How does Josiah's covenant relate to Jesus' teachings in the New Testament? Josiah’s Moment: Re-Aligning a Nation • 2 Chronicles 34:31 records that “the king stood by his pillar and made a covenant before the LORD to walk after the LORD and to keep His commandments, testimonies, and statutes with all his heart and all his soul, and to carry out the words of the covenant written in this book.” • Josiah gathers Judah, reads the rediscovered Law, and pledges full-hearted obedience. • His covenant is personal, national, and Scripture-anchored—built on the very words Moses handed down. Wholehearted Love: A Theme Echoed by Jesus • Josiah’s vow mirrors the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:5): “Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” • Jesus cites this as the “first and greatest commandment” (Matthew 22:37-38). • Both moments insist on total devotion—heart, soul, mind, strength—rather than partial or ritual loyalty. Continuity, Not Cancellation • Jesus declares, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets… but to fulfill them” (Matthew 5:17). • Josiah restores the covenant; Jesus completes it. – Josiah upholds written statutes. – Jesus embodies and perfects those statutes, showing their fullest intent. From External Reform to Internal Renewal • Josiah tears down idols and repairs the temple—external reforms that protect worship purity. • Jesus shifts the focus to the inner man: – “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (John 14:15). – The Sermon on the Mount moves murder to anger, adultery to lust—showing the law’s heart-level reach (Matthew 5:21-28). • Jeremiah’s prophecy—“I will put My law in their minds and write it on their hearts” (Jeremiah 31:33)—finds fulfillment in the Spirit Jesus sends (Romans 8:3-4). The New Covenant Cup • At the Last Supper Jesus proclaims, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is poured out for you” (Luke 22:20). • Josiah read a covenant of animal blood sacrifices; Jesus introduces a covenant sealed with His own blood. – Same God, same moral core. – Deeper cleansing, once for all (Hebrews 9:12). Shared Hallmarks • Scripture-Rooted: Both covenants arise directly from God’s revealed word. • Heart-Engaged: Obedience flows from wholehearted love. • Community-Shaping: Josiah calls a nation; Jesus forms a kingdom “from every tribe and tongue.” • Renewal-Driven: Josiah sparks revival; Jesus unleashes the Spirit for lifelong transformation. Walking After the Lord Today • Receive the completed work of Christ, the true King who fulfills what Josiah pictured. • Let love for God fuel obedience—law kept not by duty alone but through Spirit-empowered desire. • Guard worship purity, rejecting modern idols as decisively as Josiah crushed ancient ones. • Soak in Scripture, the same covenant book that reformed Josiah’s Judah and now, through Christ, trains and equips His people (2 Timothy 3:16-17). |
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