The King Heard

"While they were bringing out the money collected at the Lord's Temple, Hilkiah found the Book of the Law of the Lord that was written by Moses...When the king heard what was written in the Law, he tore his clothes in despair." II Chronicles 34:15, 19

 
After waiting for quite a while, the cars in front of me began to weave through what seemed to be dysfunctional railroad crossing arms. Everyone looked twice before they went through, but no train in sight. As I was nearing the front, I kept looking and looking. Still, no train. After a few more cars made their way through, I was at the front. I looked left and then right. Again, no train. I was just about to go when I heard a train horn. Startled, I immediately put my car in park frustrating the drivers behind me ... until they heard the horn too.

 
Not all sounds are created equal. Sirens and doorbells do not illicit the same response. King Josiah recognized this same reality when it came to written words. Undoubtedly, he had read and had heard things read to him many times before. This scroll was different. These words were not just the verbal meanderings of some verbose poet. Nope. These were the words of God and Josiah knew it. Immediately, he slammed on the brakes and put the entire nation of Israel in park until they reoriented everything around what he had just heard. In response, God blessed them all.
 
Amazingly, we still have what Josiah heard that day thousands of years ago. God added to his words since then, but it has been complete for nearly two thousand years now. Sixty-six different books collected and preserved over all these years and put together in a library called the Bible. Some revile it. Some revere it. Most live largely apathetic to it. What does it sound like to you when you read it or hear it read? A siren? A doorbell? Nails on the chalkboard? A horn? A jackhammer? A song? Perhaps it's time for us to put our lives in park and take a much closer look?


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