A third day in the same chapter! But Josiah’s story has so much to think about.
We’ve looked at what Huldah prophesied in 2 Kings 22:19-20 – Josiah’s choice to serve God was acceptable and he would not live to see the punishment in store for his people. He continued in chapter 23 to “walk after the Lord.”
Why? It would make no difference to his people. Yet he commanded the high priest to remove the items made for Baal. They were being used in the temple! He put down idolatrous priests who “burned incense unto Baal, to the sun, and to the moon, and to the planets, and to all the host of heaven.” The people did not believe there was one God who deserved their worship. Josiah did.
Josiah made the choice public.
And the king stood by a 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 their heart and all their soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people stood to the covenant. (2 Kings 23:3 KJV)
The people stood to the covenant, but didn’t stand by the covenant. It was the one given to the Children of Israel before entering the Promised Land.
I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. (Exodus 20:2-3 KJV)
This is what Christ described in Matthew:
Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. (Matthew 22:36-38 KJV)
The people of Judah broke that first commandment before Josiah, and his example was not sufficient for them to return to the Lord. Huldah prophesied to Josiah that he would not see the destruction of his nation, but he knew it was coming.
So, why didn’t he give up? Don’t we give up when it appears our witness is being ignored? How many of us have walked away from our ministry, our church, our friends – yet Josiah kept right on keeping his covenant with the Lord. We’ve known people like him, haven’t we? We’ve had pastors as dedicated to the Lord as this king was, haven’t we? Friends who continue to love the Lord in spite of those around them, haven’t we? Do we?
From this day forward, we can do the same. It really doesn’t matter who walks with us as long as we walk with the Lord. He is in control, His will is what will be accomplished. When you think the job, the day, the hour is overwhelming, remember Josiah’s lifelong choice.
And he 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 to the left. (2 Kings 22:2 KJV)
The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come. (Isaiah 57:1 KJV)
That could have been written about Josiah. According to Huldah, that is the blessing God gave him for his humbleness before Him.
But to the king of Judah which sent you to enquire of the LORD, thus shall ye say to him, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, As touching the words which thou hast heard; Because thine heart was tender, and thou hast humbled thyself before the LORD, when thou heardest what I spake against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and hast rent thy clothes, and wept before me; I also have heard thee, saith the LORD. Behold therefore, I will gather thee unto thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered into thy grave in peace; and thine eyes shall not see all the evil which I will bring upon this place. And they brought the king word again. (2 Kings 22:18-20 KJV)
Josiah worked hard to bring his people back to the Lord.
And the king stood by a 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 their heart and all their soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people stood to the covenant. (2 Kings 23:3 KJV)
The following verses tell us how he commanded that the vessels made to worship Baal be removed from the temple. Can you imagine our churches today filled with items intended to draw attention away from God toward idols.
Oh, wait a minute. It didn’t take long to come up with some examples, did it? Why do we wonder at so many wicked things happening in the Temple when we see similar things happening today. Worse yet, when Josiah had all those things removed, the law read before the people and them making their own covenant with the Lord, within a few short years, the Temple was destroyed and Judah taken captive. God knew it was going to happen and promised Josiah that his eyes would not see the destruction.
Josiah re-instituted Passover. And what a Passover celebration it must have been for the writer to say:
Surely there was not holden such a passover from the days of the judges that judged Israel, nor in all the days of the kings of Israel, nor of the kings of Judah; (2 Kings 23:22 KJV)
Josiah’s relationship with God was outstanding.
And like unto him was there no king before him, that 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; neither after him arose there any like him. (2 Kings 23:25 KJV)
Nevertheless, Huldah’s prophecy was fulfilled. For all the good Josiah did, his people did not. God allowed Josiah to die before his kingdom returned to its old ways. When Jehoahaz became king, the son did not follow in his father’s footsteps, but of those kings before him.
And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his fathers had done. (2 Kings 23:32 KJV)
We’ve been told. How will we act?
Last night at our Christmas Ladies Meeting, our Pastor’s Wife gave a lesson that included Huldah.
Are you familiar with her name? Pastor’s Wife wasn’t, and I wasn’t either. I’m certain she has read through the Bible more times than I have, and I remember this particular story, but not the name, nor the reference.
The same story is told in 2 Kings 22 and in 2 Chronicles 34. According to Jewish Encyclopedia, scholars disagree as to whether Huldah Gates in the Southern Wall of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem may have been named for her. Huldah was a relative of Jeremiah, both being descendants of Rahab by her marriage to Salmon. She was living in the college in Jerusalem and was keeper of the wardrobe. She also was a prophetess, and her words were without much hope for Judah.
We are much more familiar with Josiah, the eight-year old king of Jerusalem, of whom it is written:
And he 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 to the left. (2 Kings 22:2 KJV)
Of course, David was Josiah’s multiple-great-grandfather, but he certainly made a good example to follow. By the time he was twenty, Josiah was concerned about the temple and sent Shaphan to look after it. He was looking for people who get things done, and he was concerned about the physical aspects of God’s house.
