Josiah

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Josiah One

August 13, 2007. Mustard Seed Thoughts

Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem thirty-one years. His mother's name was Jedidah daughter of Adaiah; she was from Bozkath. He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD and walked in all the ways of his father David, not turning aside to the right or to the left. 2 Kings 22:1-2 NIV

I can’t imagine an eight year old becoming king of a great nation. When I was eight, I was still playing with matchbox cars and wrestling with my older brother. (I didn’t start to beat him for several years yet!) Eight years old is so young, and yet that was the age of Josiah, who actually turned out to be one of the best kings Judah ever had.

What was his secret? His father and grandfather did evil in the eyes of the Lord. They did not follow the ways of God. You might say Josiah was not raised in a Godly home. Yet, he made a decision to follow the Lord.

He wasn’t influenced by his parents, and he wasn’t old enough to have been greatly influenced by education or life experience. So, he must have simply, by faith, decided that God’s way would be his way.

How old are you? Are you more mature than most eight year olds? I hope so! Do you have the fortitude to say “as for me and my household, we are going to serve the Lord”?…and then do it? Josiah probably wasn’t the brightest or the most mature, but he had something at eight years of age that you and I need to have. He had a steadfast dependence on the Lord. As we look at this great Biblical character over the next few days, let's consider how wise he really was in his decision to follow the Lord.

Take it from a kid king! God’s way is best!

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Josiah Two

August 14, 2007. Mustard Seed Thoughts

Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the secretary, "I have found the Book of the Law in the temple of the LORD." He gave it to Shaphan, who read it. 2 Kings 22:8 NIV

In the course of time, Josiah, now 26 years old, sent his secretary to the temple of God to search out the high priest. As the priest goes into the temple, he finds the Book of the Law and Josiah’s secretary, Shaphan, begins to read it.

I have a question I’m dying to ask the high priest: Where has the Book been all this time? Are you just now finding it?

I never say anything, but when I visit someone’s home, I can usually tell how active they are in reading their Bible everyday. When the Bible is sitting by the back door, right where it landed when they got home from church Sunday, it is often a good indication that it hasn’t been touched since then. I have had an occasion where I ask someone to follow along with me in their Bible, and they couldn’t find it very easily. “I know it’s around here somewhere”, I have heard them say.

Let me be real honest with you. The people in Josiah’s day were not living righteous lives because they didn’t even know the where their Book of the Law was at. You and I today will live holy lives only to the degree that the Word of God penetrates our hearts! The society who surrounds itself with Biblical principles will be the society that sees righteousness flourish! The Bible is our standard for what is good! Period!

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Josiah Three

August 15, 2007. Mustard Seed Thoughts

When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his robes. 2 Kings 22:11 NIV

The Word of God convicts. It is sharper than any two-edged sword. When you start picking up and reading the Bible on a consistent basis, you will notice a great change towards righteousness in your life. There is no doubt about it.

The Bible wasn’t being read in Josiah’s initial days as king, because they didn’t know where it was apparently. I can’t imagine misplacing my Bible without a replacement, but that is essentially what happened. Perhaps that is why God advises us to “hide it within our hearts”.

When the Book of the Law was found, and Josiah read it, this young man who was already following the Lord, was greatly convicted! He wanted everyone in his kingdom to share in his excitement, and he wanted them to start obeying the Word of God. A huge revival was about to take place because the Word of God was being read.

We don’t need a great Holy Spirit influx for revival and spiritual renewal. The Holy Spirit is here, all that He will ever be. What you and I need is to make room for Him in our life. We need to give Him access to the hidden parts of our souls, exposing even the worst of our sins and habits. We need to expose ourselves to God’s righteousness found within the pages of the Bible.

I’ve got some good news for you! There are plenty of Bibles to go around in America today! If we start reading and applying Scripture individually and collectively, we will see revival. We will see a spiritual renewal like we have never seen before!

Our part is to start reading, and encourage others to do the same! We need to start tearing some robes apart to the glory of God as His Word pounds our hearts towards holiness!

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Josiah Four

August 16, 2007. Mustard Seed Thoughts

Then the king called together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. He went up to the temple of the LORD with the men of Judah, the people of Jerusalem, the priests and the prophets--all the people from the least to the greatest. He read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant, which had been found in the temple of the LORD.

The king stood by the pillar and renewed the covenant in the presence of the LORD--to follow the LORD and keep his commands, regulations and decrees with all his heart and all his soul, thus confirming the words of the covenant written in this book. Then all the people pledged themselves to the covenant. 2 Kings 23:1-3

Josiah was a great king. He found the secret to success in life. He found it in a relationship to the Lord, and in His Holy Word. Praise God, may we learn from the youthful experience of Josiah.

The Book of the Law had been lost. Josiah sent the high priest into the temple, and he finds the Book. When Josiah read it, it had an immediate impact on him. He knew it was something he had to share with his people. A Godly leader recognizes that the key to success is not about his glory, but about giving God glory. Josiah personally read the Book of the Law (the Bible) to the people. The people, too, were changed!

The Bible is the timeless instruction manual for life. Just as powerful as it was thousands of years ago, so it is today. The Word of God has remained the number one selling book of all times, because it has a huge impact on the lives of those who read it. When you are hurting, what is more comforting than hearing God say “I will love you with an everlasting love”? When a loved one dies, don’t you want to hear “The Lord is my Shepherd. I shall not want.”? When you feel you can’t get to God, because of your sin, isn’t it good to read, “For by grace are you saved, not of works”?

The Bible is our guide for life! Read it to live!

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Josiah Five

August 17, 2007. Mustard Seed Thoughts

Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before God when you heard what he spoke against this place and its people, and because you humbled yourself before Me and tore your robes and wept in My presence, I have heard you, declares the LORD. 2 Chronicles 34:27 NIV

This is the conclusion to our look at the life of Josiah, the great young king, who started his rule at the age of eight. I used the parallel passage today from 2 Chronicles, because I wanted to make a point. You are surely familiar with 2 Chronicles 7:14, “if My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from Heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” We love to quote this verse and we believe it to be true!

Did you realize God actually answered this prayer, and we have it recorded, in the life of Josiah? Look at today’s verse. Josiah found the Word of God, he read it to the people, the people obeyed, and God blessed them for it. It’s not rocket science, it is simple obedience that leads God to bless His people.

Josiah was king. He could have done practically anything he wanted to do. He chose to set the pattern of his life following the Lord. He wanted God to rule every aspect of his life. He “humbled” himself so that he could decrease and God could increase. God richly blessed him because of the attitude of his heart. God expects no less from us today.

2 Chronicles 7:14 is a great verse. I have heard it more in the past month than in any other month in my lifetime, I believe. I do believe that it still works today. God still answers prayer, and He is still anxious to bless His people.

Shall we pray?