Josiah, By the Book
Part 4
And the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Achbor the son of Michaiah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asahiah a servant of the king’s, saying, (2 Kings 22:12)
Go ye, enquire of the LORD for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that is found: for great is the wrath of the LORD that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not hearkened unto the words of this book, to do according unto all that which is written concerning us. (2 Kings 22:13)
This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. (Joshua 1:8)
Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest. (Joshua 1:9)
Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. (Psalm1:1)
But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. (Psalm1:2)
When thou art come unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, and shalt possess it, and shalt dwell therein, and shalt say, I will set a king over me, like as all the nations that are about me; (Deuteronomy 17:14)
Thou shalt in any wise set him king over thee, whom the LORD thy God shall choose: one from among thy brethren shalt thou set king over thee: thou mayest not set a stranger over thee, which is not thy brother. (Deuteronomy 17:15)
But he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he should multiply horses: forasmuch as the LORD hath said unto you, Ye shall henceforth return no more that way. (Deuteronomy 17:16)
Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away: neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold. (Deuteronomy 17:17)
And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites: (Deuteronomy 17:18)
And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them: (Deuteronomy 17:19)
That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left: to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he, and his children, in the midst of Israel. (Deuteronomy 17:20)
  Consider the life that Josiah had, the year was approximately 641 B.C. (before Christ), and the book of the law had ceased to be the center pin of Israel’s existence. The nation’s faith rose and fell on their obedience to the law. The law was given to bring man through history to the fullness of time. The law was given as an instructor or school master teaching man his own failures in the sin of Adam. In Josiah’s day Israel (as the beloved nation of God) had been divided, had been tread upon, and had come close to total destruction many times, but God in His sovereign care always kept a remnant of His faithful to do His will and bring about His purpose in every age. In Josiah’s day spiritual degradation and declension surrounded him; and yet, his heart was for God and full of hope that his nation, like his own heart, would be sold out for Jehovah. The long arm of the law would evidently bring us to the fullness of time when God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law to deliver us not only from our sins, but from the weighty judgment of the law.
But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, (Galatians 4:4)
To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. (Galatians 4:5)
  In the days of Josiah, a Savior to come was a distant hope, and all their blessings were determined by their obedience to the law of God. The law meted out all the conditions that the people of God were to satisfy. Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up any image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I am the LORD your God. (Leviticus 26:1) The Lord was very explicit that they should make no idols, no graven images, they were not to raise up standing images of stone in their land, they were not to bow down to these pagan images for it was the Lord their God who had commanded them. When the book of the law was found in the temple, the little worldly phrase ‘out of sight, out of mind’ applied to Israel. The Lord required the reading of the law daily, not one Israelite, but all Israelites were to meditate on the law day and night. The king, himself, was required to write a personal copy of the law not leaving out one jot or one tittle. When the book was found (as we have mentioned before) they looked at it as only a mere book, but when Shaphan read this book in the presence of the king, Josiah rent his garments and cried out unto the Lord. Through the reading of the book all their sins were brought before the king; the law condemned them for their idolatry, and for their continuous rebellion against Jehovah; thus, they had heaped upon themselves sin upon sin. They were now exposed to the judgment of God, and Josiah could feel the judgment coming in his soul. The expression of the king by his actions reflected the whole nation of Israel. The king or leader of every nation should always be the moral backbone of that nation. Are the nations of this world today responsible to the Word of God? Yes, however, we live in days of wicked and evil moral failure because leaders are not the moral backbone of their nations for they have cast off God and His Book. With Josiah no matter what had come before him, he was determined to bring Judah and the rest of Israel back to a state of obedience, if possible, unto the Almighty God. He had faced the cold hard truth that was read out of the book of the law; and so too, as the wheels of the judgment of God roll over your nation there is only one hope, and that is the Word of God.
  In our corrupt age we have the cold hard truth of sin. All around us is the darkness of an evil world, and the result is the most heinous sins in this world of evil. This sin of the world has brought about sicknesses that were not known to man before our age. The sin of man has destroyed the family unit of man.
God of the Presence
Am I a God at hand, saith the LORD, and not a God afar off? (Jeremiah 23:23) Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the LORD. (Jeremiah 23:24)
  At the reading of the word of God Josiah realized that the God of judgment was not far off. He was a God of the presence, and He knew the secret places of men. This was the God who filled heaven and earth, and this was the God who was holding the sword of judgment over the king’s land. Their guilt was quite evident before God, and only mercy would plead their cause.
