Address—G. Hayhoe
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Other #100 and 66166 Lord, thou hast drawn us after thee. Now let us run, and never tire thy presence. Shall our comfort be thyself, our hope, our soul desire, our present Savior, while nor fear nor sin can come if thou art near. 166.
Lord, thou has drawn us after.
The.
Fire.
As much drown our hearts are feeling.
The eyes of all our whole our souls.
So many things are.
Our best day girl while warfare.
More slammed and strong.
Wednesday today.
Lord, breathe in love, the father of the rest of the fires Where the throws?
Are wiser.
Arms rest.
Day.
Are spreading our Shields, flowers, and you are the Lord.
I'd like you to turn with me to the Second Chronicles, Chapter 34.
Second Chronicles, Chapter 34.
As I've often said, brethren, I think it's very beautiful that God not only gives us His truth in the way of precept that is telling us what the path is that is marked out for us, He also brings it before us by way of example. And the word of God is full of instruction in this way as we take up the different lives that are brought before us in the Old Testament and also in the dew of those who sought to walk in that path.
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Of those who failed in that path, of those who didn't walk in that path. It's all set before us in the Word. And the scripture says whatsoever things were written before time were written for our learning, that we, through patience and comfort of the Scriptures, might have hope. For myself, when I read these stories, I like to put myself in the position of the people that I'm reading about, just as if I was there in Babylon, or if I was there in Buda, or whatever the place might be.
And apply the scriptures in that way to my own life. And I trust the Lord will help each one of us as we look at this life of Josiah to see ourselves and how God can instruct us through these things He's given to us in His Word.
Josiah, as we know, was one of the kings of Judah. The tribe of Judah had remained in the place where the Lord had put his name, and so these godly kings were often used of God.
But God also records the failure and lets us learn by that too. And so I just like to look at the different stages in the life of this king. He began when he was 8 years old, very young indeed, and he reigned until he was 39 years old. And so I would say that it's his life covers pretty well a scope of our lives, from childhood to maturity, and so I trust the Lord will help us to glean something.
That will be a blessing to our souls. So Second Chronicles, chapter 34 and verse one.
Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem one and 30 years. And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the ways of David his father, and declined neither to the right hand nor to the left.
Here we see money was made king, just eight years of age, very young, and maybe there are some here that are 8 years of age. And it's beautiful to see that these things began right in his childhood. Bible says even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure or whether it be right. And so I believe I might be talking to some who are 8 years of age, perhaps a little more.
And I trust that this word will go home to you. I'd like to ask you as a child, how are you seeking to please the Lord? If you're 8 years of old age? You're not too young to make decisions in your life that you want to please the Lord. It's true that you don't engage in great service like those who are older, but you can be obedient to your parents. You can speak a word for the Lord Jesus to a friend that you have. There are many things that you can do when you're 8 years of age.
And so here we see this king brought before us. You say, well, no person today would be a king at 8 years of age. But it tells us, you know, in Revelation chapter one, that when we are saved, he has made us kings and priests unto God and his father. So even though you're only eight years old, you can be a little king. I think there's a book written about a little boy who's called a little king. And so, you know, it's very lovely to see it begin, even in childhood.
I'd like to encourage, I say again, are you seeking to do that which is right in the sight of the Lord? Even in little things, the surprising what you can do? And we who are parents delight when we see little things in the lives of our children that show us that they do have a desire to please the Lord Jesus, because that can start very young. You can receive the Lord, and I hope if I'm talking to someone here this afternoon, who is?
Just eight years of age and that you have already taken the Lord Jesus as your personal savior, that you can say, yes, I know him as my savior. And when it speaks in the Bible of confessing Jesus as Lord, it means that we give him the place of authority in our lives. That we say we want to do things to please the Lord Jesus. How beautiful this is. Well, this gives a true character to our lives.
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So he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, and that continued through his life. Now we come to the third verse and in the eighth year of his reign. So here we see him. He's 16 years old now. It's a pretty important age in any young person's life, isn't it? 16 years of age, perhaps. When you come to that age you begin to feel well, I'm sort of on my own now. I can do quite a few things. Perhaps I can get a car license. I can do a lot of things now because.
I am 16 years of age. What was characteristic of this boy when he became 16 years of age? Notice what it says.