And let them deliver it into the hand of the doers of the work, that have the oversight of the house of the LORD: and let them give it to the doers of the work which is in the house of the LORD, to repair the breaches of the house, (2 Kings 22:5 KJV)
Obviously the doers of the work had not been doing their job, and more sadly, it took this effort for the high priest to find what he was supposed to be using to spiritually lead the people.
And Hilkiah the high priest said unto Shaphan the scribe, 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. (2 Kings 22:8 KJV)
Josiah understood how this could affect his nation.
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 KJV)
So they went to Huldah. The Lord told her that the inhabitants of Judah were condemned for their forsaking of God and their seeking other idols. She had another future for Josiah, and gave the reason why:
Because thine heart was tender, and thou hast humbled thyself before the LORD, when thou heardest what I spake against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and hast rent thy clothes, and wept before me; I also have heard thee, saith the LORD. (2 Kings 22:19 KJV)
Knowing we cannot save others, are our hearts tender and have we humbled ourselves before the Lord? Do we weep before Him for the others? Do we hearken unto the word of His book?
No one likes to be excluded. Even from places they really don’t want to go, they’d be offended if they were told they were not acceptable. The Jewish leaders Christ spoke to in John’s eighth chapter were the same way. They had already come to dislike Christ, then He told them:
Then said Jesus again unto them, I go my way, and ye shall seek me, and shall die in your sins: whither I go, ye cannot come. Then said the Jews, Will he kill himself? because he saith, Whither I go, ye cannot come. And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world. I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins. (John 8:21-24 KJV)
They weren’t certain where He came from, and had no idea where he was going. What Christ taught was totally from their scriptures, but it was not what they believed. They chose what they wanted from the words God had given them, added a bit of what they thought should be and adjusted for times and needs.
Mankind has done such since Eve looked at the fruit and saw it was good. We do the same thing.
We pick from churches and from the Bible what fits with what we’ve heard or what we want and ignore the rest. In many instances we’ll state openly that what we’re reading applies only to a specific time, a specific place and it is no longer applicable.
We don’t look at His words here, for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins, and believe they do not apply to us. They do.
Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour. (Isaiah 43:10-11 KJV)
I like the connecting view from Isaiah that there is only one savior. There are those who become content with their own live, satisfied with what is happening now and do not seek Him. Instead, they will fulfill Christ’s prophecy.
That does not mean that those who have found Him are sinless. We did, do, and will sin while in this world. Christians work toward being aware of their sins, changing their lives toward not sinning, along with confessing and repenting when they do. The big difference is that we know our sins affect our edification and glorification of our Father, making our witness of Him lessened. We’re still learning to put off our natural way of living and putting on the way Christ has taught us.
We do so because we believe He is who He said He was.
Then said they unto him, Who art thou? And Jesus saith unto them, Even the same that I said unto you from the beginning. (John 8:25 KJV)
For those who say Christ did not proclaim He was the prophesied Messiah, read again.
The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things. Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he. (John 4:25-26 KJV)
We had company over the weekend. Beloved Husband’s Next Brother and his wife came down from northern Oklahoma Thursday. It was supposed to be a relaxing weekend for us. Instead, it just proved that we can’t.
Thursdays are our 42 Domino nights and since they would be arriving late, we made the dinner and games – and had our wonderful fellowship time. The sum of these evenings are truly much greater than the total of their parts. We all belong to the same church, but see things from different perspectives, so our fellowship and sharing always increases our knowledge base and our friendships. It was this group that was instrumental in the success of our Children’s Auction last month to provide Christmas for many children.
Anyway, we left a bit earlier than our regular time – company and Beloved Husband’s aching arm crying out for another pain pill sped us along. Since BH is sleeping in a recliner in the den, bedtime arrived at the same time for all of us. So did the getting up and getting ready, since they were to accompany us to therapy in a nearby town. Fortunately the hospital next door had a craft fair and Company was entertained a bit by shopping and some very good peanut brittle.
Then it was off to lunch in another town and after lunch a two-county drive down to Granbury, Texas, where eighth great-grandchild had been born while we were at lunch. Picture available on Saturday’s post – and both Micah and his Mom are home safe and sound, with much praise for answered prayer for their safe birthing experience! We got there in time to all hold him a few moments before we were scooted out for Mom and Micah to have some quiet time bonding. We made the crossing two counties trip back home, relaxed for less than an hour and visited our revamped local restaurant.
If you are ever in Wise County, find Cottondale and attend the First Baptist Church of Cottondale at least once, and eat at Cottontop. Their Friday night Fish Feast is worth it. We had it and can attest to its value.
Saturday we did homey stuff – ham for lunch, hamburgers for supper – broken during the day for BH’s every three hours of exercise. Friday he missed his noon and three sessions because of our traveling, but with an hour of full therapy, it wasn’t bad. Saturday NB was there for all five sessions, three hours apart. Makes it a bit difficult to do much else but relax in between time. A bit of knitting here, some computer work there, relaxing!
