God's Standard

2 Chron. 34:3 For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet young, he began to seek after the God of David his father: and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem from the high places, and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images

1. It is possible to serve the Lord amongst a perverse people

2. Josiah did it in the Old Testament with out the Spirit living inside him or Jesus

3. The Bible said while he was yet young… It is better to start young…

4. Josiah was only sixteen when he began to seek after God

5. He was twenty when he began his reforms in Judah

6. Josiah was twenty-six years old; he began the repair of the temple (that had fallen into despair under the reign of Manasseh 2 Chron. 34:8

Go to vs 14

Now that the temple had been repaired they made an amazing discovery

It was a copy of the Law of God

2 Chron. 34:14. And when they brought out the money that was brought into the house of the LORD, Hilkiah the priest found a book of the law of the LORD given by Moses

1. Josiah listened to this book of the law being read

Look at what happened in 2 Chron. 34:18–19 Then Shaphan the scribe told the king, saying, Hilkiah the priest hath given me a book. And Shaphan read it before the king. And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the law, that he rent his clothes

2. Why did Josiah rent his cloths…. (Represented strong emotion)

a. Fear came upon him

3. He was dismayed when he heard the Word of God for the first time, because he and his people had strayed so far from God’s commands.

4. They discovered God’s standards and there neglect to live up to them

But not only did they discover their neglect and unresponsiveness THEY DID SOMETHING ABOUT IT!!!

1. A return to the Word of God brings revival. Nothing else will bring revival

Josiah is a shaken up and wants to know what God is doing

In 2 Chron. 34:24–25 we see God’s message to Josiah

2 Chron. 34:24–25 Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof, even all the curses that are written in the book which they have read before the king of Judah:

Because they have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the works of their hands; therefore my wrath shall be poured out upon this place, and shall not be quenched

a. First was a message of judgment

b. Then he sent Josiah a personal message of encouragement

2 Chron. 34:26–28 And as for the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the LORD, so shall ye say unto him,

Thus saith the LORD God of Israel concerning the words, which thou hast heard;

Because thine heart was tender, and thou didst humble thyself before God, when thou heardest his words against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, and humbledst thyself before me, and didst rend thy clothes, and weep before me; I have even heard thee also, saith the LORD. Behold, I will gather thee to thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered to thy grave in peace, neither shall thine eyes see all the evil that I will bring upon this place, and upon the inhabitants of the same. So they brought the king word again