And the third verse four. In the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet young, he began to seek after the God of David, his father.
Well, that was very nice. And 16 years of age. Everyone could see that this young fellow, as he developed, he wasn't saying, Well, I've got to have my flame when I'm in this stage, after all. I'll settle down afterwards. But now I want to just do what I like because I have certain liberties now when I get a little bit older. But isn't it lovely to see what spirit of God comments about him? He began to seek after the God.
Of David his father. And so you and I can seek the Lord. We can put him first in our decision.
Oh, how many important decisions are made? You are in school. You're 16 years of age. You know that? You're beginning to think about what kind of occupation you're going to take up in life, perhaps even 2. But I hope it's true. You have learned that the Lord Jesus wants you at his table to remember him and his death. You really want to please him. You can respond to that precious request that he has.
Made to us and says, as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you do show the Lord's death till he comes. Isn't it nice to see that at 16 years of age there was a decision, a purpose in this young person's life? Well, I hope that'll be so with you and I would say too. And even choosing a line of work that you're going to follow or perhaps even beginning to think about a friend that you might like to have in life.
That you're thinking about pleasing the Lord because you can honor the Lord in your occupation.
He can study and get into some occupation where you may find it very, very hard to honor the Lord. Or you can, as you begin to think about what occupation you would like to take up, to think of something where you can do your daily work and be happy in it, and be honoring the Lord too as you go on in that occupation and in the friends that you form quite often, those who are very close to us through life we have first learned to know. When we were perhaps around 16 years of age, we made their acquaintance, we got close to them.
Oh, how beautiful it is to see this in this King Josiah. It isn't amiss that God has recorded this in His word. He has recorded it, dear young people, for our learning, for our instruction. He could have just given certain ages and given us certain direction. He's pleased to give it to us in his practical way. And, you know, we might have said, well, he must have had a good example. His father was no example to him at all.
His father was an ungodly king.
So he couldn't say, Well, I had the benefit of a Christian home. We might speak in that way, where I had all the advantages. He didn't have those advantages. I thank God that I did have a Christian father and mother. He rejoiced and were happy to see me, seeking to please the Lord. You say Well, things aren't so in our home, and I don't have the encouragement of my parents. But David encouraged himself in the Lord his God, and I'd encourage you that, even if you don't have.
The example that you might possibly like to have a desire to have.
He still can have the Lord, and He's a perfect example.
He left us an example that we should follow in his steps, so this young fellow didn't have that kind of example in his father, but nevertheless he began to.
Seek after the God of David his father, that was his great grandfather of what we might say. It was not his immediate father when it says that.
Then the middle of this third verse, and in the 12Th year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem from the high places, and the Groves, and the carved images, and the molten images. And they break down the altars of Balaam in his presence, and the images that were on high above them he cut down, And the Groves, and the carved images, and the grave and the molten images. He break in pieces and made dust of them, and strawed them upon the graves of them that had sacrificed unto them.
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And he burnt the bones of the priests upon their altars, and cleansed Judah and Jerusalem.
And so did he in the cities of Manasseh and Ephraim and Simeon, even under Naphthali, with their Maddox round about.
And when he had broken down the altars and the Groves and had beaten the graven images into powder and cut down all the idols through it all the land of Israel, he returned to Jerusalem. Well, now, as we see, this is in the 12Th year of his reign. So at this stage it was 20 years of age. Pretty important time, wasn't it? 21 is a very important time, the young person's life. And here he was 20 years of age.
And he was acting in his responsible position. You and I are not called upon to go about and breakdown graven images and so on, but we can in our own lives not allow things to creep into our lives that we would be a hindrance to us. These graven images might have looked very beautiful. And all these things that had been built, they might have been very attractive. I'm sure that they were. And it must have been.
Difficult for him. He probably was very much misunderstood because.
As I say, his father before him wasn't a godly king.
And so he might have been misunderstood, but who was he seeking to please? Who are you and I seeking to please, Brethren, We sing a little song sometimes from various cares. Our hearts retire though deep and boundless. Their desire we've now to please but one. Him before whom each knee shall bow to him is all our business now. And those that are his own. Oh, I ask you. I ask myself too. Is it the Lord we want to please?
