In the reign of Hezekiah, there was a remarkable turning to the authority of the sacred writings. They soon discovered that they had not kept the Passover "for a long time in such sort as it is written." We are told, therefore, that the men of Judah had given to them by God one heart to do the commandment of the king, and of the princes by the word of the Lord. Moreover, Hezekiah appointed morning and evening burnt offerings, and the burnt offerings for the Sabbaths, and for the new moons, and for the set feasts, as it is written in the Law of Moses. (2 Chron. 30:5, 12; 31:3.)
In the days of Josiah, king of Judah, the wonderful revival is traced to the practical acknowledgment of the divine authority of the Scriptures. It was brought about by Hilkiah the priest finding in the house of the Lord "a book of the law of the Lord given written] by Moses. And Hilkiah answered and said to Shaphan the scribe, I have found the book of the law in the house of the Lord.... And Shaphan read it before the king. And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the law, that he rent his clothes." The reason was that he learned from these writings that they were justly exposed to divine wrath and the curses written in the book, because of their sins in having forsaken the Lord God, and having burnt incense to other gods. 'They bowed, therefore, to the authority of the sacred writings, and kept the Passover according to the ordinance "as it is written in the book of Moses," which was accompanied with God's abundant blessing. They were so exercised by the authority of Scripture about it that we read the king's commandment was, "kill the Passover, and sanctify yourselves, and prepare your brethren, that they may do according to the word of the Lord by the hand of Moses." We are further told that the evil and "abominations that were spied in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, did Josiah put away, that he might perform the words of the law, which were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the house of the Lord. And like unto him was there no king before him, that turned to the Lord with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses; neither after him arose there any like him." (2 Chron. 34:24, 14-21; 35:6, 12; 2 Kings 23:24, 25.)
The return of the Jews from their captivity in Babylon was also strikingly marked by their acknowledgment of the authority of the written law of the Lord. We know that Ezra "was a ready scribe in the law of Moses, which the Lord God of Israel had given." So truly did he recognize the divine authenticity of the sacred writings that we are told, "Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments." We read also that when they were gathered together as one man at Jerusalem, they "builded the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings thereon, as it is written in the law of Moses the man of God.... They kept also the feast of tabernacles, as it is written." Again, when the temple was finished, they dedicated the house of God with joy; they offered a sin offering according to the twelve tribes of Israel. "And they set the priests in their divisions, and the Levites in their courses, for the service of God, which is at Jerusalem; as it is written in the book of Moses." (Ezra 7:6, 10; 3:2, 4; 6:15-18.)
When Nehemiah was the king's cup-bearer, we read that he fasted, wept, and prayed to God, and pleaded the word which He had commanded by His servant Moses, and written in Leviticus and Deuteronomy. When the wall was completed, the people gathered themselves together as one man in the street, and spoke to Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the Law of Moses which the Lord commanded to Israel. This he did, and read therein, and all the people were attentive to the book of the law. And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, and others caused the people to understand the law, so they read the book of the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense and caused them to understand the reading. They found written in the law which the Lord commanded by Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in booths; "for since the days of Jeshua the son of Nun unto that day had not the children of Israel done so. And there was very great gladness. Also day by day, from the first day unto the last day, he read in the book of the law of God." Moreover, we are told that after this "they read in the book of Moses in the audience of the people; and therein was found written, that the Ammonite and the Moabite should not come into the congregation of God forever. Now it came to pass, when they had heard the law, that they separated from Israel all the mixed multitude." (Neh. 1:8, 9; 8:1-18; 13:1, 3.)
It is most interesting to observe here that the faithful who returned from the captivity went back for divine authority to that which had been ordered of God from the beginning. They did not go to any particular period or revival, but stood for what had been written, apart from all traditions of men. Is not this always the path of the faithful in an evil time? C.H. Mackintosh