Gospel—D. Nicolet
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We open our meeting this afternoon with hymn #242, hymn #242.
Speaks a hymn that speaks about the.
Power of God in verse one. The love of God in verse two and the.
Presence of God in verse 3.
So we'll sing hymn #242 and I'll read the first verse. Sing aloud to God our strength. He has brought us hitherto. He will bring us home at length. This the Lord our God will do doubt not, for his word is stable. Fear not, for his arm is able. #242 Sing aloud to God our string.
He will bring us all that way.
There's a lot of God will do.
Now that's all on his way to save her.
Can I turn your son, you say?
Perhaps not. A brother can start us with a different tune if possible.
And I.
Will Islam?
To God's prayer, I swear.
The Lord.
I would like to begin by reading some very well known scriptures.
In One Corinthians to begin with First Corinthians chapter 4.
First Corinthians chapter 4.
And verse.
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15.
For though ye have 10,000 instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers?
For in Christ Jesus, have I Begotten You through the Gospel Now. The Book of Hebrews, chapter 13.
And.
Verse 7 Hebrews, chapter 13 and verse 7.
Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you, the word of God, whose faith follow.
Considering the end of their conversation now to second Timothy.
Chapter 2.
Second Timothy Chapter 2.
And.
Verse.
Two Second Timothy 22 And the things that thou hast heard of me, among many witnesses the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. And one final passage in Second Timothy also verse three, and the last two verses 16 and 17 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God.
May be perfect thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
I was encouraged and rather sobered this morning.
By the prayer that our brother Doug offered and he mentioned in that prayer, in the prayer meeting this morning about the spiritual heritage that we have, the books of ministry that are there available to us.
And prayed that we might not overlook that that we might take advantage of such a treasure.
And then during the reading meeting, Brother Loader shared some ministry about the importance of valuing those that I'm going to refer to as spiritual fathers.
And that we might draw close to them, and two that they would be encouraged to draw close to us. I have read these verses simply as an application. The first verse referring to fathers the the the group of two verses in Second Timothy.
Referring to those that have gone on and left us a heritage, those that shall be able to teach others. And there will be, if the Lord leaves us here, we trust those that still will be able to teach, and then finally the word of God itself. And what I have on my heart this afternoon is to talk about these three, I think most vital influences that today in the admitted weakness we may find ourselves in.
In the dark days that we are living in, that we might recognize once again the vital importance of spiritual fathers and mothers too, the vital importance of our spiritual heritage, that treasure House of truth that is available to us, and finally the absolutely vital importance of the Word of God.
Those things are going to have an influence on us, and if they do not have their proper influence in our lives, individually and collectively, then it won't be long before the world comes in with its influences which deaden and darken and divide.
I recently was at a seminar at the college where I teach, and I was struck by a comment that the presenter made concerning the delivery of education to students today.
And I'm not an expert in these things at all, but he said, according to this presenter. He said that if students are not influenced to want to learn by the time they're in 3rd grade, it's very difficult to get them to want to learn after that. By the time they're in 3rd grade, they have to be influenced to want to learn.
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In the days of the Cold War, the Communist Party boasted.
Give us your children for the first five years. You can have them for the rest of their life.
The influence that they wanted to instill, they recognized, had to be done at an early age. And so the world is very, very, in one way or another, very, very aware of the importance of influences. I wonder, beloved brethren, if we're aware of the vital importance of these influences that we've talked about our spiritual fathers.
And I say again, mothers.
Our spiritual heritage and the word of God, we take these things for granted.
But I wonder if we really see the absolute vital necessity.
Of those influences and how important they are in our lives for good.
For blessing or if we turn away from them, if we despise them.
For real sorrow.
What I would like to look at for a little while today.
Are the lives.
Of three kings.
In the Old Testament.
That I feel present very, very clearly both the positive and the negative effects of these three influences that we have talked about. Now, when I say negative effects, understand what I mean by that is the effect of.
