The results of habit: JosiahHistory. Hezekiah had been a good king, but his son was not. That son Manasseh reigned for 35 years, perhaps longer than any other Judean king. Practices, rituals and habits under him became the norm and were accepted. He was bad, put idols all round what was left of the temple Solomon had built about 400 years before. When he died the officials had a rebellion and the heir only lasted two years as king, before they assassinated him. That left a boy of eight called Josiah to become king of a disorganised state that had forgotten God. The story that followed is repeated almost verbatim in our bibles in Kings and Chronicles, so it might be important. This boy, Josiah, took time to find out what was happening. He was probably at school with a lad called Jeremiah who was a great and wise thinker. We are told that Josiah had a “tender heart”.
Do good. When Josiah was sixteen his school must have told him about history and what David had done in setting up the state. So he gave orders to start clearing out the idols, to cut down and smash the Asherah poles not only in Jerusalem but also in the surrounding settlements. In the temple they found and threw out many old things and intricate images. Some of the scrolls looked interesting and they kept them and some of the educated priests started to read them. Josiah was not a bad boy and got rid of many of the bad things, but he was not yet doing many of the good things. One of the first good things he did was to use up some of the tax money to pay craftsmen to repair the temple and clear out some of those back rooms where ornaments and valuable things given in lieu of tax were stored. Lots of good works, and he was still only twenty four years old.
Think good. It was in these back rooms that they found some old scrolls (books to us) and they started to read them. Dr Whyte says in his commentary that without Josiah’s spring cleaning we may not have heard about the creation, the exodus or even Moses and the ten commandments as these scrolls could have been the only copies of all the first five books of our bibles. Modern scholars teach that the “Book of the Law” that they had found was our book Deuteronomy. The word Deuteronomy means “repetition or copy of the law”. The book summarises the commandments and forecasts disaster on those who ignore it. They had found Moses’s records of the start of their nation and what God had done for them by bringing them out of slavery in Egypt and into the fertile land where they were now. They were so excited that they went and read it all to king Josiah. He seems to have been ignorant of what God had done for them in the past and he made the sign of great drama by “rending his clothes”. (This was probably only his royal robe, so don’t worry). Not content with being sorry, he decides to so something and tells the High Priest and his aides to find a wise woman and pray for him. They go for advice to a wise woman or prophetess. Their prayer is answered when they consult this old lady called Hulda – probably a second cousin to Jeremiah, as she had a reputation of being wise and close to God. She is said to be one of the seven prophetesses mentioned in the Hebrew calendar.
Sorry. She was brave and honest. She tells them bluntly that, because the people had turned away from God, all the disasters foretold in the book would happen - but not for some time now that the king was really sorry. King Josiah will have peace if he honours God before the disaster overtakes the nation. “Because you took seriously and responded in humble repentance, tearing your robe in dismay and weeping before me, I am taking you seriously. I’ll take care of you. You won’t be around to see the doom I am going to bring on this place and people.” That was God’s message from Hulda.
Acts good. Just being sorry was not good enough. Now Josiah acts. He assembles all the people and reads this “book of the law” in public. They too are excited and take it to heart and commit themselves to obey the rules. These are not just the ten commandments, but also some detailed principles for living. Actions are dramatic. There were a lot of habits to break. They broke down the shrines and altars which had been built for the “vile and detestable” deities. One was even where they had sacrificed their sons and daughters in the fire. (Was a kiln worse than the pill?) The quarters for the male prostitutes were knocked down. Then Josiah immediately calls all the people together to celebrate the Passover feast – that was in memory of when those who trusted and obeyed then survived when escaping Egypt. (now our modern Communion). Temple worship is restarted with a feast that Josiah provided. Everything was done properly, as in the rules Moses had recorded in the scrolls. Josiah led a reformation. There are said to be over 100 references to and quotes from Deuteronomy in the New Testament, many by Jesus Himself. The reformation petered out within a few years of Josiah’s death and the old habits started again.
Lessons. The country had been politically stable but religiously devoid. Jesus quotes the Old Testament to explain about Himself. Jesus says it is now by faith we are saved, not just by keeping rules The Epistles are full of references to “the law”. Would we have reacted in the same way when hearing Deuteronomy or even the whole Pentateuch read out? What do we learn from Moses and those other old ones? Do we ever take notice of old ladies’ opinions? Or even from Josiah? Being sorry. Prayer. Making decisions. Taking action. Persisting. The people didn’t. They were back to their rituals within a few years. Habits die hard. Leadership is needed. Josiah died in 606 BC and his reforms were soon ignored. What should have been done to prevent this retrogression away from God? Would a suitable leader have made any difference? Should Josiah have been training leaders? What are the qualities of a good leader? Was Josiah’s reformation based on fears rather than love? Is a Trump-like imposed approach to change destined to be temporary? Nine years later in 597 the Babylonians “resettled” those with potential to Babylon (Daniel was among them). The remnant still had not learned and revolted. So the Babylonians came back in 595 to devastate the temple, Jerusalem and the country. Hulda was right. It was a long time before the city was resettled. See Haggai and other minor prophets. .
