The Book Of The Law Was Found

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…”