Stumbling into God's Word

January 20th, 2022
by Pedro Trinidad

Stumbling into God's Word

KNOW

Read 2 Kings 22; 2 Chronicles 34

What led to Josiah coming to power in 2 Kings 21?
- His grandfather and father were doing sinful acts.
- People had to overthrow them for their sins committed.
- Power could have been passed by bloodline (verses 18 and 24). When Manasseh had died, power seemed to have not been given to Amon by vote.
- People of the land chose Josiah after his father died (also verse 24). His age didn't seem to matter.
What actions are presented in 2 Chronicles 33 that we can notice about Manasseh?
- He was seen as a man who repented from his evil ways.
- He started to praise God (verse 13).
- He removed idols out of the house of the Lord (verse 15).
- He set up an altar for the Lord (verse 16).
- Other
When Josiah heard the words of the law, what was his reaction, and what effects did his actions create? (1 Kings 22).
- Josiah tore his clothes and cried to the Lord (verse 11)
- Josiah was concerned for the Lord and the people involved with the words of the book (verse 12, 13).
- Concern for Israel's fate (verse 15-17)
- Josiah would not see the punishment because he tore his clothes and cried to the Lord (verse 18, 19)
- Josiah lived the rest of his life peacefully, not seeing the terror Jerusalem would face.
What did Josiah do after hearing the message from Hilkiah?
- He continued to purge Jerusalem in verse 33. He was reforming Israel throughout his reign (verse 3-8) and faithfully continued even after hearing the words of the law.
- Josiah made a covenant with the Lord and walked in His statutes (verse 31).
- Because he would not see the destruction, the people during his reign would also not see it.
- So, he would have them join him in keeping the covenant he made (verse 32).
What did Josiah do in the process of his purge on Jerusalem before being killed by Pharoah Neco in 2 Kings 23?
- He burned vessels not meant for worshipping the Lord (verse 4).
- He got rid of idolatrous priests (verse 5).
- He burned bones in graves, except those who did not defile God’s house (verse 17, 18).
- Other.
What was the difference in Josiah’s actions before and during his death from Pharoah Neco in 2 Chronicles 35 to 2 Kings 23?
- There is no record of Josiah’s reform acts in 2 Chronicles 25.
- They were celebrating Passover (verse 1).
- 2 Kings did not mention that Pharaoh Neco did not intend to kill Josiah (2 Chronicles 35:21)
- Josiah did not listen to the warning of Pharaoh and died from that mistake (verse 22, 23).
- Other.

GROW

God’s words can have a significant effect on our lives. We can see that King Josiah, both in 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles, reacted in distress when he heard the words of the law. When we are confronted with the words of the law, we can decide to ignore them or be inspired to a reform. We look into God's Word and allow the Spirit to move us towards confession. When we confess, 1 John 1:9 states that God is faithful to forgive us from our sins. It takes courage to change course after when we have been on the wrong path for such a long time. It takes courage to lead a nation to the do the same. Josiah had been king for 18 years when the book of the Law had been found. During these 18 years he must have won the respect of the people for them to follow his example of being sensitive to God's Word.

Reformation and change didn't take place overnight even when a great spiritual leader comes into a leadership. It takes time for change to happen. Josiah made decisions to improve things in Judah as they were revealed. Eighteen years later, God revealed something Judah needed at that time. This time they didn't ignore God's word, like in the times of Manasseh.

God is more patient than we give him credit for. Why would God wait 18 years to reveal something so important to the nation?

In order to be ready for those BIG spiritual changes in our lives, work on the small things during the symbolic "18 years" of your life. One day we will "find the book of the law," and see something we have missed.

GO

Josiah invited the nation to a reformation. He didn't do this on his own. He included his people to participate in changing the course of the nation. Josiah could have forced change by threatening compliance or face consequences. Instead, the people knew that the changes he was calling for were not for political reasons, but for the survival of the nation. The people already knew what spiritual apostasy looked like and apparently they were ready for a life that didn't depend on instant gratification.

Maybe this demonstrates that in order for us to lead people to a transformed life, we don't just tell about the change, but invite them to join us in our journey of growth, spiritual awareness and renewal. We invite them to join us in knowing God and making our society better as we hear from God.