Compelling, Contrite Conduct

“When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his robes.”
2 Kings 22:11

For a month we have reviewed assorted passages in Isaiah – a book of prophetic punishment, preservation, and peace. Isaiah is filled with unembellished text that is of a grave tone, which is understandable considering the spiritual deplorability of God’s people at the time of its writing. But Isaiah also contains an overriding ray of hope as it previewed the coming of Christ and His salvation mission. Isaiah was penned during the reigns of King Uzziah, King Jotham, King Ahaz, and King Hezekiah. Hezekiah, for the most part, was a noble civil leader. He started well, but ended his earthly affairs steeped in pretention and pride. After Hezekiah passed away Judah endured the wicked rule of King Manasseh and King Amnon. In fact, Manasseh’s influence was so morally vile that 2 Kings 21:9 denotes that he led the people to commit more evil than the nations God had removed from the Promised Land. After Manasseh’s and Amnon’s time in office had run its course Josiah assumed the reigns of kingship in Judah. And what we quickly learn is that Josiah was committed to exercising a compelling, contrite conduct. In many ways, Josiah's life mirrors that of Hezekiah, in that both kings were fervently devoted to reviving the nation spiritually though public education and personal example. Sadly, Josiah’s final days, like Hezekiah’s, were characterized by arrogance (Josiah assumed he could march Judah’s army to battle Egypt without God’s approval or blessing – reference 2 Chronicles 35:20-24)    

But today’s reading focuses on Josiah’s early years as king of Judah, as recorded in 2 Kings 22-23. Eighteen years into his administration, when he was roughly twenty-six years old, Josiah asked some of his officials to report on the status of repair work that was being accomplished in the temple. When the officials went to the worship center the high priest, Hilkiah, showed them a copy of the law, which Hilkiah had found stowed away. Josiah’s secretary, Shaphan, read it and then took it to King Josiah. Shaphan divulged the content of the message to Josiah, who was so distraught by Judah’s collective disobedience that he ripped his royal attire to shreds and wept aloud as the holy inspired words were being dictated to him. The king’s humble response to the Word of God is remarkable. People of stature tend to present a well-crafted and well-maintained image. They work hard to sound influential and look important. Therefore, they are not easily swayed into affecting their image through visible acts of vulnerability or self-effacement. But Josiah cared little for municipal perception because he was brought to a place of sadness and brokenness. In other words, Josiah treasured God and he treasured truth. And he was cut to the quick when he realized the great expectations God had laid out in His Word had not been followed by Judah. 

It is terrifying to consider how easily mankind can choose to accept lies and falsehoods. We have God’s mandates present before us, and yet, by and large, we tend to reject them. We go the way of the world and embrace deception and dark dogma. We absorb carnal thoughts and repackage them as enlightened thinking. We consume ourselves with cultural priorities and principles, and allow Scripture to go unnoticed and unpracticed. In the process, we seek the oppression of man over the order of God. What a horrible exchange! But in order to break the chains of carnality we must pursue the conviction and commandment of God. And this desire to search out righteousness was displayed in Josiah’s compelling, contrite conduct in 2 Kings 22-23. 

Just after Josiah heard the words in the law he requested that his advisors and Hilkiah inquire of the Lord. How could the nation make right something that was so glaringly wrong? A response from God came back to Josiah, which, in effect, conveyed the pending doom was still coming, but the silver lining was that it would not take place during his reign. Unlike Hezekiah, Josiah was not content with fostering a religious laissez-faire environment after God’s final decree of state-wide punishment had been decreed. In fact, Josiah set out to advance his spiritual reform agenda with renewed fervor. He went around the surrounding territories of Judah destroying all remnants of pagan worship. He broke down idolatrous altars and burned the corresponding material used for their services, indicating there would be no return to the abhorrent way of life as long he was king. Josiah leveled sex shrines in Jerusalem. He led the people in the study and application of God’s Word. He called the people to remember the Passover, and even apportioned a large sum from his livestock so that many could participate in a national observance of the Passover. In short, King Josiah  attempted to eradicate all elements of pagan religious practices and usher in an era of virtuous beliefs and behavior. 

Whether personally or corporately, the Word of God, and therefore the will of God, should move us. It should draw us away from spiritual complacency and apathy. Josiah knew that he and the people, as well as their forefathers, had fallen short of God’s standards. Thus, he sought to rectify the problem. In his lifetime, he was bound and determined to be part of the solution, rather than the problem. He pleaded for mercy and guidance. He studied God’s pronouncements and dedicated himself to obeying them. His heart was consumed with honoring God. This inspiring passage is bona-fide evidence of the change God can bring about in one’s life. According to 2 Chronicles 34:33 the people did not turn away from the Lord as long as Josiah was alive. Civil power and consecrated passion – Josiah exhibited both with wisdom and integrity. And such is the effectiveness of compelling, contrite conduct.