It's time once again for Biblically Speaking, a podcast taking material from God's Word and making it relevant for those living in the world today. I am your speaker, Jeremy Butt and I look forward to making the journey with you from biblical learning to practical living. Go ahead and open your Bibles to 2 Chronicles 34. In a moment we will read from the text, but let me first introduce our topic for the day.
When we mention the theme of restoration here in the United States I would dare say most of us in the church recall names such as Alexander Campbell, Barton W. Stone, "Raccoon" John Smith and various others. The Restoration of New Testament Christianity is of major significance to us in the church today because leaders of the restoration movement urged everyone to go back to the Word of God as our only religious guide. Those who decided to follow this plea put away all denominational titles, creeds and unscriptural practices such as instrumental music in worship and infant baptism. These individuals sought to be led by the Word of God alone, no more, no less. Did you know however there was a time in the Old Testament when a young king of Judah in Jerusalem set forth a pattern of restoration?
As a background behind our subject today, King Josiah took over ruling Judah at the very young age of eight, following after the corrupt reign of his father, Amon, who did evil just like his father, Manasseh. Josiah walked in the ways of his ancestor, King David, choosing to do what was good and not evil like so many of his forefathers. He made it a point to get rid of the images that people worshipped, even beating them into powder. In the eighteenth year of his reign he sent some key individuals to repair the temple of the Lord. The money that was in the temple was given to Hilkiah, the high priest to distribute to the workers, and in doing so Hilkiah discovered the Book of the Law. Sources disagree with how long the Book of the Law had been missing, some saying perhaps 57 years and others as long as 75-80 years, but regardless of how long it had been the people now had access to the Word of God.
Shaphan the secretary read the Book of the Law before the king, and upon hearing it the king tore his clothes. He was distressed and anguished, affirming verbally that their fathers had not kept the Word of the Lord. Huldah the prophetess made the prophecy that there would be disaster for Judah and its people because of those who forsook God and worshipped idols, thereby provoking God to wrath. However, because Josiah's heart was touched by the Book of the Law, he would not see the disaster take place in his days. Upon this message being passed on to the king, we now come to our text for today. I read from 2 Chron. 34:29-33.
It is clear from the text that Josiah went back to the Book from which the people had strayed for all these years. Upon Josiah's reading of the Book of the Law, he made a covenant to walk after the Lord and keep his commandments and his testimonies and statutes with all his heart and soul. It appears to me that Josiah was dedicated to the restoration of God's Law among His people. He saw to it that during the rest of his days that the people served the Lord and did not turn away from following Him. Some list Josiah as a reformer, but the better term is restorer. He reinstated the type of relationship the people had with God at one time, bringing it back the way it should be.
Have you ever seen people restore furniture or cars? The purpose is not to enhance or change but to restore. The old piece of furniture will look as it did in its former days. The old car will look as it did in its former days. They're not supposed to look like something different. They're not reformed, but restored.
In a time today when so many people seem to get further and further from the Word of God, isn't it refreshing to take a look back at Josiah the restorer to see how important it is to go back to the Word of God? Maybe there are some people out there who need a restored relationship with the Lord. Perhaps you've even been away from the Lord about as long as the Book of the Law was hidden in the temple. The Word of the Lord was found in the house of the Lord. In the Old Testament the house of the Lord was the physical temple. However, for us today under the New Covenant, our bodies are the temple of God (1 Cor. 6:19). Renew and restore your covenant with God in your daily walk with Him. Let's all take a page out of Josiah's book and make sure we are devoted wholeheartedly to following the Lord as laid forth for us in Scripture. Thanks for listening to today's podcast, Josiah the Restorer. Until next week, I hope you have a wonderful day.
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