The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 2 Chronicles 34:19,
"When the king [Josiah] heard the words of the Law, he tore his robes.
Josiah was the sixteenth of twenty kings Judah had following the split in Israel after Solomon. He was also the last good king Judah would see. The following four kings were all bad in the sight of God.
Josiah became king when he was eight years old. We are told he began to seek the Lord when he was sixteen years old. At twenty years of age he began to rid the nation of the idol worship his worthless predecessors brought to the nation. When Josiah was twenty-six years old he had the temple purified and arranged for its repair.
When the repairs were being made to the temple, the "Book of the Law of the Lord" was discovered as the nation had previously abandoned the Lord together with his word.
As the Scripture was being read to him, Josiah "tore his robes" in bereavement over what he learned. The nation lived one way and the Lord had expectations that went another way.
I find the Scriptures often have that kind of impact. In our sinful condition, we go our own way. Then, when we take a change of heart toward the Lord, we discover through his word that we need to make some changes.
In Josiah's case, he sent his officials to a prophetess to inquire of the Lord as to what they had found written in the Scriptures. Josiah embraced what the Lord had to say and "The king stood by his pillar and renewed the covenant in the presence of the Lord—to follow the Lord and keep his commands, statutes and decrees with all his heart and all his soul, and to obey the words of the covenant written in this book." Verse 31.
"When the king [Josiah] heard the words of the Law, he tore his robes.
Josiah was the sixteenth of twenty kings Judah had following the split in Israel after Solomon. He was also the last good king Judah would see. The following four kings were all bad in the sight of God.
Josiah became king when he was eight years old. We are told he began to seek the Lord when he was sixteen years old. At twenty years of age he began to rid the nation of the idol worship his worthless predecessors brought to the nation. When Josiah was twenty-six years old he had the temple purified and arranged for its repair.
When the repairs were being made to the temple, the "Book of the Law of the Lord" was discovered as the nation had previously abandoned the Lord together with his word.
As the Scripture was being read to him, Josiah "tore his robes" in bereavement over what he learned. The nation lived one way and the Lord had expectations that went another way.
I find the Scriptures often have that kind of impact. In our sinful condition, we go our own way. Then, when we take a change of heart toward the Lord, we discover through his word that we need to make some changes.
In Josiah's case, he sent his officials to a prophetess to inquire of the Lord as to what they had found written in the Scriptures. Josiah embraced what the Lord had to say and "The king stood by his pillar and renewed the covenant in the presence of the Lord—to follow the Lord and keep his commands, statutes and decrees with all his heart and all his soul, and to obey the words of the covenant written in this book." Verse 31.
We don't require a prophet or prophetess today to tell us what to do. The Scriptures now contain all we need to know.
May we all pick up our Bibles and respond as King Josiah did in his day!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
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