Another Reformation

Today we are talking about the southern kingdom of Judah and the south has been following the Davidic line but that didn’t always produce faithful leaders. Josiah’s grandfather, Manasseh, maybe due to his personality or his Assyrian rulers, brought in idols into the country and abandoned worship of Yahweh. His son Amon did the same thing as his father and perhaps was even worse because his servants killed him after only two years of rule. In fact Amon’s rule in the Bible consists of 7 whole verses in the book of 2 Kings.

So Josiah, being the next in line after his father was murdered began to rule at the age of 8. Can you remember what you were doing when you were 8 years old? I remember I was eight when my family moved from Laguna Hills to Escondido, CA. I remember being so upset that we moved. It was also the year that my mom told us that she was pregnant with my younger brother. I was so excited to have another sibling through I do have to admit that at the time I was rooting for a sister and not a brother because I already had two brothers.

Although we don’t get much insight into Josiah when he was 8 we do know that he was king and was probably dealing with bigger issues than moving from one town to another and not getting a sister as a sibling. In fact, Josiah was dealing with the murder of his father and the waning rule of Assyria over them which both his grandfather and father had to endure. Our text does tell us that at age 8 it was already seen in him that he did not stray from the right or the left, meaning that Josiah was faithful to God and God’s word. Which is interesting because in the previous chapters of the book of Kings we see that Manasseh for 55 years and Amon for his two years did everything they could to suppress the word of Yahweh and to promote the gods of Assyria.

We learn more about Josiah’s faithfulness to God when he’s 26 years old and he is doing what he can maintain the house of the Lord by emptying the money that has been given to it. Josiah is actually doing what he’s supposed to do, which is use the money for that very purpose, but this seems to be the first time in almost 75 years that it has been done. Josiah has no real reason to do it other than a faithfulness to Yahweh, the God of their ancestors. In Josiah’s faithfulness to maintain the house of the Lord, the high priest Hilkiah happens to find a scroll lying around in the place where they keep they money. Basically as they were getting the money they must have also been doing some spring cleaning and tossed aside and buried in this place they found the book of the law. Most scholars agree that it is likely chapters 12-26 of what we now know as Deuteronomy. It is presented to the king after they tell him the money has been distributed and here’s the part that we skip in our text about what Josiah says about it:

2 Kings 22:11–14 NRSV

When the king heard the words of the book of the law, he tore his clothes. Then the king commanded the priest Hilkiah, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Achbor son of Micaiah, Shaphan the secretary, and the king’s servant Asaiah, saying, “Go, inquire of the Lord for me, 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 ancestors did not obey the words of this book, to do according to all that is written concerning us.” So the priest Hilkiah, Ahikam, Achbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah went to the prophetess Huldah the wife of Shallum son of Tikvah, son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe; she resided in Jerusalem in the Second Quarter, where they consulted her.

Josiah is devastated by the unfaithfulness of their ancestors and probably even more so of his father and grandfather who let this happen, and maybe he even knew instigated it. The servants of Josiah bring the scroll and Josiah’s request to a female prophetess by the name of Hulda, which is significant that we have a female prophetess bringing the word of God to this reforming king. And she confirms that God isn’t happy and there’s nothing you can do about it but live in peace until you die.

When I hear that I would think the average person would have basically looked at it this way. Well, God says this kingdom is a goner no matter what so we might as well eat, drink, and be merry. Let’s have a feast like we have on Thanksgiving, lets pull the stops before things go bad. In fact I have even heard the opposite when it comes to the sacrifice that God made for us through God’s son, Jesus. I will tell you it’s not a common thought process that I have heard, but there are people I have talked with who believe that they can live any life they have lived because they have been baptized and saved by Jesus. They have told me face to face, that, “I have been saved and Jesus will forgive me because he forgives us of our sins, so I am going to go and live my life and know that Jesus will forgive me for whatever I do.”

I’ve never been able to convince those people otherwise of that thought process, however I have these very conversations in confirmation. I tell the kids that God loves us and forgives us no matter what. Does that mean that we can go and do whatever we want in this life? Technically yes it does. But does going on sinning on purpose reflect a life that truly believes that God forgives us? No it doesn’t. We should live a life that reflects the great thanksgiving that we have for all the love and forgiveness that God offers us.

Josiah reflects that and lives it out in his reign. He doesn’t care if his kingdom is going to fall apart under rule from another super-power in the world. Josiah in recommits himself to God and so does the entire kingdom of Judah. They don’t do it because they think they are going to get a ‘get out of jail free card’, they do it because God is their God. God has given them the promised land and has been faithful to them even in their unfaithfulness. King Josiah sees in the scroll all the promises and love that God has made for the people and he wants them to know and experience that firsthand for themselves.

As we celebrate this holy day of Christ the King we remember the faithful commitment of Josiah to God. We remember the faithful commitment of Jesus to God and we remember how faithful God is no matter what we do or have done in our lives. As God forgives we reflect that forgiveness by the way that we live and act just as Josiah did when he heard of God’s mighty deeds in the scroll of the law. Never forget the goodness and mercy and love of God as shown through our eternal king Jesus the Christ. Amen.