O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: because his mercy endureth for ever. (Psalm 118:1)
Let Israel now say, that his mercy endureth for ever. (Psalm 118:2)
  These verses reflect the heart of the king. He stood as a symbol of the nation. He knew his responsibilities to God; yet just reformation would not bring the hearts of his people to Jehovah. There had to be a divine work in their souls. From the actions of Josiah, we believe that what he experienced in his own soul from the Holy Spirit of God was his desire for all of Israel. Psalm 118 is a tribute to God’s mercy. We need to read and contemplate each verse, it will enlighten us to the things around us, and to understand the judgment of God upon the nations of this world. How are we to stand if we don’t stand in God’s mercy? If we do not have salvation through Jesus Christ there is nothing left for anyone — but judgment.
The Gate and the Stone
The prophetic value of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, is found in Psalm 118:19-23.
Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will go into them, and I will praise the LORD: (Psalm 118:19)
This gate of the LORD, into which the righteous shall enter. (Psalm 118:20)
I will praise thee: for thou hast heard me, and art become my salvation.(Psalm 118:21)
The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner. (Psalm 118:22)
This is the LORD’S doing; it is marvellous in our eyes. (Psalm 118:23)
  The value of this prophecy is beyond measure. Out of the soul of the psalmist, as he cried to God, he asked that the gates of righteousness would be opened unto him. Josiah saw this in the depth of his soul. It is only through those gates of righteousness that the Lord can be glorified and praised. The gate of righteousness belongs to the Lord for it is the Lord Jesus Christ who has opened that gate for us. When a gate is opened one must walk through; thus, when passing through this gate all is left behind. We enter into a new land, a land of righteousness. In this land we can praise the Most High God, possessor of heaven and earth, and we can cry out for thou hast heard me, and art become my salvation. Yes, the stone which the builders refused, and had cast off, and had crucified has become the head of the corner and the foundation of faith. This is the Lord’s doing, the Father sent His Son into the world, and man had no power over this because all was done according to the determinate counsels of God. And this is marvelous in our eyes. When one becomes a child of God the veil is lifted, we enter into the Holy of Holies and into the righteousness of God. Our eyes are opened out of our blindness into a glorious new day of birth in the Lord Jesus Christ. God in His mystery has created a new being with divine light inside by the Holy Spirit of God. This is the Lord’s doing and it is marvelous in our eyes. Think of Josiah realizing the weight, and the love, and the mercy of God through hearing the words out of the book of the law.
  The stone that was refused by the Jews in the day of Christ was Christ Himself. To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, (1 Peter 2:4) Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 2:5) Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. (1 Peter 2:6) To conclude this wonderful prophecy of Psalm 118, we continue with verses 7 and 9 in 1 Peter, Chapter 2. Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, (1 Peter 2:7) And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed. (1 Peter 2:8) But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: (1 Peter 2:9)
  We have placed our life and our heart, and our soul in the same eternal hand of God that Josiah knew. The faith of Josiah must answer to God’s will so Josiah sent for more truth. He commanded Hilkiah, the priest, who was the high priest at that time, and who should have had all the teachings of the book for the king, but the high priest was not in a position to know the word of God himself. Along with Hilkiah, Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Achbor the son of Michaiah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asahiah a servant of the king were all sent for further knowledge of the word of God. They were to counsel a prophetess, how far had they fallen. Would God speak through a prophetess? Yes, He would, and He did, and the prophetess told the men the word of God; however, counsel should have first come through the high priest.
Urim and the Thummim
  Does anyone remember the Urim and the Thummim?
And thou shalt put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim; and they shall be upon Aaron’s heart, when he goeth in before the LORD: and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart before the LORD continually. (Exodus 28:30)
  Hilkiah, the high priest, had the position of the counsel of God; consequently, He was directly responsible for the Urim and Thummim; and yet, there was no Urim and Thummim to be found. How far they had fallen and gone away from the divine principles and ordinances of God.
