Little prince Josiah became king of Judah when he was only eight years old. While his tutors were teaching him many things he would need to know in order to be a good king, God was speaking to his heart. And it says that “He did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in all the ways of David his father, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left.” (2 Kings 22:22And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in all the way of David his father, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left. (2 Kings 22:2).)
When he was eighteen, he set about to do for the Lord some things that were on his heart. Things had declined sadly in his kingdom, for the people had forgotten God. They had neglected His Word, and they had not taken care of His temple. Now it was sadly in need of repair. Josiah told Shaphan the scribe to ask the high priest for money and hire carpenters and masons to repair the house of God.
While they were clearing away the rubbish that had gathered in the temple over many years, Hilkiah the scribe found a book he had never seen before. He showed it to Shaphan and said, “I have found the book of the law in the house of the Lord.”
Shaphan showed the book to the king, and read it before him. The people had not been reminded of these holy commandments of God for a long, long time. So they had neglected to do many things God had told them to do, and they were doing many, many things that God had told them not to do. When young king Josiah heard the words of the book, he wept, and so distressed was he at seeing how far they had gotten away from God, that he rent his clothes. He sent men to Huldah the prophetess, to inquire of the Lord concerning the words of the book they had found, “for,” said he, “great is the wrath of the Lord that is kindled against us.”
The Lord gave the prophetess a word for the king saying that though the people had forsaken Him, and worshiped other gods, in His anger He would bring judgment upon them, but for the young king He had a word of comfort.
“Because thine heart was tender, and thou hast humbled thyself before the Lord, when thou heardest what I spake against this place... and hast rent thy clothes, and wept before Me; I also have heard thee, saith the Lord,” and He told him these terrible things would not happen during his lifetime.
After that the king gathered the people together and read to them out of God’s holy Book. He and all who listened made the solemn vows that they would be obedient and walk in the ways of the Lord.
After that Josiah ordered that all the idols should be destroyed, and he turned out of their places all the priests who had taught the people idolatry.
Thus young king Josiah labored earnestly to please the Lord, and to seek to bring his people back to God. It says, “there was 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; neither after him arose there any like him.” (2 Kings 23:2525And 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; neither after him arose there any like him. (2 Kings 23:25).)
ML-08/06/1978