thus says the LORD, "Behold I am bringing evil on this place and on its inhabitants, even all the curses written in the book which they have read in the presence of the king of Judah.The Law has just been rediscovered, and read to the king for the first time. We don't know exactly what the people have been doing wrong, even after the king's purging of the false gods, but it must have been bad. Josiah immediately sent inquiries to a prophetess, and learn what they should do. God speaks through her, and warns them that he will exact the penalty proscribed for their unfaithfulness.
I have to wonder, though, why did he not do so earlier? Why did she not speak God's condemnation of them before this? My only guess as to why is that He was waiting until they realized what they had done wrong. Is punishment as effective when you don't know why you're being punished? Do you feel guilty, or deserving of punishment, when you don't know you've broken the rules? Then, what happens when you find out you did break the rules unknowingly? The nation might be condemned for its evil, but God could still choose to spare some who changed their ways after learning what was right.
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