2 Chronicles 34:8–21
Read the passage.
After the campaign to cleanse the land of the idols, Josiah recognizes that the temple of the Lord is in need of repair. He sends responsible, trustworthy men to gather the necessary funds and to bring it to the high priest so that he may oversee the work. It is curious that this project wasn’t started until the eighteenth year of Josiah’s reign, though. Perhaps Josiah’s attention was occupied with the removal of idolatry for ten years, and wanted to make sure the practices of his father were eradicated first. Maybe the money for the repair work took a long time to be gathered, as it would have to be from the contributions of the people. The people would have needed to turn from their idols and to the Lord to even consider giving resources for the repair of the temple, and it can take a long time for a whole populace to change. With the money in hand, the builders and repairmen get to work, and collect the materials they need to restore the temple. New stone and timber are brought in under the supervision of the Levites.
When I heard this story as a child, it was made to seem like the Book of the Law was found amid the mess and ruin of the temple as they were cleaning the place up. I don’t think that’s correct. Verse 14 says they found it “while they were bringing out the money that had been brought into the house of the Lord”. This sounds like it was found in the treasure room, possibly hidden underneath some gold or silver. We don’t know when it was put there, but it makes sense for it to be in the time when the temple was sealed shut during Ahaz’s reign, or (more likely?) when Manasseh set up idols in the temple. The Book of the Law, the Torah, was hidden away to protect it during a time of great apostasy. Manasseh’s reign was very long, and since his repentance came late in life, the knowledge of where the Book was hidden might not have gotten passed down from priest to priest, especially if Manasseh set up a different priesthood in the temple during this time.
When Hilkiah the high priest finds the Book, he gives it to the king’s secretary to read to the king. Upon hearing the Law, Josiah immediately recognizes that he and his people deserve the wrath of the Lord because they have not been keeping His laws for a long time. However he gives the right response of displaying grief through tearing his clothes and seeking to ask the Lord what needs to be done.
Do not let us forget Your Word, because they are the words of eternal life.