When we take the time to examine biblical history, it is not difficult to find that through the ages man has always failed God. The reasons why this happens can be attributed to many things, but I would say that what modern society has in common with all other societies of the past is lack of faith and disobedience. In reality both are equally dangerous because both separate us from God's presence and as we all know, the only things that exists away from God’s are pain, suffering and torment. Without God’s presence we will never find the rest and peace that Jesus died on the cross to give us, instead we will walk in desolate and deserted roads. And the sad reality is that many are on these roads at this very moment, or are about to start a journey in them. That's why today I wish to examine the life of Josiah, who was one of the kings of Judah, and in it we will find what we need to do to return to the road that God wants us to walk, and/or to avoid taking a journey on a road that leads us away from God.
Today we will be using 2 Chronicles 34; since the time that we share is limited, I will not be reading the entire chapter to you. What I am going to do is read the key verses that will reveal the message that God has for us today, but I do ask that you read the chapter in its entirety during your time of personal study or meditation.
To have a better understanding of the message that God has for us today, we will need to know a little more about the main character of our story; we will need to know King Josiah a little better. King Josiah inherited the kingdom from his father Amon, who reigned for only two years and had been a man completely separated from God’s presence just as his father Manasseh[1]. This is something that is well summed up in 2 Chronicles 33:22 when we read: “…But he did evil in the sight of the LORD, as his father Manasseh had done; for Amon sacrificed to all the carved images which his father Manasseh had made, and served them…” The reason why Amon only reigned for two years was because he was murdered. This is something that is well documented in 2 Chronicles 33:24 when we read: “…Then his servants conspired against him, and killed him in his own house…” So after Amon’s death Josiah inherited the kingdom at a very early age; he was a child. This is something that is well stated in 2 Chronicles 34:1 when we read: “…Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem…” Now, why have I taken the time to give you this information?
The reason why I have taken the time to provide you with these brief historical details is because in them we find something that is of utmost importance. First of all, these verses let us know a little more about Josiah, but more importantly, these brief details tell us that our past does NOT determine our future, and I emphasize this because one of the tactics that the enemy uses quite often is to bring up our past in an attempt to stop our journey and/or detour us from the right path. Therefore, keeping these brief details in mind let’s now continue with our study for today.
The chapter we are studying today shows a revival under the leadership of King Josiah, who was the man responsible for turning the heart of a rebellious and faith lacking nation back to God. But now we should ask ourselves: why was God able to use King Josiah to bring about this revival to the people?
The answer to our question is easily found in 2 Chronicles 34:2 when we read: “…And he did what was right in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the ways of his father David; he did not turn aside to the right hand or to the left…” Now I don’t want anyone here to get confused by what we have just read. Amon was Josiah's father, and as I said he was an evil man, so when we read that Josiah “…walked in the ways of his father David…” this does not mean that David was his father, but rather it is a reference to his ancestor. This is something that is clearer stated in the New Living Translation of the Bible which translates this verse as follows: “…He did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight and followed the example of his ancestor David. He did not turn away from doing what was right…”
Therefore, we can confidently say that the reason why God was able to use Josiah to bring about a revival to the nation was because Josiah did not let his past, in other words the bad examples and actions of the evil kings before him, influence his faith and obedience in God. But rather from a very early age he began to fight the evil legacy that he had inherited. This is something that is well summed up in 2 Chronicles 34:3-4 when we read: “…For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, he began to seek the God of his father David; and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, the wooden images, the carved images, and the molded images. 4They broke down the altars of the Baals in his presence, and the incense altars which were above them he cut down; and the wooden images, the carved images, and the molded images he broke in pieces, and made dust of them and scattered it on the graves of those who had sacrificed to them…”
But now we must ask two questions. Number one; how did Josiah light the fire of revival? Number two; what did Josiah use to start the revival? Let’s now examine these two questions.
