Josiah
Part 8
Josiah Remembered
And like unto him was there no king before him, that turned to the LORD with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses; neither after him arose there any like him. (2 Kings 23:25)
There are two kinds of history in this world: one that has been recorded on earth by man, and the other that has been recorded in heaven and sent by God to man, and kept in complete accuracy and truth by God Himself.
I have lived only seventy-one years on this earth; therefore, in my life time I have seen the history of men perverted. The men that I have heard and seen are not the same men that are in the history books. History is not opinion, but fact. If you do not have the facts it is best for the pen of the ready writer to remain still and silent. We live in a world of books, and the making of, and the writing of, many books there is no end. In all of the writings of man he betrays himself by his inaccuracy and tendencies of an evil heart. There are two monumental words in the history of man: fact or fiction. One must always be aware of the imaginative skills of the so-called historian. In judging a work I give you this formula: whatever comes from the pen of man try it seven times, examine not only the book of history, but know the motives of the man or person who is writing. Now, let’s remember Josiah according to the Word of God.
Even though, in the Word of God, Josiah’s life is treated as history we should look deeper for spiritual lessons that apply to ourselves. If his life is to have an effect on us, the Spirit of God must have His sway in our thoughts; let the Spirit of God flip through the pages of the book of God. He will declared to us concerning Josiah, And like unto him was there no king before him. This is not man’s history, but true history from the true scribe who is in heaven. He that holds all truth in righteousness, for it is only the Lord of glory who can say of Himself, Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:6) By the testimony of the Scriptures, and the witness of the Holy Spirit we know that the foundation of all truth lies within the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ. For every word of God is pure. The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. (Psalm 12:6) There is no dross nor blemish in the Word of God. They are pure words for they have been tried seven times by the purity of God’s holiness and righteousness, and these words have been given to edify the children of God.
The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. (Psalm 19:7)
The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. (Psalm 19:8)
The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. (Psalm 19:9)
More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. (Psalm 19:10)
Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward. (Psalm 19:11)
In this miraculous book, our current Bible, that is the KJV*, there is not one jot nor one tittle that is not preserved and hovered over by the Spirit of God. It was written by the pen of eternity, and so, as with Josiah, there was no king like unto him before him. This, of course, comes at the end of the history of Judah, and at the end of Jerusalem. He is the last good king of the seed of David, and he came forth in the fulfillment of prophecy, and even his name was given over 300 years before he was born as the prophet declared Josiah by name.
In the prophetic word, it is the Spirit of God who gives us the wisdom we need for the enlightenment for that particular prophecy. It is not man who speaketh, but the Spirit speaketh expressly. And he cried against the altar in the word of the LORD, and said, O altar, altar, thus saith the LORD; Behold, a child shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name; and upon thee shall he offer the priests of the high places that burn incense upon thee, and men’s bones shall be burnt upon thee.(1 Kings 13:2)
I have written before of the many marvels and miracles of God the Holy Spirit. God the Holy Spirit can take a man and channel through that man the very words of God without the man’s own personal opinion. In the prophecy of the man of God from Judah, he told Jeroboam one of the most outstanding prophecies concerning Israel and Judah: that not only a king would be born, but this child would have the name Josiah, and he would be from the house of David. It would be this very Josiah who would destroy the idolatrous altars of Jeroboam at Bethel. This prophecy was breathed through this man of God, for every word of God is sure and must come from the lips and heart of God Himself. In verse 5 of 1 Kings 13 the Word of God declared that the words that were given to the man of God was given by God Himself, The altar also was rent, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign which the man of God had given by the word of the LORD. After this prophecy was given the sun rose and fell, the moon gave her light, the stars continued in their courses, and the foundation of God stood sure. His word will not return unto Him void. It will accomplish the very word and deed that was spoken by the Spirit of God through the holy man of God from Judah. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. (2 Peter 1:21) Concerning this prophecy, the minutes turned into hours, and the hours turned into days, and the days turned into years, and the years turned into centuries; over three, to be exact. And Jehovah remembers, and God the Holy Spirit moved over the womb of Jedidah, Josiah’s mother. God had been preparing this day for over three hundred years. God gave Jedidah the seed of the house of David. God could say of Josiah, as well as Jeremiah, Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. (Jeremiah 1:5) Both Jeremiah and Josiah were divine appointments. Jeremiah was to be a prophet to the nations, and Josiah was to be a king out of the house of David, and God had kept His word for over three centuries, not one jot, or tittle had failed, and it was accomplished through the power of His Word, or the Word of His power. (Hebrews 1) This wonderful prophecy that God had preserved in His miraculous book has been left there for us, that we, in our day, can realize in our hearts that all those prophecies yet to come will be fulfilled in divine order by the same Omnipotent God who fulfilled this wonderful prophecy of a child king out of the house of David, Josiah by name. God not only allows us to see the fulfillment of this prophecy, but He opens a display of His word and allows us to see the life and the character of Josiah. God allows us to look into His book to see the history of a man foretold, and we also see the history of a man told, And like unto him was there no king before him. God sees the heart of Josiah, this was a heart cradled in God’s love. Not only did God love Josiah, but Josiah had a love for Jehovah. For it is recorded that Josiah turned to the Lord with all his heart. When the book of the law was found, and Shaphan delivered it to Josiah, the king, Shaphan began to read out of the book truly not expecting what was about to happen. Just consider, we will take a small section out of the Book of Deuteronomy.