Despising those influences, that is, there are.
Three lives that at least have come before me in a very particular way.
Of kings of Judah.
Who early in their life were influenced by one of these three things, and influenced for great blessing?
A father, a spiritual father, you might say. A spiritual heritage.
And the Word of God, and in each of these cases.
There was very marked and very wonderful blessing while those influences were allowed to have their effect.
In the reign of those kings.
But sadly.
We also are taught a very solemn lesson. I believe, in each of those three lives.
For we see that each of these 3 kings there was that which came into their lives which neutralized.
Those very wonderful and positive influences and did it.
To the hurt, the sorrow, the detriment of the Kingdom they ruled over.
And to their own lives. And so this afternoon, while I want to encourage us and we.
Want to speak very simply and simple, and seek by the grace of God to seek to glean some simple practical.
Lessons from the Lives of these kings I also want to leave.
Not a negative feeling, but a warning, a sober warning for my heart and for your heart that we cannot lightly deal with these things that God has given us for our blessing. We cannot lightly look on these things and handle these things.
And in a sense, despise them without it resulting in great hurt and great damage.
Let's turn over to begin with.
To two chronicles.
And we're going to look at the influence, the wonderful influence.
Of a spiritual father and a spiritual mother too.
In the life of a king.
Second Chronicles.
Chapter 24.
Second Chronicles, Chapter 24.
We'll just read a couple of verses and stop and consider some things. The 1St 2 verses, Joash was seven years old when he began to reign and he reigned 40 years in Jerusalem. His mother's name also was Abaya of Beersheba and Joash did that which was right in the sight of the Lord all the days of Jehoiada the priest. And we want to talk about Joash for a little bit.
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But I first went to mention this.
That, as I'm sure many are aware, as you read through the history of the kings of Judah and Israel.
You will find one thing, I think in every case I believe it's so. That was written as a characterization of these kings. You will find, I believe in every case, a characterization that says he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord or he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord. One of those two things characterized the reins of every king.
Of Judah and Israel. And more solemnly, I think it's a word that ought to go as a real arrow to my own conscience and heart. Beloved brethren, I will leave it to the Spirit of God to apply it to any here. But I think it's very solemn that after the day of Solomon, when in rebellion those 10 tribes.
Went out and rebelled and split from.
The House of David. And they had set up those two centers of worship, and Dan and Bethel, I believe it was.
As far as I am aware, never again did those 10 tribes referred to often as the.
Kingdom of Israel, or the tribes of Israel after that split, Never again do you read that once they had a king reign over them, of whom it was said he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord. Once the rebellion came in, and they left in rebellion God's established authority center that which God had set up. They never again had the privilege of a king reigning who did that which was right in the sight of the Lord. It's very, very solemn.
Our own thoughts, our own ideas, our own rebellious wills, if left to go into their full play, will bring nothing but grief and agony and sorrow. And not only to myself, not only individually, but to others too. Well, we're going to talk about 3 kings who were kings in the tribes of Judah, who also had some kings who did evil.
But many of those kings had this wonderful characterization.
They did that which was right in the sight of the Lord and when I'm going to make some very simple moral applications.
And so I want to say that many sitting in this room, men and women, brothers and sisters, young and old.
Morally qualify to as in the characterization of a king that is.
That many sitting here, you might say.
Are ruling as responsible before God for your life.
And the decisions that you make and what you do and what I do are not only going to affect our individual happiness, but that will affect those around us, our families, our loved ones, our assemblies. All of those will be affected by the way you and I live as responsible in our lives before God, that is, you might say, morally.
Live as a king to rule in our lives before God.
And we can rule, you might say, and carry on in our responsibility, doing that which is right in the sight of the Lord.
Or that which is evil.
Is so solemn. Beloved brethren. There are no Gray areas. There's no 5050. They were pretty good. But no, they either did right or they did evil.
