Thine Heart Was Tender

From: Josiah and Revival By: William Woldridge Fereday

• 9 min. read • grade level: 9

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. Would that 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 Jehovah had been neglected. Worse—they had been openly defied! “It came to pass, when the King had heard the words of the law, 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.” (2 Chron. 34:27²⁷Because 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 34:27)). 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. (Not 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 undisposed 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. But Josiah, like Hezekiah before him, was childlike before his God. Delightful examples for us all to follow!

Jehovah appreciated the attitude of Josiah. In answer to his anxious inquiry, He said: “Thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, concerning the words which thou has heard; because thine heart was tender, and thou didst humble thyself before God, when thou heartiest His words ... .and humbledst thyself before Me and didst rend thy clothes, and weep before Me; I have even heard thee also, saith Jehovah” (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, “having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart” (Eph 4:18¹⁸Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: (Ephesians 4:18)). 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, gracious work of the Holy Spirit of God, assuredly. The divine Word is likened to a hammer in Jeremiah 23:29²⁹Is not my word like as a fire? saith the Lord; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces? (Jeremiah 23:29), “Is not My Word like as a fire? saith Jehovah, and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?” The Philippian jailor needed the hammer when Paul and Silas first had to do with him; not so king Josiah. His heart was already tender.

Those of us who are privileged to live in Bible-reading lands need to exercise ourselves as to our attitude towards the “living oracles” (Acts 7:38³⁸This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us: (Acts 7:38)). That which is easily obtained is apt to be lightly regarded. Familiarity with sacred things may cause them to become common in our eyes. Every time we open our Bibles, we enter (as it were) into the presence chamber of the Divine Majesty. In the written Word (which suits every age, for it is never out-of-date) we hear the voice of God. This being true, we should seek preparation of heart (which only the Holy Spirit can give) before we read even a single page. “My heart standeth in awe of Thy Word,” says the Psalmist (Psa. 119:161¹⁶¹SCHIN. Princes have persecuted me without a cause: but my heart standeth in awe of thy word. (Psalm 119:161)). “Receive with meekness the implanted word,” is the counsel of James 1:21²¹Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. (James 1:21). In the days of Isaiah, when the land of Israel was full of hypocrisy—men boasting of their religious privileges but utterly regardless of their spiritual condition—Jehovah said, “to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at My Word” (Isa. 66:2²For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the Lord: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word. (Isaiah 66:2)). Let us not miss the word “trembleth.” It is not slavish dread but a sense of the greatness of the One who speaks to us, and of the gravity of disobedience to His voice. After the return from the captivity, when it was found that some in Israel were again setting at naught the commandments of God concerning inter-marriage with the heathen, Ezra records “Then were assembled unto me every one that trembled at the Words of the God of Israel, because of the transgression of those that had been carried away; and I sat astonished until the evening sacrifice” (Ezra 9:4⁴Then were assembled unto me every one that trembled at the words of the God of Israel, because of the transgression of those that had been carried away; and I sat astonied until the evening sacrifice. (Ezra 9:4)). This holy trembling led to prayer and confession resulting in drastic action to clear away the evil.

In the Lord’s messages to the assemblies in Revelation 2 and 3 we meet repeatedly with the word “Repent.” Even to Loadicea, the last of the series, the Lord said, “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent” (Rev. 3:19¹⁹As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. (Revelation 3:19)). Love waits for repentance as long as it is righteously possible. The door stands open until the last hour before righteousness must act in judgment. If Josiah felt so keenly the grievous disobedience of Israel through nine centuries, how should we feel as we review our own history during nineteen centuries since Pentecost? What a record of departure from the Word of God! And what is the condition of things around us at this moment? Are our hearts tender? Do we know anything of holy trembling at the Word of God?