And thou shalt put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim; and they shall be upon Aaron’s heart, when he goeth in before the LORD: and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart before the LORD continually. (Exodus 28:30)
And he put the breastplate upon him: also he put in the breastplate the Urim and the Thummim. (Leviticus 8:8)
And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall ask [counsel] for him after the judgment of Urim before the LORD: at his word shall they go out, and at his word they shall come in, [both] he, and all the children of Israel with him, even all the congregation. (Numbers 27:21)
And of Levi he said, [Let] thy Thummim and thy Urim [be] with thy holy one, whom thou didst prove at Massah, [and with] whom thou didst strive at the waters of Meribah; (Deuteronomy 33:8)
And when Saul enquired of the LORD, the LORD answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets. (1 Samuel 28:6)
And the Tirshatha said unto them, that they should not eat of the most holy things, till there stood up a priest with Urim and with Thummim. (Ezra 2:63)
And the Tirshatha said unto them, that they should not eat of the most holy things, till there stood [up] a priest with Urim and Thummim. (Nehemiah 7:65)
Light and Perfection
  Just what is this Urim and Thummim? The Urim is ‘light,’ the Thummim is ‘perfection.’ These were two stones that were placed in a pouch in the breastplate of the high priest (Exodus 28:30). They were placed over the heart of Aaron, and he would bear these stones of judgment upon his heart before the Lord continually. When the nation of Israel needed counsel the high priest removed these stones, each of these stones would give him counsel from the Lord. Decisions were made by these two stones — Light and Perfection. The Urim and Thummim is mentioned in seven verses in the Old Testament, the number of perfection.
  If Hilkiah had been in his proper position, the Urim and Thummim would have been his responsibility; however, as the book of the law was lost to them, likewise the Urim and Thummim was also lost. It was brought to remembrance in Ezra and in Nehemiah during the age of the post captivity; and it was the Tirshatha (not Ezra) who declared that a priest should be found with the Urim and the Thummim. This, however, could not be for the Urim and Thummim was lost to the nation of Israel. Their Light and Perfection had gone.
  In the New Testament the Holy Spirit points us to the Father of Lights. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. (James 1:17) We find in James that we have no use for an earthly Urim and Thummim for God the Father is our Light and Perfection. All good gifts come from His hand, and the most perfect gift was His Son, Jesus Christ.
A Channel
  In Josiah’s days there was no Urim and Thummim, but God is not stopped by the absence of His Word or His ordinances. He uses the base things of the world to bring to nought the things that are, therefore, God used a prophetess (Huldah) who was a keeper of the wardrobe, and He chose not to use the high priest.
So Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam, and Achbor, and Shaphan, and Asahiah, went unto Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe; (now she dwelt in Jerusalem in the college;) and they communed with her. (2 Kings 22:14)
And she said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Tell the man that sent you to me,(2 Kings 22:15)
  Huldah, the prophetess, received the word of the Lord, and this is one of those times (sundry times and diverse manners) that is found in Hebrews, Chapter 1. Her answer to Hilkiah and the other men was Thus saith the LORD God of Israel. She is showing us that she is not the authority but the channel of the word of God. We should keep this in our hearts and in our minds concerning the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. For as the hymn tells us we are ‘Channels Only,’ so Huldah was a channel for the Almighty God.
The Prophecy and Promise of the Coming Judgment to His Nation
  The prophecy in 2 Kings 22:16, 17 begins with judgment and not mercy. Judah and Israel had gone too far. The national sin was too great, so they would be removed from the land. Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof, even all the words of the book which the king of Judah hath read: (2 Kings 22:16) Because they have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the works of their hands; therefore my wrath shall be kindled against this place, and shall not be quenched. (2 Kings 22:17) This prophecy and promise of God’s sure judgment upon a rebellious and evil nation is first brought to Israel according to the Book of Leviticus in Chapter 26.