May God help us this afternoon to have our consciences very, very tender. Now we read of Joash that he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord all the days of Jehoiada the priest. And I want to look at Jehoiada the priest as a spiritual father, one who gave counsel and guidance and leadership to Joash, who began to reign at a very young age. You know, I can't tell you this afternoon. God alone knows.
When you may begin to bear special responsibility in your life, but you can read through the stories of the kings of Israel and Judah, and they began their reigns at many different ages, some very, very young, like Joash, some older in their 20s.
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And so the age varied. God knew when each one was going to begin to bear responsibility as a ruler.
Before him, this young boy began to rule at a very early age, and there was one who filled the position of a spiritual father to guide and to help him. And as long as that influence was there, there was blessing. But now I want to stop a moment because I said spiritual mothers too. Let's go back and see about that.
In chapter.
22.
Second Chronicles, Chapter 22.
And.
Verse 10.
But when Appalia, the mother of Ahaziah, saw that her son was dead, and that he was killed under the under, you might say the judgment of God aloud by or used in the tool Jehu or Jihu, who came in and executed this, a very solemn judgement on all of the House of Ahab. And those who had any relationship or had formed any alliances with Ahab and Ahaziah was one who had done that.
Formed a friendship or an alliance and he was killed. And so when Athelia his mother who I'm not.
Clear. I think someone can help us, but I think he was. She was a relation of Ahab. Am I seeing any heads nodding? I I don't know, but I think there was a relation there. But in any case, a wicked woman. A wicked woman, and she kills all of the rightful seed that should have been able to be raised up to reign in the stead of Ahaziah. But verse 11. Jehoshabiah the daughter of the king.
That's the daughter of King Ahazi, I take it, the rightful king.
Took Joash, the son of Ahaziah, and stole him from among the King's sons that were slain, and put him and his nurse in a bedchamber. So Jehoshabeth the daughter of King Jehoram, the wife of Jehoiada, the priest, that wonderful here was a couple who was united in their exercises before God.
Jehoiada and his wife, Jehoshima.
And so she took that little baby.
Seeing the potential that was there for the deliverance of the people of God from this oppression.
Realizing the importance of what it meant to keep this child from being slain by this wicked woman.
And she hid him for six years in the House of God.
Mothers. Spiritual mothers.
You cannot begin, I believe, to estimate the value, the pressure that you have, not the pressure, I should say, but the impressions that you will make.
On those who can eventually be raised up to be deliverers of the people of God.
This child was hidden, and this child was hidden in a wonderful place, the House of God. I won't, for the sake of time, go much further. We'll leave it trusting the Lord to apply that in any way that he sees fit. But for the mothers here, and those dear sisters who would seek to be spiritual mothers in the assembly, here's a wonderful principle to learn how to hide.
From the influences that would destroy.
Those who will eventually come to years.
And lead in blessing God's people, she hid this little baby.
For six years in the House of the Lord, she was one with her husband. In that exercise it is so precious. Can two walk together except they be agreed? Dear parents, dear brother and sister, you seek to bring your children up. You seek to be a help to the younger ones in the assembly. It's wonderful, don't give up. But oh how important to walk in unity of spirit and mind. Before the Lord, they were both walking with a similar exercise.
To hide this child, to preserve this child, that God's people might be blessed. And so the day came, and here is Jehoish.
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Now verse three is an interesting verse. And Jehoiada verse three of chapter 24, we're back to now.
And Jehoiada, This is the priest, the wife of the dear woman who hid this little one. Jehoiada took for him two wives, and he begat sons and daughters. Now, at first glance, that seems rather strange. We know that even though God allowed multiple wives, we believe, and I think I feel rightly so, it wasn't God's necessarily his order, nor his desire.
That there be multiple wives, but he allowed it in the Old Testament.
But here is a spiritual father who is taking two wives.
For this young man.
What I want to suggest in a moral application only.
