A Revival In Dark Days

Feature 3 –September 2015 – Grace & Truth Magazine

JOSIAH
A Revival In Dark Days

The opening verses about Josiah and his reign provide some important points.

Josiah1 was only eight years old when he began to reign, obviously with the help of tutors and guides. In sharp contrast to his father Amon and grandfather Manasseh, Josiah represented a new beginning, which is also signified by the number eight.2Josiah’s reign was marked by his doing of what was right3 in the eyes of the LORD, whose people he guided.His actions were in fellowship with the LORD, for Josiah walked with Him as other believers did before him. Josiah’s personal walk as well as his royal activities were according to all4 the ways of his forefather David, whose good example he followed while truly honoring God. Josiah did not turn aside from those ways by introducing his own thoughts, as others before him had done.He did not deviate to the right or to the left. There is always a danger to depart5 from the true and straight path, in either direction. We may be easily swayed, but not so with Josiah.

A Precise Prophecy
About 350 years before Josiah came onto the scene, an unnamed prophet from Judah announced God’s judgment on the idolatry that Jeroboam defiantly introduced and which led the ten tribes astray (1 Ki. 13:1-2). The prophet declared that a future king of Judah, “Josiah by name” (NASB), would remove the idols and things connected with them and burn the bones of the idol priests on their official altar, thus desecrating it. A sign confirmed this prophecy: “The altar ... split apart and the ashes were poured out” (v.5).

Many years later Josiah carried out this judgment on behalf of God, executing the leaders in idolatry and, on their altar, burning the bones of those who had been active in this evil (see 2 Ki. 23:15-20). Let’s not forget that we live in the day of grace in which God uses different methods to punish or subdue opponents.

God’s Work And Man’s
In the very dark days shortly before the LORD’s judgment fell on Jerusalem, Josiah’s account shows a wonderful combination of God’s working in sovereign grace and a sincere human response, marked by youthful energy. Josiah was probably “born again” at an early age, possibly even before he was put on the throne. It is written that “he began to seek the God of his father David” at age 16, which was the eighth year of his reign (2 Chr. 34:3). He must have realized his need to know the LORD better and to rely on Him – to be “sustained by the LORD,” as his name indicates. Against the dark background of Manasseh’s reign, Josiah’s story is like a beautiful diamond, the existence of which must be ascribed to the LORD, who heals and sustains. On the other hand this young king’s commitment and actions of devotion to Him are very remarkable, providing many lessons for us today.

Josiah’s grandfather Manasseh was the son of the godly king Hezekiah. Hezekiah was used of the LORD to lead His people back to God, resulting in a great revival in his days. However, Manasseh followed the policies of his grandfather Ahaz, causing many innocent people to be sacrificed to horrible idols. This teaches us that every generation has to learn its lessons and is also fully responsible for its failures, while subject to God’s government. God was at work in every generation, as we see during Josiah’s reign when the scroll of the law was discovered and the young king led his people back to God6 – even further than Hezekiah had done. Thus Josiah’s reign represents a new beginning, which became more evident during the 18th year of his reign, when he was merely 26 years old. Within the period of just one year, many things took place to reinstitute God’s service.

New Beginnings
Josiah and his reign represent several new beginnings, shown in Scripture by the use of the number eight. He was placed on the throne when he was only eight years old. Then at 16, when he was in the eighth year of his reign, Josiah began to seek after the God of his father David. This was followed four years later by very specific orders and actions to remove idolatry and to purge Judah, Jerusalem and the temple of the many things associated to it (2 Chr. 34:3) – the events being another beginning.

In the course of one year, memorable events took place linked to the purifying of the temple and of Jerusalem. Josiah extended this mission of purging and cleansing to parts of the northern kingdom, as predicted by the prophet in 1 Kings 13. A further development was the rebuilding and restoration of the house of the LORD (v.8), during which Hilkiah (possibly the prophet Jeremiah’s father, but we can’t be sure about this) found the scroll containing the law (vv.14-15). This probably was the text of Deuteronomy every king was to copy (Dt. 17:18). Jeremiah refers to this important discovery (Jer. 15:16; also see Psalm 119:162) and the effect His Word had on him. This find, another new beginning, significantly impacted Josiah. When this scroll, God’s Word, was read to the young king, he humbled himself before God and tore his clothes.

He then ordered the high priest and some high-ranking officials to inquire through the prophetess Huldah as to what God had to say (2 Chr. 34:18-22). She confirmed that God’s judgments would fall on His people (vv.23-25) because of their wickedness, a development already predicted by Moses (Lev. 26; Dt. 28). Because Josiah had humbled himself when hearing the reading of the scroll, this judgment would come only after his death (2 Chr. 34:26-28). Nevertheless, Josiah ordered the scroll to be read to all the people while he stood among and made a covenant with them (vv.29-32), after which further purifications took place (v.33). The Bible tells us that he did not depart from following the LORD and he caused the people to serve the LORD according to the Book of the Law (2 Ki. 22:2, 23:2-3). Thus he caused the people to enter into the covenant he made before the LORD: to walk with Him and practice what was written7 in God’s Law. This truly was a return to His Word8 – a new beginning, when the people got involved. What about our new beginnings?

