"Josiah"

Overview

Not Bound by the Past: The Faith of King Josiah

Josiah inherited a spiritual catastrophe. His grandfather Manasseh had filled Judah with idolatry—rebuilding pagan high places, erecting altars to Baal, sacrificing his own son in fire, and practicing sorcery 2 Kings 21:2-11. Though Manasseh repented late in life, the damage was deep. His son Amon, Josiah's father, was even worse: he never repented, abandoning the Lord entirely before being assassinated in his own house 2 Kings 21:20-23. Into this wreckage, an eight-year-old boy was placed on the throne.

Yet Scripture's verdict on Josiah is striking: "He did what was right in the sight of the Lord and walked in the ways of his ancestor David. He did not turn aside to the right or to the left" 2 Chronicles 34:2. His life shows a beautiful progression. At eight, he became king. At sixteen, "while he was still a boy, he began to seek the God of his ancestor David." At twenty, he purged Judah of its idols, even fulfilling a prophecy spoken three hundred years earlier in 1 Kings 13:2 that named him by name. At twenty-six, while repairing the temple, the Book of the Law—likely Deuteronomy or the entire Pentateuch, hidden away during his grandfather's reign—was rediscovered. Josiah read it aloud to the people and led the nation in renewing covenant with the Lord 2 Chronicles 34:29-32.

The pull of the past is real and powerful. Children of emotionally distant parents often grow distant themselves. Children who witness abuse or hear racism can carry those patterns forward. We learn by seeing, hearing, and repetition—and dysfunction can become familiar enough to feel normal. The past can grip tightly, invade the present, and shape the future. But Josiah's story declares that the past does not have the final word. He sought the Lord, and what he discovered was that the Lord had already been seeking him.

This is the heart of the gospel. God's law shows us the depth of our sin and our inability to redeem ourselves. But God comes in seeking love through Jesus Christ, who bore our sin on the cross, rose from an empty tomb, and claims us as his own in the waters of baptism. He frees us from condemnation and from the cycles of sin we feared we could never escape. Beloved, you are not your past. You are his. His grace is bigger than your history, your family's failures, or your own regrets. "This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it" Psalm 118:24.

Transcript

Let's open our Bibles, please this morning to the book of 2 Chronicles, the 34th chapter 2s

for our study today, 2 Chronicles in the Old Testament chapter 34, as we study God's 9s

Holy Word together. 18s

In order to be President of the United States, you need to be at a minimum 35 years 21s

of age by the time that you're sworn in. 31s

That age limit has been around since the formation of the Constitution. 35s

It was interesting doing a little research about that and some of the comments that were 41s

made as the people were trying to decide what should be the minimum age requirement. 46s

There was certainly nothing magical about their selection of 35, it's just the number 54s

that they landed on. 60s

So let me ask you, if you could determine what the minimum age would be to be President 63s

of the United States, what would it be? 70s

Would you stick with 35 or would you go younger? 74s

How about 30? 80s

25? 82s

21? 84s

Or how about 8? 86s

8? 93s

Look with me, please, at chapter 34 of 2 Chronicles, verse 1. 96s

Josiah was 8 years old when he began to reign. 102s

He reigned 31 years in Jerusalem. 107s

Josiah was 8 when he became King. 113s

And this boy inherited quite a mess. 122s

In fact, it was a mess that went back a ways. 126s

Josiah's grandfather was King, Manessa. 132s

Manessa ruled for 55 years. 137s

And second Kings, the 21st chapter, gives us an indication of the type of ruler that he was. 142s

So keep your finger here, please, in second Chronicles 34. 149s

And turn back to second Kings 21st chapter. 152s

We're going to pick up in verse 2 of 2 Kings. 158s

There we read this description about Josiah's grandfather, King, Manessa. 163s

He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, following the abominable practices of the nations, 171s

that the Lord drove out before the people of Israel. 178s

For he rebuilt the high places that his father, Hizakkaya, had destroyed. 183s

He erected alters for bail, made a sacred pole. 188s

As King Ahab of Israel had done, worshipped all the hosts of heaven and served them. 193s

He built alters in the house of the Lord of which the Lord had said, 200s

In Jerusalem, I will put my name. 203s

He built alters for all the hosts of heaven and the two courts of the house of the Lord. 208s

He made his son pass through fire. 215s

He practiced Suf saying an augerry and dealt with mediums and with wizards. 217s

He did much evil in the sight of the Lord provoking him to anger. 223s

We continue on verse 11, but halfway through, it says of Manessa. 231s

He has done things more wicked than all the Amarites did who were before him and has caused Judah also to sin with his idols. 239s

