2 Chronicles chapter 34 and 35
Many years after the boy Joash was king in Jerusalem, other small boy was made king there. His name was Josiah, and he was one of the best of all the kings, because while young he wanted to learn of the Lord, and God had said before this,
There were few good men to teach or help Josiah, because so many were honoring the idols which his father had set up. But Josiah knew images were wrong, and God gave him courage while a very young man to have them all broken up and pounded to dust, so they could not lye used again. He went himself to Bethel and other parts of Israel and destroyed the idols, and put-away all wizards, who were evil people, using charms and slick things to deceive the people.
The inside of the temple of God had been much hurt by the wicked men who had torn out gold and other valuable things, so Josiah appointed men to clean and repair it. While doing-that, something very old was found. It was a book or scroll, in which were written words God had told Moses to write, about 800 years before. The men took the book to the king and read to him.
Josiah seems never to have heard these words before, which told of sorrows to come to those who would not obey God’s Words. Do you suppose he said,
“O that is such an old writing, we do not need to believe it?”
No, the young king fully believed that the words were from God. He had not done evil himself, but he wept, for he knew that the people had sadly disobeyed. He even tore his good robes to show the let how serious he felt the sins were.
Josiah called for all the people to collie together to hear the book read aloud, and they agreed to obey God’s Words, and did so while Josiah lived. They kept the Passover feast with joy and singing, and Josiah gave many animals for the sacrifices.
Some years later Josiah went to war when there was no need and God did not send him, and he was wounded by an arrow and died.
But let us remember that Josiah believed God’s Words written in the oldbhook, which God had kept safe, even though lost by the careless men. We have the same writings in our Bibles, in the Old Testament and many more words of God.
Some now say,
The Bible is too old to be true.”
But read it carefully, and you will find God speaks to your heart as lie did to Josiah, and you will believe Him.
Do you know, a man of God had told the men at Bethel over 300 years before that a youth, named Josiah, would destroy the idols there? So God’s Words always come true. 1 Kings 13:22And he cried against the altar in the word of the Lord, and said, O altar, altar, thus saith the Lord; Behold, a child shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name; and upon thee shall he offer the priests of the high places that burn incense upon thee, and men's bones shall be burnt upon thee. (1 Kings 13:2).
ML 10/01/1939