REVIVE/Josiah (II Chronicles 34-35) CHRONICLES Chronicles is not a popular book, despite its length (64 chapters between I&II Chronicles) and breathtaking scope, spanning all of Israel’s story—from the creation of the world to the reconstruction following the Babylonian exile. We don’t seem to blow the dust off of Chronicles very much. In the famous Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, the Septuagint, the name given to Chronicles means “things left out” or even “the leftovers.” It’s basically the appendix of scripture. Compared to the rich banquet of Genesis, Psalms, or Isaiah, Chronicles may indeed seem like “leftovers.” But a very different assessment is found in some ancient sources. The Mishnah, an important collection of Jewish law and tradition, lists Chronicles as one of the books to be read by the high priest on the night before Yom Kippur, so he will keep awake! And the great Christian scholar, Jerome, who translated the Bible into the Latin translation people used for a thousand years, said that we find in Chronicles “the meaning of the whole of sacred history.” It was originally written as one book and separated later into the two we have today. In the Hebrew Bible, Chronicles is the last book, and in Jesus’ time, scripture was understood to sweep from Genesis to Chronicles. II CHRONICLES 34-35 And toward the end of Chronicles, 2 Chronicles 34 and 35, comes the story of incredible revival (there’s a parallel account in 2 Kings 22). It happens under the leadership of a young king named Josiah. It happened around the year 640 BC and lasted until about 610 BC (so about 30 years). The people of God have slid deeply into depravity. They’ve fallen so far away from God and his purposes. Josiah’s grandfather (Manasseh) was infamous as a wicked king of Israel. He reigned for 55 years and did great evil. He copied the abominations of surrounding nations. He brought the worst of pagan culture into his kingdom. He named his son Amon after an Egyptian God and he became king and was assassinated after 2 years. And then we read these words at the start of 2 Chronicles 34: “Josiah was 8 years old when he became king.” As the story begins in Chapter 34:1-3 we read: “Josiah was 8 years old ... he did what was right. ... While he was still young, he began to seek the God of his father David.” Josiah didn’t have any spiritual heritage to speak of. Josiah is living on longings and rumors of the God of his ancestors. He doesn’t know what God requires. He has no spiritual heritage. And things had been in decline and disrepair for a long time. These are the people of God, and his grandfather had actually banned the word of God. They do not have a copy of the scriptures, the book of the law. The temple had been abandoned. It’s like a ghost town around the temple. • And at 16 years of age, Josiah sets his heart to follow God (verse 3). • At 21 years of age, he begins to clean house as a king (verse 3). • At 26, he launches a project to repair and cleanse the temple (verse 8). SOME OBSERVATIONS: • Josiah sought the Lord. Every time there is a time of revival and renewal someone starts seeking and pursuing God, regardless of their upbringing, regardless of how they have seen others model the way. Doubtless the prophet Jeremiah had had some influence on the young king, and one of the things we learn in Jeremiah is, “You will seek me ... and find me when you seek me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13). • Josiah got rid of false gods. In 2 Chronicles 34:3-7, Josiah is now 20. He began to purge the idols of the place he lived and ruled. Think about Josiah’s life and think about your own. Do not tolerate sin in your life. All of us have been marked by sin. We need to move to a new and deeper level of repentance. Invite the Holy Spirit to search your heart. “Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.” 1 REVIVE/Josiah (II Chronicles 34-35) • Josiah led the repair the house of God. In the 18th year of Josiah’s reign (2 Chronicles 34:8). So, now he’s 26 years old. He sends out people to REPAIR. • Josiah led a return to the word of God. 2 Chronicles 34:14-15. Hilkiah the priest finds the book of the law (it had been lost). Read verses 18-21. They had forgotten the word of God. Josiah seeks out Huldah. 2 Chronicles 34:27. Now what we learn was the nation was too far gone and the people are still going to be carried away into captivity. • Josiah created an environment of true worship. He reestablished the redemptive rhythms of God’s people. Josiah has everybody celebrate Passover, which was the telling of their story of being delivered from Egypt. Scholars say this was the first celebration of its kind in 400 years. IN LIGHT OF THE REVIVAL IN JOSIAH’S TIME, WHAT LESSONS CAN WE APPLY TO OUR DAY? 1. RESOLVE TO HONOR GOD. Josiah didn’t have much theology, but he had conviction in his heart to honor God with his life. There was a lot of negative momentum he had to overcome. His grandfather was a wicked man. His father was brutally murdered. He had no mentor. He looked at David as a mentor. David was a distant, figure for Josiah, they were actually separated by roughly 14 generations. There’s nothing wrong with going back through history to find a mentor! 2. RESOLVE TO BUILD AGAIN. Josiah didn’t just tear things down, he was constructive... he was a builder, a restorer, a rebuilder, and an artist. In his mid-20’s, he rebuilt the temple. He reinstituted the priesthood and started up worship again. He brought in people to sing and to praise God. He wanted to renew the hearts of his people for God. 3. RESOLVE TO RESPOND IN HUMILITY. And in the midst of these temple repairs, they discover the Bible. A construction worker comes up and says: “Your highness, we found this book.” Maybe a priest had hidden it in the wall for future generations. We don’t know, but it’s unearthed. Maybe it was the first five books of the Bible. And Josiah begins to read it and is blown away! He has no personal knowledge of God’s word at this point. When he reads the text, he knows in his heart they are heading toward judgment. Josiah’s heart melts and he cries out to God. He has the text, but he desires prophetic insight. So, he asks, “Are there any prophets that understand the scriptures?” Jeremiah was alive at the time—a pretty incredible prophet. But Josiah doesn’t go get Jeremiah, he finds Huldah, a woman who is a prophet. And he says, “Tell me the voice of God in this.” And she says, “God has heard your heart, and judgment is coming.” And verse 27, “Because your heart was responsive, and you humbled yourself before God.” God is saying through the prophet Huldah, “Because your heart was responsive, history will continue to happen, but I will shape history around you, Josiah, because your heart was responsive.” Josiah wanted to know what God desires and his heart was responsive to what God this. Let your heart respond and humble yourself. Josiah did, and God shaped history around it. 4. RESOLVE TO RENEW YOUR COMMITMENT. Become committed to recovering what has been lost. Restore a culture of worship in your life. Restore a culture that honors God in your life. Restore a culture of prayer. What does it mean to walk in the Spirit? Create an environment that the Holy Spirit loves to indwell—justice, prayer, sacrificial love, worship, God’s Word. What do you need to recover? 2 .