It will be good for us to consider a little further the solemn subject of repentance, especially in its relation to ourselves. The principle of corporate responsibility throughout the dispensation is not as well understood as it should be. We may learn a lesson from Daniel as to this. Although personally a holy man, reverencing God and His Word above many, he felt keenly the guilt of the nation to which he belonged. Israel was God’s chosen heritage. As a people they stood in a relationship to God such as no others have ever known. Upon Israel He lavished His favors; to Israel He entrusted His Word; and upon Israel as His vine in the earth, Jehovah bestowed all the care that divine Wisdom could devise (Isa. 5). But it was all in vain. Thus we hear Daniel pouring out his soul in humble confession of guilt, “We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from Thy precepts and from Thy judgments” (Dan. 9:5⁵We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments: (Daniel 9:5)). In his prayer the prophet traced the history of his people from the deliverance from Egypt until the destruction of Jerusalem and its sanctuary by Nebuchadnezzar. From first to last Jehovah had been faithful and gracious; but Israel had been persistently rebellious and evil. But Daniel, knowing something of the heart of God, nevertheless pleaded for mercy.

This is the spirit that we should cultivate. Daniel looked back over the centuries, and we should do likewise. The Spirit of God came from heaven at Pentecost to form something far more blessed and favored, and therefore far more responsible than the nation upon which the Lo-Ammi sentence was then resting, and is still resting. The Church is the body of Christ, set up in the world to represent Him during His absence, and to be the vehicle by means of which He could work for the glory of God, and for the blessing of men. The Church is also the house of God, in which He dwells, where His power is known, and from which His power goes forth for the good of all. No one pressed these important truths more earnestly than the Apostle Paul, yet he lived to see unfaithfulness spreading in every direction. His warnings to the Ephesian elders in Acts 20:17-35¹⁷And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of the church. ¹⁸And when they were come to him, he said unto them, Ye know, from the first day that I came into Asia, after what manner I have been with you at all seasons, ¹⁹Serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and with many tears, and temptations, which befell me by the lying in wait of the Jews: ²⁰And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have showed you, and have taught you publickly, and from house to house, ²¹Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. ²²And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there: ²³Save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me. ²⁴But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God. ²⁵And now, behold, I know that ye all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, shall see my face no more. ²⁶Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men. ²⁷For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God. ²⁸Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. ²⁹For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. ³⁰Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. ³¹Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears. ³²And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified. ³³I have coveted no man's silver, or gold, or apparel. ³⁴Yea, ye yourselves know, that these hands have ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me. ³⁵I have showed you all things, how that so laboring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive. (Acts 20:17‑35), and his second letter to Timothy are full of foreboding. What has been the history of the succeeding centuries? The will of God has been set at naught, and the will of man has prevailed. Ecclesiasticism with its heavy hand has oppressed the people of God. The divine call to REPENT has been ringing out through the years, but how few have responded to the call! As surely as Josiah lived in the late evening of Israel’s’ national history, so are we living in the late evening of the Church on earth. But it is never too late for those to return to God and His Word who desire to do so. Josiah felt this and acted accordingly. Shall we not do the same?

“Cease to do evil; learn to do well” (Isa. 1:16-17¹⁶Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; ¹⁷Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. (Isaiah 1:16‑17)). Do not be satisfied to follow the footsteps of your fathers. Such a life will not do for God. Each individual confessor of Christ has his own personal responsibility to Him. Examine all your associations and practices in the light of Holy Scripture. Resolutely abandon everything that will not stand this test; and then God who guided Abraham step by step when he followed Him out into the unknown, will not fail to guide you also (Heb. 11:8⁸By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. (Hebrews 11:8)). “The meek will He teach His way” (Psa. 25:9⁹The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way. (Psalm 25:9)). We need not doubt that the Lord will preserve for Himself a remnant true to His Word until the end. Until His coming there will still be the two or three gathered in His name. But repentance means far more than a mere change-over from one order of things to another. It involves a severe judgment before God of all the unscriptural things in which we have participated, and a humble casting ourselves upon His grace to preserve us from ever countenancing them again. Truly repentant souls are not difficult to walk with; mere camp-followers can be a burden too heavy to be borne.

Click here to show subject links in the text for more information.