2 Kings 23:24

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Summary

Moreover the workers with familiar spirits, and the wizards, and the images, and the idols, and all the 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.

The workers

Images

That he might

The book

2 Kings 22:8

2 Chronicles 34:14

Bible References

The workers

He rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had destroyed and reestablished the altars for Baal. He made an Asherah, as King Ahab of Israel had done; he also worshiped the whole heavenly host and served them.

By this time Samuel had died, and all Israel had mourned for him and buried him in Ramah, his city, and Saul had removed the mediums and spiritists from the land.

When they say to you, “Consult the spirits of the dead and the spiritists who chirp and mutter,” shouldn’t a people consult their God? Should they consult the dead on behalf of the living?

Egypt’s spirit will be disturbed within it,
and I will frustrate its plans.
Then they will seek idols, ghosts,
spirits of the dead, and spiritists.

Once, as we were on our way to prayer, a slave girl met us who had a spirit of prediction.

She made a large profit for her owners by fortune-telling.

Outside are the dogs, the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying.

Images

When Laban had gone to shear his sheep, Rachel stole her father’s household idols.

This man Micah had a shrine, and he made an ephod and household idols, and installed one of his sons to be his priest.

Then the five men who had gone to scout out the land went in and took the carved image overlaid with silver, the ephod, and the household idols, while the priest was standing by the entrance of the gate with the 600 men armed with weapons of war.

For the Israelites must live many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred pillar, and without ephod or household idols.

That he might

“Do not turn to mediums

or consult spiritists,

or you will be defiled by them; I am Yahweh your God.

A man or a woman who is a medium or a spiritist must be put to death. They are to be stoned; their blood is on their own hands.”

No one among you is to make his son or daughter pass through the fire,

practice divination, tell fortunes, interpret omens, practice sorcery,

To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, there will be no dawn for them.

For no one will be justified in His sight by the works of the law, because the knowledge of sin comes through the law.

But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom and perseveres in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but one who does good works—this person will be blessed in what he does.

The book

Hilkiah the high priest told Shaphan the court secretary, “I have found the book of the law in the Lord’s temple,” and he gave the book to Shaphan, who read it.

When they brought out the money that had been deposited in the Lord’s temple, Hilkiah the priest found the book of the law of the Lord written by the hand of Moses.