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Message
2 Kings 23:1-30
“Too Little Too Late”
Opening
Kenny and the Suzuki
An admiration of the continued commitment despite all the set-backs.
The view of continuing no matter what the outcome.
You don’t keep going because you are going to get something out of it.
You keep going because you are committed.
Today we are going to read about a King who did that.
His name is Josiah
Read 2 Kings 23:1-25
Context from previous chapter
Josiah has ordered that the temple be repaired – as it was basically neglected – in the process the book of the law has been found.
Changes are happening and revival is taking place.
Read
Renewal of the covenant
What the covenant gave … was security.
I will be your God and you will be my people.
So often it gets broken.
During the journey to promised land … golden calf.
Days of judges.
Through the years of the kings.
Brokenness seem to happen so much, but God continues to look for His people.
Now here is Josiah
The book of the law was changing him.
Not a set of rules … it never was.
But a response to God for his grace in calling them and saving them.
It was a heart response to God.
But was it real? So many had done this before and failed.
Was it a real commitment?
When it comes to fixing problems it seems that you do need 12 steps programs
Ones I found
Alcoholics Anonymous
Getting over depression
Food addiction
It seems that 12 steps is a good number to get you from a place of despair to a place of renewal. When you get through these programs you know the change is real.
That is what happens to Josiah … he puts in a 12 step program for renewal.
1) Remove and burn pagan vessels from temple (verse 4)
- cleanses the temple and brings all the focus onto God.
- no more competition in God’s house.
People! YHWH alone is the one we follow.
2) Depose all the pagan clergy (verse 5)
- they thought they were making a great contribution.
- we are important to society … no you’re fired!
People! there is no-one in the temple area is going to lead you astray.
3) Pulverised the Asherah Pole and burnt it (verse 6)
- Asherah was a goddess of fertility.
- Scattering ashes on graves is highly symbolic.
- You are dust and as able as a dead body.
People! look to YHWH alone for life.
4) Tore down male shrine prostitutes (verse 7)
- They helped Asherah with her fertility.
- Woman upset … I’m going to the temple to … worship.
- you’re fired as well.
People! purify your worship.
5) Defiled all the high places and removed the priests (verse 8-9)
- Basically these were to make the country look like a holy place.
- But they brought attention away from God … more people out of a job.
People! you get closer to YHWH by transforming your life.
6) Desecrated Tophet the place of child sacrifice (verse 10)
- This was seen as an act of extreme commitment.
- But God is a God of life.
People! Extreme spiritual acts don’t make you right with God.
7) Removed all Sun God worship (verse 11)
- This was the religion of Egypt.
- People were ignoring that this was the place from where they were set free.
People! You have been released from that way of slavery.
8) Smashed all the false worship put in place by evil Kings (verse 12)
- Ahaz worse king in Israel … he is why they were deported.
- Manasseh worse king in Judah … he will be the cause of their downfall.
- Kidron Valley is where the graves were.
People! This part of our history is dead.
9) Removed the folly of Solomon (verse 13)
- Solomon went astray.
- Set up worship places for all his foreign wives.
People! we are going to be wiser than Solomon.
10) Destroying any place used for fertility worship (verse 14)
- Just destroying wasn’t enough, people would rebuild them.
- Putting bones on them made them useless and desecrated.
People! we are not going to follow this path in the future.
11) Removal and defilement of the Jeroboam’s alter (verses 15-16)
- This was the stumbling place of all the Israelite kings.
- Burning dead bodies on them seems extreme but it has been a distraction for 300 years.
People! we entering a totally new era of our relationship with God.
Sidetrack. 1 Kings 13:2 … God’s word comes true.
12) Purged the capital of Israel and the northern cities (verses 19-20)
- No more was the temptation to be swayed from YHWH coming from the north.
- Bringing the nation back to unity.
People! this is what it was like in the days of King David. It has all been fixed.
For Josiah this was very very real.
He is committed.
He is focussed.
He is God’s man.
