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JULY 3
2
Kings 22:3-23:30
Today we will read about the
godliest king of either kingdom - my take on Josiah. It will be said in 2 Kings
23:25 that there was no king who turned
to the Lord with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might, according
to all the Law of Moses, nor did any arise after him. Josiah will have no
black mark against him. The circumstance of his death, I think, was just God
getting him out of the way. He had accomplished his purpose. In all of this,
there is the wonder of what happened to Manasseh at the end of his life. There
is the wonder of how Josiah could be the best king of all, as the grandson of
the most evil king and the son of an evil king. And finally you have to wonder
what the point of Josiah's reform was, since after his death Judah totally
reverted back to idolatry and apostasy. You can wonder now, but when we get
down the road and talk about this again, you'll see how God used his life and
you might be filled with wonder. It teaches you never to give up and to keep
following whether it makes sense or not. Honoring God always makes sense.
2 Kings 22:3-20
Vs. 1-7 So, how old is Josiah?
That he had been following the Lord to this point is pretty amazing,
considering what is about to happen. According to what we'll read in 2
Chronicles 34, Josiah also had red letter years in the 8th and 12th years of
his reign. This, however, would be the most important year in Josiah's life;
and since he would reign for 31 years, the next 13 years would also be pretty
intense.
I think Josiah's interest wasn't
in rebuilding the temple for looks, as much as I think he might have been
sensing the need to worship God as God had prescribed. We read in 2 Chronicles
34:3 that when Josiah was 16, "still a child," he began to seek the
Lord. I think he wanted to worship in the temple. If that was the case, God
would help him with a little present.
Vs. 8-10 As they were rummaging
around, they found a copy of the Book of
the Law, the Bible. Now think for a minute and imagine what this means. It
means that up until now, they did not have a copy of the first five books of
the Bible. Josiah had never heard the law before. Considering what Josiah had
already done as recorded in 2 Chronicles 34, that is pretty amazing. Manasseh
must have died believing he had destroyed the last existing copy of the books
of Moses. Apparently he had made a point of getting rid of the law. Imagine the
guilty conscience he must have had as he died, especially if you realize he had
changed. I wonder who the hero was who hid the scrolls.
Vs. 11-13 So, was this for show
or was it real? We'll find out in a couple verses that Josiah did more than
tear his clothes. I wish we had this kind of reaction as we work in the
harvest, knowing the offer God is making and knowing the storm that is approaching
for every person on this planet.
Vs. 14-20 At this time there
were other prophets, but I think there was a sense of urgency here and this
prophetess lived in the city. Notice that along with the urgency, Josiah sent
five of the leaders of Judah.
V. 17 Notice the end of this
verse. The sins of Manasseh brought irrevocable judgment against Judah. So,
what would be the point of anything, if you knew that regardless of what you
did, judgment was coming? Regardless of the reforms Josiah made, everything was
promised to end in ruin. That sort of sounds like the harvest we're working in
as disciples of Jesus. Josiah is such a cool guy in this respect and a model
disciple maker. He had no idea how God would use him.
Vs. 18-19 I've got to admit that
it is a privilege to read these verses with you. I can't remember what year it
was when I first read them, reading my one-year Bible, but I have printed these
as a plaque on my wall and they have been a constant encouragement to me to
work hard in the harvest, regardless of how disappointing and dark it gets. God
only asks for our love, faith and obedience in following. The results are
totally His.
We know the Word of God against
this place in which we live today. Does it move us to grief and tears? It moved
our Lord to give all that He was for our salvation. This is the heart we need
as disciples following our Lord in the harvest, making disciples, who make
disciples, who make disciples, until our time is up and until He returns. We
need to leave it all in the harvest, following and imitating our Savior.
V. 20 So, Josiah could have
kicked back and relaxed because he would have peace. This is what Hezekiah
thought. But this is why Josiah was so much better. Because of his love for God
and for God's people, Josiah went "nuts" in a good spiritual way.
Fighting an impossible fight, he would work like no other and appear to lose,
but God used Josiah to save Israel.
2 Kings 23:1-30
Vs. 1-3 One thing you can be
sure of, Josiah obeyed everything with a deep passion and devotion. That is not
to say that Josiah was able to obey every commandment in the Law, but everything
that was personal and attainable in that time of world conflict was done by him.
(Nehemiah 8:14-17 indicates that no king ever made the people live in booths during
the Feast of Booths in October. And it is unlikely that Josiah held the
Sabbatical Year during his reign as Egypt, Assyria and Babylon were vying for
control of that part of the world.) This also would have meant that he wrote
his own copy of the law and read it daily. I'm sure, with only one copy in
existence, he also had the Levites making several copies. It seems that all of
this is Josiah. He called the meeting; he read the book, and he made the
covenant.
