Josiah’s Reforms in Judah
(2 Chronicles 34:1-7)
God does not work according to the number of people or even their ages. He works through a few devoted, faithful, and prepared people before Him. Today, I would like to share with you lessons from the life of King Josiah, who was enthroned as king at a young age. His life and the remarkable achievements that he left are of great benefit to us today.

1. King Josiah who did what was right in the eyes of God
King Ammon, the father of King Josiah, did evil things in the sight of the Lord and was killed by his own officials at the age of 24. Afterward, Josiah who was only 8 years old at the time, was enthroned as king. He was so young that the country had to be governed by his servants. However, when he turned 16, he ruled over his country by totally depending on God. So much so that he left us with some amazing achievements. Since King Josiah did what was right in the sight of God, Judah was blessed.

2. King Josiah who purged idols
From the age of 16, King Josiah sought God wholeheartedly. When he was 20, he begin removing the idols that were in the land. Since his people had served idols for such a long time, he must have faced strong opposition from them. However, he consecrated Judah and Jerusalem by boldly removing idols. Furthermore, his actions led to the spread of a great spiritual movement all over the country. If we want to be used preciously by God, we must get rid of all idols in our lives.

3. King Josiah who stood firmly on the Word of God
Moreover, King Josiah repaired the temple and reestablished the authority of God’s Word again. When the book of the law was found in the temple of God, he tore his clothes and repented. He then proclaimed to his people that they must obey the Word of God. Likewise, our lives and our churches should stand firmly on the Word. Since the Word is the only standard for our lives and the channel through which blessings flow, we should live according to the Word.

4. King Josiah who restored the Passover
The peak of King Josiah’s religious reforms was the restoration of the Passover. All of his people kept the Passover and ate Unleavened Bread for a week, repenting before God. Passover is a feast which commemorates the time when the Israelites were set free by the blood of the Lamb from Egypt where they were in slavery for 430 years. It also signifies the cross of Jesus Christ. The Passover lamb signifies Jesus Christ who shed his blood and died for all humanity. Today, what we and our church need is to restore the faith of the cross and be filled with the fullness of the Holy Spirit.

In order to be used by God, we must thoroughly repent and forsake our old self which is filled with human centered faith, obstinacy, pride, and greed. We must then recapture our first love, the faith of the Cross, and live a life of devotion.