks while we let social media and entertainment disciple us. We barely know the difference between Moses and Noah. But, this raises a question. Why is it important that our Bible not be lost? Why is it important you read God’s Word today?

II. The Word Brings Judgment (2 Kings 22:12–17)

When Josiah heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his clothes (v. 11). That was the ancient sign of grief and repentance — a heart ripped open before God. Why? Because as the Word was read, Josiah realized just how far they had drifted from God. This wasn’t a minor misstep. This was wholesale rebellion. “Our fathers have not listened to the words of this book” (v. 13).

And Josiah wants confirmation. He sends his officials to “inquire of the LORD” about what they have heard (v. 13). They go to Huldah, a prophetess living in Jerusalem, and she speaks the Word of the LORD to them. Her message is unflinching: “Thus says the LORD, ‘Behold, I am bringing evil on this place and on its inhabitants, all the words of the book which the king of Judah has read, because they have forsaken Me and have burned incense to other gods, that they might provoke Me to anger with all the work of their hands; therefore My wrath burns against this place, and it shall not be quenched’” (vv. 16–17).

Josiah was right — they had not listened. They broke the First Commandment. You have learned that commandment. They did not fear, love, or trust in God above all things. They had silenced God’s voice for generations, and now judgment was coming. Deuteronomy had warned them of the consequences: exile, devastation, and ruin for a people who spurned their God. These were not empty threats. The Word Josiah heard was true — and the danger was real.

And Judah’s sin is not some ancient story. It is the same rebellion that lives in every human heart. So, what about you? Are you willing to let the Word correct you, or would you rather keep it closed so you don’t have to change? God’s Word does not soften its verdict to spare our feelings. It calls sin what it is — rebellion, idolatry, treason against the King of heaven. It reveals not just what we do but what we are: sinners who do not fear, love, or trust in God above all things.

Do you see why the Word must not remain buried? If God’s Word stays buried, it cannot correct us. It cannot comfort us. It cannot shape us. If it remains unopened, then we are not listening to God — because this is His voice. Will you pull your Bible off the shelf? Will you treat this book as it truly is — the living voice of the living God?  If we leave it unopened, it cannot show us where we’ve veered off course. And if we don’t see where we’ve veered off course, we will never see the danger ahead. A ship that ignores its map will not drift gently; it will crash violently. That’s what Judah had done. They had rejected the map — and now they were headed for the rocks. This is why many avoid Scripture: because if you listen long enough, it will put its finger on the sore spot. It will name your bitterness as sin. It will unmask your self-reliance as pride. It will expose your secret indulgence as idolatry. And it will declare that God is holy — and His wrath is real.

III. The Word Brings Mercy (2 Kings 22:18–20; 23:4)

Judgment is not the last word. It never is with God. After Huldah announces God’s wrath, she has more to say — and what she says to Josiah is astonishing:

“But to the king of Judah who sent you to inquire of the LORD, thus you shall say to him, ‘Because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before the LORD when you heard what I spoke against this place and its inhabitants, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and because you have torn your clothes and wept before Me, I truly have heard you,’ declares the LORD. ‘Therefore, behold, I will gather you to your fathers, and you will be gathered to your grave in peace, and your eyes will not see all the evil which I will bring on this place’” (vv. 18–20).

You see, it is important that you open God’s Word because the same Word that thundered judgment now whispers peace. God has seen Josiah’s contrition. He has heard his weeping. The fire of His wrath is not quenched, but it will not consume Josiah. Mercy interrupts judgment. Grace breaks through.

But God’s mercy is never cheap. Wrath doesn’t simply vanish — it must be satisfied. The holiness of God cannot be compromised; it must be fulfilled. And that’s why every road in Scripture, even this one through Josiah’s reform, leads to the Cross.

There is another King who would come to Jerusalem, not to escape wrath, but to bear it. Jesus Christ, the Son of David, entered the city that killed the prophets and walked straight toward judgment. He didn’t tear His robes — He was stripped of them. He didn’t burn idols outside the city — He was crucified outside the city. He didn’t offer a sacrifice; He was the sacrifice. At Calvary, the curse written in the Law fell upon Him. The wrath spoken through Huldah was poured out on Him. Huldah said, “My wrath will not be quenched.” But at Calvary, it was. The fire that no man could endure was poured out on Christ until it was spent. The desolation Judah deserved came down on Jesus. He endured the exile of the cross so that you would never be cast away. There on the cross, the justice of God and the mercy of God met and kissed. The wrath that should have fallen on you, fell on Him, so that the love that rested on Him might now rest on you. And in His dying breath, the Word of God spoke a greater word than judgment: “It is finished.” The wrath was spent. Justice was satisfied. Mercy triumphed. The King who bore the curse now speaks peace to the guilty.

That same Word still speaks to you now — not from Sinai, but from the cross; not in thunder, but in promise. When the Scriptures are read, when absolution is spoken, when the body and blood of Christ are given for you, the crucified and risen Lord Himself says, “I forgive you.” In Jesus you are free. “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” You are free from the guilt and consequences of sin by the blood of Christ. Justified, pardoned, forgiven. Because Jesus bore the wrath, you will never have to. Because He suffered exile, you are brought home. Because He died, you live. 

Continue in God’s Word. Josiah, the priests, and the people saw their need to continue in God’s Word. Luther saw the need to continue and stand firm in God’s Word. Without opening God’s Word, you will never know if you are heading towards destruction, but you will also never know the depth of God’s mercy toward you in Christ. So, open its pages, listen to its voice, and you will find a God who does not leave you to perish in judgment but rescues you by the blood of His Son. That’s what Scripture is all about. That’s what the Reformation was all about. You will find a Savior who bore the curse so that you might receive the blessing. You will find mercy that is greater than all your sin.

May the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.