It truly was a defining moment, one that we might refer to as the ‘mother of all OMG-Aha!-moments’. I’m talking about that time when a young King Josiah heard, possibly for the first time...the Book of the Law read to him by Shaphan, the scribe. (2 Kings 22:10-11)

Talk about the ‘lights coming on’ for someone who had been in the dark, even though he was doing his best to ‘do what was right’ in the eyes of God. The entire nation and kingdom had been in the dark for nearly 60 years.

I don’t want to be guilty of ‘adding to God’s word’ here, but when it says that Josiah ‘tore his clothes’ (11) ...I can easily see him falling to his face as his heart is broken, and maybe trembling in fear as he weeps for himself, and his people in the kingdom. I had a similar experience just over five years ago in my home back in Texas in those early days that led up to the pandemic which shut our country down. My life has not been the same, since. Does anyone really think I could be generating these daily lessons for this long of a spell...on my own? (1300+ posts later)

When Josiah heard the words read from the Book of the Law, he was deeply convicted and wanted to know more (John 3:19-21)...’concerning the words of this book that has been found’. “For great is the wrath of the Lord that is aroused against us because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book, to do...according to all that is written concerning us.” (2 Kings 22:12)

It is one of those moments when many of those ‘missing pieces’ seem to come out of nowhere and the picture becomes so much more clear. All those years of ‘weeping in the dust’, suffering needlessly as we remind ourselves...”there’s a reason for everything and we just need to trust God when nothing makes sense’; and then the ‘reasons’ become evident. Then comes that long- “Ohhhh, I see......” followed by a long reflective silence.

It’s those missing pieces of ‘knowledge’...straight from God’s word that brings life and understanding as to why...God’s people have suffered needlessly, as Hosea would remind us in 4:6 – “My people...are destroyed for a lack of knowledge...”

So God must have really meant for real...all that He said and had spoken previously.

Yes, my friends...He really did mean all that He said and gave to us in His word. They are ‘words of life’ that were meant to give us life...IF...we would come to Him and allow Him to open the eyes of our understanding. (John 5:40; Eph. 1:17-18; Luke 10:21).

When we allow the Holy Spirit to get involved, so many ‘blanks spaces’ get filled in and our understanding begins to become fruitful. We see Jesus doing this on multiple occasions with His disciples- (Luke 24:31-32, 44-45; Matt. 13:11)

Whether it was God’s first warning about eating off this one particular tree ‘for you shall surely die...’ (Gen. 2:17), or Jesus’s warning to ‘go and sin no more or something worse will happen to you...’ (John 5:14; Luke 13:3,5) or Paul making it clear that if we ‘continue to live according to the flesh nature we will die’ (Rom. 8:13)...God’s word remains unchanged. The house that was built on sand by the foolish builder was a warning to those who ‘hear the words of God but fail to do them’ (Matt. 7:26-27) The ‘great collapse’ of his house sounds eerily similar to what Jesus foretold in Luke 19:41-44.

So it became crystal clear to King Josiah why his kingdom and people....were in the condition they were in. We then read where a delegation is sent to see the prophetess, Huldah, to confer with her on behalf of the king (14-15). You can read what the Lord had to say through her, in vs. 15-20 of 2 Kings.22. God was going to bestow favor on Josiah, but judgment was still on its way.

And then we come to chapter 23. The heading over that chapter in several of my personal Bibles reads: 'Josiah Restores True Worship'. I find that quite insightful, as we will begin to see what that looks like and will dive in further, tomorrow...Lord willing. But I want to share with you what steps Josiah took next, as recorded in the first few verses of this chapter.

The king gathered all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem, all the priest and the prophets and all the people, both small and great. And he had read to them all...the words of the Book of the Covenant which had been found in the house of the Lord. (2 Kings. 23:1-2)

It’s not an uncommon reaction...when a person has such an encounter with God through His word, that compulsion and desire they experience... to want to share it with anyone and everyone. The reason being- it really is that important, if not urgent that people ‘see and hear it’. I distinctly remember back 5 years ago about this time when everything was still shut down. School graduations and proms were cancelled. “Zoom Meetings” were becoming a ‘way of life’ for so many. There was much fear and confusion and anger growing among populations of people throughout the country, from the smallest of communities to great cities. And I wanted nothing more than to just meet with people and tell them all that I was seeing in God’s word.

I made multiple, lengthy phone calls to old friends and family across the country. I met with numerous pastors back in town, privately, to share what I was experiencing and had come to discover. I had people come into my home so I could tell them what had happened to me and all that I was beginning to see and learn. I met with individuals in local coffee shops. I’m not really sure how I expected those who gave me their time and attention to respond, but looking back...it was probably similar to how people responded to Paul after he shared what he had to say with those in Athens- Some mocked and rolled their eyes, others said to themselves: ‘hmmm...maybe more some other time’. And there were some who believed and begin to study for themselves. (Acts 17:11,32-34)

Tomorrow...the plan of action taken by King Josiah to 'restore true worship'. I pray you’ll join me.