“In the eighteenth year of his reign, King Josiah sent Shaphan son of Azaliah and grandson of Meshullam, the court secretary, to the Temple of the Lord. He told him, “Go to Hilkiah the high priest and have him count the money the gatekeepers have collected from the people at the Lord’s Temple. Entrust this money to the men assigned to supervise the restoration of the Lord’s Temple. Then they can use it to pay workers to repair the Temple. They will need to hire carpenters, builders, and masons. Also have them buy the timber and the finished stone needed to repair the Temple. But don’t require the construction supervisors to keep account of the money they receive, for they are honest and trustworthy men.” 2 Kings 22:3-7 NLT
Young Josiah becomes King of Israel at 8 years old. What a heavy responsibility to know that you’ve got to grow and mature into a national leader and that your country is counting on you doing things right. Josiah’s first official act doesn’t take place until he is 36 years old!
Josiah’s family origin story was awful! His grandfather and father were terrible, ungodly kings. His grandfather, Manasseh, had instituted idol worship throughout the land and the country had suffered greatly because of it. He gutted the contents of the temple and replace it with a carved image of Asherah. God’s temple and the pride of the country had become an idolatry whorehouse! Manasseh’s son, Josiah’s father was no better. Amon was so dispised that his own officials conspired against him and assassinated him in his palace. And, the people of the land even killed all those who had conspired against king Amon. They made his son Josiah the next king.
The kingdom, both physically and spiritually were decimated and in complete disrepair! What can an 8 year old do to turn an entire country back to God? The Bible says that young Josiah had determined to turn to God, ”He did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight and followed the example of his ancestor David. He did not turn away from doing what was right.” Maybe it was his mother, Jedidah, that made the difference.
After growing up and surveying all that had happened under his father and grandfather’s reign, spending 18 years deciding where and when to make change. He decided to reverse the curse of idolatry in his country. Where did he start? Repairing and making the temple a place of honor and glory to God once again. He sent trusted men to find other trusted men to put the Temple tax money to work. He found men to supervise the restoration of the Lord’s Temple! What a genius idea – fix the house of God as a focused priority, to begin turning the people of God towards the one true God. This took faith in God and trust in men to make it all happen. Faith was in short supply and trusting people with money after years of systemic, nonsensical waste on fake gods would also be difficult.
Josiah ordered an odd and risky command, “don’t require the construction supervisors to keep account of the money they receive.” What? Is that legal? Giving money, tax money collected from the people, to construction guys? You know what? It worked. And, wouldn’t you know it. Immediately after Josiah takes this huge risk, entrusting people with money to do what is right, Shaphan just “happens” to come back with extraordinary news, reporting the results of the King’s decision. “Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the court secretary, “I have found the Book of the Law in the Lord’s Temple!” Then Hilkiah gave the scroll to Shaphan, and he read it. Shaphan went to the king and reported, “Your officials have turned over the money collected at the Temple of the Lord to the workers and supervisors at the Temple.” Shaphan also told the king, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a scroll.” So Shaphan read it to the king.”
The money was disbursed, the work on the Temple had begun and guess what? Hilkiah found the book of the Law! The restoration of the physical temple and the restoration of the spiritual hearts of the people would simultaneously be restored back to God! The cycle of despair and disrepair would end and the Lord would once again be worshiped and obeyed. One, young leader, with a heart to do what was right would temporarily turn a nation back to God.
It can happen again. It can happen today. Nothing is impossible with God. We no longer meet with God in a Temple, because God, through Jesus Christ has made His home in the hearts of His people. Now, individually and cooperatively we are the Temple of God. Can God use young leaders, with a desire to do what is right to turn the Church in America around? Can young leaders be entrusted to rebuild and restore what has been in disrepair in the Church for so many years? Yes! I believe it is possible. Returning to a refurbished temple would not be necessarily the church buildings that have been in decline for decades, it would be the restructuring and restoration of the hearts and lives of those who the Church, the body of Christ today. It would also be finding or rediscovering the laws of God that Jesus himself summarized for us so beautifully – Matthew 22:37-39, “Love God and love others.” And, “love as you’ve been loved” in John 13:34, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” This would be the new revolution.
Prayer
Dad,
I try to keep up with the latest, but not so greatest of stats on Your Church and the myriad of challenges and critiques. But I still believe! I still believe in Your plan, Your Church and actively watch and wait for young leaders to step up and in to the spiritual revolution that is coming. I have faith and trust in future Josiah’s! Amen.