Big changes have come to nations when young people took a stand for God. The Bible tells us of Josiah, Israel’s ‘baby’ king. He took the throne when he was only eight. He reigned in Jerusalem for thirty-one years. 2 Chronicles 34:2 says, “He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD and walked in the ways of his father David, not turning aside to the right or to the left.” (NIV)
And there’s more to his story.
“In the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, he began to seek the God of his father David.”
(This is a sixteen-year-old, folks. A young man setting his heart on God. Watch and see what God can do with such a man.)
“In his twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of high places, Asherah poles, carved idols and cast images. Under his direction the altars of the Baals were torn down; he cut to pieces the incense altars that were above them, and smashed the Asherah poles, the idols and the images. These he broke to pieces and scattered over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them. He burned the bones of the priests on their altars, and so he purged Judah and Jerusalem. In the towns of Manasseh, Ephraim and Simeon, as far as Naphtali, and in the ruins around them, he tore down the altars and the Asherah poles and crushed the idols to powder and cut to pieces all the incense altars throughout Israel. Then he went back to Jerusalem.” (2 Chronicles 34:3-7, NIV)
Pretty amazing! At sixteen he seeks God. At twenty he ends idolatry in Israel. Talk about making a difference!
Then at twenty-six, eighteen years after he was enthroned as king, his secretary was given a copy of the Book of the Law which the priests had found in the temple. After he himself had read it, this secretary brought it into the king’s chambers and read it out loud. The young king, upon hearing the words of God recorded by Moses, was deeply moved. He tore his clothes in deep despair. He gave these orders to Hilkiah the priest and several others. “‘Go and inquire of the LORD for me and for the remnant in Israel and Judah about what is written in this book that has been found. Great is the LORD’S anger that is poured out on us because our fathers have not kept the word of the LORD; they have not acted in accordance with all that is written in this book.’” (2 Chronicles 34:21, NIV)
Because this one young man humbled himself and confessed the guilt of his people, the nation of Israel was spared God’s wrath in his lifetime.
“Josiah removed all the detestable idols from all the territory belonging to the Israelites, and he had all who were present in Israel serve the LORD their God. As long as he lived, they did not fail to follow the LORD, the God of their fathers.” (2 Chronicles 34:33, NIV)
The punishment God promised did not come until he was buried in peace. A whole generation was spared because Josiah was faithful to what God asked of him.
Who are the Josiahs of our day? Will you be one? Will your children stand up for what's right? Will your grandkids? Our nation will not be spared if no one acts.
To receive my once or twice weekly message via email, send a blank email to webmessage-subscribe@associate.com. Past messages are available at freegroups.net/groups/webmessage.
No comments:
Post a Comment