• Learning From Their Life: Josiah

    By: Kristen L. McNulty

    Reprint rights available on request. Email the author at kristenmcnulty@hotmail.com.

    A few weeks ago we started a new series as part of our devotionals where we shine the spotlight on someone in the Bible and try to learn from their lives. Learn from both the struggles they faced and the triumphs they expereinced. Learn from what to do and in other cases, what not to do. 

    We started this series looking at the life of David, the second king over Israel. Last week we examined the life of his son Solomon. This week we are zooming in on the life of Josiah, who also was a king, but came onto the scene generations after David and Solomon and he ruled over a very different kind of kingdom. This happened because Solomon ended up turning away from God and worshipping idols and as we know, with sins there are consequences. We're told in 1 Kings 11 that the consequences were the kingdom of Israel was to be split after Solomon's time, with someone else controlling most of the nation other than Solomon's descendants. So instead of having his son and grandson and beyond as king over all of Israel, Solomon's family was allowed to only rule over the tribe of Judah, the other tribes would be known as Israel and they were handed over to other people to rule. And God makes it clear that the only reason Solomon's family was even given reign over Judah was to honour the promise God made to David, not because of anything good Solomon had done.

    JOSIAH DID NOT TURN AWAY FROM DOING WHAT WAS RIGHT


    So generations later, Josiah steps onto the scene and instead of ruling over all of Israel, Josiah was the 16th king of Judah. What makes Josiah's ascension to the throne really stand out is the fact that he became king at the very young age of 8. Listen to how Josiah is described in the Bible:

    "He did what was pleasing in the LORD's sight and followed the example of his ancestor David. He did not turn away from doing what was right." 2 Kings 22:2


    Isn't that incredible? And shouldn't we all strive to have the same be said of us? 

    JOSIAH ACTED ON WHAT HE SAW


    Josiah had every excuse available to not only be a terrible king, but a rebellious person. He lost his father as a child and was suddenly shouldered with incredible responsibilities at an unfathomable age. Josiah could have let his position go to his head, let bitterness fill his heart and indulge in sin and self destruction like so many kings before him did, including his own father, but that's not Josiah.  We can see in the Bible that Josiah not only chose to avoid bad decisions, he actively sought to make good ones. This isn't a guy who dialed it in or did the bare minimum when it came to his role as king and his faith in God. When Josiah saw the temple was in disrepair he didn't shrug it off, instead he addressed it and made sure it was fixed right away in a manner that honoured God. He saw something not right and he acted. Can the same be said of us? 

    JOSIAH REPENTED FOR THE WRONG THAT WAS DONE


    Then when during the temple repairs the book of the Law was found, Josiah didn't instruct the high priest to hide it back on a shelf somewhere. He listened to the Word of God, perhaps being read to him for the first time and then he responded. He grieved for how far his nation and ancestors had wandered away from God's Word. Josiah could have laid the blame at the feet of all who came before him and cried ignorance for his role in sin and idol worship, but instead he had a heart of true repentance for what wrong had been done (2 Kings 22).

    Can we say the same of ourselves? Do we seek to know God's Word and when we read it, do so with our minds set on recognizing the difference between how we are living and the standards the Bible calls us to? Do we pour through the Word and see all the ways we and our ancestors have gotten it wrong? And instead of blaming them or someone else, do we go to God with a heart of repentance for our role in it?

    After Josiah heard the Word of God for himself and repented, he didn't leave it there. He saw to it that every person in his nation heard the Word of God, then in front of his people we are told in 2 Kings 23:3 that Josiah made a public commitment to setting his feet on a new path. It reads:

    "The king took his place of authority beside the pillar and renewed the covenant in the LORD's presence. He pledged to obey the LORD by keeping all his commands, laws, and decrees with all his heart and soul. In this way, he confirmed all the terms of the covenant that were written in the scroll, and all the people pledged themselves to the covenant." 2 Kings 23:3


    JOSIAH DISCARDED IDOL WORSHIP


    After this was done Josiah cleaned house. He removed items used for idol worship and burned them so they could never be used again. He removed priests who engaged in idolatry from their positions. He chased prostitutes from the temple. Josiah literally went on a path of destruction to get rid of any form of idolatry from his life and from the temple and the kingdom. Is it any wonder why we are told in 2 Kings 23:25,

    "Never before had there been a king like Josiah, who turned to the LORD with all his heart and soul and strength, obeying all the laws of Moses. And there has never been a king like him since." 2 Kings 23:25


    Josiah's life shows us that the pursuit of purity and integrity is a path we must follow. No, we might not have the power that Josiah did to throw out idolatry from our countries, but we can certainly go to great lengths to demolish the idols that exist in our own lives and remove the sins we've tolerated up until now.

    Are there books or movies we need to burn?

    Websites we need to block?

    Tablets we need to turn off?

    Substances we need to put down?

    Lies we need to replace with the truth?

    Thought lives that need to be transformed?

    Relationships that we need to fix?

    WE TOO, NEED TO ACT WITHOUT EXCUSES


    Then you and I need to act without excuses. Josiah could have said he was too young or no one taught him or he was just doing what his forefathers before him had done. But he didn't and look at the impact his life has had even thousands of years later.

    The road of purity isn't an easy journey to take but it's the only one we are called to as Christians. And it's a journey we don't have to walk alone. We have the Holy Spirit inside us to guide us, Jesus to lead us and our Christian brothers and sisters to lean on for support and accountability.  Let us live in such a way that when people look back and describe our lives they can say that person did not turn away from doing what was right. That's integrity. And we shouldn't aim for anything less. Closing off with some verses from Romans 13:

    "This is all the more urgent, for you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here. So remove your dark deeds like dirty clothes, and put on the shining armor of right living. Because we belong to the day, we must live decent lives for all to see. Don't participate in the darkness of wild parties and drunkenness, or in sexual promiscuity and immoral living, or in quarreling and jealousy. Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don't let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires." Romans 13:11-14


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