2 Chronicles 34: Group Study Handout

How to use: read 2 Chronicles 34 aloud together, then take the questions in order. One page is enough for an evening.

Overview

2 Chronicles chapter 34 narrates the significant reforms led by King Josiah of Judah, who ascended to the throne at the young age of eight. The chapter recounts how, in the eighteenth year of his reign, Josiah initiated spiritual reform when he ordered the repair of the temple. During this restoration, the Book of the Law was discovered, which profoundly impacted both Josiah and the nation. Upon hearing the words of the Law, Josiah tore his clothes in grief, realizing the extent of the nation’s sin and disobedience to God’s commands. He sought counsel from Hilkiah the high priest and the prophets, leading to a heartfelt call for repentance and a renewed covenant with God.

Key verse

“The king stood in his place, and made a covenant before Yahweh, to walk after Yahweh, and to keep his commandments, and his testimonies, and his statutes, with all his heart, and with all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant that were written in this book.”
2 Chronicles 34:31 (WEB)

Outline

2 Chronicles 34:1–2 Josiah's Reign Begins
2 Chronicles 34:3–7 Religious Reforms Initiated
2 Chronicles 34:8–13 Temple Repairs and Discovery
2 Chronicles 34:14–20 Josiah's Reaction to the Law
2 Chronicles 34:21–28 Prophetic Counsel Received
2 Chronicles 34:29–33 Renewed Covenant and Commitment

Discussion questions

In v3, what action does Josiah begin in his twelfth year of reign?
What does Hilkiah discover in v14 while working in Yahweh’s house?
Josiah's mourning in v19: what does tearing his clothes signify about his reaction?
Huldah's prophecy in v25: what implications does it hold for Judah's future?
When has reading God's Word made you confront difficult truths, as Josiah did in v19?

Go deeper

Passages that echo 2 Chronicles 34: 2 Kings 22, 2 Kings 23, Matthew 5.

Before next time: read 2 Chronicles 35.