But if ye will not hearken unto me, and will not do all these commandments; (Leviticus 26:14)
And if ye shall despise my statutes, or if your soul abhor my judgments, so that ye will not do all my commandments, but that ye break my covenant: (Leviticus 26:15)
I also will do this unto you; I will even appoint over you terror, consumption, and the burning ague, that shall consume the eyes, and cause sorrow of heart: and ye shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it. (Leviticus 26:16)
And I will set my face against you, and ye shall be slain before your enemies: they that hate you shall reign over you; and ye shall flee when none pursueth you. (Leviticus 26:17)
And if ye will not yet for all this hearken unto me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins. (Leviticus 26:18)
And I will break the pride of your power; and I will make your heaven as iron, and your earth as brass: (Leviticus 26:19)
And your strength shall be spent in vain: for your land shall not yield her increase, neither shall the trees of the land yield their fruits.(Leviticus 26:20)
And if ye walk contrary unto me, and will not hearken unto me; I will bring seven times more plagues upon you according to your sins. (Leviticus 26:21)
I will also send wild beasts among you, which shall rob you of your children, and destroy your cattle, and make you few in number; and your high ways shall be desolate. (Leviticus 26:22)
And if ye will not be reformed by me by these things, but will walk contrary unto me; (Leviticus 26:23)
Then will I also walk contrary unto you, and will punish you yet seven times for your sins. (Leviticus 26:24)
And I will bring a sword upon you, that shall avenge the quarrel of my covenant: and when ye are gathered together within your cities, I will send the pestilence among you; and ye shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy. (Leviticus 26:25)
And when I have broken the staff of your bread, ten women shall bake your bread in one oven, and they shall deliver you your bread again by weight: and ye shall eat, and not be satisfied. (Leviticus 26:26)
And if ye will not for all this hearken unto me, but walk contrary unto me;(Leviticus 26:27)
Then I will walk contrary unto you also in fury; and I, even I, will chastise you seven times for your sins. (Leviticus 26:28)
And ye shall eat the flesh of your sons, and the flesh of your daughters shall ye eat. (Leviticus 26:29)
And I will destroy your high places, and cut down your images, and cast your carcases upon the carcases of your idols, and my soul shall abhor you. (Leviticus 26:30)
And I will make your cities waste, and bring your sanctuaries unto desolation, and I will not smell the savour of your sweet odours. (Leviticus 26:31)
And I will bring the land into desolation: and your enemies which dwell therein shall be astonished at it. (Leviticus 26:32)
And I will scatter you among the heathen, and will draw out a sword after you: and your land shall be desolate, and your cities waste.(Leviticus 26:33)
Four Times and Seven Times
  Look to the towns, look to the counties, look to the states or provinces, look to the nations, and ask this question, ‘Is there a judgment for a nations sin?’ As one reads through the 26th Chapter of Leviticus, not only do we see the judgment, but we are taught the cause. Notice that in Leviticus 26 the Lord declares that He will judge them seven times for their sins. Four (4) times the Lord declares, I will punish you seven times more in verses 18, 21, 24, and 28. The number seven brings in the number of completion and perfection in all things dealing with God, even in the judgment of God; thus we have completion or fulfillment of judgment, no reprieve for a nation that refuses to be humbled before God. Josiah as the king, stood at the precipice of the judgment of God. This world today stands in like manner. Once more look around the nations of the world, one has to be blind and foolish not to see the judgment of God in every nation because of their stubbornness to repent of their sins. Four times the Lord mentions seven times their sin, and this equals twenty-eight (28). Twenty-eight times because of their sin the judgment of God will shake the foundation of this world. The skies will be darkened so neither the sun nor the moon will be visible. The stars will not give their light, the world will be consumed with a darkness that will create fear and trembling to the hearts of all men. This will be a darkness unlike any other darkness.
The Prophecy and Promise of the Coming Judgment to His Creation — His World
And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; (Revelation 6:12)
And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. (Revelation 6:13)
And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. (Revelation 6:14)
And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; (Revelation 6:15)
And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: (Revelation 6:16)
For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?(Revelation 6:17)
And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain, (Revelation 16:10)
  This darkness that the world will feel will permeate and penetrate their very souls. It will develop a fear within them so that if a leave falls from a tree they will tremble in their very being. And upon them that are left alive of you I will send a faintness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies; and the sound of a shaken leaf shall chase them; and they shall flee, as fleeing from a sword; and they shall fall when none pursueth. (Leviticus 26:36)
The Reason for the Judgment
In Josiah’s time the prophetess sent the word of her prophecy back to the king by Hilkiah. It was a message of judgment before them. The Lord declared that He would bring evil upon this place, even all the curses that are written in the book of the law. Once more, I realize that we are not Israel today, but Leviticus 26 is a message for all people, for all ages, and for all nations. Let this sink into your souls. The prophetess by the word of God also revealed the reason for God’s judgment. They had forsaken Him, they had worshiped other gods, they had burned incense to the gods of the heathen, and all of Israel (both the northern and southern kingdoms) had provoked the Lord to anger with the works of their hands. We could say, ‘Hear, O Israel, God will spew His wrath. It will pass over Jerusalem, and over the land of Israel; and His wrath will not be quenched,’ Because they have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the works of their hands; therefore my wrath shall be poured out upon this place, and shall not be quenched.(2 Chronicles 24:25) Israel had come to God’s final call, and was found wanting like Saul their first king.
