“Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. He did right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the ways of his father David and did not turn aside to the right or to the left” 2 Chronicles 34:12. After skimming over these 2 verses, I had only one thought running through my mind, an eight year old boy is way young for a kid to become a king. After all most eight year old boys that I know are too busy playing with fire, running with scissors, and touching things their parents have told them to not to. Having so much power at such a young age can only spell disaster. I mean how many eight year old boys do you or I know that could run an entire kingdom? There is little potential for this to end out good but God doesn’t always work in the expected. God does the unexpected.
“For in the eighth year of his reign while he was still a youth, he began to seek the God of his father David; and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, the Asherim, the caved images and the molten images” 2 Chronicles 34:3. At the age of sixteen, Josiah, begins to follow the God of his father David. Now going back to the family history of Josiah, David wasn’t his father. Josiah’s father was actually Amon who the bible says in 2 Kings 21:20
“He did evil in the sight of the Lord, as Manasseh his father had done. For he walked in all the way that his father had walked, and served the idols that his father had served and worshiped them. So he forsook the Lord, the God of his fathers, and did not walk in the way of the Lord. The servants of Amon conspired against him and killed the king in his own house.”
At eight years old, after his father was murdered, Josiah is placed in charge of Judah. What does Josiah learn in those first eight years of being king that makes him want to be different? How does such a young and impressionable boy at the age of sixteen turn from what he learned and saw as a child and choose to follow the Lord?
The own people that served Amon conspired to kill him and succeeded. What did Amon do to lead those closest to him daily to turn against him? What do we do as Christians to turn those closest to us against us? I’m not sure who came up with the saying but it seems to make a lot of sense to this situation, “why is it we hurt those we love the most?” There are times where sharing the truth hurts but it is in a way to mend and repair past pains and that’s not what I’m speaking about. I’m speaking to the times we lash out in frustration, anger, disobediently. So how do we treat those closest to us? Are we held captive to the scripture in all situations and choose to do the right thing like Josiah taking down the idols and following the Lord or do we fail to show Christ in our actions and give way like Amon serving the idols and gods of those around us?
Maybe there are youth or friends Josiah’s age in our lives that we wonder could anything positive come from their situation? My guess is that Josiah saw the consequence of his father’s actions and decided it was in his best judgement not to do the same. How can we as Christians take the example of Josiah and go against the grain? How are you going to stand up to the opposition that the world is ever increasingly throwing at us? We are challenged by Christ to let our light shine like a city on a hill, to be set apart, and to be salt of the earth. Just like adding salt to meat preserves it, how are we preserving the present generation to be future Christ followers? Let’s be unexpected and choose to remove the sin in our lives, love those closest and furthest, and actively take a part in changing this world for Christ.
JH 11-3-09 SH 11-5-09: Northern Kings
The northern kingdom had no kings that served the Lord. All served the gods and idols of the gentiles they were surrounded by. How do you conform to the people around you? Are you being an influencer or being influenced?
How have you given into sins those around you commit? What do you need to do to repent and change from your current sins?
How do your words and actions influence those around you to reject Christ?
JH 11-10-09 SH 11-12-09: Southern Kings
How do you choose to stand alone when you are challenged to live the word of God? What resistance do you face?
How do your words and actions influence those around you to live for Christ?