I. How did Josiah light the fire of revival?
How did King Josiah light the fire of revival? The response to our first question is easily found in 2 Chronicles 34:8-10 when we read: “…In the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had purged the land and the temple, he sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, Maaseiah the governor of the city, and Joah the son of Joahaz the recorder, to repair the house of the LORD his God. 9When they came to Hilkiah the high priest, they delivered the money that was brought into the house of God, which the Levites who kept the doors had gathered from the hand of Manasseh and Ephraim, from all the remnant of Israel, from all Judah and Benjamin, and which they had brought back to Jerusalem. 10Then they put it in the hand of the foremen who had the oversight of the house of the LORD; and they gave it to the workmen who worked in the house of the LORD, to repair and restore the house…” As we can see well reflected in these verses, the first thing that Josiah had to do to start the revival in this nation was to rebuild the house of the Lord; however, I want us to pay close attention to one very important detail here. I want us to note that Josiah had ordered that they deliver the money that was brought into the house of God. In other words, Josiah was willing to pay all costs that the restoration of the Temple might have. Tell the person sitting next to you: the money was no object.
One of the things that the people of God most need today is a revival. Now when I speak of revival I am not referring to a place that gets completely filled with people because they come to listen to an eloquent or famous preacher. I say this because listening to the preaching of an eloquent or famous speaker is completely useless unless he is preaching the truth. That a place may get completely filled with people to listen to a preacher may be a sign of the beginning of a revival in a place or worship; however, the reality of it all is that the revival that God's people need most today, is a personal revival. I say this because as I have said on numerous occasions, (and it is something that you will hear me say hear again in the future), there are a large number of believers who are completely dead in the spirit. It is for this very reason numerous churches worldwide are forced to close their doors forever, (in the United States about 1,400 pastors abandon the ministry each month[2]). It is for this reason that around the world a large number of people turn away from God on a daily basis. How can we prevent this from happening in our life?
The answer is easy; we must rebuild the house of the Lord no matter what the cost might be; in other words, the price that we will pay. Let me be very clear about something; I don’t want anyone to misunderstand what I am saying. With what I have just said, I am NOT asking anyone for money, NOR will I ever ask anyone for money. What I am saying is that we have to build or completely remodel the house of the Lord. But, what is the Lord's house? Is the Lord's house a building? Is the Lord’s house a rented space? The answer to both questions is NO, and this is something that we find clearly stated in Acts 7:48-50 when we read: “…However, the Most High does not dwell in temples made with hands, as the prophet says: 49‘Heaven is My throne, And earth is My footstool. What house will you build for Me? says the LORD, Or what is the place of My rest? 50Has My hand not made all these things?’” But what then is the Lord's house?
For Josiah's and his nation, the Lord's house was a building where they kept the ark of the covenant, and sacrificed to God, but for us the Lord's house is not a building or a place of sacrifice. In Ephesians 2:20-22 we find that we are told: “…having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, 21in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, 22in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit…” In other words, we are the house of the Lord. Tell the person sitting next to you: you are the temple of God. And this is exactly what you have to build, rebuild, remodel, and/or clean.
The problem that exists is that very few are willing to pay the price that the reconstruction or remodeling of the house of the Lord might incur. I think that is very clear by now that I am not speaking about money, but rather I am speaking about the impact that our faith and conviction will produce in our life. I say this because when we persevere in remaining faithful to God, that is, when we don’t compromise our faith, then we will be hated and criticized by those around us. This of course can cause us to lose long time friends, and even family members. Unfortunately this is a price that many consider too high to pay, but if this is what you think, remember that Jesus Christ paid a much higher price for you. Therefore, despite all that we may experience, our faith should never be compromised.
All of us must seek a personal spiritual revival, and to obtain this revival we should seek it in the same way that Josiah started the revival in that nation. We have to rebuild the Lord’s House, in other words do as we find in Proverbs 4:23-27 when we read: “…Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life. 24Put away from you a deceitful mouth, And put perverse lips far from you. 25Let your eyes look straight ahead, And your eyelids look right before you. 26Ponder the path of your feet, And let all your ways be established. 27Do not turn to the right or the left; Remove your foot from evil…” Tell the person sitting next to you: don’t deviate from the path. So the first thing that we have to do to keep from straying or return to the right path is to rebuild our life, we must rebuild the Lord’s House, and the price should not be an object. How can we achieve this? This leads us to the second question for today.
