Josiah’s Repentance

Synopsis     2Chron 34:11-21     5/25/2020 

Josiah was king over Israel. During the course of his reign, he decided to renovate the Temple. So, he put the Levites in charge of the repairs. 

As the work progressed, Hilkiah the priest discovered a book. And, it turned out, this was the long-lost  Law of Moses. The book of the law had been misplaced many years before. Now that it had been rediscovered, Josiah wanted to know what it said. And so, a scribe named Shaphan read the book of the law to the king.  

Josiah immediately realized that the nation was not following the way of the Lord. As a result, he tore his cloths in lament. Afterward, he directed the priests to make an inquiry with the Lord. As a result, he desired to repent and make restitution as the Lord might require.  

Josiah’s Repentance 

Josiah was ignorant of the law. God’s word had been misplaced. So, presumably, only the oral tradition remained.  

However, once he became aware of the law, Josiah immediately repented.  

Act Immediately 

In a similar moment of revelation, Paul once quoted the prophet Isaiah. Specifically, he wrote, “…Behold, now is a very acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” 

The question is never one of whether or not God will speak to me. The question is whether or not I will respond when he speaks to me.  

“For he says: ‘In an acceptable time I heard you, and on the day of salvation I helped you.’ Behold, now is a very acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” 2Cor 6:2