No One is Exempt from God’s Requirement of Obedience to His Word
And Samuel came to Saul: and Saul said unto him, Blessed be thou of the LORD: I have performed the commandment of the LORD. (1 Samuel 15:13)
And Samuel said, What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear? (1 Samuel 15:14)
And Saul said, They have brought them from the Amalekites: for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed. (1 Samuel 15:15)
Then Samuel said unto Saul, Stay, and I will tell thee what the LORD hath said to me this night. And he said unto him, Say on. (1 Samuel 15:16)
And Samuel said, When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the LORD anointed thee king over Israel? (1 Samuel 15:17)
And the LORD sent thee on a journey, and said, Go and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them until they be consumed. (1 Samuel 15:18)
Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of the LORD, but didst fly upon the spoil, and didst evil in the sight of the LORD? (1 Samuel 15:19)
And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the LORD, and have gone the way which the LORD sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. (1 Samuel 15:20)
But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God in Gilgal. (1 Samuel 15:21)
And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. (1 Samuel 15:22)
For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.(1 Samuel 15:23)
  Note verse 23 — rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as the sin of iniquity and idolatry. Do you hear that — rebellious and stubborn world? You pride yourself in the works of your hands, and deny the God who gave you those hands. This world stands in the balances of God’s justice. And this world is found wanting. The righteousness of this world is as filthy rags. Their sin and iniquity has overcome them in every way. Their thoughts and their imagination is only evil continually. The Lord says, ‘come let is us reason together.’
The Window of Mercy
  Before the heavy stroke of the judgment of God falls there is always a window of mercy. Although the nation of Judah would go into captivity — they would know peace during the lifetime of Josiah.
Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. (Isaiah 1:18)
If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: (Isaiah 1:19)
But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it. (Isaiah 1:20)
  We should remember there were no great armies of David and Solomon, these armies had past into history. Josiah had a minimum of soldiers at his disposal, but God would give him peace in his day. The armies of heaven would stand at his right hand and preserve his kingdom during his life time. Even though the nation had forsaken Jehovah He would give them peace and a reprieve for their wickedness. Notice, mercy comes first before the judgment to come.
And as for the king of Judah, who sent you to enquire of the LORD, so shall ye say unto him, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel concerning the words which thou hast heard; (2 Chronicles 34:26)
Because thine heart was tender, and thou didst humble thyself before God, when thou heardest his words against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, and humbledst thyself before me, and didst rend thy clothes, and weep before me; I have even heard thee also, saith the LORD. (2 Chronicles 34:27)
Behold, I will gather thee to thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered to thy grave in peace, neither shall thine eyes see all the evil that I will bring upon this place, and upon the inhabitants of the same. So they brought the king word again.(2 Chronicles 34:28)
  You might feel alone in your testimony for the Lord Jesus Christ. You might have felt the cruel rejection of the world, and even from professing Christians, but take courage with Josiah. The Lord was holding back His judgment for the sake of this godly king. One man had turned the heart of God — one man had brought mercy to his people — one man — Josiah had humbled himself before God and God listened to his weeping and poured mercy on a whole nation. God’s eyes run to and fro throughout the whole earth looking for the heart that is tender towards Him. The humble servant prepared to do His bidding. God looks down, He sees the spirit of a Abraham, of a Gideon, of a David, of a Daniel, of an Elijah, of an Amos, of a Zephaniah, of a John the Baptist, and the theme of humility that flowed through the hearts of these men will be in that heart and soul of those who desire to please God. They will say of themselves, ‘He must increase but I must decrease till in me the good Lord can see Jesus Christ becoming all in all.’ The heart must melt into the spirit and the spirit must melt into Christ; that in all things He might have the preeminence. (Colossians 1:18)
  Josiah was given a promise that he would have peace in his day although sure judgment loomed over Israel. He would be gathered to his forefathers in peace, and that his eyes would not see the evil that was surely coming upon Jerusalem and Judah. This word was delivered to Josiah, and when he had received the word of the Lord he immediately moved to gather the elders of Judah and Jerusalem together.