The Passover Under Josiah
After this remarkable recovery and return to God’s thoughts, the Passover was celebrated. This was observed on the right date and according to all the instructions God had given through Moses – and this memorial was specifically linked to the house of the LORD (2 Chr. 35:1-2). It is significant that the ark is mentioned (v.3), for it represents the center of God’s service. Furthermore it is stated that these things were done according to David and Solomon’s instructions (v.4). Josiah gave precise directions and exercised true spiritual leadership (vv.4-16). Those who had a willing heart followed his example (v.8) – and in this connection the singers are mentioned in particular (v.15) for they represented a response coming from willing9 hearts. God always looks for a response in His people, as was the case in Moses’ song in Exodus 15 – the first song recorded in Scripture – shortly after the first Passover and the deliverance from Egypt’s bondage.

It is also stated that in Josiah’s days of true revival, all things were done according to the Law and the command of the king (2 Chr. 35:12-16). The author of Chronicles was obviously pleased, as God also must have been, when he wrote that no such Passover had been kept since the days of Samuel the prophet (v.18). The author of Kings writes that it was since the days of the judges (2 Ki. 23:22), but this is not a contradiction for Samuel was the last judge before he was led by the LORD to anoint Saul as king, and later David. What a tremendous celebration this must have been!

Of the Passover under Hezekiah it is said that “there was great joy in Jerusalem,” as had not been the case since the days of Solomon (2 Chr. 30:26). However, the revival under Josiah went further and was greater than the one under Hezekiah, in whose days the celebration was done a whole month later because the necessary purifications were not completed on time (2 Chr. 30:15). Under Josiah everything was on time and according to God’s commands. In both cases there was a great revival and a return to God. But under Josiah there was greater emphasis on the Scriptures after the scroll was found and read, and the Levites instructed the people (35:3) and took spiritual leadership. Such teaching of God’s thoughts is needed for every generation!

I would just like to take a moment to encourage your further study. In each account that Scripture gives about the celebration of the Passover, the Holy Spirit emphasizes a different or a new element. All these things have been written for our encouragement. And the Lord certainly likes to see these elements represented in our celebration of the Passover as linked to the remembrance meal of the Lord, also called the Lord’s Supper (1 Cor. 5:7-8, 10-11). The first expression emphasizes our side while the second emphasizes the Lord’s interest in this observance.

A Tragic Ending
Josiah continued to rule for thirteen years after this important 18th year10 of his reign (2 Chr. 34:8-35:19). In his 31st year Pharaoh Necho went up to Carchemish to fight, probably together with the Assyrians, against the Babylonians. King Josiah tried to stop him, which was none of his business. God allowed this faithful king, because of his stubbornness, to be killed by the Pharaoh (2 Ki. 23:29-30; 2 Chr. 35:20-27).

Let us learn from Josiah’s tremendous commitment to serve the LORD, but also from his failure to mind his own business and not to be stubborn. All these things were written for our instruction (Rom. 15:4; 1 Cor. 10:11-13).

END NOTES
1. Josiah’s name means “(he will be) sustained by Yah (the LORD)” or “whom Yah heals.” This name implies that this king’s activities were intimately connected with a work of God, and that is indeed what we learn from 2 Kings 22-23 and 2 Chronicles 34-35.
2. In the Hebrew text the number eight occurs 147 times (21 x 7), sometimes as part of another number, for instance 18. It occurs seven times in relation to Josiah (2 Ki. 22:1,3, 23:23; 2 Chr. 34:1,3,8, 35:19). We encourage our readers to read these four chapters.
3. “He did what was right in the sight of the LORD” is a phrase that occurs ten times, the number that Scripture relates to man’s responsibility: five times in 2 Kings (14:3, 15:3,34, 18:3, 22:2) and five times in 2 Chronicles (25:2, 26:4, 27:2, 29:2, 34:2).
4. This little word “all” is repeated many times in Josiah’s history and it emphasizes his total commitment to the LORD’s interests.
5. This seven-point summary is given in 2 Kings 22:1-2 (see also 2 Chronicles 34:2), and the command not to depart to the right or to the left is often repeated in personal instructions for leaders (Dt. 17:20; Josh. 1:7; Prov. 4:27) as well as for the whole nation (Dt. 5:32, 28:14).
6. The prophet Jeremiah addressed the people’s moral condition in those days, providing in his messages an inside look at the heart of the people. He exposed the condition of the majority, who returned to the LORD only outwardly, as ordered by the king (2 Chr. 34:31-33). A small number among them showed true repentance – a remnant for God, as He always has (consider Romans 11).
7. In this record about Josiah there is great emphasis on “what is written” (see 2 Kings 23:21-23, 24-25). Furthermore, these things were written for our instruction (such as 1 Corinthians 10).
8. Even though there was a lack of deep conviction and repentance, as Jeremiah’s writings show, there was at least an outward return.
9. This willingness is an illustration of what will characterize the future remnant in Israel that will have an impact on the whole nation and be made willing again (finally) to receive the Lord and to serve Him (Ps. 110:3; Mt. 23:39). Similar willingness was seen with several groups of the people linked to the building of the tabernacle under Moses (Ex. 35:21-22, 36:3), while under Josiah’s rule it is recorded that the princes gave willingly (2 Chr. 35:8). Today a willing giver is precious to the Lord (2 Cor. 8:3, 9:7).
10. This was a year of revival, return, reinstatement, recovery, restoration, rebuilding and rededication – at least with a godly remnant.

By Alfred Bouter