And at this age, why, you might have said, well, you know, I don't want to get in wrong with my friends. I'm going to lose a lot of friends if I take a firm stand for my Lord. And so he could have easily talked that way, you and I do. Sometimes we allow friends to influence us, lead us away, say we don't want to be different from the crowd, but sometimes we have to be different to please the Lord if we seek to please him.
We may at times be misunderstood, but one thing I assure you, the Lord will understand you perfectly.
The Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed. He sees everything that we do. And so this was a very important time, I'm sure, in his life. But it was lovely to see this steadfastness. And again, I would ask you, be sure and read your Bible and find out what pleases the Lord. And there's another verse I'd like to quote to you in the.
119th Psalm. The 63rd verse, I think it is. It says I am a companion of all them that fear thee, and of them that keep thy precepts. That's a good definition, definition for a good companion, isn't it? I am a companion of all them that fear thee, and of them that keep thy precepts. So here he was at this important age of his life, and he's breaking down those things that otherwise might have seemed very attractive.
Probably very attractive to his father. Probably quite attractive to a lot of others. I'm sure they were works of art, these images. But he has broken down why he was seeking to please the Lord. Who may the Lord grant that we might have this desire to please him? And now he returns to Jerusalem. Perhaps we could see here that this was very important to him. Jerusalem.
Why would Jerusalem be important? Because it was a beautiful city or something? No, I believe that to him it was important because that was a place where the Lord had put his name. The Lord chose that city out of all the tribes of Israel, and that's why it was important. And that's the only thing that makes the things important to us is that it's pleasing to the Lord. And I trust too dear young people as you get older.
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That you'll value the precious privilege of being gathered to the name.
Of the Lord Jesus giving him his rightful place. You don't. We don't Read here that.
Josiah was puffed up. Her pride entered his heart. I think he was very humble at this time.
But he did desire to please the Lord, and I pray that the Lord may keep you and keep me too in that path that He has marked out. He were just noticing the other day, when we were reading the 27th Psalm, that there's a little expression there where David says, one thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after that I may dwell in the House of the Lord all the days of my life.
To behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple.
That little expression, those two words, are used quite often in the scripture. One thing, there was a certain young man, I would say a very nice young man, says Jesus looking on him, loved him. He was a very nice young man. But the Lord had to say to that young man one thing thou lackest, and you may know some nice young people too.
But maybe they lack that one thing. Don't know the Lord. I have warned you to be careful.
No matter how nice that young person may be, if he or she doesn't know the Lord, be careful, be not equally yoked together with unbelievers. Then it says about Martha and Mary, Mary Charles. One thing is needful and that was to sit at Jesus feet and hear his words. The Apostle Paul in his Christian life said one thing I do forgetting those things which are behind.
And reaching forth unto those things which are before I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. I might just say that that's what it means when it says, if thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. You can't look at two objects at the same time and see them clearly. You just you could look at one and look at one, you can see it clearly. But if you try to look at 2:00 at the same time, you don't see either one of them clearly. And so.
We need to have the Lord before us, but this verse in the 27th Psalm that I mentioned is very lovely, I think. And that was the one thing he desired, was that he might dwell in the House of the Lord all the days of his life, and perhaps if we might apply it to ourselves.
I like to apply it in this way. May the Lord keep us in the path of His choosing as long as we're here all the days of our life. Very easy to get stumbled, very easy to get our eyes upon man.
Very easy to be turned aside, Any of us are capable of this. And so it says one thing. If I desired of the Lord, that I may dwell in the House of the Lord all the days of my life, says in the 23rd Psalm, and I shall dwell in the House of the Lord forever.
But here he's talking about all the days of my life. And why? Why did he want to be there? I think the two reasons he gives are very beautiful. To behold the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple to behold the beauty of the Lord. Come to the meeting to see the Lord.
They be disappointed if you put your eyes upon your brethren, perhaps, but you'll never be disappointed if your eyes on the Lord to behold the beauty of the Lord.
And then to inquire in his temple now that is to.
Have the answers from his precious word, because the assembly is responsible to be the pillar and ground of the truth. What a responsibility. Well, some we see here this He returned to Jerusalem, and we come to another phase in the eighth verse. Now in the 18th year of his reign, when he had purged the land and the house, he sent Chafe Ann the son of Azealia, and Maisia the governor of the city and the son of and Joa, the son of Jehovah, as the recorder to repair the House of the Lord his God.
