King Josiah - Finding God's Word

But young Josiah was different! The Bible says that "he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and followed the ways of his father David." Even though Josiah grew up surrounded by wickedness, he chose to love and obey God. When he was sixteen years old, Josiah began to seek the God of his ancestor David. His heart longed to know God and please Him!

When Josiah turned twenty, he decided it was time to clean up the kingdom! He began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of all the terrible things his father and grandfather had done. Josiah ordered his workers to tear down the altars to false gods, smash the idols into pieces, and cut down the Asherah poles. He didn't do this just in Jerusalem - he went throughout all the towns of Judah and even into the territories of the northern tribes, destroying every trace of idol worship he could find! Young King Josiah was bold and thorough in getting rid of everything that dishonored God.

When Josiah was twenty-six years old, he decided to repair the temple of the Lord. For so many years, God's house had been neglected and damaged. "This is not right!" Josiah thought. "God's temple should be beautiful and well-maintained!" So he gathered money and hired carpenters, builders, and masons to fix the broken parts of the temple, replace the damaged beams, and restore the building to its former glory.

The workers got busy right away! There was so much to do - repairing walls, fixing doors, replacing broken stones, cutting new timber. The sound of hammering and sawing filled the temple courts. Dust flew everywhere as the workers cleaned out years and years of neglect. Deep in the temple, in a storage room that hadn't been used in many years, the workers were moving old furniture and cleaning out dusty corners.

Suddenly, Hilkiah the high priest found something amazing! Hidden under piles of old materials, covered in dust, was a scroll - an ancient scroll! Hilkiah carefully unrolled it and began to read. His eyes grew wide with wonder and his hands began to tremble. This wasn't just any scroll - it was the Book of the Law of the Lord that had been given through Moses! It was God's Word that had been lost for so long!

Hilkiah's heart pounded with excitement! He immediately called for Shaphan the secretary. "I have found the Book of the Law in the temple of the Lord!" he exclaimed, carefully handing the precious scroll to Shaphan. Shaphan took the scroll and hurried to King Josiah to tell him the news. When Shaphan came before the king, he reported about all the work being done on the temple, and then he said, "Hilkiah the priest has given me a book." And right there, Shaphan began to read it aloud to the king.

As Josiah listened to the words of God's Law being read, his heart broke! The scroll told about how God wanted His people to live. It explained God's commandments - how to worship Him, how to treat others, how to be holy. But it also contained warnings - if the people turned away from God and worshiped idols, terrible punishments would come upon them. Josiah realized with horror that Judah had broken almost every one of God's laws! For generations, the people had been doing the exact opposite of what God commanded!

When the king heard the words of the Law, he tore his robes - a sign of deep grief and distress. Tears streamed down his face. "Oh no!" Josiah cried out. "God's anger must be burning against us because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book! They haven't done what is written here!" Josiah was heartbroken that his nation had strayed so far from God.

Josiah immediately sent Hilkiah and his other officials to inquire of the Lord. They went to a prophetess named Huldah, and she gave them God's message: "Yes, disaster will come upon this place and its people because they have forsaken me and burned incense to other gods. My anger will be poured out on this place and will not be quenched." But then Huldah had a special message for Josiah personally: "Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before the Lord when you heard what I have spoken, and because you tore your robes and wept in my presence, I have heard you, declares the Lord. You will not see all the disaster I am going to bring on this place."

When Josiah heard God's message, he didn't despair. Instead, he acted quickly and decisively! He called together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. Then he went up to the temple of the Lord with all the people - from the greatest to the smallest, from the oldest to the youngest. Everyone gathered to hear what the king would say.

Standing before all the people, King Josiah read the entire Book of the Covenant aloud. Every word of God's Law was read out loud so everyone could hear it! The people listened carefully - many of them had never heard God's Word before in their entire lives! After Josiah finished reading, he stood by the pillar and renewed the covenant in the presence of the Lord. He pledged to follow the Lord and keep His commands, statutes, and decrees with all his heart and all his soul!

Then the people made the same promise! They committed themselves to obey God's covenant. It was like a giant wedding ceremony, with the whole nation promising to be faithful to God! But Josiah knew that promises alone weren't enough - they needed to make real changes!

So Josiah led the greatest spiritual cleanup in Judah's history! He ordered that everything used for worshiping false gods be removed from the temple and burned. He got rid of the pagan priests who had been burning incense to Baal, to the sun, moon, and stars. He tore down the quarters where shrine prostitutes lived. He desecrated all the high places where people had been worshiping idols. He even destroyed the altar at Bethel that Jeroboam had built centuries before! Nothing that dishonored God was left standing.

Then Josiah did something wonderful - he celebrated the Passover! The Passover was the special festival where God's people remembered how God had rescued them from slavery in Egypt. But this festival hadn't been celebrated properly for many, many years - not since the days of the judges who led Israel! Josiah made sure it was celebrated exactly as God's Word commanded.

What a Passover it was! People came from all over Judah and Israel to celebrate in Jerusalem. They sacrificed thousands of animals. They worshiped God with joy and gratitude. The sounds of celebration filled the city! The Bible says, "Neither before nor after Josiah was there a king like him who turned to the Lord as he did - with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength, in accordance with all the Law of Moses."

Josiah's story teaches us powerful truths about God's Word! First, God's Word can be lost - not necessarily the physical book, but lost in people's hearts and lives. Just like the scroll was buried under piles of rubble in the temple, we can bury God's Word under piles of busyness, distractions, and other things we put first. Second, when we discover or rediscover God's Word, it should change us! When Josiah heard God's Law, he didn't just say "That's nice" and forget about it. He tore his clothes, wept, and immediately began making changes!

Third, God's Word shows us where we've gone wrong. When the light of God's truth shines into our lives, we can see clearly the things that displease God. That can be painful, but it's good - because then we know what needs to change! Fourth, one person who takes God's Word seriously can influence an entire nation! Josiah was just one young man, but his passion for God and God's Word transformed his whole kingdom!

Finally, it's never too late to turn back to God! Even though Judah had been disobedient for generations, when they heard God's Word and responded with sincere hearts, God accepted them! God is always ready to forgive and restore people who truly turn back to Him.

Do you know where your Bible is right now? When was the last time you read it? God's Word is not just an old book - it's alive and powerful! It's the way God speaks to us today! Just like Josiah discovered the scroll that changed everything, you can discover treasures in God's Word every time you read it! The Bible is like a lamp that lights your path, showing you which way to go. It's like a mirror that helps you see yourself clearly. It's like food that makes you strong spiritually. Don't let God's Word get buried and forgotten in your life! Read it, listen to it, memorize it, and most importantly - obey it! When you do, God will use you to do great things, just like He used young King Josiah!

Big idea: God is always with us and loves us very much!