Is that he knew that this young man was going to have to lead the people of God, and he needed guidance, and he was balanced in that guidance that he was going to give in the way in which this king was going to bear fruit.
For God's glory. It was not A1 sided thing and I want to be very very careful about this.
But I want to speak now for a moment to those who are spiritual fathers and spiritual mothers.
There are many things that are important for.
We who are younger and are coming into that time of responsibility in our families or in assembly, in the assembly, many things to learn and to understand. But how important that those who would seek to help, form and guide lives do it in a balanced way that they understand the importance of living to God's glory in this world.
While enjoying for our blessing our place in heaven, seated in heavenly places.
We're there. We're to be occupied with that. It ought to be the joy of our hearts to think about all the stars in the Lord Jesus Christ.
But we also are going to get up if the Lord leaves us here on Monday morning and we're going to go back to work and back to school.
And back to our neighborhoods and back to our jobs and our activities that we have to go to our schools.
And we need to be able to walk for God's glory and bear fruit in that world in the same way that we walk in the enjoyment of all that we have in Christ.
In glory, seated in him in heavenly places. And so I want to apply this.
In that way, I think perhaps it could be applied this way also that Jehoiada saw that though the Kingdom was divided.
He did not, and I think I see this in many of these kings and many of the godly people in this day.
Whenever possible, though, the Kingdom was divided, and there were the tribes of Israel and the tribes of Judah, that even though that was so, there was a acknowledgement that if things were according to the mind of God, they would all be one. It would be the Kingdom of Israel with all 12 tribes. And so he may have been doing that too, to exercise this King's heart, to realize that though he was king over those two tribes.
That God's thoughts went further than that for God's people, beloved fathers and mothers, spiritual fathers and mothers.
As you work in the assemblies where you are seeking to guide and counsel the younger brothers and the younger sisters to to mold them, to see them grow in the assembly, what an important, precious thing that is that they might see the beauty. We might all more daily see the wonder of being gathered to the precious name of the Lord Jesus Christ, but along with that, that we might see that God.
Has.
A church, the Lord Jesus Christ as a body in this world and I was so appreciated just for a simple example before we move on, I so appreciated this morning.
The prayers of our brethren, praying for brothers and sisters in Christ that you and I will probably never meet.
Who, as we're sitting here in comfort, are being tortured, persecuted, suffering horribly because they belong to the Lord Jesus. They aren't all gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, but they belong to the body of Christ, and they're precious to Christ. And there was fruit. I believe, in the prayers that went up praying for the whole Church of God. Well, I go on and leave that. I only say that this spiritual father, I believe, was very, very wise in the application I'm making and that he.
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Allowed that the heart of this king would have balanced affections and that fruit would be born.
Out of these balanced affections for the blessing of God's people, well, now the test comes and we see that he gathers the priests together. Verse four. It came to pass after this that Joash was mine, the Lord. You see, something wonderful is happening here.
It didn't say. Jehoiada told him to repair the House of the Lord. That was something that sprung from the heart of Joash. It was the fruit of the godly counsel and guidance of a spiritual father. And his first thoughts in expressing exercise was that that which belonged to Jehovah might be put back in order.
For the glory of the Lord and that wonderful to see that the first evidence of fruit and exercise was that the House of the Lord where worship could be offered to the Lord, would be put back in order. That was the that was the fruit of the work of a spiritual mother and a spiritual father. Well then it goes on and we won't go through all these verses, but I think there's something very interesting in verse 6 and I trust because I don't.
I want to be careful, but verse 6 And the king called for Jehoiada the chief, and said to him, Why hast thou not required of the Levites?
To bring in out of Judah, you know, earlier.
The king had given them commandment.
To go out and get what was necessary that this house could, that the Lord's house could be repaired.
Now he calls for Jehoiada and he says why haven't you required this to go forward?