This is how his life is summarised
25 Neither before nor after Josiah was there a king like him who turned to the Lord as he did—with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength, in accordance with all the Law of Moses.
He has done better than them all including King David – the original.
Loving in every aspect.
Unlike others before him he continues to the very end like this.
He doesn’t fall away or get into evil.
No matter which way you look at it he is a great king.
Now let me show you something that is really going to capture your interest.
Context, years of neglect. Manasseh evil king.
Financially struggling – so the temple is in ruins.
Josiah seeks to have the ruins rebuilt and, in the process they find the book of the law, also known as the book of the covenant.
Josiah has the book read to him and realises that they have broken the covenant and they are in trouble with God. So they go and consult the prophetess Huldah about this situation.
Read 2 Kings 22:15-20 … and we know this is what happened 2 Kings 23:26-27
These words are spoken to Josiah before he brings all the changes into the land.
He could easily have given up and said what is the point?
- why do all that effort?
- why run around the countryside making all these changes?
- nothing I do is going to make a real change anyway.
Expand – how it would kind of feel purposeless.
But he doesn’t do that.
He could have easily said, I’ve done enough
- the temple is being repaired, God has acknowledge his humility.
- he knows nothing bad is going to happen while he is alive.
- near enough is good enough
Expand – how it would be easy to justify, especially compared to the previous kings
But he doesn’t do that.
Josiah continues with the revival program out of obedience, because he is committed to God.
That insight raises a really good question.
What motivates us to obedient Christian living?
That is not necessarily an easy question to answer.
But it is an important question.
Especially in a world where we constantly being focussed on outcomes, and goals, and achievements and success.
What motivates our moral compass?
Is it because we have been brought into a relationship with Jesus Christ and He is changing us through His Spirit?
Expand on call to respond in obedience to God’s grace.
OR
We are worried that we are going to be judged by others?
We want to be seen to be doing the right thing?
So we end up putting on a kind of mask.
Who we are among Christians, is not who we really are.
What motivates our spiritual activity?
Is it because we know that these are the things that enable us to grow in maturity. That we want to be better equipped as disciples.
Expand on the reality of the Spirit at work in us to enable us ot mature and grow.
OR
Do we feel that what we are doing is enough … maybe we have a minimal approach.
We don’t seem to find any time.
And all sorts of activities seem to get in the way of making time to get closer to God as individuals and as a community.
So we end up in a kind of mediocrity.
Josiah’s enthusiasm for revival, even though he knew it would not ultimately change things – brings before us a real opportunity to think about the option that we have.
What sort of Christianity do we want?
Do we just want a ho-hum Christianity?
Or do we want a, wow this is so gratifying and exciting Christianity?
Sometimes I look at people who are expressing their Christianity.
- I imaging their Christianity like a job stamping paper.
Expand.
It’s a job … but who can get inspired by that!
Look at what Jesus has done!
The way he gets alongside people and transforms them.
The way he gives them purpose.
His willingness to be crucified … to make the sacrifice.
Not because they were necessarily going to change.
But out of obedience … so that salvation can be secured.
Expand by applying to ourselves.
We should look at Josiah and be inspired
Every day for us can feel like a revival.
By just living in obedience … with the only reason being that we have been saved and we are committed.
We do that … and see what happens.
Because living like this is infectious … and it brings changes.
24 Furthermore, Josiah got rid of the mediums and spiritists, the household gods, the idols and all the other detestable things seen in Judah and Jerusalem.
2 Kings 23:24
Did he go into every house?
Maybe, but that would be a bit overwhelming wouldn’t it.
What he was doing was inspiring change.
People were changing because of His enthusiasm for God.
People were changing because of His willingness to be obedient.
Revival is infections.
Challenge everyone to start a revival.
Being a person who is obedient.
Living for Jesus no matter what the outcomes are.
Being directed by a willingness to have Godliness all around you.
Being an exciting Christian who keeps on transforming their own life
And living in such a way that others around them are also transformed.
Prayer
