It’s hard to believe the Passover was not celebrated for all those years! It speaks to the level of distance that had come between God and his people. To celebrate the Passover is to relive and remember with awe the events of the Israelites’ deliverance from Egyptian oppression. Josiah was trying everything to get God’s attention and forgiveness.
Would Jewish people still be celebrating the Passover today if Josiah hadn’t revived it all those years ago? I suppose we could speculate all day long. But the important thing to see is how Josiah stood out from all of the other kings.
“Never before had there been a king like Josiah, who turned to the Lord with all his heart and soul and strength, obeying all the laws of Moses. And there has never been a king like him since.” That is quite a statement! Surely Josiah has made a name for himself in the history of God’s people!
I asked my Bible scholar husband what he thought about Josiah. I was just wondering why he wasn’t a “household name” like some of the other Bible heroes. I wanted to make sure I wasn’t missing something. Without skipping a beat, David said Josiah was best known as being a reformer and completely devoted to God. With those credentials, we should put Josiah in the front of all of our minds when it comes to Bible heroes!
I don’t think leaving a legacy was the major motivation for Josiah. It seems he was simply intent on pleasing God. That’s certainly a good place for all of us to begin. Josiah was trying to right the many wrongs the people had done. The people had let evil run rampant so that even priests were corrupt.
Josiah’s grand effort happened too late in the game. God’s mind had been made up. Yet, we should not fault Josiah for his gallant effort! That should give us the encouragement we need to never give up. It’s very likely Josiah’s efforts at reform returned the focus of many people back to the LORD and the LORD’s ways.
Imagine hearing God’s decrees for the first time. A lot of changes had to be made. We hear about the physical ones taking place around the land. What about the spiritual ones involving the people?
Are you working on a project right now that seems huge, almost unmanageable? Think of Josiah and the uphill battle he endured to turn things around? What is your focus?
Let’s pray …
Lord, sometimes I feel overwhelmed at the projects I feel called to do. Thank you for how you used Josiah’s devotion to you to bring some restoration to your people. May I never doubt you but seek you. Plant me where you can blossom through me. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