Sources: Bible: 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles, Josephus, commentaries and of course, Google.
Bob
Do good. When Josiah was sixteen his school must have told him about history and what David had done in setting up the state. So he gave orders to start clearing out the idols, to cut down and smash the Asherah poles not only in Jerusalem but also in the surrounding settlements. In the temple they found and threw out many old things and intricate images. Some of the scrolls looked interesting and they kept them and some of the educated priests started to read them. Josiah was not a bad boy and got rid of many of the bad things, but he was not yet doing many of the good things. One of the first good things he did was to use up some of the tax money to pay craftsmen to repair the temple and clear out some of those back rooms where ornaments and valuable things given in lieu of tax were stored. Lots of good works, and he was still only twenty four years old.
Think good. It was in these back rooms that they found some old scrolls (books to us) and they started to read them. Dr Whyte says in his commentary that without Josiah’s spring cleaning we may not have heard about the creation, the exodus or even Moses and the ten commandments as these scrolls could have been the only copies of all the first five books of our bibles. Modern scholars teach that the “Book of the Law” that they had found was our book Deuteronomy. The word Deuteronomy means “repetition or copy of the law”. The book summarises the commandments and forecasts disaster on those who ignore it. They had found Moses’s records of the start of their nation and what God had done for them by bringing them out of slavery in Egypt and into the fertile land where they were now. They were so excited that they went and read it all to king Josiah. He seems to have been ignorant of what God had done for them in the past and he made the sign of great drama by “rending his clothes”. (This was probably only his royal robe, so don’t worry). Not content with being sorry, he decides to so something and tells the High Priest and his aides to find a wise woman and pray for him. They go for advice to a wise woman or prophetess. Their prayer is answered when they consult this old lady called Hulda – probably a second cousin to Jeremiah, as she had a reputation of being wise and close to God. She is said to be one of the seven prophetesses mentioned in the Hebrew calendar.
Sorry. She was brave and honest. She tells them bluntly that, because the people had turned away from God, all the disasters foretold in the book would happen - but not for some time now that the king was really sorry. King Josiah will have peace if he honours God before the disaster overtakes the nation. “Because you took seriously and responded in humble repentance, tearing your robe in dismay and weeping before me, I am taking you seriously. I’ll take care of you. You won’t be around to see the doom I am going to bring on this place and people.” That was God’s message from Hulda.
Acts good. Just being sorry was not good enough. Now Josiah acts. He assembles all the people and reads this “book of the law” in public. They too are excited and take it to heart and commit themselves to obey the rules. These are not just the ten commandments, but also some detailed principles for living. Actions are dramatic. There were a lot of habits to break. They broke down the shrines and altars which had been built for the “vile and detestable” deities. One was even where they had sacrificed their sons and daughters in the fire. (Was a kiln worse than the pill?) The quarters for the male prostitutes were knocked down. Then Josiah immediately calls all the people together to celebrate the Passover feast – that was in memory of when those who trusted and obeyed then survived when escaping Egypt. (now our modern Communion). Temple worship is restarted with a feast that Josiah provided. Everything was done properly, as in the rules Moses had recorded in the scrolls. Josiah led a reformation. There are said to be over 100 references to and quotes from Deuteronomy in the New Testament, many by Jesus Himself. The reformation petered out within a few years of Josiah’s death and the old habits started again.
Lessons. The country had been politically stable but religiously devoid. Jesus quotes the Old Testament to explain about Himself. Jesus says it is now by faith we are saved, not just by keeping rules The Epistles are full of references to “the law”. Would we have reacted in the same way when hearing Deuteronomy or even the whole Pentateuch read out? What do we learn from Moses and those other old ones? Do we ever take notice of old ladies’ opinions? Or even from Josiah? Being sorry. Prayer. Making decisions. Taking action. Persisting. The people didn’t. They were back to their rituals within a few years. Habits die hard. Leadership is needed. Josiah died in 606 BC and his reforms were soon ignored. What should have been done to prevent this retrogression away from God? Would a suitable leader have made any difference? Should Josiah have been training leaders? What are the qualities of a good leader? Was Josiah’s reformation based on fears rather than love? Is a Trump-like imposed approach to change destined to be temporary? Nine years later in 597 the Babylonians “resettled” those with potential to Babylon (Daniel was among them). The remnant still had not learned and revolted. So the Babylonians came back in 595 to devastate the temple, Jerusalem and the country. Hulda was right. It was a long time before the city was resettled. See Haggai and other minor prophets. .
Sources: Bible: 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles, Josephus, commentaries and of course, Google.
Bob