When change comes to the heart, hope is born

Friday, January 18, 2013

He was eight years old and king of a nation. The kings preceding him are not recognized as being kings who properly led the nation but now it is left to him. As he grew and developed the nation followed suit. Josiah built the nation and is recognized for a number of inventions to help achieve that. But he is best remembered for bringing a spiritual renewal to the land. He removed the worship of other gods and renewed worship of Israel's God, Yahweh alone. Re-establishing worship in the Temple meant cleaning out the trash of false worship and neglect and, but this proved a bit more than was bargained. We read in 2 Kings 22, that Hilkiah the priest notified Shaphan who was a Scribe with what is reported to be the Book of the Law. The Scribe read it and took it to the King. After Josiah heard it read The Scripture reads that he tore his clothes, a symbol of grief centered in horror and astonishment. The words of the law was likely from the works of Moses found in Deuteronomy that clearly spelled out blessings for obeying God and curses for disobedience. One would assume that Josiah recognized that the nation was in great trouble with God because of the failure of the nation to walk in God's ways in the years past.

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