This morning a portion of my reading was in 2 Chronicles 34. This section recounts part of the reign of King Josiah. His reign was the last large scale attempt at reformation in Judah. The previous King, Manasseh, had done what was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to the abominations of the nations whom the LORD drove out before the people of Israel (2 Chronicles 33:2).
But Josiah was different. In the eighth year of his reign, while still just a boy, he began to seek after God. We are told that he walked in the narrow way, he did not turn aside to the right hand or to the left (2 Chronicles 34:2). He began making reforms early in his reign - removing the false worship from the land. And then while work was being done on the house of the LORD, the Book of the Law was found (2 Chronicles 34:14,15). This was likely Deuteronomy, but no matter what book it was, when the King heard it read he tore his clothes and he sent Hilkiah to inquire of Huldah the prophetess because of what he had heard. He stated: For great is the wrath of the LORD that is poured out on us, because our fathers have not kept the word of the LORD, to do according to all that is written in this book (2 Chronicles 34:21b).
Josiah is told that judgment will come, but because he humbled himself before the Lord, he himself would not see the disaster that was inevitable. Yet he did not rest in that news, but instead gathered the leaders of Judah and read to them…yes - he read, the King read - the Book of the Covenant and he made a covenant before the LORD, to walk after the LORD and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes, with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant that were written in this book (2 Chronicles 34:31). And he made the leaders enter in as well. And the last words of this chapter are: All his days they did not turn away from following the LORD, the God of their fathers (2 Chronicles 34:33).
That is a beautiful testimony to the leadership of Josiah. He was a man with a heart tender towards the Lord. He exemplifies to me the posture the Lord calls for in Isaiah 66:1,2:
Thus says the LORD:
“Heaven is my throne,
and the earth is my footstool;
what is the house that you would build for me,
and what is the place of my rest?
All these things my hand has made,
and so all these things came to be,
declares the LORD.
But this is the one to whom I will look:
he who is humble and contrite in spirit
and trembles at my word.
What we need more and more is greater trembling before God’s Word. We need humility and contrition. And that all presupposes that we know God’s Word. Humility before Scripture assumes that we are reading Scripture. Let me encourage you…please make reading, studying, meditating, and memorizing God’s Word a priority in your life. Ask God to strengthen your resolve and your desire to know him. None of us are leaders of nations, but many are leaders of our homes and we have influence elsewhere…may it be a lasting influence of following after the Lord all our days.
Here’s a song to encourage us all in our attitude before the Lord.