Now look at verse 8. This is, to my soul, exceedingly lovely. And at the King's commandment, they made a chest. I'm going to reread that. And at Jehoiada commandment, they made a chest. You know, I rather imagine that one of the most difficult things for fathers and mothers and spiritual fathers and mothers is to have the God-given wisdom to know when to allow an exercise to rest solely with the one that you're guiding and working with. It's as if Jehoiada was saying.
Yes, I could tell. I could go out and I could stir the people up and they would give and I could spearhead this. But Joash, it's your exercise and I want you to follow through now before God in reality on your exercise. And if it's your exercise, you give the commandment.
You go ahead with this. It was a time of allowing growth.
Can I talk to you today, conscious in my heart, my beloved brethren?
Of a failure that I have been as a father.
In this very thing.
But if any man lack wisdom, let him ask of God.
Who giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not.
It requires an immense wisdom that a Lord alone can.
Give to see and exercise beginning in.
One of our children, or someone in the assembly that the Lord has laid on our hearts to help to see that exercise beginning to stir, and to have the wisdom to let it grow on its own, knowing when to counsel and knowing when to keep our hands off. I don't know much about gardening, but I've learned from what few feeble attempts I've had that usually when I start messing around with things that are growing, they end up not growing very well.
And I don't say that we just let people go and do their own thing. But what an immense wisdom Jehoiada used here to allow Joash to move forward on his exercise. As if to say Joash, this is your exercise before the Lord. You were the one that was reminded rather to repair the House of the Lord. And that's a wonderful thing. But I'm not going to carry your exercise for you. You're going to carry that exercise.
But it doesn't end there, because the wisdom that was used knew when to allow Joash.
To move forward, and it also knew when Joash needed help. Let's look a little further.
The money is coming in in abundance now and it says in verse 12 and the King and Jehoiada.
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Gave it to such as did the work of the service of the House of the Lord. You know Jehoiada would by nature.
And by his age and all have a much better understanding who were.
Responsible, worthy, dependable workmen.
And so now there is a time when he again can be giving guidance.
To Joash. And so while it was Joash exercised to repair the House of the Lord, while Joash gave the commandment to get the collection to bring the money in, when it came time to use that money wisely as a wise steward, we might say Again, Jehoiada is there for guidance and counseling. Our brother talked this morning about learning and care meetings, Beloved brethren. It's true. I've heard a brother saying I believe it, that sometimes you learn more about the workings of the assembly.
Simply sitting in a care meeting and listening to the brothers who have the responsibility before God of seeking to give guidance to the assembly. You can learn more about the workings of the assembly from sitting in those meetings and perhaps anything any other way. I don't say that's the only way, but it's a wonderful way, and here was one that was giving guidance now when it was needed, Let's look further.
Then it says verse 14 and when they had finished, that's the Workman. They brought the rest of the money before the king and Jehoiada. So Jehoiada is still helping in the stewardship of the things that belong to God in the repair of this house. The exercise was Joash.
The guiding to help him do it. In a way it was glorifying to the Lord Jehoiada was involved in.
And so it says, they burned. They offered burnt offerings in the House of the Lord continually all the days of Jehoiada. But.
What a solemn word. What a solemn word to find in the word of God but.
Jehoiada waxed old. Now I want to speak to myself and those who are younger here, young brothers.
The world has a saying I think is very appropriate here. That's getting old.
Oh beloved brethren of my generation and younger generations.
Don't allow yourself.
To look at spiritual fathers and get tired of their exercises.
And get tired of their desiring and seeking to help to let them get old and die.
The influence of Jehoiada got old and it died, and we aren't going to spend more time. I want to move on, but I want to say it brought horrible tragedy to Joash and to his Kingdom, a man who had done that which was right in the sight of the Lord.
The influence that had helped him to that point, he got tired of it.
And he listened to something else.
And he said, you know.
These old folks don't understand.
And we can do it better.
And it destroyed his Kingdom, and it destroyed him.
