Josiah

So at Bible Study we read and discussed the account of king Josiah from 2 Chronicles 34. He was a whopping eight years old when he became king. I can imagine the people who were behind getting him to the throne at such a young age. We know nothing of their intentions or who helped him with such an important job during such a young age. What we do know is that at the young age of 16 he began to seek the Lord and four years later when he was only 20, he began to purge Israel of all the idols and pagan worship practices. This young man didn’t even have the book of the law yet. He didn’t know how God wanted things done, but he did know that God was the ONLY God. He was zealous in his removal of all things that were not of God or for God in Israel. I was thinking if only I was a zealous of ridding my life of things that are not for or of God. Does that mean that I have to stop living in the world? NO. Does that mean I never talk to someone who doesn’t know God. NO. Does that mean that I carefully examine my life to make sure it matches God’s directions for my life. YES. Oh to be like Josiah and be willing to make hard decisions. To be zealous that not one thing be left that would turn my heart away from God. It says he even went to the ruins outside of cities and ground the pagan alters to dust. He didn’t say, well, no one lives there anyway, it will be ok. He fully and completely removed worship of any other god from Israel. All before he was aware of God’s law…

At age 26, while the work of rebuilding the temple was underway, they find the book of the law. So what does Josiah do? He reads it and realizes how Israel’s behavior has been hideously sinful. I wonder how many 26 year olds now would realize how sinful our society is when reading God’s word. I do not doubt the power of God’s word, but how true is it that we harden our hearts. I don’t want to hear I am wrong or sinful. I want to hear all those passages about kindness, compassion, forgiveness. Justice, discipline, punishment, I would rather skip over or point to someone else. I certainly would not want to take credit for such behavior. However this man, King Josiah, is willing to admit his sin and confess it. He is heart broken over the behavior of his kingdom. Are we heartbroken over the behavior of our society? Do we see those deceived and destroying themselves and say nothing? Or do we offer the cure to their disease? O, Father that I would not only recognize the sin in society, but that I would work to affect change. That I would live out and speak out Your good news of salvation. That I along with Josiah will root out sin in my life and point others to the cross.