Vs. 4-14 There were no more
offerings on the high places. Josiah not only stopped all of this, but he
desecrated the spots to make sure they were "unholy" and would never
be used again. As I read this I wonder why they hadn't removed some of this
stuff earlier. It must have been that everyone just grew up with it and assumed
it was for the worship of God. Manasseh was king for 54 years. That would be a
lifetime for many people. They saw stuff and may have just thought it belonged
there. As Josiah and the priests and Levites went through the temple and the
city, they must have questioned every statue and memorial for its meaning.
V. 13 Notice who made these
altars: the wisest man in the world, the same king who built and dedicated the
temple. With his skill as a builder, I'll bet they looked pretty. And in all of
these years since his death, none of the kings (not even Hezekiah) destroyed
them. Note that Chemosh and Milcom were gods to which you offered babies.
Ashtoreth was the girlfriend of Baal and this was sexual worship. Probably the
unwanted babies from that worship were offered to these other gods.
It should be noted that all of
these reforms and cleansings took time. The area around Jerusalem had to have
happened in the 18th year, otherwise Josiah would not have held the
Passover. The other reforms, like the ones in Samaria, could have taken place
over the next 12 years.
Vs. 15-20 If you remember back
to 1 Kings 13, this had been foretold by the man of God.
Vs. 17-18 This is why the lying
prophet wanted to be buried with the man of God, so that his bones wouldn't be
taken up and burned.
Vs. 21-23 Imagine the honor
given to Josiah here. None of the kings before him celebrated a Passover like
this one, and that includes David and Solomon. This doesn't mean that the other
Passovers Josiah celebrated weren't good, but that this Passover established a
sense of devotion to God that had been lost in Israel for hundreds of years and
through all of the kings of Israel.
Now, we haven't read this yet,
but Hezekiah also celebrated a Passover that was renown, in that no Passover
like it had been celebrated since Solomon. When you read what Hezekiah did, it
will impress you and it was a truly godly event and effect. The fact that
Josiah's Passover goes back to a godly man like Samuel speaks for its deeper
devotion. Josiah didn't have the resources Hezekiah had. Josiah had just found
the Bible and was still trying to rebuild Judah after decades of his
grandfather's evil influence. Also, Hezekiah didn't have priests who were
consecrated to lead the people in worship. Somehow, Josiah had everyone ready.
V. 25 I have to believe this is
saying that Josiah was the godliest king Israel ever had. When Jesus was
challenged regarding the first commandment of all, Jesus cited Deuteronomy
6:4-5. Josiah is the only king this is said of. Yet, his effort will look
"wasted," but it wasn't.
Vs. 26-27 Judgment was coming,
no matter what.
Vs. 28-30 We'll have to read the
account of this in 2 Chronicles 35. It is the only instance of
"foolishness" on Josiah's part, but honestly, vs. 26 and 27 tell you
the clock was already ticking and this battle was just a way for God to take
Josiah out of the equation. God retired Josiah. His work was done. Now the
judgment would roll.
Acts
21:37-22:16
It is unfortunate that this
speech by Paul is carried into tomorrow. As you read this, it seems like
everyone was really listening to him. Think of everything Paul is saying here.
There are no objections. Isn't that incredible? But tomorrow he'll say the
"G" word and the dust (and stones) will fly. Good thing the Romans
wore helmets.
Acts 21:37-40
Vs. 37-39 Apparently there was
an Egyptian guy who had come to Jerusalem before this with 4000 men, stood on
the Mount of Olives and declared that at his word the city would fall. All that
happened was that a bunch of guys ran up the hill after them wearing shiny
suits and holding shiny pointy things. The Romans had no sense of humor. The
Egyptian got away, but on his "wanted" poster it mentioned that he
couldn't speak Greek. The tribune thought Paul was this guy until he heard Paul
speak Greek. (The Bible Knowledge Commentary-NT, p. 417)
V. 40 When the crowd heard Paul
speak in Hebrew or Aramaic they went silent.
Acts 22:1-16
V. 1 Apparently this is how
Stephen also addressed the crowd before he died. Maybe Paul remembered this.
V. 2 A hush fell over the crowd.
I tend to think that Paul was speaking high Hebrew.
Vs. 3-5 This describes Paul's
upbringing and pedigree as a very zealous Jew. Verse 4 describes Paul as being
very hard and violent in his anger against Christianity. He put men and women
in prison. He'll say more the next couple of times he gives his testimony in
Acts.
Vs. 6-11 It is interesting that
there is no uproar here from the Jews. The Pharisees believed this kind of
event was possible; in fact, tomorrow the Pharisees will say this and defend
Paul.
Vs. 12-16 It is still amazing
that they are listening to Paul.
Psalm
1
It is difficult to emotionally
"agree" with spiritual truth when your life circumstances seem
unsettled. But that is why God gives us His truth, to make us see beyond the
physical and beyond our needs. When you read this psalm, change the words man and righteous and the pronouns to "follower of Christ," or
"disciple."
