Read: 2 Chronicles 33:14-34:33; Romans 16:8-27; Psalm 26:1-12; Proverbs 20:19
Manasseh was different from most of the kings who started out well and ended badly. He started out very bad and ended very good. Today we read about the good things he did. He rebuilt the altar of the Lord and fortified the city. When he died, his son, Ammon reigned. He only ruled for two years because he was so bad that his own officials conspired against him and killed him. He was twenty-four when he died and they made his eight year old son, Josiah the king. That means that Ammon fathered Josiah when he was 16.
Josiah was a good king who followed God with all his heart and didn’t stray. When he was 16, he began to seek the Lord and purge Judah and Jerusalem of high places, Asherah poles, carved idols and cast images. He went throughout the land purging it of idolatry. When he was 26, he set about the task of repairing the temple. While the priests were doing this, they found a copy of the law in the temple. They read it aloud to Josiah and he wept as he heard the words and realized that they had done so many things to provoke the Lord’s anger. He sent the priests to inquire of the Lord from the prophetess, Huldah. She told them that the Lord was indeed very angry with the idolatry of Judah but because of the humility of Josiah, God would not do anything while he lived.
When Josiah heard her answer he gathered the people to come and hear the words of the law. He made a covenant with the Lord to follow the words of the law. He remained true to his covenant all the days of his life.
In Romans, Paul urged the Romans to stay away from people who taught a different doctrine than his and those who stirred up division. He told them to be wise about what was good and innocent about what was evil. God came to bring peace and he would one day put Satan down.
Lord, may we be like Josiah who set his heart to follow you.
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