The Faithful King: Josiah 2 Chronicles 34:1-28

The Lord honors the faithfulness of Josiah by bringing peace in his time

This week has been a lot of fun! I always appreciate the chance to be a part of it. We have sang a song this week with a really powerful chorus: “I sought the Lord and He heard and He answered”. The lyrics come from this passage:

Psalm 34:4–8

[4] I sought the LORD, and he answered me

and delivered me from all my fears.

[5] Those who look to him are radiant,

and their faces shall never be ashamed.

[6] This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him

and saved him out of all his troubles.

[7] The angel of the LORD encamps

around those who fear him, and delivers them.

[8] Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good!

Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him! (ESV)

I. Josiah Sought the Lord vv. 1-7

This morning, we take a look at the last of the kings of Judah that we will consider this week: Josiah

Josiah is a great young king and there is so much good that comes from his leadership

Josiah leads the last revival to come to then nation of Judah before the nation is carried away into captivity

This all begins after he rises to the throne at a young age

Remember, his father Amon only reigned for 2 years before being overthrown by his people

At 8 he became king, and at 16 he began to seek the Lord

This is an interesting little phrase: What does it mean that Josiah “sought the Lord”

I believe that this means that he chased after the presence of the Lord

I also believe that this means that he gave consideration to the Lord in the activities of his daily life

As a result of seeking the Lord, Josiah understood that some things had to change at age 20

Josiah purged the nation of the idols that they had worshipped under his father

There is a very real sense of cleansing; they will no longer be stained by the presence of the false gods that were worshipped before them

I think we need to understand that these two concepts go together

I cannot seek the Lord without turning away from idols and to Him

This must be a reminder to us that, if I am pursuing idols, I’m not really seeking the Lord!

Mostly, I think we can learn from Josiah’s example of pursuing the Lord in his youth!

Ecclesiastes 12:1

[1] Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near of which you will say, “I have no pleasure in them”; (ESV)

II. Josiah Repaired the Temple vv. 8-13

In the wake of Josiah’s acts of cleansing idolatry, he began to pursue the corollary policy

At age 26, Josiah begins to repair the Temple; he is trying to restore the right worship of the Lord

Jesus called us to “repent and believe” and that is what is happening here

They have repented of the sin of idolatry

Now they are believing the Lord

When that happens, powerful things take place

It turns out that the funds to fulfill the work are right there, in a treasury that was set aside

Further, Josiah multiplies leaders who take their proper place in the work of the Lord, according to the commands of the Lord

Notice what is happening here; it is much more than just rebuilding a temple

Instead, it is the reestablishment of the worship and spiritual life of the people of God

I think that we need to consider both sides of this. Maybe there is something that you need to stop doing, but equally as likely there is something you need to begin to do!

III. Josiah Recovers the Law vv. 14-21

Next, something happens that is a total surprise: they find the book of the Law, behind all of the money

When they begin to seek the Lord, turn from their sin, and embrace righteousness powerful things happen

In the Law, the Lord is going to make His intentions for Josiah and the people of Judah abundantly clear

The Word, it turns out, has a way of returning in a profitable way:

Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan and Shaphan to Josiah

When Josiah reads the words of the Lord, he is going to be completely shaken

Josiah is commendable; He is a righteous king who truly has sought the Lord

However, when confronted with the Lord’s revelation, he is overwhelmed with the recognition that God’s people were not living according to God’s Word

In light of all of this, something must change

Josiah is moved to sackcloth and ashes in his mourning

He does not flee the Lord, but instead runs to the Lord; He is still seeking

I think that we need to understand that this is what it really means to repent. If I believe that repentance is feeling sorry for my sins, I may continue in the wrong direction! Repentance is not just feeling bad about what I’ve done or how I’ve lived. Repentance does not view ignorance as an excuse. Repentance flees from sin and chases after God!

IV. Josiah Receives Mercy vv. 22-28

The servants of Josiah seek out a certain prophetess named Huldah, who will share the Word of the Lord with them

She makes clear that the Lord will keep His covenant of judgment

The kingdom will be taken away

Judah and Jerusalem will fall into disaster at the hands of foreign enemies

However, Josiah will experience the Lord’s promises of mercy

This is the key: because of this king, the disaster will be delayed

Because Josiah humbled himself, an entire kingdom was protected

So long as they were under Josiah, they would be saved

This is where we are living today, under the righteousness of Jesus; we find God’s mercy in Him

A funny thing happens here. The more you seek the Lord, the more of Him you will get!

Wilbur Rees once wrote the following describing the average man’s view of God:

“I would like to buy $3 worth of God please, not enough to explode my soul or disturb my sleep, but just enough to equal a cup of warm milk or a snooze in the sunshine. I don’t want enough of him to make me love a black man or pick beets with a migrant. I want ecstasy, not transformation; I want the warmth of the womb, not a new birth. I want a pound of the eternal in a paper sack. I would like to buy $3 dollars worth of God please.”