Take your Bibles and turn to Second Kings, once you’ve located second Kings turn to chapter twenty-two. In this chapter and the next you find one of my favorite historical accounts in the entire Old Testament, the account of young king Josiah. Since this blog is all about reform and revival, there is not a better real-life illustration of attempted reform than Josiah’s.
Chapter twenty-two begins during a time in Israel’s history when things are a mess because of the sin of the people and her leaders. Through the leadership of the rulers, Baal worship was introduced (1 kings 16), the people of God are in total rebellion (2 Kings 17:7ff) and the house of God, the place of worship is in need of repair (2 Kings 22:6). Under the reign of Hezekiah there was some reform for about 29 years. Hezekiah dies and his son and subsequently his grandson take over leadership and Israel is plunged right back into moral and spiritual depravity.
Chapter twenty-two begins during a time in Israel’s history when things are a mess because of the sin of the people and her leaders. Through the leadership of the rulers, Baal worship was introduced (1 kings 16), the people of God are in total rebellion (2 Kings 17:7ff) and the house of God, the place of worship is in need of repair (2 Kings 22:6). Under the reign of Hezekiah there was some reform for about 29 years. Hezekiah dies and his son and subsequently his grandson take over leadership and Israel is plunged right back into moral and spiritual depravity.
In an earlier post I declared, “As go your leaders, so go the followers”
Well, it’s true!
Now stepping up to the plate is a young man named Josiah. Chapter twenty-two verse one states, “Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem….”
How did young Josiah avoid the corruption of his father and grandfather? Verse one states, “…..his mother’s name was Jedidah the daughter of Adaiah of Bozkath.
Well, it’s true!
Now stepping up to the plate is a young man named Josiah. Chapter twenty-two verse one states, “Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem….”
How did young Josiah avoid the corruption of his father and grandfather? Verse one states, “…..his mother’s name was Jedidah the daughter of Adaiah of Bozkath.
Thank God for Godly mothers!!!
Verse two reads, “He did right in the sight of the Lord and walked in all the way of his great, great, great, etc,., grandfather David, nor did he turn aside to the right or to the left”.
Verse three declares, “Now in the eighteenth year of King Josiah (he’s 26 yrs old). Jump down to verse 8 it states that Hilkiah the High priest said to Shaphan the Scribe, “I have found the book of the Law in the house of the Lord”. Hilkiah then gave the book (The OT Torah; the first 5 books) to Shaphan who also read it.
Look at verse ten, “…Shaphan the Scribe told the king saying, Hilkiah the priest has given me a book, and Shaphan read it in the presence of the King”. Verse eleven reads, “When the king heard the words of the book of the Law, he tore his clothes”.
When Josiah was confronted with God’s word, he was soo convicted by what he heard that he took action immediately,
First, he dispatched his royal staff to go and get further clarification, “concerning the words of this book that has been found” (vs 13). They went to Huldah the prophetess to get clarity (vss 14-20).
Okay let’s not get sidetracked, Yes, God can and does use women, but looking at the whole of scripture her prophetic gift and ministry was not like that of the men who prophesied before her nor after her. In the New Testament we see another woman who had a prophetic gift. Her name was Anna (see Luke 2:36ff). She lived her life after the death of her husband in the Temple and for the remainder of her life continued to speak (the nature of the prophetic gift) to all those looking for the redemption of Jerusalem. Therefore can a woman have a speaking gift? Absolutely!! But the use of her gift or anyone’s gift must be regulated by the Scripture and God’s sovereignty.
Okay let's get back on course
Verse two reads, “He did right in the sight of the Lord and walked in all the way of his great, great, great, etc,., grandfather David, nor did he turn aside to the right or to the left”.
Verse three declares, “Now in the eighteenth year of King Josiah (he’s 26 yrs old). Jump down to verse 8 it states that Hilkiah the High priest said to Shaphan the Scribe, “I have found the book of the Law in the house of the Lord”. Hilkiah then gave the book (The OT Torah; the first 5 books) to Shaphan who also read it.
Look at verse ten, “…Shaphan the Scribe told the king saying, Hilkiah the priest has given me a book, and Shaphan read it in the presence of the King”. Verse eleven reads, “When the king heard the words of the book of the Law, he tore his clothes”.
