Shadow of Judgment

 

    I don't know about you, but when I know that I am going to be in trouble and I am just waiting for the verdict it is the worst feeling.   I hate waiting for what is to come.  I rather just have it out and be done with it.  However, when forced to wait we are supposed to think about what we did wrong and how we could have done better.  That never works on me.  I dwell on the punishment.   I guess we all have our thing where what is supposed to happen is not what happens. 

    King Josiah was eight when he became king.  Again, another childhood robbed by the burden of running a nation.  This child king reigned for 31 years.  He wasn't even 40 when he died.

    When Josiah was 16 he began to pursue his relationship with God.  It was his decision, so it was not someone else's faith portrayed through him.  By the time he was 20, his faith was put into action.  He began to remove all idols and to cleanse his nation.  At 26 he began to repair God's temple again.  Faith is journey and it takes time to mature.

    King Josiah was a good king.  He made sure that the workers got paid on time and fairly.  In return, he got hard working and faithful workers.  It was during the reconstruction of God's house that the head priest, Hilkiah, found the Book of the Law (the book Moses wrote).  Hilkiah was the court secretary.  He gave the book to Shaphan

      Shaphan took God's Word to Josiah to be read.  It was the first time the king had ever heard it.  No one had heard the words read in many many years.  The king was deeply convicted by what he heard and later learned about the meaning.  He became aware of how far his nation fell from what was expected and the guilt laid on his shoulders.  He began a reform based on convicted faith, not moral or deeds.  

    Josiah did not hide from the truth of how generations and generations had failed God.  He faced it and in doing so he had to face the fact that his nation was in the shadow of judgment.  They were cursed to fall, but it was not happening immediately.  He called his nation together, so that everyone could hear God's Word for themselves.

    Josiah used his knowledge and conviction to get his nation to live in accordance of God's covenant.  He could not change what was happening, but he could do everything in his power to get people right with God, so it would not be as severe when it did happen.  The nation did follow God for as long as their Godly king was alive.

2 Chronicles 34