Does that mean spiritual fathers and mothers never make mistakes?
Any father or mother in here would stand up and say of course not, we've made mistakes. God knows.
But spiritual fathers and mothers, beloved younger brethren, if they are in your assembly or you have contact with them, value them and listen to them and cling to them. And if they make a mistake, go to the Lord about it. Don't let them wax old and die in your heart.
For the final result was Joash was assassinated.
And it happened when he was very, very sick.
How sick?
Christians can become who say I'm not interested in the counsel of those old folks anymore. They don't understand.
Beloved young people don't listen to that, don't buy that. Maybe they don't understand because they don't live the same life you do, but they understand something else. They understand the God who knows all about you and who loves you, and they've lived a life that has great value. And you listen and ask the Lord to help you. Apply to your life and to my life and to the assembly life those lessons that those spiritual fathers and mothers would seek to give you.
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For your blessing, don't allow the thought. They just don't know what they're talking about. I'm going to tell you something. They do too.
And you need to go to the Lord and ask him to help you understand what they're talking about.
Don't let him die now. We're going to move very rapidly. I want to go to the next king.
A very well known king.
Hezekiah.
And his story starts in.
Chapter 29.
Now here, we're going to not be looking at the influence of spiritual fathers and mothers. We're going to be looking at the influence of the spiritual heritage. Or you might say spiritual, if you will, forefathers, Those that have gone on before, remember them.
Who have the rule over you and follow their faith. So Hezekiah began to reign verse one when he was 5 and 20 years old and he reigned 9 and 20 years in Jerusalem and his mother's name.
Was abide you the daughter of Zechariah real quickly, mothers.
You read through 1St and 2nd Kings, First and second chronicles and count the number of times.
That the name of the mother was mentioned of the king who began to reign. Don't ever think, mothers, that your input is not vitally, critically important to what happens to your children.
And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that David, his father, had done. We're going back to the very beginning. This is a grandfather several times removed.
But Hezekiah's exercise went back to one who was a man after God's own heart.
And he looked at that, and he said this one. David, the man after God's own heart, walked in The principles and the truth. And I want those things to affect my life.
And over and over again. And I haven't made a deep study of this, but over and over again.
In this account of Hezekiah, you find references to David. Notice for instance, quickly in passing in verse 24 of our chapter.
We'll begin with that in the middle of the verse. Well, we'll just read the verse. The priest killed them.
And they made reconciliation with their blood upon the altar to make an atonement for all Israel. There it is the whole nation of Israel. God's beloved people were in view because they were in view and they were God's beloved people during the day of David. And though this, all this division had come in, they were still God's beloved people. Now go down to verse 26. The Levites stood with the instruments of David. Verse 27, the end of the verse. And the thought is I'm going to read the thought there.
And when the burnt offerings began, the song of the Lord began also with the trumpets and with the instruments, or the ordinances of David king of Israel, And then down in verse 30. Moreover, Hezekiah the king and the Princess commanded the Levites to sing praise on the Lord with the words of David.
The instruments of David, the instructions of David, the words of David, A man after God's own heart, was that treasure House of truth.
Important to Hezekiah.
Oh beloved brothers and sisters, is that treasure House of truth important as truth for our minds? It's meaningless.
But is it important to go back and do we value?
The heritage that has been passed down and I want to ask and I don't even know who asked this question today in reading meeting.
I think it was in reading meeting but it was a very searching question and the thought was.
What you do about what you do with your free time tests, where your heart is when you have free time.
Which I admit is very rare in our lives today, but when there's some free time, is it spent reading?
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The truth that has been passed down to us, the truth in itself, as it became with Hezekiah, can be a real stumbling if we're not careful, But oh how important it is. I want to encourage the one standing here first of all, and each of us, man and women, brothers and sisters, young and old.
To ask the Lord to grant a stirring in the heart, to go back to the first principles of David and value that heritage that God has given to us.
