It was a great moment in the spiritual history of Josiah when his Secretary of State brought in the book of the law and read it before him. How good if we could hear of similar doings in high places in this twentieth century!
Josiah had never seen the sacred scroll before, nor had he heard it read. How different from ourselves who possess the complete Word of God, and who may read it as often as our hearts desire! The book of the law had a great effect upon Josiah. He realized, as never before, how unfaithful Israel had been and how seriously the commandments of the Lord had been neglected. And even worse, they had been openly defied! "It came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the taw, that he rent his clothes." 2 Chron. 34:1919And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the law, that he rent his clothes. (2 Chronicles 34:19). He did still more he wept.
These particulars are recorded in both the Kings and Chronicles accounts of Josiah's reign, proving how acceptable to God was the humiliation of His servant. (Nat every detail of Josiah's doings is written in both books.) Yet this king was no mere sentimentalist. He was a strong character, at that moment in the prime of life, and he was despotic in rule, accustomed to carrying all before him, happily in the right direction. High station and the possession of power tend to puff up poor flesh and make it indisposed to listen to rebuke, even though it may come from the Creator Himself.
It is said of the first Napoleon that on one occasion when he was speaking of his ambitious plans to a group of his marshals, one of them gravely remarked, "Sire, man proposes, but God disposes." Napoleon retorted, "I propose and I dispose." But he finished in St. Helena, in spite of all his boastful pride. In contrast, Josiah, like Hezekiah before him, was child-like before his God—delightful examples for all of us to follow.
The Lord appreciated the attitude of Josiah. In answer to his anxious inquiry He said, "Thus saith the Lord God of Israel concerning the words which thou has heard; because thine heart was tender, and thou didst humble thyself before God, when thou heardest His words... and humblest thyself before Me, and didst rend thy clothes, and weep before Me; I have even heard thee also, saith the Lord." 2 Chron. 34:26, 2726And 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; 27Because thine heart was tender, and thou didst humble thyself before God, when thou heardest his words against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, and humbledst thyself before me, and didst rend thy clothes, and weep before me; I have even heard thee also, saith the Lord. (2 Chronicles 34:26‑27).
The heart of man is naturally hard in relation to God. Note the apostle's words in Eph. 4:18: "Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart." The Lord Jesus, in His parable of the sower, spoke of the good seed of the Word falling by the wayside (Matt. 13:44And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up: (Matthew 13:4)). What could be harder, or less likely to be productive?
In contrast with this, Josiah's heart was impressionable, surely a gracious work of the Holy Spirit of God. The divine Word is likened to a hammer in Jer. 23:29: "Is not My word like as a fire? saith the Lord; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?" The Philippian jailer needed the hammer when Paul and Silas first had to do with him. Not so King Josiah. His heart was already tender. W. Fereday