Manessa was terrible, terrible. 253s

I dollotry, surrounded him, I dollotry he initiated and maintained. 259s

Manessa was terrible, interestingly though. 267s

Just a few years before he died, he repented of this. 273s

He attempted to get rid of the idolatry, but he wasn't totally successful. 279s

So that's just size, grandfather. 289s

Well, Manessa's son, Aiman, takes over. 292s

And Aiman, the father of Josiah, Aiman. 299s

Well, he was a terrible king also, just terrible. 306s

He was steeped in idolatry. 311s

In fact, he was even worse than his father, Manessa. 314s

He was even worse because Aiman never repented. 318s

We see the description of Aiman in 2nd Kings chapter 21, verse 20. 322s

It says of Aiman. 329s

He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord as his father, Manessa had done. 332s

He walked in all the way in which his father walked. 338s

Serve the idols that his father served and worship them. 342s

He abandoned the Lord, the God of his ancestors, and did not walk in the way of the Lord. 347s

Goes on in verse 23 and it says, 355s

The servants of Aiman conspired against him and killed the king in his house. 359s

But the people of the land killed all those who had conspired against King Aiman. 365s

And the people of the land made his son Josiah king in place of him. 370s

What a mess here. 381s

What a mess. This grandfather who was an idolatry for the overwhelming majority here of his life of his reign. 383s

His father, Josiah's father, Aiman, who also was an idolatry. 392s

See, he's got a grandfather and a father steeped in idolatry and absolute mess. 397s

And then along comes Josiah, Josiah at the age of eight, becoming king. 403s

What chance does this kid have? 413s

What chance does he have? 415s

With a grandfather like the one he had, with a father like the one he had, 418s

steeped in this idolatry. He's eight years old when he's king. 422s

What chance does he have? 427s

But. 436s

Let's go back to our text now. 440s

Second Chronicles, chapter 34, we'll pick up in verse two. 443s

And here is the description of Josiah. 450s

Verse two of chapter 34. 455s

He did what was right in the sight of the Lord and walked in the ways of his ancestor David. 458s

He did not turn aside to the right or to the left. 468s

What a beautiful accolade is given by the Chronicleer to King Josiah. 476s

Then it goes on. 487s

Verse three. 491s

For in the eighth year of his reign. 492s

So now he's 16. 496s

While he was still a boy, he began to seek the God of his ancestor David. 498s

So it eighth he becomes king at 16. 507s

He is seeking God. 510s

And then it goes on. 513s

Second part of verse three. 514s

And in the twelfth year, he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem. 516s

Of the high places, the sacred poles and the carved and the cast images. 521s

So at eight he's king at 16, he seeks the Lord. 531s

And at 20, he is purging the land of the idolater. 537s

Let's go a little bit deeper here. 547s

Three hundred years before Josiah came upon the scene and became king. 550s

Three hundred years before there's a prophecy about him. 557s

It's in, first king's, the thirteenth chapter, says this. 562s

While Jeroboam was standing by the altar to offer incense, a man of God came out of Judah by the word of the Lord to Bethel. 569s

And proclaimed against the altar by the word of the Lord and said, 577s

O altar, altar, thus says the Lord. 585s

I catch this. 590s

A son shall be born to the house of David, Josiah by name. 592s

And he shall sacrifice on you the priests of the high places who offer incense on you. 599s

And human bones shall be burned on you. 607s

Let me just read that part of the prophecy that last part once again. 612s

A son shall be born to the house of David, Josiah by name. 617s

And he shall sacrifice on you the priests of the high places who offer incense on you. 621s

And human bones shall be burned on you. 628s

This is 300 years remember before Josiah comes upon the scene. 632s

Look now, please, verse 4 chapter 34. 643s

In his presence, Josiah's presence, they pulled down the altars of the bales. 648s

He demolished the incense altars that stood above them. 655s

He broke down the sacred poles and the carved and the cast images. 659s

He made dust of them and scattered it over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them. 666s

He also burned the bones of the prophets on their altars and purged Judah and Jerusalem. 675s

The bones of those prophets, centuries before, that had offered the sacrifices. 685s

All of the idolatry, he burns their bones upon the altar, just like the prophecy had said. 695s

At eight, he's king. 708s

At 16, he's sixth the Lord. 714s

At 20, he purges the land of idolatry. 719s

And at 26, he rebuilds and he renovates. 728s

Look at me, please, now, at verse 8 of chapter 34. 739s

In the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had purged the land and the house, 746s

he sent Sheifan, son of Azalaya, may see the governor of the city, 753s

and Joha, son of Joha, the recorder, to repair the house of the Lord, his god. 761s

Here's the thing. 771s

As the house of the Lord was being repaired, what they discovered was a book. 774s

It was the book of the law. 782s

It was either the book of Deuteronomy or the Pentateuch. 786s

Pentateuch is just another name for the first five books of Moses. 791s

Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. 794s

So as either the book of Deuteronomy that they discover as they're doing the renovations and the repair, 797s

or it's the Pentateuch. 803s

Word of this comes to King Joha's. 808s

And Joha saia tears his clothes in grief. 812s

Turn it with me now to chapter 34, verse 29. 818s

We read this. 824s

Then the King sent Word and gathered together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. 828s