When they came to Hilkiah the priest, they delivered the money that was brought into the House of God, which the Levites that kept the doors had gathered at the hand of Manasseh and Ephraim, and all the remnant of Israel, and of all Judah and Benjamin. And they returned to Jerusalem, and they put it in the hand the Workman that had the oversight of the House of the Lord. And they gave it to the workmen that wrought in the House of the Lord to repair and amend the house.
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Even the to the artificers and builders gave a it to buy human stone and timber for couplings and to floor the houses.
Which the kings of Judah had destroyed. Well, I think it's nice to see here that there was.
A desire that if there was anything that hadn't been looked after in the House of God, we see that the money was given and the workers worked together and they repaired the House of the Lord. Well, you know, that shows us too the importance of.
Everything being according to the mind and will of God, and if things have not been according to his mind, that there was an exercise here to repair them, Isn't it precious present that we should make the word of God our guide? Difficulties do arise even in the Assembly of God. And what is? The answer is that I think this, and I think that no, that house was not to be made according to a.
Humanly devised pattern. Pattern was given by the Spirit to David and if it was to be repaired, it was repaired and brought back to the original pattern. Word of God gives us instruction. Is it just that we have certain rules and regulations about how the assembly is to go on and walk? No, we have instruction in the word of God and it doesn't matter what difficulty arises and difficulties do arise.
Among those gathered to the Lord's name, where do we turn To human opinions? No, the word of God isn't that precious that we have the word of God that gives us all things that pertain unto life and godliness sometimes, Ferta said. Well, we've always done it this way. Well, if it's the right way, that's nice that we've done it that way. But our young people need to know why we do it this way and so.
If we turn to the word of God, we find this instruction for all the problems that arise.
Things the enemy is always at work to try and get us to depart from the pattern that is given to us in the word of God. And so I say again about Moses, see that thou make it according to the pattern which was showed to thee on the mount. And if they had departed from that, then there was a return to that pattern. So we see there were workmen there, and they worked, and they amended the house. They thought to go by the instruction.
The 12Th verse and the man did the work faithfully.
And the overseers of them, it mentions their name and then.
There's one other little thing that's noticeable too. In the end of the 13th verse, it says and the porters, well, perhaps we don't always think of the porters as they're brought before us in the word of God. But the porters were the doorkeepers. The doorkeepers in the House of God. The port is the door, you know. And so to him the Porter openness means the door at the end. There needs to be porters.
Calls the Psalmist rather sad.
I'd rather be a doorkeeper in the House of my God than to dwell.
In the tents of wickedness, remember an older brother saying one time it's not easy to be a doorkeeper.
It's not easy to be a doorkeeper, to seek to maintain and see that things don't creep into.
The assembly that are not according to the mind and will of God and so and their reporters. When Solomon built the temple, it tells us that there were 24 courses of singers and there were 24 courses of porters. That is the praise that's going to be carried on in the assembly. There needs to be doorkeepers, Paul warned when he spoke to the elders at Ephesus. And he said that the enemy would be at work to spoil that.
Happy and lovely testimony at Ephesus.
The very highest truth is given to us in the letter to the Ephesians. And yet it was to those of that very assembly that Paul warned him about two things. He said that there was an enemy would come with grievous wolves to scatter the flock. And then also of your own cells, shall men arise, speaking perverse things. And what does he give them? For the instruction is this. And now, brethren, I commend you.
To God and to the word of his grace. Isn't that lovely? That was the instruction.
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He gave them. And so I just like to encourage each one of us. Difficulties do come amongst us. And even as gathered to the Lords name, how are we going to meet them? By human prudence, this precious book gives us all that we need to know, and we need to have those porters, those who.
Seek to maintain that which is suited and according to God's mind in connection with his house. So there are reporters there.
And now we go down a little further.
In this.
Look. And in the 16th verse Chaffin carried the book. Well, I should have to the 14th verse. And when they brought out the money that was brought into the House of the Lord, Hilkiah the king found a book of the law of the Lord given by Moses. And Ilkaya answered and said to Schaeff and the scribe, I have found the book of the law of the House of God of the Lord. And Hilkiah delivered it, delivered the book to Schaffen, and Schaffen carried the book to the king.
