The word of the Lord through Huldah the prophetess to the messengers of Josiah was: “Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof, even all the curses that are written in the book which they have read before the king of Judah: Because they have forsaken Me, and have burned incense unto other gods... therefore My wrath shall be poured out upon this place.” v. 24, 25. But she had a special message from the Lord for the king himself, that because his heart was tender and because he had humbled himself, the Lord had heard him. Therefore the evil would not come in his days, and he should die in peace.
The mercy the Lord had shown to him had a profound effect upon Josiah. Not content with being occupied with his own safety, he set about to seek the deliverance of others also. And this is one of the bright characteristics of faith at all times. When one who realizes his lost condition turns to the Lord for salvation, having tasted of His mercy and goodness, he has a desire that others might be brought to enjoy it too. “By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house.” Heb 11:77By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith. (Hebrews 11:7). And in like faith, Rahab in her day, knowing that the doom of Jericho was near, labored effectually to bring her father’s household under the shelter of the scarlet line. Surely we who know the Lord as our Saviour in these closing days of grace, with the judgment of God about to fall upon a world that rejected and crucified His Son, ought to be zealous in proclaiming the gospel of His grace, and seeking to lead souls to the Saviour, where they will find peace and safety under the shelter of His precious blood.
Josiah gathered together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem, and they went up into the house of the Lord with all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, both great and small. And the king read in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant that was found in the house of the Lord. Then the king stood in his place and made a covenant before the Lord to walk after Him and to keep His commandments, and to perform the words of the covenant which were written in the book of the law. Also he caused all Judah and Benjamin to stand to it.
Like Hezekiah, Josiah’s faith and energy led him to think of the ten tribes as well, for we read that he took away all the abominations out of all the countries that belonged to the children of Israel and made them serve the Lord their God. We are also told that all the days of Josiah they departed not from following the Lord God of their fathers.
Through all the evil into which he was born, and in spite of the hostile influences that surrounded him, Josiah maintained a devoted heart, and an earnest spirit. And it is this which through grace will lift us up above things and enable us to press on in the path of true discipleship. May we know more of what it is to “lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us,” and to “run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith” (Heb. 12:1, 21Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 2Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:1‑2)), the One who could say, “My heart is fixed, O God”; “My soul followeth hard after Thee.” (Psa. 57:7; 63:87My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise. (Psalm 57:7)
8My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me. (Psalm 63:8).)
ML 01/18/1959