The King went up to the house of the Lord with all the people of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, 835s

the priest and the Levites, all the people both great and small. 841s

He read in their hearing. 847s

All the words of the book of the covenant that had been found in the house of the Lord. 850s

The King stood in his place and made a covenant before the Lord to follow the Lord, 857s

keeping his commandments, his decrees, and his statutes. 864s

With all his heart and all his soul to perform the words of the covenant that were written in this book. 868s

Then he made all who were present in Jerusalem and in Benjamin, pledge themselves to it. 877s

And the inhabitants of Jerusalem acted according to the covenant of God, the God of their ancestors. 884s

The discovery of the book of either Judah or the Pentateuch. 895s

Most likely, you see, his grandfather would have destroyed all of the books. 900s

The only ones that would have survived had been those that were hidden. 907s

And so one of those that was hidden now is rediscovered. 910s

And there is the reading of the book and a recommitment of a beautiful site. 916s

At eight, he's king. 923s

At 16, he seeks. 927s

At 20, he purges. 931s

And at 26, he repairs. 936s

And he reads. 943s

Eight years old, when he comes to the throne, 946s

as king. 951s

What chance did the kid have? 954s

But Josiah was not controlled by his past. 961s

Josiah was not controlled by his past. 969s

The past can grip. 980s

It can grip so tightly. 983s

I think, for example, of a child. 989s

A child that has emotionally distanced parents. 992s

That child then experiences that. 999s

And then when that child becomes older, they can become emotionally distant with their children. 1001s

I think of the child who witnesses abuse, violence or verbal or perhaps both. 1010s

And that child, having experienced that, can take the past into their present. 1027s

And they become an abuser. 1037s

I think of the child who continually hears derogatory comments made about other people. 1044s

Simply because they have a different color skin. 1054s

And that child goes up. 1063s

And he or she becomes the racist, just like the parents. 1066s

On and on can go the list. 1076s

As humans, we learn by seeing. 1081s

We learn by hearing. 1084s

We learn by repetition. 1087s

And so often what is seen and heard and repeated. 1091s

Then becomes ingrained. 1098s

Why a person can repeat this function. 1102s

This function that they experienced in their own family, 1106s

they can repeat the dysfunction when they become adults. 1110s

And why simply because it's that which is familiar to them. 1115s

It's that which they know. 1120s

A person can cling to a painful, painful memory. 1125s

An event that is just burned into the mind. 1132s

And they can cling to that memory. 1137s

And then when they grow, they can become just like that memory that they experience. 1141s

As they repeat the past, clinging to that memory, they become just like the one. 1150s

Who inflicted that memory. 1160s

The past can grip so tight. 1168s

The past can invade the present. 1172s

The past can form the future. 1178s

Verse 34 once again. 1188s

Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign. 1194s

He rained 31 years in Jerusalem. 1203s

He did what was right in the sight of the Lord and walked in the ways of his ancestor David. 1208s

He did not turn aside to the right or to the left. 1217s

For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was still a boy, 1224s

he began to seek the God of his ancestor David. 1228s

Josiah seeks God when he's 16. 1238s

He seeks God and what would have justiah had discovered? 1244s

What would he discover? 1248s

He would have discovered that God sought him and changed his heart. 1249s

God comes to us in the law and reveals to us the depth of our sinfulness. 1263s

Reveals to us that we have sinned against him and thought were indeed by what we've done and by what we have left undone. 1271s

The law shows that we cannot redeem ourselves. 1279s

The law shows that left to ourselves, what we deserve is hell itself. 1282s

But God comes in his seeking love and shares with us the glorious gospel. 1288s

That the Lord Jesus Christ has borne our sin on the cross. 1297s

He's paid the depth that we have been reconciled unto God that the tomb is empty, 1301s

that the sacrifice for sin has been accepted, that God looks at us and says, 1307s

for given, for given, that God claims us as his own in the waters of baptism, 1314s

grace upon grace, upon grace. 1323s

God frees us from the past. 1330s

He frees us from it. 1335s

It's like one short circuiting a merry-go-round, so it stops and the endless same tune stops playing, 1339s

and God takes us off of that merry-go-round. 1347s

You don't have to repeat the past. 1351s

He takes us off of the merry-go-round. 1354s

He leads us into a new day, a new day born of his grace, 1357s

and his love, and his claim upon us, and his empowerment of the new. 1364s

God comes and frees us from the condemnation we can put upon ourselves because of past sins. 1373s

He continues to come and says, those sins are covered in the blood of Jesus. 1382s

He frees us from that condemnation and leads us into that new day. 1388s

He's the only one who can see the rest of the day of his wonderful grace. 1394s

Josiah was not tied to the past of his grandfather. 1401s

Josiah was not tied to the past of his father. 1409s

He was freed, freed. 1415s

Beloved, you are not your past. 1421s

You baptized child, are his, your his. 1432s

And his grace is bigger than your past. 1442s

This is the day. 1456s

The Lord has made. 1460s

This is the day. 1463s

The Lord has made. 1466s

Let us rejoice and be glad in it. 1467s