And brought the king word back again, saying all that was committed to thy servants, they do it.
Then eighteenth verse and Shaphan the scribe told the king, saying, Hilkiah the priest hath given me a book, and Chafan read it before the king. Now we see there had been neglect here, because God had given instruction that when a king came to the throne in Israel, he was to copy out the book of the law of the Lord, not just read it, he was to copy it out. That certainly would impress it on his mind, wouldn't it? He copied it out. But there'd been a neglect here. But now in the book he's found.
Does is the King indifferent about this? Oh no, no. He's very much concerned about this book. It had been neglected. And have we been ourselves, perhaps individually? Have we been neglecting the word of God? May I just encourage everyone who's a householder to read the word of God in the home? And may I encourage you, dear young people, to read the word of God for yourself?
When I first started out to work.
And I met other people, so thankfully some Christians as I started out and we talked about things and they would ask me, well, where do you go and where do we go and so on. And if I was going to try and show them why I was in a different position with from them, There was no use to say, well, in our meeting we do it this way. No, I had to show them from the word of God.
And I tell you, it sent me searching because no use to say, well, that's the way my father taught me, because they would say, well, my father taught me differently. But have you read this book? If they ask you where you work, why you meet as you do, why are you so sure that you're saved? Can you show me from the word of God why a Christian cannot be lost again? Can you answer those questions from the word of God?
It won't be much use to help anyone to say, well, that's the way we do it in our meeting now. We need to have it from the word of God. And so I want to encourage you while you're young, for he was comparatively young at this point, to store your mind with these precious things that we'd be. It says be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you, a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear. I just want to encourage you.
I may also say that there's plenty of good ministry that can be a real help to you too.
If you read it, do you read it? I know we're living in days when people don't do too much reading. They do a lot of watching and listening, but they don't do much reading. But I encourage you to read the word of God. Read it faithfully. Until someone has said you think in terms of Scripture. It's a good thing to have your mind filled with the word of God.
Well, now we see someone else introduced here in this 21St verse. Now go inquire of the Lord for me and for them that are left in Israel and in Judah, concerning the words of the book that is found, the great is the wrath of the Lord that is poured out upon us, because our fathers have not kept the word of the Lord to do after all that is written in this book. And Hilkiah and they the that the king had appointed, went to hold as a prophetess the wife of Shalom.
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The son of Tigre, the son of Hashra, keeper of the wardrobe, How she dwelt in Jerusalem in the college, And they speak to her to that effect. And she answered them. Now sayeth the Lord God of Israel, tell ye the man that sent to you. Thus sayeth the Lord. 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 in sands unto other gods.
That they might provoke me to anger with all the works of their hands. Therefore my wrath shall be poured out upon this place, and shall not be quenched.
And As for the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the Lord, so shall ye say unto him. Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, concerning the words which thou hast heard, Because thine heart was tender, and thou did humble thyself before God, when thou heardest his words against this place and against the inhabitants thereof. And humblest thyself before me is Rent thy clothes, and weep before me. I have even heard thee also, sayeth the Lord.
Behold, I will gather thee to thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered to thy grave in peace, because neither shalt thou see all the evil that I will bring upon this place and upon the inhabitants of the same. So they brought the king word again. Well, I think this is very lovely. There's a number of sisters here, and it shows how a sister in her quiet corner, she was just keeping the wardrobe. She wasn't occupying a public place, but I would say that she was one.
Who did know the mind and will of God? And I would say to you, dear sisters here.
That while the public place is given to the brothers, you have a tremendously influential place. And this is very beautiful to see that this lone woman, a keeper of the wardrobe, was intelligent about the mind and will of God and saying a message, he didn't take a public place, but she sent a message which affected the king and caused him to listen to what she said. And so I I just want to encourage you sisters here.
It's true that God hasn't given the public place to the sisters, but I want to say a tremendously influential place. We find it all through in the Bible, how often we see shine out in days of weakness and failure, ones whom God picks up instruments, women, sisters, who became a mighty influence among the people of God. And I want to just encourage you in this. And so here's how the just living there in Jerusalem.