Then the king sent and gathered together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. (2 Chronicles 34:29)
And the king went up into the house of the LORD, and all the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the priests, and the Levites, and all the people, great and small: and he read in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant that was found in the house of the LORD. (2 Chronicles 34:30)
  The king took the lead of the Holy Spirit and went up into the house of the Lord. Notice the little word ‘up’ not ‘down’ this is not only a direction, but an attitude of heart. As Asaph of old in Psalm 73, verse 17, Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end. Asaph was perplexed by all the evil that surrounded him. Josiah also must have felt the darkness of evil, but when one enters into the presence of God into the sanctuary of His Person, He opens the understanding, and gives wisdom and knowledge in the things of God, and we have the Holy Spirit to lead us into all truth. The wisdom of this world knows nothing of the mysteries of God for Satan has blinded them to the things of the Person of God. Like Hezekiah, Josiah began in the house of God, and worked out to the people, but first he must glorify God with the people in the house of the Lord. Josiah had come to His Father’s house with all the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the priests and the Levites, and all the people great and small, and must now throw out the trash, the idols of Baal. And what does this godly king do?
By the Book
  He reads from the lost book of the law, the book of the covenant that was found in the house of the Lord. Once again, the Holy Spirit reminds us how valuable the Word of God is, for it not only exposes evil around us, but it gives us all truth. (John 17:17) Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth — Thy Word of truth. This king is not yet finished, he renewed Israel’s covenant with Jehovah in the presence of all the people.
And the king stood in his place, 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 with all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant which are written in this book. (2 Chronicles 34:31)
And he caused all that were present in Jerusalem and Benjamin to stand to it. And the inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers. (2 Chronicles 34:32)
The Personal God for a Person
  Josiah proclaimed that he and the people would walk after the Lord and keep His commandments, and testimonies, and statutes with all his heart, and with all his soul to perform the words of the covenant which are written in this book. Notice in verse 31 Josiah was speaking for himself, it was his heart, and his soul. When we are before God it will be ourselves, and ourselves alone, who face God as individuals. We cannot promise for others. It is between me and Christ — it is between you and Christ — this is what is meant by a personal God.
Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. (John 14:23)
If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love. (John 15:10)
These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. (John 15:11)
This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.(John 15:12)
And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming. (1 John 2:28)
If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him. (1 John 2:29)
  The religious man wants to take individual responsibility away. Instead of the individual it becomes ‘us’ and with ‘us’ comes no conviction nor repentance, but when the individual stands before God both repentance and conviction must be in the formula of obedience to an Almighty God. If we continue to use the term ‘we’ and ‘us’ we develop a blanket salvation of the unity of man and not of God. Remember, without the shedding of blood there is no remission for sin, and one must deal with God concerning one’s own sin, and not the sin of the world. You cannot have a gospel of grace, and a gospel of works. The only salvation that man can receive must come by grace and grace alone. You cannot climb Jacob’s ladder by the works of man. It is impossible to enter into Christ unless the gate (the door) is opened by Christ. We are translated from this world into the kingdom of His dear Son. Our translation is individual and not collective.
Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: (Colossians 1:13)
In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: (Colossians 1:14)
If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. (Colossians 3:1)
Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. (Colossians 3:2)
For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. (Colossians 3:3)
When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. (Colossians 3:4)
  Although Josiah had not the full cannon of Scripture, he had the same confidence in an Almighty God to deliver him from the powers of darkness, and to deliver him into the presence of God that we, as the children of God, have today. All around him was darkness and evil, he must have met strong opposition from the pagan priests and priestesses, and even opposition from those who served in the temple; yet, he stood before them all and claimed the God of heaven for himself. He dedicated his life, his soul, and his heart to the service of God. Josiah was a king of true humility and one who shadowed his humble and lowly Savior to come.
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass. (Zechariah 9:9)
Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. (Matthew 11:29)
Amen.
© Copyright 2016, Michael Haigh
Article may be used, but not for gain. Freely ye have received, freely give.
All Scripture references are from the Authorized King James Bible. (KJV)