Now therefore hearken, O Israel, unto the statutes and unto the judgments, which I teach you, for to do them, that ye may live, and go in and possess the land which the LORD God of your fathers giveth you. (Deuteronomy 4:1)
Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you. (Deuteronomy 4:3)
Your eyes have seen what the LORD did because of Baalpeor: for all the men that followed Baalpeor, the LORD thy God hath destroyed them from among you. (Deuteronomy 4:3)
But ye that did cleave unto the LORD your God are alive every one of you this day. (Deuteronomy 4:4)
Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the LORD my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the land whither ye go to possess it. (Deuteronomy 4:5)
Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people. (Deuteronomy 4:6)
For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the LORD our God is in all things that we call upon him for? (Deuteronomy 4:7)
And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day? (Deuteronomy 4:8)
Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons’ sons; (Deuteronomy 4:9)
I have taken this one section of Deuteronomy as an example for there are pages upon pages that were probably read that day. For we know that it was the book of the law, and the book of the law was for every Israelite, and they were to hold the words in that book in their hearts. These are not forgotten words, even in our day, grace may free us from the law, but it does not nullify the law of God. Grace may free us from the law, but it does not nullify the law of God.
Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. (Isaiah 53:10)
He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.(Isaiah 53:11)
Not only the giving of this prophecy to Isaiah, but the fulfillment of it on the cross of Calvary not only confirms the prophecy, but established every word that God had given in Isaiah 53. When we examine Isaiah’s prophecy in light of the cross of Christ we see the complete profound truth of His suffering. As the Spirit of God cried out in the Book of Isaiah so the Lord Jesus cried out, ‘it is finished.’
We return to the Book of Deuteronomy . . . Chapter 6:4-9.
Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: (Deuteronomy 6:4)
And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. (Deuteronomy 6:5)
And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: (Deuteronomy 6:6)
And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. (Deuteronomy 6:7)
And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. (Deuteronomy 6:8)
And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates. (Deuteronomy 6:9)
These words were given to Israel, they were not only to read these words, but to embrace them with all their hearts. They were to memorize the very words of what is called, the Shema (the first part of the Shema is found in Deuteronomy 6:4-9 which is the core Hebrew prayer.) Now for us who love the Lord Jesus, these words spoken by the Spirit of God are embedded in our hearts as well. Think of Josiah, when hearing the words of God, he saw the depth of his own transgressions, and then the transgressions of his fathers; and for us, Christ was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities.
I know that this is a difficult thought for the Christian today, but the Christian is not part of Israel. Although we are saved by the same God of Israel, we have our promises met and fulfilled in Jesus Christ. As Israel is an earthly people, we who love the Lord Jesus today are a heavenly people. Let’s consider Deuteronomy 10:12 And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul. These words were given to be magnified in the heart of every Israelite, as Moses was given the words by the Spirit of God, Israel was to carry these words in their hearts through their history, and even into this present day. As Christians we have stepped onto the pages of history, we are the sons of God in these last days. All the wonderful things that were recorded of Josiah in his day consider what will be the divine record of us? Can we see through the clouds of this evil world? Can we, in our hearts, touch the face of God in Jesus Christ? Should not the writer and the reader love the Lord our God with all our heart and with all our soul? God has told us that we can call unto Him, and He will show us great and mighty things which we know not of. Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not. (Jeremiah 33:3)
Jeremiah was a contemporary of Josiah, as a prophet he was rejected by Israel; and his prophecies to the nations were rejected as well, but Jeremiah, as well as Josiah, found all their strength and courage in Jehovah. Josiah’s name means ‘sustained of Jehovah,’ and this king was sustained by the God he loved. Josiah was awakened in the power of the Spirit of God, and he found his rest and his slumber in the Word of God. The Word of God became his power and his guide. He followed the law of Moses with all his heart and with all his might. In closing the history of Josiah, the Spirit of God declares that there would not be a king like him again. As a man, and as a king, Josiah was one of a kind, neither after him arose there any like him. Josiah walked with God in a path of selflessness, a path of humility, and as Moses was the meekest man so Josiah exhibited equal qualities. He was buried in the sepulchers of his fathers, with the kings of Judah. These were men like Asa, Jehoshaphat, Uzziah, Hezekiah, and now Josiah, the last godly king among men. He served the Lord with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his might. Amen.
© Copyright 2016, Michael Haigh
Article may be used, but not for gain. Freely ye have received, freely give.
All Scripture references are from the Authorized King James Bible.* (KJV)