Renewing our commitment to God
Josiah was the sixteenth king of Judah, 18 generations from David. When he came to the throne, the northern kingdom of Israel had already been swept away by the Assyrians. His southern kingdom of Judah was not far from a similar judgment of the Lord. Judah had seen times of blessing under previous godly kings, but now idolatry was rampant and the house of the Lord was utterly neglected—it had been perverted by images and offerings to false gods; prostitutes were plying their trade within it (2 Ki. 23:7). Some in Israel were offering their children as human sacrifices (2 Ki. 23:10)! At this deplorable time, Josiah was made king. He was only eight years old (2 Chron. 34:1).
There were many logical and likely reasons that Josiah should fail. His age was an issue. As a child, he would be vulnerable, inexperienced, susceptible to evil influences. His family background was an issue. His father, Amon, had set no godly example. The evil society he grew up in was an issue. This child king seemingly did not stand a chance.
The godly of Josiah’s day must have felt despair as they surveyed the situation. It must have seemed a lost cause. We can also be guilty of that kind of despair. We look around and we cannot see a future. Evil seems to flourish unchecked. The service and work of God are neglected. Perhaps the faithful had huddled into their corners waiting—maybe even hoping—for God’s judgment to come. Perhaps we have become like them.
But God had other plans. He intended to turn the nation back to Himself. There would be one more great revival before the judgment. It began so simply that we might almost miss it in the text. What was the catalyst? In 2 Chronicles 34:3, we are told that, “in the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, [Josiah] began to seek the God of his father David.”
Revival in his heart
Josiah was 16 years old when his heart was awakened to his God. There are two words worth analyzing in the phrase, “He began to seek.” The word “began” in Hebrew literally conveys the idea of beginning to break open as if by a wedge. Those of you who have split firewood with an axe can grasp the meaning instantly. When the axe falls on the block in the right place, the block will open. Often it is just a slight opening, but once you’ve “found the seam” you know that if the next blow falls on the same place it will most likely split the block completely. God touched the seam in Josiah’s heart.
The word “seek” means to follow, walk after, pursue, or reach for. It is not a passive word. Josiah did not simply fall into a godly pattern of living. He followed after, pursued, and searched for the Lord. What did that consist of? We don’t know all the details of his seeking. Judging from the balance of the story, he did not have the Scriptures to read (2 Chron. 34:14-16). But, undoubtedly, he prayed.
One key ingredient in revival is prayer, but not just saying prayers of idle words. Empty prayers are not driven by a passion for Him, nor empowered by the Holy Spirit. Is it possible that we have become guilty of the “vain repetitions” and “many words” which Jesus condemned in His instruction on prayer (Mt. 6:7)? Have we missed the point that real praying is about seeking and hungering and thirsting after God? It is about communing with Him in His holy presence. It is about pleading with Him to affect our own hearts first, and then the hearts of others.
So whatever else Josiah’s seeking involved, it must have included genuine, sincere prayer. The result was a transformation of his life which changed his nation. 2 Chronicles 34:3 tells us that, “in the twelfth year, he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem.”
Revival in his nation
It took four years before the seeking led to such outward, tangible action, and it is no coincidence that the first effect was purging. The word means to cleanse, purify, or make clean. The result of drawing closer to God is that the Holy Spirit points to impure conduct, words, and motives, and we are compelled by Him to be rid of them. This process of practical sanctification cannot be effected by any external regulation. It is the Spirit within us that produces spiritual fruit (Gal. 5:22-23). We do not “clean up our act” and then expect God to appear. We must seek Him first; when we do so sincerely, God will direct the clean-up.
Josiah’s purge was extensive and severe: “They broke down the altars of the Baals in his presence…the wooden images, the carved images, and the molded images he broke in pieces, and made dust of them…He also burned the bones of the priests on the altars, and cleansed Judah and Jerusalem” (2 Chron. 34:4f). Sin had to be confronted and uprooted. If we expect God to work, we will need to confront and remove the sin in our lives. Honesty, transparency, and confession will be necessary.
Once the evil had been put away, it was time to repair the house of the Lord. The temple was of prime significance to the people: it was the place where God met with them. That meeting place had been neglected and Josiah saw to it that it was repaired. In the process, they found the Book of the Law of the Lord (2 Chron. 34:14). How desperate was the state of God’s people that the Book had been lost!
There are many practical applications for us in these events. Has our meeting place with God fallen into disrepair? That is, do we neglect daily time with God in prayer and the Word? Can we expect God to work if we neglect meeting with Him?
Are we neglecting our corporate meeting place, the local church? The building is not the issue; the spiritual health of the assembly is. Are we, “forsaking the assembling of ourselves together”? Are we withholding in our giving to the Lord? Are we uninvolved, leaving the burden to a few? May God stir us to repair the house.
Then there is the Book. It is not a coincidence that the Book was found when they began to repair. It had been lost out of neglect. We may have dozens of Bibles, books, and CD’s of great Bible teaching, but we may have lost the Book through neglect of reading it, meditating on it, and, most importantly, practicing it.
When Josiah, “heard the words of the Law…he tore his clothes” (2 Chron. 34:19). He was convicted by Word of God. The issue was that, “our fathers have not kept the Word of the Lord, to do according to all that is written.” Josiah was convicted of the need to put God’s Word into practice. May it be so in our lives. For Josiah, the most notable response was the reinstatement of the Passover. So sincere were the Lord’s people that 2 Chronicles 35:18 tells us that, “there had been no Passover kept in Israel like that since the days of Samuel the prophet; and none of the kings of Israel had kept such a Passover as Josiah kept.” With the shadow of God’s judgment looming, the people were restored to obedience and service in a way unparalleled through most of their history. Who would ever have thought that such a thing was possible? But God is able!
Bring the revival in our hearts, Lord Jesus! Like Josiah, may we seek God afresh. May His Spirit purge the idolatry and sin from our lives. May we repair our meeting place with God and find the Book again. May we do what He commands, living out what we believe. May we do this for Him and for Him alone! And, if so, the fire of revival may touch us and those around us.