When Josiah was confronted with God’s word, he was soo convicted by what he heard that he took action immediately,
First, he dispatched his royal staff to go and get further clarification, “concerning the words of this book that has been found” (vs 13). They went to Huldah the prophetess to get clarity (vss 14-20).
Okay let’s not get sidetracked, Yes, God can and does use women, but looking at the whole of scripture her prophetic gift and ministry was not like that of the men who prophesied before her nor after her. In the New Testament we see another woman who had a prophetic gift. Her name was Anna (see Luke 2:36ff). She lived her life after the death of her husband in the Temple and for the remainder of her life continued to speak (the nature of the prophetic gift) to all those looking for the redemption of Jerusalem. Therefore can a woman have a speaking gift? Absolutely!! But the use of her gift or anyone’s gift must be regulated by the Scripture and God’s sovereignty.
Okay let's get back on course
Second, according to chapter 23, he sent for the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem-the Southern kingdom -The Northern Kingdom of Isreal had been taken captive by Assyria several years earlier because of her sin and rebellion - He gathers the leaders together in the house of the Lord along with the men, all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the priests and prophets and all the people small and great and he read in their hearing all the words found in the book of the Law that was lost in the house of the Lord.
According to chapter twenty-three, verse three, the king in the presence of all made a covenant before the Lord to do several things:
1. To walk (i.e., live) after the Lord
2. To keep (i.e., obey) all his commandment and
Statutes with total whole-hearted commitment
3. To carry out the words of this covenant written
In the book.
The remainder of chapter 23 records the reforms that came about as a result of rediscovering God’s word. Let me list a few:
1. All the idolatrous vessels were removed from the house of God (vs 4).
2. The apostate priests who served in God’s house were removed (vs 5).
3. Sexual immorality in the house of God was brought to an end (vs 7).
4. The Passover was reinstituted.
These are just a few of the reforms that took place in Jerusalem all of which were motivated by a rediscovery of the Word of God.
I stated at the outset of this article, that this historical narrative is a great illustration of what’s going on and what’s needed in our day.
What’s going on in our day?
1. In our day many of our UC (i.e., Urban Church) leaders are corrupt and immoral.
2. Many of the people who make up the UC are corrupt and immoral (They have good examples).
3. The local UC has in many places become a den of thieves and robbers and a hideout for the sexually immoral.
4. The Word of God is lost inside many of our Local Urban churches (Suburban churches too).
5. The key ordinances that should remind us of our Holy obligation no longer exist in some of our churches. In some churches, the baptismal is used for storage.
So what’s needed?
Is it not clear?
The key to reform in the UC is a rediscovery of the Word of God.
In the next series of articles I will attempt to help us rediscover what God’s word says about the church and how it should be run.
For His Glory,
CoolImprov
According to chapter twenty-three, verse three, the king in the presence of all made a covenant before the Lord to do several things:
1. To walk (i.e., live) after the Lord
2. To keep (i.e., obey) all his commandment and
Statutes with total whole-hearted commitment
3. To carry out the words of this covenant written
In the book.
The remainder of chapter 23 records the reforms that came about as a result of rediscovering God’s word. Let me list a few:
1. All the idolatrous vessels were removed from the house of God (vs 4).
2. The apostate priests who served in God’s house were removed (vs 5).
3. Sexual immorality in the house of God was brought to an end (vs 7).
4. The Passover was reinstituted.
These are just a few of the reforms that took place in Jerusalem all of which were motivated by a rediscovery of the Word of God.
I stated at the outset of this article, that this historical narrative is a great illustration of what’s going on and what’s needed in our day.
What’s going on in our day?
1. In our day many of our UC (i.e., Urban Church) leaders are corrupt and immoral.
2. Many of the people who make up the UC are corrupt and immoral (They have good examples).
3. The local UC has in many places become a den of thieves and robbers and a hideout for the sexually immoral.
4. The Word of God is lost inside many of our Local Urban churches (Suburban churches too).
5. The key ordinances that should remind us of our Holy obligation no longer exist in some of our churches. In some churches, the baptismal is used for storage.
So what’s needed?
Is it not clear?
The key to reform in the UC is a rediscovery of the Word of God.
In the next series of articles I will attempt to help us rediscover what God’s word says about the church and how it should be run.
For His Glory,
CoolImprov
