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August 5th

Our bible reading today is in 2 Kings 22,23 and 2 Chronicles 34,35.

The text...“Go, inquire of the Lord for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that has been found. For great is the wrath of the Lord that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book, to do according to all that is written concerning us.”

‭‭2 Kings‬ ‭22:13‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Josiah followed his father, Amon, as King of Judah. He was more like his great grandfather Hezekiah believing and following the Lord with his whole heart.

Three hundred years earlier, at the beginning of the divided kingdom of Israel, a man of God prophesied that one day a child named Josiah would be born in the line of David and that he would become the king who would bring righteous worship back to Israel.

Well, here he was and the first things he did included repairing the Temple, purifying the religious practices across Judah, executing the false foreign priests throughout Judah, and tearing down all the foreign god altars that had been built by his wicked grandfather, Manasseh.

While the Levites were cleaning out the unnecessary stuff that evil priests had added to the Temple, they found a scroll. The Book of the Law that had been hidden. Shaphan the scribe gave it to the young king calling it simply, “a book”. I hope that didn't mean that a spiritual leader held the book in careless hands and heart. May it never be so in God’s church today.

The young king read the Book...and his heart and life were both changed. First, he rent his clothes, confessing his own sins of disobedience to God and His commands. It sounds like he was reading either some or all of the book for the first time.

This tells me something. Young Josiah must not have copied the 5 books of the law as was commanded in scripture. Apparently the wicked priests of his father’s day failed to guide the youthful monarch. Perhaps for very selfish reasons.

“When you come to the land that the Lord your God is giving you, and you possess it and dwell in it and then say, ‘I will set a king over me, like all the nations that are around me,’ you may indeed set a king over you whom the Lord your God will choose. One from among your brothers you shall set as king over you. You may not put a foreigner over you, who is not your brother.”

‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭17:14-15‬ ‭

“And when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, "he shall write for himself in a book a copy of this law”, approved by the Levitical priests.”

‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭17:18‬ ‭

Secondly, after reading the book of God’s laws, Josiah sent a request to the prophets. “Seek the Lord for me and Judah.” Repentant Josiah “sought the Lord. He sought the will of God...” what next Lord”?

And the prophetess, Huldah did so....”So Hilkiah the priest and Shaphan went to Huldah the prophetess and they talked with her. And she said to them, “Thus says the Lord, Behold, I will bring disaster upon this place and upon its inhabitants...”

‭‭2 Kings‬ ‭22:14-17‬ ‭

It would be some years before the Babylonian captivity, but God’s grace gave the people time to repent at His words and according to the spiritual revival in their young king’s heart.

Repentance of sin brings revival to the people of God. That can bring righteous reforms to a nation. So be it in our day O Lord!

Have a great day