Josiah—what a merciful gift of God to Judah, one last opportunity to turn from idolatry and worship the true God. Under King Josiah’s leadership, we see a great spiritual awakening!
The Timeline
Josiah came to the throne at the age of eight. In the eighth year of his reign, he began to earnestly seek the Lord God. In the twelfth year, he began cleansing the land of its idolatry. In his eighteenth year, Josiah began major repairs to the Temple.
An Invaluable Find
Around the time Josiah was collecting money to repair the Temple, the priest Hilkiah found Moses’ Book of the Law. The Word of God had been lost in the Temple of God. Imagine God’s people losing His Word in the Temple of the Lord—how head-scratching, embarrassing, and awful! This incredible find was reported to Josiah, who had the court secretary read it. What Josiah heard shook him to his soul.
And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the book of the law, that he rent his clothes. (2 Kings 22:11, KJV)
The Effect of God’s Word
Upon finding the Word of God, Josiah reinstated the Passover. According to Scripture, there had not been such a Passover since the time of the prophet Samuel!
And there was no passover like to that kept in Israel from the days of Samuel the prophet; neither did all the kings of Israel keep such a passover as Josiah kept, and the priests, and the Levites, and all Judah and Israel that were present, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. (2 Chronicles 35:18, KJV)
What a Reminder for Today
What an effect the Word of God had in the lives of God’s people! What a reminder of the importance of God’s Word in our lives and how it can be lost behind the many distractions and demands of this life.
Thank you for joining me as I read and journal chronologically through the Bible! This devotional reflection comes from 2 Kings 22-23; 2 Chronicles 34-35.