In God's center, where he had placed his name, just quietly looking after her chores, he was a keeper of the wardrobe, and here she has the mind of the Lord. She speaks it to these messengers who came. They carry the message to the king, and the king is moved by this message.
Well then it says here in the 29th verse. Then the king sent and gathered together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem, and the king went up into the House of the Lord, and the man of Judah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and all the priests and the Levites, and all the people great and small. And he read in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant that was found in the House of the Lord. And the king stood in his place and made a covenant before the Lord to walk after the Lord.
And to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes with all his heart and with all his soul to perform the words of the covenant which was written in this book. And it's lovely to see what took place here in the life of this Josiah. And now he stands up, takes his responsible place as the king, and he reads the word to the people and makes them realize that it's important that they should follow.
The word of God. Well, we see this lovely climax, we might say, in the life of Josiah and.
I would just suggest though, that when in the 32nd verse and he caused all that were present in Jerusalem and Benjamin to stand to it, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers. We know in the Old Testament they did make pledges and promises and owls and so on, but in Christianity I believe that our place is not to say we're going to do this.
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We know how it all failed. In the Old Testament. They stood at Mount Sinai and said, all that the Lord has spoken we will do and be obedient. Even Josiah will see that even He failed in the latter part of his life. Never make a pledge or a promise that you're going to do something. Just turn to the Lord and say, Lord, help me and you need His help every day. Preserve me, oh God, for indeed do I put my trust. This is a great day when people are trying to make pledges and promises of what they're going to do and commitments to the Lord.
They often say the Lord doesn't ask you to make a commitment of what you're going to do. He makes a promise to you. I'll never leave you nor forsake you. He makes the promise that if you walk in his ways that he'll keep you. But don't say like Peter did. Lord, I'll never deny thee. Other people might do it, but not me. How dangerous it is, It says, having no confidence in the flesh. The flesh profiteth nothing. God is not asking you to make promises.
And so I believe in this point here we find that making these people to make these pledges, we know they didn't keep them, but we can look up to the Lord and let that be our daily prayer. Preserve me, oh God, for in thee do I put my trust. We need His keeping grace. But at least it's nice to see what he did.
He read the book of the law and brought it before the people. And so when situations arise, it's good to just quote a verse and just say, well, this is what the Word of God says, and the word of God is the authority for our action.
Well then we find in the next chapter something very beautiful.
In the first verse, moreover, Josiah kept a Passover unto the Lord in Jerusalem, and they killed the Passover on the 14th day of the first month.
And I just mentioned this because there was a revival in the time of Hezekiah and it says they kept the Passover in the second month. Now it was true that God had made provision that it should, it could be kept in the second month if they were unclean, if they had been unclean, I should say when the first month came around. But here we see, and it's I think it's nice to see, he goes back to the very beginning.
God did grant a wonderful time in the time of the Reformation under Martin Luther and a lot of other leaders, and they brought forth a lot of truth. We can be very, very thankful for the truth of justification by faith. And a great deal of blessing came to Europe and England in the days of those reformers known as the Reformation. But they didn't go back to the full truth of God, but then in God in his goodness, over 100 years ago, granted a recovery.
They valued what had been recovered in the time of Luther and Calvin and other gaudy men. But there was something more. They valued also the whole truth of God. They were restored to, what shall I say, what God had set up at the beginning. This little book called The First Years of Christianity. And it was remarked in the meeting this morning how that when God brings the truth before us, it's the present truth.
If it's in Christianity, what are we going to go back to, to the days of the reformers? Now we go right back to what God established in the time of the apostles. There we have His mind and will very important for us. And so here we find that Josiah goes right back to the very beginning, and it was a great blessing when they did this, says in the sixth verse.
So kill the Passover and sanctify yourselves, and prepare your brethren that they may do according to the word of the Lord, by the hand of Moses. And Josiah, gave to the people of the flocks, lambs, and kids, all for the Passover offering, and all that were present to the number of 30,000 and 3000 bullocks, And these were of the King's substance.
Then going further in the 30, in the 11Th, 10th verse, so the service was prepared and the priest stood in their place, and the Levites in their courses according to the King's commandment, and they killed the Passover and the priest sprinkled the blood with their hands, the 13th verse. And they roasted the Passover with fire according to the ordinance. That was what God had ordered way back at the beginning.
