When King Josiah heard the law read to him, I mean when he really ‘heard it’... and possibly for the first time in his life...it did something within him; it produced a response and then an immediate reaction. Brokenness and repentance was the first ‘fruits’.

He ‘tore his clothes’ (2 Kings 22:11). This was no small gesture as it signified a sense of deep grief...repentance of the heart, and an awakening of alarm upon realizing that Judah had been breaking God’s law, and in the most severe way. Josiah also realized that breaking covenant with God invites divine judgment. (see Rom. 2:1-3) This tearing of his clothes was a physical and outward response that acknowledged guilt which in turn led to immediate reforms.

A ’modern day’ example as to how one might/should respond when they ‘hear the law’ for the first time...can be found in James 4. After calling out double-minded 'believers', even accusing them of being ‘adulterers’ (4) because of their love for the ‘world’...James offers a proper response that is found in 4:6-10, which I’ll let you read on your own. IF you still seem unclear as to the gravity of this situation Josiah (and even us today) found himself in, take a moment and read through Proverbs 1:20-33 for perspective.

Turning back to 2 Kings 22:13, the next thing Josiah does is to seek the Lord for himself and the people concerning all the words he has heard from this 'book' that was found, realizing at the same time this ‘great wrath of the Lord has been aroused against them because their fathers had not obeyed the words of the book’.

Would you take a moment and go read John 3:36 to be reminded what is/was upon each and every one of us in this world prior to having a life-transforming encounter with Jesus.

I realize this next statement may not ‘land well’ for some who come across it, but I will say what needs to be said anyway: Unless the Lord opens the eyes of your understanding, you won’t see or ‘get this’, and I’m talking about seeing the connection with God’s law and His wrath that is upon the earth. But when that ‘light does come on’...and you ‘see it’, it will most likely produce similar results in your own heart, as it did in Josiah’s...and mine as well ...six years ago.

Friends...God’s law was never repealed, done away with, set aside or abolished (Matt. 5:17); which means His ‘wrath’ is still here today as well (Rom. 1:18). You cannot separate the two because the ‘law brings wrath’ (Rom. 4:15). And if you are not truly being led by God’s Spirit, you are still ‘under the law’ and all that it brings (Gal. 5:18). Guess what Jesus came to ‘save’ us from? It was the ‘wrath of God’ (John 3:17-18; Rom. 5:9). And if you are truly ‘walking in the Spirit...you will no longer be fulfilling the lusts and desires of the flesh nature’...which causes us to...break His law. (Gal. 5:16; Rom. 8:13-14; Gal. 5:24)

But if/when you do ‘see it’, it should produce the ‘fruits of repentance’ that John the Baptist spoke of early on when he also warned of this coming ‘wrath’ and how the ‘axe is already laid to the root of the trees’...(Matt. 3:7-10). Guess what leads us to the place of ‘repentance’? See Romans 2:4 for the answer.

So let me tell you what Josiah did NOT rush out and start doing. We don’t read where he went out and shut down all the bar-b-que joints that sold pork, nor burn down retailers who were selling clothes made of cotton and linen. There is no record of him having people arrested and stoned for ‘gathering firewood on the Sabbath’; nor did he send out an early form of ‘ICE agents’ to round up people who could not quote the 10 commandments.

But I can point to what we do learn took place in the early days and stages of his well-known ‘reforms’, which we can call ‘fruits of repentance’. You’ll read in 2 Kings 23:1-2 where he called to gather all the people ‘great and small’ to hear the reading of all the words of the Book of the Covenant which had been found in the house of the Lord’. The irony of this is not lost on me, that the ‘Book’ was found in the house of the Lord’. I have had people tell me in recent years that they too are looking up these verses I share here and have actually told me...”I can’t believe this has been here all this time...and I just didn’t ‘see it’.” My response is usually the same when I hear that: “I know...me too!”

Now let’s take a closer look as to what action and response the hearing of the law produced in Josiah and the people, as far as what we are told here in scripture. I’m going to invite you to read through on your own, vs. 3-25. First, there is a verbal affirming of vows to return to the Lord and to keep all of God’s commands and to perform His words that are written in the book, and please note/underline that part about doing this with “all their heart and soul” in vs. 3.

Then...it’s ‘go time’ where the ‘sleeves are rolled up’ and the real ‘work’ is about to get started. Do you know where all the attention and effort is directed at? It was time to ‘clean up the temple’. Another word I should use is the word ‘purify’...and will address this later.

The priority here that scripture directs all the attention on...is purifying the temple and ridding it of any and all things that God calls ‘unacceptable’... (and that is a gentle word I used).

Anyone see where this is going?

I should forewarn you now that if/when God begins to open eyes to His word and you start to see the seriousness and gravity of the situation we find ourselves in today, even as King Josiah did when he first heard the word/law and ‘saw it’...it can, should, and will...produce similar ‘fruits of repentance within your heart (James 4:6-10).

But...don’t expect the majority of folks in the circles you travel with...to ‘see it’ as well. On the contrary...oftentimes they will be the very first ones to come to you and attempt to counter your concerns; much like the teachers did back in Jeremiah’s day (Jer. 23:16-20).

Remember...it was the ‘wise virgins’ who really ‘woke up’...and got about the business of getting themselves ready for an approaching ‘wedding’ (Matt. 25:1-13; Rev. 19:7-9).