King Josiah

King Josiah was one of the last kings of the nation of Judah.  This occurs in 2 Kings 22 of the Old Testament.  The overall nation of Israel had been split into 2 parts for many years; Israel in the North and Judah in the South.  As we read through the OT we see that Israel went into captivity to Assyria as recorded in 2 Kings 17.  And the reason that they were overcome was because they had left the Lord, not following His instruction, following after false gods.  And during this period of the Northern and Southern kingdoms, there was not one single king who was faithful to the Lord.

We read that Judah held on longer and never fell to the Assyrians.  This is because at least some of the kings and the people remained faithful to God.  Thus, God spared them for awhile.  Eventually we see that Judah falls to the dynasty of Babylon.....but only when the nation started following false gods and totally rejecting the true God. 

Josiah became king of Judah at the age of 8 and reigned for 31 years.  The High Priest at that time found the Book of the Law and got it to the king.  King Josiah as amazed; this book had not been found or followed for a long time.  Verse 13, the king speaks, "Go, inquire of the Lord for me, for the people and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that has been found; for great is the wrath of the Lord that is aroused against us, because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book, to do according to all that is written concerning us."

Verse 25 says of king Josiah, "Now before him there was no king like him, who turned to the Lord with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the Law of Moses, nor after him did any arise like him."

This kind of commitment to the Lord serves as a good example to us.  We need to recognize the importance of God's instruction book to us, the Bible.  To those people of old it was the Law of Moses, given by God, the Jewish Law.  To us it is the instruction of the New Testament.  And we need to see that God is serious about us following it.

And we can note that all through the Bible we read where nations that followed the Lord were protected by Him.  When nations turned away from Him, there was a great fall.  Pray for our nation.

Thanks for reading......and learning, or being reminded, about our Great God!