WHEN King Josiah had reigned twelve years in Jerusalem he began the great work of his life. When he began, he did not leave off, he “turned not aside to the right hand or to the left," and did the work which God had given him to do for Him.
You remember how much God had to say to His people about their sin in making gods for themselves. They had set up images to the sun-god and the moon-god in groves of beautiful trees, and there they went to praise these false gods and to pray to them.
King Josiah might have done as his father did, and have praised these gods of wood and of stone, and bowed himself down before them, but God had put a different spirit into him. Listen to what is written in the Bible about him. “In the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet young, he began to seek after the God of David his father: and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem from the high places, and the groves, and the carved images."
So this was the work which the king began in the twelfth year of his reign. He had learned to know the true God, and he would have no images to false gods set up in his land; but broke them all to pieces, and cut down the groves of trees where they used to stand.
But how did King Josiah know the true God? You know the Lord has said, "Those who seek Me early shall find Me." How old was Josiah when he began to seek after God?
He was about sixteen years old, and he was about twenty—quite a grown man—when he began to throw down the images and break them in pieces.
You are quite right. But do not forget that long before this king had any thought of seeking after God, God had been seeking him, knocking at the door of his childish heart, and speaking to him in words of love and pity.
How do we know this? Does it say so in the Bible?
Not exactly in this place, but in many other parts of the Bible, we learn that the heart, even of a child, by nature turns away from God; not to Him.
How long did Josiah the king take to destroy all the idols? And what did he do next, to serve God?
He took six years to destroy the idols, for all that time he was going round the country to distant cities, so that no idols should be left anywhere. When he had destroyed them all, he returned to Jerusalem, and he thought a great deal about the house of God there, that beautiful temple which King Solomon had built.
Why did he think about the temple?
Because it was broken down in many places. While the people had been making beautiful groves and altars for the false gods, they had allowed God's house to fall into decay. Just as King David had desired to build a house for the Lord, so now this king, who walked in his ways, wished to restore His house, and make it beautiful again.
So that was the next work which he did, after he had taken away the idols from the land?
Yes, King Josiah could not do this work with his own hands, but he spoke to some of his chief men, and told them to use the money which the people had given for the house of God, to pay the workmen, and to buy stone and wood to mend the broken places. Some of the workmen only carried loads, and helped those who were building; but a beautiful thing is written in God's Book about the men who did this work about the house of the Lord. “They did the work faith/idly."
What does that mean? And why does God tell us about it?
It means that there was no need for anyone to mind the men at their work: they knew that the eye of God was upon them, and they did all they were doing in the very best way they could, not leaving any bad places where they thought it might not show. And no one was idle or half-hearted about his work.
It was just then that the treasure of which we were speaking was found. It was the high-priest who found it. He said, “I have found the book of the law in the house of the Lord," and he gave it to Shaphan, the scribe, and he read it before the king.
Oh, that is what the picture is about. Is that roll of paper the book of the law?
Yes; all books looked much like rolls of paper at that time. The book of the law was the same to the people of Judah as the Bible is to us, for it was all that God had given them of His word. You know He has given us a great deal more; but, whether much or little, every word of God is precious.
But the king looks rather frightened, and not at all glad.
Ah, that is because he was thinking of how displeased God must be with His people for having forgotten Him so long. When the king heard the words of the book of the law he rent his clothes.
Why was that?
To show his grief. Then he sent a message, and said, " Go ye, inquire of the Lord for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that is found: for great is the wrath of the Lord that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not hearkened unto the words of this book, to do according unto all that which is written concerning us."
This was the message. The word which God sent back in answer was very solemn and dreadful in the first part, like those messages which He was sending by His prophet to the people. God said He was very, very angry with His people because they had forsaken Him and gone after other gods, and He said He was going to bring trouble and sorrow upon them.
But was that all the message?
No; the last part was for King Josiah, and these were the words which God sent to him: " Because thine heart was tender, and thou hast humbled thyself before the Lord, when thou heardest what I spake against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof,... and hast rent thy clothes, and wept before Me; I also have heard thee, saith the Lord. Behold therefore, I will gather thee unto thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered into thy grave in peace; and thine eyes shall not see all the evil which I will bring upon this place."
When you are older you will be able to read in the second book of Kings and the second book of Chronicles much more about the reign of the boy-king Josiah, of whom it is written, " Like unto him was there no king before him, that turned to the Lord with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses (you know that was the Bible then); neither after him arose there any like him." Many kings have received praise of men: this king received praise of God, in His word, which lasts forever. L.