Obey: Josiah
Our disciple series has us looking at the steps a follower of God takes to stay going God’s way on the path He has for us. Jesus says–
Luke 9:23b | …“If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me.”
We’ve seen that a disciple first believes in Jesus as Lord and Savior and then knows God’s ways as they study and love His Word. But we can’t stop there. After all, what good is knowing God’s way if we don’t actually walk it?
The Bible is full of examples of people who failed to go God’s way. In fact, disobedience to God’s commands is what got his people in trouble over and over again in the Old Testament. After Solomon, God’s people are divided and they haven’t been living God’s way. The kings that ruled neglected God’s commands and the Word of God has not been cherished the way the Lord directed in Deuteronomy. In fact, the Book of the Law is described as “lost” in 2nd Kings.
King Josiah, who began ruling when he was 8 years old, was different from most of the kings who came before him.
2nd Kings 22:2 | He did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight and followed the example of his ancestor David. He did not turn away from doing what was right.
Josiah commissions the rebuilding of the Temple and during that process, the lost Book of the Law is found (2nd Kings 22:8). According to God’s Word, the king was supposed to have a copy of the Scripture and it was to be read aloud every 7 years. We know that at this point, the Scripture had been read aloud once 250 years before Josiah and once 500 years before that. God’s command had not been obeyed.
Josiah is given the copy of the Scripture that had been found and immediately–
2nd Kings 23:1-2 | Then the king summoned all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. And the king went up to the Temple of the Lord with all the people of Judah and Jerusalem, along with the priests and the prophets—all the people from the least to the greatest. There the king read to them the entire Book of the Covenant that had been found in the Lord’s Temple.
Right away, King Josiah begins putting God’s Word into action. That day,
2nd Kings 23:3b | He pledged to obey the Lord by keeping all his commands, laws, and decrees with all his heart and soul.
But Josiah doesn’t just stop with a promise. He walks out his obedience with action. The more Josiah learns about God’s ways from Scripture, the more he lives out God’s ordinances. He burns down altars to false gods. He gets rid of idolatrous priests and the people who are leading God’s people astray.
2nd Kings 23:24 | Josiah also got rid of the mediums and psychics, the household gods, the idols, and every other kind of detestable practice, both in Jerusalem and throughout the land of Judah. He did this in obedience to the laws written in the scroll that Hilkiah the priest had found in the Lord’s Temple.
Josiah even brings back the celebration of Passover just the way the Lord had commanded. King Josiah dug into Scripture and fervently obeyed all that it commanded. The Bible says–
2nd Kings 23:25 | Never before had there been a king like Josiah, who turned to the Lord with all his heart and soul and strength, obeying all the laws of Moses. And there has never been a king like him since.
Josiah’s heart truly desired to obey God and to do all that He commanded. As a result, His actions followed. We saw in our first week of the Disciple series that disciples prove they are repentant by the way they live (Matthew 3:8). Because of Josiah’s actions, there’s no doubt that he was a true follower of God.
What about you? Last week you were challenged to love and know Scripture. Do you have a heart like Josiah’s that fervently desires to obey the Lord’s commands? Do your actions show your submission to Jesus as Lord of your life?
Disciples obey God’s Word by putting it into action. But we learn from Josiah that obedience begins with our heart.
Jesus says–
John 14:15 | “If you love me, obey my commandments.
When disciples have a heart that has turned to the Lord, loves Him, and desires to obey Him, they look to His way when temptation or crossroads come and ask for God’s strength to stay on the path He has for them.
What does obey mean?
Does a person’s heart matter when they obey? Can they just do what is right but with a bad attitude? Why or why not?
Does your heart truly desire to obey God’s commands like Josiah’s did? Why or why not?
When is it most difficult for you to obey God’s commands? Why do you think this is?