Bible Pathway - May 31, 2010
Highlights:
The Temple is repaired and what Treasure do they find (vss 14-16)? Don't miss the promise of God to the king and the king's covenant with the Lord. Josiah's godliness is precious (II Chr. 35:24-25) but, after his death, the nation's sins result in their destruction. Decree of Cyrus to rebuild the Temple.
Josiah walked in the ways of David . . . while he was yet young, he began to seek after the God of David (34:2-3) He reigned on David's throne for thirty-one years. It was the last surge of political independence and spiritual revival before the disintegration of the Southern Kingdom which ended with the destruction of Jerusalem.
Josiah's leadership ranked him with David, Jehoshaphat, and Hezekiah as an outstanding godly king, for he took a firm stand against idol worship and other evils that had permeated the Israelite kingdom (34:1-7). Moreover Josiah kept a passover unto the Lord in Jerusalem. . . . sanctify yourselves, and prepare your brethren, that they may do according to the Word of the Lord. . . . And there was no passover like to that kept in Israel from the days of Samuel the prophet; neither did all the kings of Israel keep such a passover as Josiah kept, and the priests, and the Levites, and all Judah and Israel that were present, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem (35:1,6,18). But the nation did not follow Josiah's love for God and his righteous example.
Josiah's leadership ended when he attempted to stop Pharaoh Necho's plans to go through the valley of Megiddo (35:22) to attack the Assyrians. Josiah did not believe that Necho, a worshiper of many false gods, received a message from the One True God.
Josiah was a godly man. If God wanted to stop Josiah, He would speak to him, not to Pharoah Necho, an idol worshiper. There is a time to die (Eccl. 3:2). It is a fact that all things work together for good to them that love God (Rom. 8:28). Furthermore, there was no reason to believe that God was displeased with Josiah. Compare Solomon (I Kin. 11:9-11). Josiah died a young man and so did Stephen and Jesus. The thirty-nine-year-old king was fatally wounded at Megiddo. He fulfilled the will of God who spared him from the tragedies that were to soon come upon Jerusalem and the Temple because of the nation's sins, and God welcomed him home. There are few people during biblical history of whom it is said: He (Josiah) did that which was right in the sight of the Lord . . . and declined neither to the right hand, nor to the left (II Chr. 34:2).
Thought for Today:
Blessed are they that do His Commandments, that they . . . may enter in through the gates into the city (Rev. 22:14).
Christ Revealed:
Through the messengers of God who were rejected by His people (II Chr. 36:15-16; compare Is. 53:3; Mark 9:12). Jesus came unto His own (own people), and His own received Him not (John 1:11; also Matt. 21:42; Mark 8:31; 12:10; Luke 9:22; 17:25; 20:17).
Word Studies:
35:13 sod =b> boiled; 36:3 put him down =b> deposed him; condemned =b> taxed; demanded tribute; 36:10 brother =b> uncle; 36:15 rising up betimes =b> early every morning.
Prayer Needs:
Pray for International Broadcasts sponsored by Dr. John A. Hash • Government Official: Del. Madeleine Bordallo (Guam) • Country: Macedonia (2 million) in southeastern Europe • Major languages: Macedonian and Albanian • strongly Orthodox country • 67% Macedonian Orthodox; 23% Muslim; 3% Catholic; 2% Protestant; 5% Other • Prayer Suggestion: Remember that prayer changes things (James 5:16-18).
Optional Reading: 2 Corinthians 2
Memory Verse for the Week: Matthew 6:31
