Scripture: 2 Chronicles 34:1-4, 8-11, 14-33 (NKJV)
1 Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned thirty-one
years in Jerusalem. 2 And he did what was right in the sight of the LORD, and
walked in the ways of his father David; he did not turn aside to the right hand
or to the left. 3 For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was still
young, he began to seek the God of his father David; and in the twelfth year he
began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, the wooden images, the
carved images, and the molded images. 4 They broke down the altars of the Baals
in his presence, and the incense altars which were above them he cut down; and
the wooden images, the carved images, and the molded images he broke in pieces,
and made dust of them and scattered it on the graves of those who had
sacrificed to them.
8 In the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had purged the land and the
temple, he sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, Maaseiah the governor of the city,
and Joah the son of Joahaz the recorder, to repair the house of the LORD his
God. 9 When they came to Hilkiah the high priest, they delivered the money that
was brought into the house of God, which the Levites who kept the doors had
gathered from the hand of Manasseh and Ephraim, from all the remnant of Israel,
from all Judah and Benjamin, and which they had brought back to Jerusalem. 10
Then they put it in the hand of the foremen who had the oversight of the house
of the LORD; and they gave it to the workmen who worked in the house of the
LORD, to repair and restore the house. 11 They gave it to the craftsmen and
builders to buy hewn stone and timber for beams, and to floor the houses which
the kings of Judah had destroyed.
14 Now when they brought out the money that was brought into the house of the
LORD, Hilkiah the priest found the Book of the Law of the LORD given by Moses.
15 Then Hilkiah answered and said to Shaphan the scribe, “I have found the Book
of the Law in the house of the LORD.” And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan. 16
So Shaphan carried the book to the king, bringing the king word, saying, “All
that was committed to your servants they are doing. 17 And they have gathered
the money that was found in the house of the LORD, and have delivered it into
the hand of the overseers and the workmen.” 18 Then Shaphan the scribe told the
king, saying, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.” And Shaphan read it
before the king. 19 Thus it happened, when the king heard the words of the Law,
that he tore his clothes. 20 Then the king commanded Hilkiah, Ahikam the son of
Shaphan, Abdon the son of Micah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah a servant of
the king, saying, 21 “Go, inquire of the LORD for me, and for those who are
left in Israel and Judah, concerning the words of the book that is found; for
great is the wrath of the LORD that is poured out on us, because our fathers
have not kept the word of the LORD, to do according to all that is written in
this book.”
22 So Hilkiah and those the king had appointed went to Huldah the prophetess,
the wife of Shallum the son of Tokhath, the son of Hasrah, keeper of the
wardrobe. (She dwelt in Jerusalem in the Second Quarter.) And they spoke to her
to that effect. 23 Then she answered them, “Thus says the LORD God of Israel,
‘Tell the man who sent you to Me, 24 “Thus says the LORD: ‘Behold, I will bring
calamity on this place and on its inhabitants, all the curses that are written
in the book which they have read before the king of Judah, 25 because they have
forsaken Me and burned incense to other gods, that they might provoke Me to
anger with all the works of their hands. Therefore My wrath will be poured out
on this place, and not be quenched.’”‘ 26 But as for the king of Judah, who
sent you to inquire of the LORD, in this manner you shall speak to him, ‘Thus
says the LORD God of Israel: “Concerning the words which you have heard—27
because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before God when you
heard His words against this place and against its inhabitants, and you humbled
yourself before Me, and you tore your clothes and wept before Me, I also have
heard you,” says the LORD. 28 “Surely I will gather you to your fathers, and
you shall be gathered to your grave in peace; and your eyes shall not see all
the calamity which I will bring on this place and its inhabitants.”‘” So they
brought back word to the king.
29 Then the king sent and gathered all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. 30
The king went up to the house of the LORD, with all the men of Judah and the
inhabitants of Jerusalem—the priests and the Levites, and all the people, great
and small. And he read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the
Covenant which had been found in the house of the LORD. 31 Then the king stood
in his place and made a covenant before the LORD, to follow the LORD, and to
keep His commandments and His testimonies and His statutes with all his heart
and all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant that were written in
this book. 32 And he made all who were present in Jerusalem and Benjamin take a
stand. So the inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God,
the God of their fathers. 33 Thus Josiah removed all the abominations from all
the country that belonged to the children of Israel, and made all who were
present in Israel diligently serve the LORD their God. All his days they did
not depart from following the LORD God of their fathers.
Devotion
The reforms of King Josiah teach us the daily reformation of every Christian.
As a youth Josiah began to seek the Lord. This led him to cast out the idols
from the land and purge the false worship practices belonging to idols.
Having removed the false gods and their worship, Josiah next set his sights on
restoring the true worship of the Lord. Josiah re-established worship according
to God’s commands through Moses. Now the Lord could once again communicate His
holiness to His people through the Divine Service of the Jerusalem Temple.
Finally, upon hearing the Book of the Law, Josiah tore his clothes in true
repentance. His repentance did not lead to despair. He sought the Lord’s mercy,
sending emissaries to the prophetess. Huldah gave Josiah a word of Law and
Gospel. Judgment would come, but he would be spared from that dreaded day.
Josiah’s progression teaches us how we are to seek the Lord. We are to seek the
true God, forsaking the idols we harbor in our hearts. We are to tear down the
false gods, those things in this life we trust for every good thing. Then we
are to worship the Lord as He ordains, receiving His gifts in the Divine
Service. There we hear the message of Law that judges our sinfulness, and like
Josiah we hear the Gospel that God, in Christ Jesus, has mercy upon penitent
sinners. This is our daily and weekly pattern.
We pray: Dear Father, work true repentance in our heart every day, that we may
forsake our idols and trust in You for every good thing, through Jesus Christ
our Lord. Amen.
The Lutheran Herald is a publication of the Evangelical Lutheran Diocese of
North America. These daily devotions are authored by the bishop, pastors, and
deacons of the diocese. Daily posts are provided by The Reverend Jeffrey A.
Ahonen.
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