Today’s passage: 2 Chronicles 34:1-33
Helpful thoughts:
- Josiah became king at the age of 8. He was 26 when he first heard the Word of the Lord. He began seeking out the Lord when he was 16, but it would be another ten years before anyone found the Bible!
- It is important to remember: The kings were commanded to have written their own copy of the Word of God under the supervision of the priests (Deuteronomy 17:18). Josiah would have hand-written his own copy…and had access to the multiple copies handed down by all the kings who preceded him.
- It would have taken a great deal of courage for the young king to meticulously destroy all the false idols around the nation. Many people would have surely been dismayed and frustrated by his actions.
- It would have shown a great deal of humility as well for Josiah to respond in grief and repentance when he heard the Word of God. He did not gloat or brag at how he had been working to bring Judah back. He mourned the sins of Judah and Israel, which had been going on for generations.
Questions to consider:
- If Josiah did not have access to that copy of the Law for eighteen years, where would he have gotten his information from to begin seeking the Lord? What tradition was there? Whose examples did he follow? Who would have told him what to do and how would he know if they were leading him correctly?
- Judah was clearly told that judgment was coming. They chose to worship the Lord under the leadership of Josiah? Why might this sound unusual (Worshiping the God who just declared your judgment was coming)? Why was it also the right thing to do?
- In a culture that magnifies the importance of personal will and opinion, why must we value God’s revealed words above all others? If how I feel becomes more significant than what is true, what will become of my understanding and appreciation of the Bible, the Gospel, sin and judgment, the need for evangelism, etc.?