I think we little understand. I don't say this to build up in pride or anything, but I think we little understand the kind of intellect in this world today that puts so much pride and stress on intelligence. I think we little understand the immense, vast intellect of the brethren that God used and stirred up, not because they were smart, but that intellect was laid, as it were, as a sacrifice before God, and he used that.
The brethren that you and I, their words that roll off our tongues so easy. Wigram bell at Darby, on and on and on. We say these names. We we talk as though that's so important. Well, we thank God for those men. Those are men who spoke fluently, Hebrew and Greek and on, and they could read it and they could decipher it. These were intellectual giants.
And God used them. And what are we doing with it? I can't read Greek, I can't read Hebrew.
But I can read when the time is given, the writings of those who could.
And who in submission to the mind and will of God gave us a treasure house?
What are you doing, brothers and sisters, with that treasure house?
Umm, real quickly we'll just, you know the story as well as I do. Hezekiah got sick.
And the Lord healed him wonderful, wonderful mercy of the Lord and the king of Babylon.
Sent Hezekiah a letter and a present.
And Hezekiah.
Instead of using.
All those things that David his father had used himself, the instruments and the ordinances and his words and all those things that should have kept Hezekiah separate and you might say, ruling over all the those influences. Instead, Hezekiah got real proud and he threw open his door and he said to the world, the religious world, if you will, look at what I've got.
And it no more was something that was effective in his life and in his feet. It was a source of pride. I've got the truth.
Is that all it is, that we have our shelves in our homes with a lot of J&D work and and Mr. Kelly work and Mr. Wigram writings and we say we've got the truth.
What good does that do?
If you're not reading it and walking in it. If I'm not reading it and walking in it.
Is that why it was given to us the display to the world and to say to the religious world, we're the truth?
You know what's not, brethren?
And it all got taken away from Hezekiah, from his descendants. He lost every bit of it. Or his descendants did. Oh beloved brethren, the truth is there to be read and walked in, not to be held up as an object to display before anybody else in this world.
And finally in closing, we could go on, but I want to go on to the last Josiah rather.
I.
Verse 34 Chapter 34.
Here's another very young king, 8 years old.
And I'm just going to say, because of time, that Josiah did not have the same privileges and support that Joash and Hezekiah had in their days. There were men and women of God who supported and encouraged the exercises of those kings.
That we could go back. We won't. But in Hezekiah history you read of the rejoicing of the people at the.
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Institution of the Passover and all that went on that was restored. And it said, the people rejoice. The people were involved and they were one with their king. Not so with Josiah in Josiah's day. It was an individual exercise of faith on Josiah's part and.
At least in the account in Second Chronicles, you almost read in vain to find one time when he was encouraged by the people he was ruling over. That's very much like the day we live in now. If you and I, beloved brothers and sisters in Christ, if and those of you who are young as well as those who are older, if we're going to go on to the for the glory of the Lord Jesus, we thank God that he has brought us to where he is in the midst. And so we enjoy that fellowship.
But it's going to be largely an individual exercise of faith as an overcomer.
To walk in this day of Laodicea that we are in, to see to it that that Laodicea in spirit doesn't take our hearts over. And we sit back and we say we've got it all together. We got the truth, we got this, we got this, we're all right. No, it's individual faith and energy, but let's quickly look at Josiah life.
E2 breaks down the idols, and you can read that account over and over. It's his exercise.
But then we find this happening and I want to dwell just a bit on this In closing, they go in and they repair the House of the Lord. And in verse 14, when they brought out the money that was brought into the House of the Lord, Hilkiah the priest found in the New Translation that is the book of the law of the Lord given by Moses. As far as I know, I'm going to make an assumption here. The word of God in the days of Josiah was down to one copy.
They found the book.
Of the law of the Lord, and it had been put away and hidden. It was number longer even known.
In his day.
