Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem thirty-one years. His mother’s name was Jedidah daughter of Adaiah; she was from Bozkath. He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and followed completely the ways of his father David, not turning aside to the right or to the left.
In the eighteenth year of his reign, King Josiah sent the secretary, Shaphan son of Azaliah, the son of Meshullam, to the temple of the Lord. He said: “Go up to Hilkiah the high priest and have him get ready the money that has been brought into the temple of the Lord, which the doorkeepers have collected from the people. Have them entrust it to the men appointed to supervise the work on the temple. And have these men pay the workers who repair the temple of the Lord— the carpenters, the builders and the masons. Also have them purchase timber and dressed stone to repair the temple. But they need not account for the money entrusted to them, because they are honest in their dealings.”
This week we will be reading a story from 2 Kings, chapters 22 and 23. During this time the Israelites were divided into two kingdoms: Israel, whose covenant with God had been broken by sin, and Judah, which was ruled by King Josiah.
Josiah was a righteous man. He did everything that he was supposed to do as a King, not turning aside to the right or to the left. At the beginning of the story we find him repairing the temple of the Lord. We don’t read about Josiah raping or killing anyone like King David or building idols like King Solomon, yet God is still angry with Josiah and with Judah. As we continue to read the story this week, we will learn how even a righteous King needed to repent in order to spark revival: a recommitment to the covenant with God.
And so, at the beginning of this week, let’s prepare our hearts for God the same way that Josiah prepared the temple for the Lord. Spend some time in prayer, in worship, and in repentance and ask God to renew His covenant with you. Be ready to receive whatever He wishes to share.
Pray: Heavenly Father, help me devote myself to You. My heart is choked by sin and needs Your hands to tear my selfishness up by the roots. My tongue is sharp and splintered, warped and cracked with misuse. Give me the words to smooth it and make it an instrument for You. Prepare my whole being to receive Your Spirit. Amen.
