Connect Josiah's actions to Jesus' teachings on humility and repentance. Setting the Scene • Judah had drifted deep into idolatry. Young King Josiah discovered the forgotten Book of the Law, heard its warnings, and was cut to the heart. • 2 Chronicles 34:27: “because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before God when you heard His words… and tore your garments and wept before Me, I have heard you, declares the LORD.” Josiah’s Heart on Display • Tender: open to conviction, not defensive. • Humble: he recognized God’s authority above his royal status. • Broken: tearing garments and weeping signaled genuine grief over sin. • Responsive: he sought the prophetess Huldah, then led nationwide reform. Marks of Genuine Humility – Awareness of personal need (Matthew 5:3). – Sorrow over sin (Matthew 5:4; 2 Corinthians 7:10). – Submission to God’s Word, no matter the cost (Isaiah 66:2). – Public obedience, not private feelings alone (James 1:22). Repentance in Action • Removal of idols (2 Chronicles 34:33). • Renewal of covenant (34:31). • Restoration of worship—celebrating Passover as written (35:1-19). • Reform that lasted beyond the emotional moment: “All his days they did not turn away from following the LORD” (34:33). Echoes in Jesus’ Teaching – Beatitudes: “Blessed are the poor in spirit… blessed are those who mourn” (Matthew 5:3-4). The posture Josiah modeled is precisely what Jesus commends. – Parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector (Luke 18:13-14): the one who humbles himself is the one God exalts—mirroring “I have heard you.” – Childlike humility (Matthew 18:4): Josiah, though a king, stooped like a child under God’s authority. – Call to repent (Mark 1:15): Josiah’s decisive turn away from sin prefigures the gospel invitation Jesus proclaims to all. How Josiah Foreshadows Gospel Humility • A king leads his people in repentance; later, the King of kings calls every nation to repent. • Josiah tears his garments; Jesus allows His own body to be torn, providing the ultimate atonement that Josiah’s reforms could only anticipate. • God’s promise “I have heard you” is fulfilled climactically in Christ: “Whoever comes to Me I will never cast out” (John 6:37). Walking It Out Today • Stay tender. Regularly expose your heart to Scripture; let it wound so it can heal. • Act quickly. Humility moves from conviction to concrete change—removing modern “idols,” restoring biblical priorities. • Lead others. Josiah’s example shows influence is stewardship; humble repentance can ripple through families, churches, communities. • Trust God’s response. “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6). The promise still stands. Crowning Promise to the Humble “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time” (1 Peter 5:6). The same ear that listened to Josiah listens today, and the same grace that flowed through Jesus is ready to meet every repentant, humble heart. |
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