Fully Devoted: Israel, Act 2Sample

Josiah and Return

Josiah was eight years old when he became king ... 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. 2 Kings 22:1-2 NIV

Sound a little different than most of the other introductions we’ve read recently? It’s refreshing, right? Finally, a good guy! And here's what made Josiah so special: He repaired the temple, he stayed humble, and he renewed the covenant.

When he was just 16 years old, he commissioned a group of trustworthy men to take the tithes of the people and use them to restore the temple of the Lord. There were supervisors and workers, carpenters and masons. Josiah went full on fixer-upper on the house of God, and in the process, the high priest rediscovered the book of the Law. Josiah’s secretary read it and knew his boss needed to see it. He then reread it to King Josiah, who immediately sent his servants to seek wisdom and understanding, having already discerned the gravity of his nation’s disobedience to the words he had just heard. This was the reply Josiah received—see how it reveals his grief and humility:

“‘Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before the LORD when you heard what I have spoken against this place and its people—that they would become a curse and be laid waste—and because you tore your robes and wept in my presence, I also have heard you, declares the LORD. Therefore I will gather you to your ancestors, and you will be buried in peace. Your eyes will not see all the disaster I am going to bring on this place.’” ... 2 Kings 22:19-20 NIV

The nation of Judah had drifted so far from God’s intentions for them. Justice would be served, but God was moved by Josiah’s humble and repentant heart. He experienced deep grief over the path his people have taken, and God heard Him. God was right there with Him. God had been waiting for generation after generation of His people to remember their covenant with Him. And Josiah became a living reminder of that covenant. 

Then the king called together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. He went up to the temple of the LORD with the people of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the priests and the prophets—all the people from the least to the greatest. He read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant, which had been found in the temple of the LORD. The king stood by the pillar and renewed the covenant in the presence of the LORD—to follow the Lord and keep his commands, statutes and decrees with all his heart and all his soul ... 2 Kings 23:1-3

And the people followed his example. The rest of the account we read of Josiah’s life demonstrates deep conviction and real action. He ruthlessly eliminates idols, objects, altars, and places of worship dedicated to false gods. And he’s not messing around. Josiah is smashing stuff, burning stuff, doing whatever it takes to help keep his people from sinning and violating their covenant with God in this way. 

Jesus, in His Sermon on the Mount, advocates for the same kind of drastic measures to keep ourselves from sinning. 

“If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away ... And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away …” Matthew 5:29-30 NIV

No, don’t literally rip your eye out. What Jesus is saying here is that it’s better for you to experience the temporary pain of eliminating a temptation versus the much more costly alternative of obedience to our desires, which leads to slavery to sin and, ultimately, death. 

Might it be a little painful to admit you have an addiction and walk through the healing process, or break up with that person who is asking you to compromise on your boundaries, or put restrictions on your phone to the point where it’s practically a “dumb phone” and not a smart one anymore? Yes. It will be. But it’s worth it. We eliminate temptations today so we don’t have to face them tomorrow. There’s freedom and intimacy on the other side of our humility and intentionality.    

Journaling Questions 

• Write down a verse (or verses) from today’s reading. What stands out to you about that verse?   
• Has God ever called you to something you didn’t feel ready for? What did you learn about Him through that? What did you learn about yourself? Write down those observations in your journal. 
• Describe something that needed to be removed from your life in order to obey and honor God. Was it a relationship? An unhealthy habit? Something else? Describe the process of surrendering that to Jesus. Who have you invited into that journey?

Memory Verse

Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living. Romans 6:16 NLT