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That was to be roast with fire, and but the other holy offering sod day in pots and cauldrons and in pans, and divided them speedily.
Among the people, then in the 15th verse and the singers, the sons of Asaf, were in their place according to the commandment of David and Asaph and Human, and Judith and the king Seer. And the porters waited at every gate that they might not depart from their service for their breath. And the Levites prepared for them. Notice that they kept the Passover just exactly as God had ordered it. But I think it's an interesting little comment. It says here the porters waited at every gate, at every gate.
You know, if there's one gate unguarded, that's where the enemy is going to come.
That's the idea in war is to find a weak point, always attack on the weak, unguarded point. But they kept every gate and saw That needs to be a warning. It is to me, brethren, we might be very faithful in one thing, but very unfaithful in another. The enemy knows our weak points, and we need to be constantly before the Lord, seeking the direction of His word in every matter. Let's not think anything is too small to be.
Observed that God has written in His Word. Every word of God is pure.
The Lord said that if they broke one of these least commandments and teach men's soul, the same should be called least in the Kingdom of heaven. You say, Well, I stand by the important truth, and we stand by the fundamentals. We need the whole truth of God because it was remarked in the meeting this morning. The word truth is always in the singular. They all stands or falls together and the assembly is responsible to stand for.
The whole truth of God, the assembly, is to be the pillar and ground of the truth.
The church doesn't teach, the assembly doesn't teach, but it is responsible to hold the deposit of truth. God raises up teachers to teach. But I hope when anything is said in the meeting, no matter who says it, that we don't just say, well, it must be right because brother, so and so said it. You know, the standard is the word of God. God may use teachers, but the word of God is the standard. And so this is a very lovely time that has taken place here. And then in the 17th verse, the children of Israel that were present kept the Passover at that time.
And the Feast of Unleavened Bread, seven days, seven days through the whole week. Just a little word. You know, we might be very faithful and come to the meetings very faithfully, But you know, I always remember a dear brother many years ago, when I was quite young. He's with the Lord for a good many years. But at the close of the meeting on Lord's day morning, he used to often pray these words. He used to strike me. He said, Lord, help us to remember that we are Thy gathered Saints seven days in the week.
Help us to remember that we are Thy gathered Saints seven days in the week, not just when we come and gather around the Lord Jesus, but they kept that Passover figurative, no doubt of the remembrance of their deliverance from Egypt. We keep the Lord supper remembrance of what the Lord has done for us.
But the seven days in the week, how do we act through the week? Is it always?
A path of separation, unleavened bread, is the thought of separation from evil. Leaven in the scripture, I think we all know, is a figure of evil. There was to be no leaven in the offerings of the Lord. It was to be offered without leaven. And so here everything was done in such a lovely way and everything went very well. Porters were standing at every gate.
They kept the Passover. They followed the word of God. They kept the feast of.
Of the unleavened bread for seven days, the 18th verse. And there was number Passover like that kept in Israel from the days of Samuel the prophet. Neither did all the kings of Israel keep such a Passover as Josiah kept and the priests and the Levites and all is all Judah and.
Israel that were present, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem in the 18th year of the reign of Josiah, was this Passover kept.
So we see he was 26 years old, and I think everything is going to go well from now on. It's given the Lord his rightful place. He's really been very faithful. But I want you to notice these little words in the beginning of the 20th verse. And after all this, after all this. Oh, you'd say, well, surely everything has gone so well. We can never rest upon our oars, brethren. We can never say, well, they've gone on faithfully for the Lord.
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I was sitting in a meeting one time. It's a good many years ago and I heard a brother say I've never missed a prayer meeting in my life unless I had a good reason.
To give the Lord why I wasn't there. But you know, it was within a year that Brother was no longer in the meeting, no longer in fellowship. Let us not boast. Let us not think that because we've gone on that that's going to keep us. Only the Lord can keep us. We need communion with the Lord day by day, all meant by moment.
And if we don't rise in the morning and commit our way to the Lord and seek the guidance and direction of His Word, they won't be kept.