The most vital influence you and I can have in our life, the people of God that had been given the law and it was down, as far as I know to one copy. And then it goes on and it says, and he'll Kai answered and said the shape and the scribe. I found the book of the law, the Lord in the House of the law in the House of the Lord and he'll kinda delivered the book to Schaffen, carried the book to the king and brought the king word back again saying I found the book of the law of the Lord.
I just read that wrong, didn't I?
What was Chaffin's message? The law of the Lord. The law given to Moses. A book was found.
And what was uppermost in Shafin's heart?
All that was committed to thy servants, they do it, and they have gathered together the money that was found in the House of the Lord, and delivered into the hand of the overseers, and to the hand of the workmen, all the busyness that was going on, doing this and doing that, and beloved brethren.
I feel that's a real danger today. I thank God for any effort anyone makes to seek to serve the Lord.
But that was uppermost in God's word was secondary. It can't be that way.
God's word has to be first place in our lives, and then we have the proper direction and guidance and wisdom to serve Him acceptably.
But here there was all this energy and movement in shape and saying, oh we've done this and this and this, and then he says.
Then shaping, the scribe told the king, saying, Hilkiah. Now listen to this carefully. The priest hath given me a book.
And that's in the original it was the book, but in Chaffin's mind, it's just a book.
Beloved young people, what is the Bible to you this afternoon?
Is it just a book? Beloved brethren sitting here, Is this precious book just a book?
It is the book.
Not a book.
And chaff and Reddit before the king. While we know what happened, the King is deeply affected by that. And in closing, we'll just say.
That Josiah went forward faithfully knowing that the judgment of God.
Rightfully deserved was going to have to fall on that people but it didn't turn him aside. An individual faithfulness, beloved brother and we live in a day that we all recognize and admit the judgment of God is about to fall on this thing called Christianity.
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And you and I need to move forward to God's glory according to the word of God.
And let that influence our lives.
As we move forward until we hear his blessed voice calling us home. And what happened to Josiah?
He was helped as long as he was ordering things.
There was exercise in that Kingdom and then the king of Egypt was going to go up to Karchimish up here.
And he's going to pass through Josiah's land on the way up there, and Josiah decided he was going to get involved in the affairs of the world.
Now the book he had just been given, had he read it carefully, would have told him stay out of the affairs of the world.
But he said, I'm going to go fight with his king and the king the world himself said, What are you coming down here for? To fight me. This isn't your battle. God has told me to hasten up to take care of this thing. What are you coming here for, Josiah?
What are we doing busying ourselves in this world?
And I'm not here to set a list of rules of what we can and can't do. That's between you and your.
God, and it's between me and my God. But we better be before him very carefully about whether or not we are here to fight the enemies of this world, or if we're here to walk through this world as pilgrims and strangers with our battle in heavenly places.
Josiah had a bad conscience. You know when you turn aside from the word of God, you're not going to have a good conscience. How do I know he had a bad conscience? He went down to the battle disguised. He figured, well, they, you know, in a in a battle in those days they went after the king, and the king wore his garments and everything. And they said, there's the king get him and the army will fall apart. So he disguises himself. Did it work? No. He was sore wounded.
But then we find out he had more than one chariot. He was so unsure of what he was doing that he had to take an extra chariot down just in case.
So he could escape out of what he might get himself into. It didn't help. He died.
And it says they lamented Josiah because of the godly influence he had. And you know.
As far as I know, Josiah was the last godly king that Israel had before they were carried into captivity.
Oh, had he only allowed that influence of the Word of God to preserve him throughout all of his life?
Well, there they are. Brethren, you and I need the influence of our spiritual fathers and mothers. Let's value them. They may not have all the answers. They may not understand fully all the exercises we're going through, but they're there for our blessing. Let's not turn aside the influence of spiritual fathers and mothers, and let's let the influence of our spiritual heritage really practically affect our lives.
And let's let above all this precious book be supreme in our life. That's great.
Father, we thank thee.