Sunday they went with us to church – as we do with them when we’re in Oklahoma. It is such a blessing to be with family in any church. The Sunday School lesson I taught was on Epheesians 4:17-24, putting off the old man, putting on the new. Second Daughter gave a neat demonstration with an old work coat and her new winter coat. We had new girls and our regulars making our class pretty full this week. Praying that growth continues and we can reach more.
Pastor’s reference was in the 8th chapter of John, regarding His truth and being free. You can hear these sermons at our church website: http://fbccottondale.com. We seldom think of our binding sin is in our lives. We take pride in living in a free land, looking up that as being able to do anything we want, even if that wanting damages others. We need to understand freedom.
Lunch with First daughter and her husband, and very good time for visiting, then home for naps between BH’s exercise sessions, while I put on a roasting hen for supper. Unfortunately, none of us were really hungry so there are plenty of leftovers for us to eat for the next few days.
The biblical application for such?
Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. (Hebrews 10:25 KJV)
It applies to families, too, as four generations visited back and forth this weekend, blessed by God.
I worked with a young man half my age that took pride in the fact that he believed in no doctrine. He belonged to a non-denominational church, selecting it because members were not required to hold to specific doctrines as denominations are. It was not necessary to believe in Jesus as Christ to be a member of that church. He thought doctrine was divisive, that it caused arguments.
I believe he was very much in error. Here are my reasons why.
Strong’s defines the Hebrew word ‘leqach’ as “something received, that is (mentally) instruction (whether on the part of the teacher or hearer); also (in an active and sinister sense) inveiglement – doctrine, learning, fair speech.” The word is used in Deuteronomy 32:2. Zophar used that same word against Job in 11:4. Yet we know that Job’s doctrine, his belief in God, was pure.
Without a set of theological beliefs, how can anyone tell another the basis of their faith? How would they come to understanding, as laid out in Isaiah 29:24?
Christ had a set of beliefs that astounded. Matthew 22:33 and Mark 1:22, 27, the Greek ‘didache’, “instruction, the act or the matter,” of Jesus’ doctrine astonished those that heard Him.
Thus, doctrine is what is theologically or philosophically believed. The body of teachings that make up one’s doctrine is very important.
Look at the organizations to which you belong. Membership indicates agreement with their body of teaching. Members of political parties display the tenets, the platforms, and the beliefs of their party. (As an aside: I do hope that every reader is familiar with their party’s platforms – all of them. I do know of instances that when those platforms were read, changes have been made.) The same exists for our social organizations, sororities, fraternities, employers and most specifically, spouses. Disagreement with their basic principles ends up in separation.
Although 33 per cent of the world’s population identify as Christian, some of those (as I wrote in Nothing) do not hold the Bible as the basis of their doctrine. One such statement, “The way we live is more important than what we believe,” does not include in the equation that the way we live is bounded by what we believe. If I don’t believe that s specified company will be in business next month, I will not go to work for them. If I don’t believe that bank will care for my money, I will not use their services. If I do not believe that house is well built, I will not buy it. Our beliefs determine our actions.
Why, then, take pride in, take a stand that doctrine should be thrown out? Of course, I do not understand the splintering of Christ’s church, the divisions over the very doctrine He spoke so openly. I believe the “how” and “why” can be found in principalities and powers described in Ephesians 6:12.
I am not advocating questioning your doctrinal beliefs, but I am advocating knowing their base, their foundation. Follow Paul’s instructions to Timothy:
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:15 KJV)
Know your doctrine – your body of beliefs – and know why you believe them.
Please join in – this is a special post. With apologies to: George Washington Cable (1844-1925), who wrote a beautiful poem for his daughter. My friend, Jilly, in England, introduced us to this poem. For her, it introduced a beautiful new granddaughter.
A few changes here, an adjustment there and we’ll celebrate a birth in Lake Granbury Medical Center, December 3, 12:44 pm, 9 lbs 2 oz, 20 inches long, a new great-grandson. Since the hospital’s initials are on the stocking covering him, we’ll call this brand new Micah Weston Gentry:
Little Gentry Man Child
There came to port this Friday noon
The queerest little craft,
Without an inch of rigging on;
I looked and looked and laughed.
It seemed so curious that he,
Should cross the Unknown water,
And moor himself right in this room,
A son of my granddaughter!
Yet by these presents witness all
He's welcome fifty times,
And comes consigned to Hope and Love
And common-meter rhymes.
He has no manifest but this,
No flag floats o'er the water,
He's too new for the British Lloyds--
This son of my granddaughter!
Ring out, wild bells, and tame ones too!
Ring out the lover's moon!
Ring in the little worsted socks!
Ring in the bib and spoon!
Ring out the muse! ring in the nurse!
Ring in the milk and water!
Away with paper, pen, and ink--
For the son of my granddaughter!
Mother and child are both doing fine and older sister has already held and kissed her baby brother. Family members have been in and out of the room and he’ll be welcomed home with love and prayers. Among those prayers will be mine that he shall come to know the truth and that it will make him truly free. Then I will say, as I have for my children, many of my grandchildren and look forward for the great-grands:
I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. (3 John 1:4 KJV)
A third day in the same chapter! But Josiah’s story has so much to think about.
