True Repentance: King Josiah

Intro

My sermon in Hopkinsville in 2004.

Preached on Josiah

After finished the pastor led an invitation.

No one came forward at first

After 3-4 strong calls to respond a few kids came forward to pray.

There was a feeling in the room that “if someone doesn’t go forward we are going to be here all night.”

My sermon was fine and God can and will use what He wants, but I can’t help but ask the question “did those kids who came forward really understand what they were doing?”

A biblical word for response in this passage is REPENTANCE

Repentance is experiencing a change of mind that now sees God as true and beautiful and worthy of all our praise and all our obedience. John Piper

The story of Josiah is a beautiful picture of TRUE/BIBLICAL Repentance.

2 Kings 22:1–2 ESV

1 Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jedidah the daughter of Adaiah of Bozkath. 2 And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and walked in all the way of David his father, and he did not turn aside to the right or to the left.

SHORT background.

Five Mark of True Repentance

1) Repentance is awakened by the Word of God.

2 Kings 22:8–10 ESV

And Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the secretary, “I have found the Book of the Law in the house of the Lord.” And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it. And Shaphan the secretary came to the king, and reported to the king, “Your servants have emptied out the money that was found in the house and have delivered it into the hand of the workmen who have the oversight of the house of the Lord.” Then Shaphan the secretary told the king, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.” And Shaphan read it before the king.

2 Kings 22:8–11 ESV

8 And Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the secretary, “I have found the Book of the Law in the house of the Lord.” And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it. 9 And Shaphan the secretary came to the king, and reported to the king, “Your servants have emptied out the money that was found in the house and have delivered it into the hand of the workmen who have the oversight of the house of the Lord.” 10 Then Shaphan the secretary told the king, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.” And Shaphan read it before the king. 11 When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his clothes.

2 kings

For at least 57 years the Word of God was not the guide for the people of God and their kings.

Upon reading the Book and hearing it’s Words, Josiah is struck to the heart and the remainder of his life and reign is defined by the Words he hears.

True Repentance is not based on a feeling you felt during a song or a sermon.

True Repentance is not a prayer you prayed after a preacher after a emotionally charged sermon or revival meeting.

True Repentance (a turning to God) is prompted and awakened in us when we hear the powerful and glorious truths of God’s Word.

If you can’t ground your conviction in God’s Word, then the validity of your repentance is questionable.

It is not invalid, but where what is the standard/measure for your conviction?

says “the Word of God is sharper than a two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, joints and morrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

God’s Word is leads us to repentance.

May the Word of God awaken repentance in each of our hearts.

2) Repentance is motivated by fear of God.

2 Kings 22:11–15 ESV

11 When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his clothes. 12 And the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Achbor the son of Micaiah, and Shaphan the secretary, and Asaiah the king’s servant, saying, 13 “Go, inquire of the Lord for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that has been found. For great is the wrath of the Lord that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book, to do according to all that is written concerning us.” 14 So Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam, and Achbor, and Shaphan, and Asaiah went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah, son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe (now she lived in Jerusalem in the Second Quarter), and they talked with her. 15 And she said to them, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: ‘Tell the man who sent you to me,

2 kings 22 11-17

Repentance is more than an action, it is a posture.

Josiah tearing his clothes was an expression of grief and humiliation.

Josiah realizes that the Words he has heard are Words of judgement and the people of Judah have not only disregarded the words, but have turned away from them completely.

Josiah realizes the TRUE WEIGHT of their sin. “For great is the wrath of the Lord that is kindled against us...”

Romans 2:4–5 NIV

4 Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance? 5 But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed.

rm 2

When we show contempt towards God’s kindness, forbearance and patience we are downplaying/making lite of the seriousness of the wrath of God.

For years prior to Josiah, Judah and her kings had scoffed at the wrath of God and now Josiah is understanding just how serious God really is.

Our obsession to be liked, accepted, respected…is a sign that we fear people (and what they think of us) rather than fearing God.

God’s restrains His wrath in His patience in order that we might be lead to repentance.

3) Repentance is cultivated by conviction and confession of sin.

