A Leader that Leads

II Kings 22

The good king Josiah was involved in service. He was concerned with the business of ministry, as it were. Josiah had sent the scribe to settle all accounts and to make sure everyone involved in the repair of the house of the LORD received their due. It was during all of this “religious activity” that Hilkiah found the book of the law in the house of the LORD. Take note that not only was the book found, but it was read; and not only was it read but the reading of it brought about repentance and a crying out to God. Josiah is cut to the heart not because of his lack of good activity, but because his activity was taking place apart from the truth of the Book. There were great things happening around the LORD’s house during this time, but the King put a stop to it all when he realized the sinful state of his people as pointed out by the book of the law. Josiah assumed everything was alright until He heard God’s opinion on the matter. The truth of the Word brought conviction, repentance and change of direction for both Josiah and the people he had a God given influence over. Oh that we would read the word of the LORD longing for His way, and not looking to justify ours!

God makes Josiah a promise in the last part of chapter 22. Notice that this promise is based on the condition of Josiah’s heart and his humility before God.

2 Kings 22:19,20 Because thine heart was tender, and thou hast humbled thyself before the LORD, when thou heardest what I spake against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and hast rent thy clothes, and wept before me; I also have heard thee, saith the LORD. Behold therefore, I will gather thee unto thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered into thy grave in peace; and thine eyes shall not see all the evil which I will bring upon this place. And they brought the king word again.

If I was in Josiah’s place I would have just let out a great sigh of relief. The God of the universe has just promised me that I will die in peace and not see the evil He is about to reign down on this wicked, backslidden people. I’m now free, shouting the victory and at ease in Zion. Not Josiah.

He begins what must have been a frantic gathering of all the people. Everyone is called in, all the men, all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the priests, the prophets and the people, both great and small. Everyone must hear regardless of their prominence or position. No one is too young. No one is too old. No one is too spiritual or too deep in sin. The cry goes out into every corner of the land, "The great King Josiah has proclaimed that all the people of Judah, both great and small, be gathered immediately to hear the book of the LORD which was lost and has now been found." All work ceases, people drop what they are doing and begin moving toward the center of town. Even work on the house of the Lord stops. At this point in time there is something to be done that supersedes even work at the LORD’s house. The King has made a proclamation so we must attend, but its not just any old gathering of the people…today we will hear from the LORD!

Pay close attention to the next step in this process for to many times we cry upon the altar, repenting for sin, only to make concession to the flesh in the days to follow. True repentance brings about drastic action.

2 Kings 23:3-8 And the king stood by a pillar, and made a covenant before the LORD, to walk after the LORD, and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes with all their heart and all their soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people stood to the covenant.
And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, and the priests of the second order, and the keepers of the door, to bring forth out of the temple of the LORD all the vessels that were made for Baal, and for the grove, and for all the host of heaven: and he burned them without Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron, and carried the ashes of them unto Bethel.
And he put down the idolatrous priests, whom the kings of Judah had ordained to burn incense in the high places in the cities of Judah, and in the places round about Jerusalem; them also that burned incense unto Baal, to the sun, and to the moon, and to the planets, and to all the host of heaven.
And he brought out the grove from the house of the LORD, without Jerusalem, unto the brook Kidron, and burned it at the brook Kidron, and stamped it small to powder, and cast the powder thereof upon the graves of the children of the people.
And he brake down the houses of the sodomites, that were by the house of the LORD, where the women wove hangings for the grove.
And he brought all the priests out of the cities of Judah, and defiled the high places where the priests had burned incense, from Geba to Beersheba, and brake down the high places of the gates that were in the entering in of the gate of Joshua the governor of the city, which were on a man's left hand at the gate of the city.

In this passage we see Josiah making a covenant "to walk after the LORD, and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes with all their heart and all their soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book." The leader changes first and then the people follow. In many cases our people would be willing to change but leadership must first swallow their pride, admit disobedience, and repent.

Have we become to set in our ways to change? Has our spiritual inner ear become calcified with our own pride and self worth? God help us to return to that place of saving, childlike faith!