Vs. 1-2 The blessed person both
delights himself in the Lord and meditates on His Word day and night. That makes sense, but for most people it doesn't
happen. You've heard me say that we are spiritually bi-polar and that we need
our "meds" every day. We assent to our need for the Word, but we
really don't believe it. God says we need to both delight in Him and to be in
His Word daily.
On the other hand, do any of us
really walk in the counsel of the wicked
or stand in the way of sinners or sit
in the seat of scoffers? The media
definitely helps us do that. We watch stuff on TV that is insane. The thoughts
of our own hearts as we face people, situations and fears qualifies us as
sinners and scoffers. And many of us listen to our own hearts and react. The
point is that we need to be totally immersed in the Lord's love and the Lord's
Word.
Vs. 3-4 The contrast is
interesting. Two people standing next to each other are experiencing the same
trials of life. God makes all the difference. For us as disciples the thought
of fruit is important and is promised if we are planted in the Lord.
Vs. 5-6 The wicked cannot stand
before the Lord or avoid judgment because they don't know the way. By grace, we
know the Lord and the Lord directs us on His way.
These are such simple verses,
but they determine the most profound differences in the hearts and attitudes of
people walking through this life, even among those who say they know the Lord.
Proverbs
18:11-12
Like Paul said, When I am weak (and humble), then
I am strong. Paul was glad to admit his humility in Christ. As disciples,
sometimes, it takes a long time to learn this. We do ministry in unseen
arrogance until the Lord finally gets our attention and we see that it is His
harvest, His power, His grace, and we are just unworthy servants who have done
only what was required of us. All those things we depend upon, our youth, our
health, our intelligence, our money, etc., sometimes get in the way of humility
and finding ourselves in Christ, as His servants in the harvest.
Please Read
the Following Disclaimer
I'm writing the Reading Notes to and
for those who are following a One Year Bible and are interested in growing
deeper as a disciple, following Jesus in the harvest. My hope is to see the
growth of a discipleship culture in the church, that is, groups of 3-4
disciples, meeting weekly, encouraging each other to follow Christ and work to
reach out and make disciples, who make disciples. The Bible itself is the most
universal and important discipleship manual we have and it is the key to our
growth and service in Christ. Nothing keeps us more focused on why we are here,
or what we are to be doing, or whom we are to be following. My comments are
only meant to provide some explanation of the events or to show the flow of
God's plan of redemption. My comments are in no way exhaustive, but are
designed to keep us, as disciples, focused on Christ and our role in His
harvest. My hope is that the people in these groups will grow in Christ and be
willing, after a year, to find 3 others to meet with and encourage in their
growth as disciples, making disciples in the harvest.
If you would like a more descriptive
commentary that is still readable and concise, I'd recommend the Bible Knowledge Commentary (BKC).
I read the BKC in doing background for the Reading Notes and refer to it quite
often. I also make reference to maps or charts in the BKC, though I will only
note where those resources can be found. Often you can do a search for these
and find them in Google books. Buying both volumes of the Bible Knowledge
Commentary would be a good idea.
I am not endorsing any particular One
Year Bible translation; in fact, I read something you probably don't, Die
Revidierte Lutherbibel, 1984. Unless noted, all Scripture quotes are from the
ESV Bible.
Anyone reading along with us is
welcome to do so and is encouraged to take their own notes and make their own
observations. If the comments made do not agree with your particular tradition
or understanding, that's OK. Nothing I've written is meant to criticize any
point of view, but only to express the truth of what God has written to us, as I
understand it. Often there is a breadth of opinion on certain events, both
historical and prophetic. Many of my views come from my church background,
theological training and my personal study.
I'm
doing this with discipleship in mind, meaning, I'm writing out thoughts that
will keep discipleship and our growth as disciples applied to what we are
reading. Remember, the real focus of the Reading Notes is to be a
supplement, a disciple’s commentary, giving motivation and insight so that we
will keep following our Lord in the harvest, reaching the lost and making
disciples, who make disciples. Being in
the Word every day, sitting at Jesus’ feet, learning directly from Him, is the
essential essence of being and making disciples.
May the Lord bless you as you follow Him in the
harvest, reaching the lost and making disciples, who make disciples. Dan
If you would like documents
containing an entire month of the Reading Notes, go to https://sites.google.com/site/dlkachikis/reading-notes.
If you would like a full
presentation of discipleship read Simply
Disciples*Making Disciples.
Or if you are struggling with
insomnia and would like a long boring dissertation on disciple making, these
can both be found on https://sites.google.com/site/dlkachikis/reading-notes.
Reading Notes ©, Dan Kachikis
2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018
The One Year Bible © by Tyndale
House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton Illinois 60189
The Holy Bible, English Standard
Version® (ESV®) Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good
News Publishers.
All charts/graphics/outlines
from the Bible Knowledge Commentary are used with the permission of David C.
Cook.
© 1983, 2001 John F Walvoord and Roy B Zuck.
The Bible Knowledge Commentary is published by David C Cook.
All rights reserved. Publisher permission
required to reproduce.
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