II. What did Josiah use to start the revival?
What did King Josiah use to start the revival? In 2 Chronicles 34:14 we read: “…Now when they brought out the money that was brought into the house of the LORD, Hilkiah the priest found the Book of the Law of the LORD given by Moses…” What Josiah used to start the revival in the nation was the Word of God. I say this because the book spoken of here is the book of Deuteronomy, a book that had been lost until this exact time. We are talking about the book that Moses wrote, which in part contains the admonitions and prohibitions for the people of Israel regarding their conduct once they were established in Canaan. So what Josiah used to start the revival in the nation was, the Word of God. Tell the person sitting next to you: he used the Word of God.
The really sad part is that there a great similarity between the people of that time and the people of today. I say this because just like the people of that time had lost and/or forgotten the Word of God; today there are a large number of believers who have done the same. This is why at the beginning of the service I said that there are many believers that although physically alive, are spiritually dead. And this spiritual death is what causes many to come in and out of the church or meeting place and not feel anything. This spiritual death is what causes many to come in and out of the church or gathering place without receiving the rich and abundant blessings that exist in the Word of God.
What blessings did King Josiah find in the Word of God? To answer this question I want us to note what King Josiah found in Deuteronomy 28:1 when we read: “…Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the LORD your God will set you high above all nations of the earth…” And this is only her first verse, if you want to see all the blessings that the nation would receive I invite you to read verses two through fourteen.
The truth of it all is that the only thing that can cause a spiritual revival is the Word of God. And that is why as faithful believers we have to use the Word of God to begin a spiritual revival in the lives of those whom we love and surround us. As faithful believers we have to use the Word of God to begin a spiritual revival of all those who have strayed; a spiritual revival in all those who still do not know God and are lost in a world of darkness, loneliness, and suffering. Why is God’s Word the only thing that produces a revival? The main reason is because the Word of God is what gives us conviction. Note carefully at what happened with Josiah in 2 Chronicles 34:18-19 when we read: “…Then Shaphan the scribe told the king, saying, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.” And Shaphan read it before the king. 19Thus it happened, when the king heard the words of the Law, that he tore his clothes…” The Word tells us that the king tore his clothes, in other words Josiah received a strong conviction.
Why is the Word of God the only thing that produces a personal revival? The answer to this question becomes clear when we read Hebrews 4:12 which states: “…For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart….” The word of God is the only way to produce a personal revival because His Word is penetrating; the Word of God sharp; the word of God clears our thoughts and cleanses our spirit. The word of God is what strengthens us in difficult times and sustains us in times of sorrow. The problem there is that a good number of believers, just like God's people of that time, have lost the Word from their heart. I say this because most believers do not take the time to read, study, and meditate on the Word of God, and once we do that, then forgetting or losing it from our life will not be difficult.
In conclusion; as I said at the start of the service, the sad reality is that today there are large numbers of believers who are traveling down a path that is displeasing to God. There are a number of people who have strayed from the straight and perfect path that leads to God, and are therefore are completely dead or seriously wounded spiritually. But all is not lost, there is a solution and his name is Jesus Christ.
Do you want to receive the rich and abundant blessings that God wants to give you? Then begin seeking a personal revival today. Start by recognizing that your past can’t affect your future. Start building, rebuilding, and/or remodeling the Lord’s House, and the price should never be an object; in other words turn away from sin and persevere in a life of holiness without caring about what people might think or say about you. Begin by allowing the Word of God to guide your steps and clear your thoughts. King Josiah was able to achieve the revival of a rebellious and unfaithful nation; Josiah was able to turn the heart of the people back to the one true God; now the question that remains is: will you?
[1] 2 Kings 21:1-18, 2 Chronicles 33:1-20
[2] The Condition of the Church in America, complicated by Andy McAdams