Peter was perhaps the most outstanding and promising. The Lord had said upon this rock. I will build my church. Thou art Peter. He really gave me wonderful position and privilege. But Peter became confident. Peter thought that it would never happen to him. He would never, never deny his Lord. He had gone on too faithfully for that. Now. Peter had to learn his own weakness. And if we haven't learned that, maybe we learned it today that.
We won't be kept unless the Lord keeps us. Is He able to keep us now unto him that is able to keep you from falling? Mr. Darby's translation, stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy? Is he able? Yes, brethren, He's able to keep us, but let us walk in dependence, in self judgment, realizing that he alone can. Well, this is a sad part about We have to read it, though, because it's recorded.
20th verse After all this, when Josiah had prepared the temple, Neko king of Egypt, came up to fight against Karkemish by Ephraitis, and Josiah went out against him, and he sent ambassadors to him, saying, What have I to do with thee? Thou king of Judah? I come not up against thee this day, but against the house that wherewith I have war. For God commanded me to make haste, purbear thee from meddling with God.
Who is with me that he destroyed thee not? Nevertheless Josiah would not turn his face from him, but disguised himself that he might fight with him and listen to what it says here. Hearken not under the words of Necco from the mouth of God, and came to fight in the valley of Megiddo.
And the Archer shot at king Josiah, And the king said to his servants, have me away, for I am sore wounded. His servants therefore took him out of his, that chariot, and put him in the second chariot that he had. And they brought him to Jerusalem. And he died and was buried in one of the sepulchers of his father's. And all Judah and Jerusalem mourn for Josiah, and Jeremiah lamented for Josiah, And all the singing men and the singing women spoke of Josiah and their lamentation to this day.
And made them an ordinance in Israel, and behold, they are written in the Lamentations.
Now the rest of the acts of Josiah and his goodness, according to that which was written in the law of the Lord and his deeds first and last, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah. Well, it's a very sad page in the history of this king. He started meddling with the world, getting mixed up in something that he should have left alone, and we see what happens. He was shot by The Archers. He fell down wounded.
He was brought back to Jerusalem. Beautiful. The little touches that the spirit of God gave, he brought back to Jerusalem. He died there. But what a sad thing at this very important stage of his life. 39, almost 40, because 40 is the period of testing in the scripture. Here he doesn't hearken. Sometimes it's strange whom God may use to give us a rebuke too. Sometimes even the world may know that we're doing wrong.
Sometimes even the world has to say, why don't you leave that alone? The son of your affair. Oh, how important it is that we listen and we walk humbly. But I believe dear Josiah got confident in himself at this point. He'd gone on so well all his time, like the dear brother I spoke of. I honor his name. I know I knew him well. He really sought to live for the Lord in his life. By the end of his life, it was sad to see that he should speak in that way. Well, only the Lord can keep us. And I say to everyone.
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Again, a beautiful That important verse preserved me, O God, for in thee do I put my trust. Well, I'd just like to say one other thing. Did God, so to speak, forget all that had been done before because of this? Isn't this lovely, The 26th verse?
Now the rest of the acts of Josiah and his goodness, according to that which was according to that which was written in the law of the Lord.
And his deeds, first and last, behold, they are written in the books of the kings of Judah and Israel. And Judah, isn't that lovely? The spirit of God makes this little addition because you might have written them off, so to speak, and say, well, yeah, it's sad the way his life ended in such a disappointment. But God hadn't forgotten, and he doesn't forget anything that has been done for him. If there's anything in your life and mine, the Lord has a record of it. And in that day of manifestation, whatever has been done for him will be manifested.
And then shall every man have praise of God? Sometimes I thought that was one of the most wonderful verses in the whole Bible. And then tell every man that's every believer have praise of God. To think that there won't be one single believer that God won't pick out something in his life, that he can reward that the judgment seat of Christ. There may be a lot that's burned up, but he'll pick out and he'll reward any little thing that has been done for him. But may you keep us, brethren.
May these things, as it says whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning.
That we, through patients and comfort of the scriptures might uphold. And so I want to say we have all ages here. This little story that God has recorded. It started when Josiah was eight years of age and it went on until he came to the age of 39, covered a very great number of years in his life. And it was very, very much that he's fruitful and is going to be rewarded in that day. May we also remember the Lamb of God still keep us close to thy pierced side.
Is only there in safety and peace to come find. Perhaps you could sing out here, 318.
I.