Fri.’s Devo - Josiah’s Reform

Read: 2 Kings 22:3-23:30; Acts 21:37-22:16; Psalm 1:1-6; Proverbs 18:11 When Josiah had reigned for 18 years he sent his secretary Azaliah to meet with the high priest, Hilkiah to count the money to repair the house of the Lord. In the process of repairing the house of the Lord, Hilkiah found a copy of the Law and brought it to Josiah. When Josiah read it he tore his clothes because he read how the Lord felt about them worshiping any other god but him. He sent for the priest and his officers to inquire of the Lord to find out what they should do. They went to the prophetess Huldah and asked her what the Lord was saying. *** Huldah prophesied that God would bring disaster upon Judah and its people because they had forsaken him and worshiped other gods. But, because Josiah’s heart was repentant it would not happen during Josiah’s lifetime. *** Josiah called a meeting of all the people of Jerusalem, the elders, officers, and prophets. Josiah read the law to them and made a covenant before the Lord that he would keep his testimonies and follow his law with all his heart, mind and soul. All the people joined him in the covenant. *** Then they began a huge excavation of all the worship of false gods. They carried all their paraphernalia down to the Kidron brook and burned it and took the ashes and cast them on the graves of the common people. They brought the false priests out of the cities of Judah and defiled their high places. Josiah stopped the sacrificing of babies and the worship of the sun and moon. All false religions were banned. The land was cleansed of idolatry. Even the altar at Bethel where the golden calf was situated that Jeroboam had erected was taken down and burned. There, Josiah saw the tombs of the altars that were there and had the bones taken from them and burned. But he let the tomb of the prophet who had prophesied this would happen remain untouched. He sacrificed all the priests who offered profaned sacrifices to false gods on their altars and then returned to Jerusalem. *** Josiah did away with the mediums and necromancers and the household gods. No king had gone to this amount of care to remove the false worship of gods and declare the worship of the true God. But, God did not forget what Judah had done under the rule of Manasseh and promised to eventually judge them. *** Josiah was murdered by the king of Egypt at Megiddo and was brought back to Jerusalem and buried in his own tomb. His son, Jehoahaz was anointed king. *** In Acts, Paul and been arrested and was to stand before the tribunal. They thought he might be the Egyptian who had led a revolt, but Paul assured them he was a Jew from Tarsus. He asked for permission to speak to the people and was allowed to. He addressed them in Hebrew which got their attention. He told them who he was a where he was from and that he had learned the law from Gamaliel who was a well-respected Rabbi. He assured them he knew the law and followed it. He had persecuted those who were believers in Jesus and had them imprisoned and but to death. On his way to Damascus to continue ridding the land of these Christians, he was overcome by a great light and heard a voice asking him why he was persecuting him. When he asked who he was, he was told he was Jesus of Nazareth. He was told to go to Damascus where he would be told what to do. The light left him blinded so he was led to Damascus. *** There, a devout man named Ananias came and prayed that Paul would see and his eyes were opened. He told him that he would be a witness for Jesus everywhere he went. He rose and was baptized. *** Lord, give us boldness like Paul to proclaim the mighty things you have done for us. Thank you for our testimony of your goodness and faithfulness. We give you praise and honor.