2 Kings 22:18–20 ESV

18 But to the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the Lord, thus shall you say to him, Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Regarding the words that you have heard, 19 because your heart was penitent, and you humbled yourself before the Lord, when you heard how I spoke against this place and against its inhabitants, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and you have torn your clothes and wept before me, I also have heard you, declares the Lord. 20 Therefore, behold, I will gather you to your fathers, and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace, and your eyes shall not see all the disaster that I will bring upon this place.’ ” And they brought back word to the king.

2 kings 22:

Josiah is convicted of the sins of Judah and send his people to Huldah the prophetess to decipher what this means and what must be done.

She shines light on their sins (vs 17- they have forsaken me and have made offerings to other gods.)

But because of Josiah’s “penitent heart” and “humility before the Lord” God is going to spare him for the judgement of Judah for their sins.

Josiah’s penitent heart and humility are both indications of his conviction and his tearing of robes and weeping before God are confessions of his, and the people’s, sinfulness.

When we are confronted with God’s Word and the seriousness of God’s judgement our natural response is conviction.

Conviction is more than just feeling bad about sin, it is when we are broken because of our sin and angry at our sin.

Conviction is like a pain signal that leads us away from danger.

Conviction is clear enough to give you a path to move toward repentance.

Conviction is clear enough to give you a path to move toward repentance.

I need to stop watching this because it is leading me to temptation or sin.

I need to change something because it is not righteous.

Conviction nurtures repentance as we see our temptations and sin and we are turned by the Holy Spirit’s conviction.

Confession nurtures repentance as we are reminded when we confess our sins we are forgiven by our loving and gracious God.

1 John 1:9 ESV

9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

4) Repentance is nurtured by commitment to community and accountability.

2 Kings 23:1–3 ESV

1 Then the king sent, and all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem were gathered to him. 2 And the king went up to the house of the Lord, and with him all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem and the priests and the prophets, all the people, both small and great. And he read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant that had been found in the house of the Lord. 3 And the king stood by the pillar and 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 this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people joined in the covenant.

2 kings 23:

Josiah gathers the elders and the people and they make a covenant before the Lord to:

Walk after the Lord and keep His commandments

Perform the Words of the covenant that were in God’s Book.

True repentance is nurtured by community and the accountability within Christ’s Church.

James 5:16 ESV

16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

Confession and repentance are not the same thing.

Just because you have admitted your sinfulness does not mean you have turned from it.

But accountability and life in biblical, gospel-centered community nurtures TRUE repentance.

5) Repentance is validated by a growing submission to God and His Word.

2 Kings 23:21–25 ESV

21 And the king commanded all the people, “Keep the Passover to the Lord your God, as it is written in this Book of the Covenant.” 22 For no such Passover had been kept since the days of the judges who judged Israel, or during all the days of the kings of Israel or of the kings of Judah. 23 But in the eighteenth year of King Josiah this Passover was kept to the Lord in Jerusalem. 24 Moreover, Josiah put away the mediums and the necromancers and the household gods and the idols and all the abominations that were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, that he might establish the words of the law that were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the house of the Lord. 25 Before him there was no king like him, who turned to the Lord with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might, according to all the Law of Moses, nor did any like him arise after him.

2 kings 23:21-

Josiah spends the majority of the remainder of chapter 23 wiping out the idolatry of the past.

Destroys the places of worship

Digs up bones, crushes them to dust and throws them into the air.

There is a clear and decisive turn away from sin and the past life and a turning to God and His Word

“That he might establish the WORDS OF THE LAW that were written in THE BOOK...”

“there was no king like him, who TURNED TO THE LORD what ALL HIS HEART and with ALL HIS SOUL and with ALL HIS MIGHT...”

True repentance, biblical/gospel-motivated repentance is demonstrated in life change.

Romans 6:1–4 ESV

1 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

rm 6:1-

Steps forward

Examine yourself

Listen to God’s Word

Repentance is not a one time thing, it is a daily/moment by moment decision to turn to Christ.

Let’s reflect on these truths as we sing out to God.