The Vision (6.5.20): Learning from Josiah

Image: Fishing at sunset on the sound side of Topsail Island, North Carolina, June 2020.

Note: Devotion taken from last Sunday's sermon on 2 Kings 22.

And [Josiah] did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, and walked in all the way of David his Father, and turned not aside to the right hand or the left (2 Kings 22:2).

2 Kings 22 describes the rise of godly Josiah as king of Judah. The key event of this rule was the discovery, in the temple, of the book of the law, which had been suppressed, perhaps by his father Manasseh. When Josiah heard this word read, he “rent his clothes” in repentance (v. 11). Huldah prophesied that the Lord saw that Josiah’s heart was “tender” and that he humbled himself before him (v. 19).

Here a few a few points of spiritual application we can draw from this chapter:

First, we can aspire to live as Josiah did. Will it be said of us that we did what was right in the sight of the LORD, that we walked in the way of Son of David, that we turned not aside to the right or the left?

Second, we can learn how God preserves his Word. There were those in that day who had tried to suppress God’s Word. Paul noted in Romans 1:18 that ungodly men “hold [suppress] the truth in unrighteousness.” God’s Word and his truth, however, is like a beach ball. The more you try to push it under the surface, the more it keeps popping up!

Christ taught in Matthew 5:18: “For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.”

Third, we are reminded of the power of the intake of God’s Word. We need to hear it read, preached, and taught.

Fourth, we are exhorted to respond to God’s Word as did Josiah, to have a tender heart and conscience, to rend, as it were, our garments before him and humble ourselves before him.

Josiah was indeed a great king, but we have a greater king. Josiah would die in peace, not seeing the destruction of Jerusalem. Christ would have the temple of his body crucified on the cross for us, so that we might have peace with God. Let us then look to him and live.

Grace and peace, Pastor Jeff Riddle