Josiah Reigns in Judah

                                                                   2 Kings 22:1-2 3-7

 

November 14, 2021

 

 

Josiah Reigns in Judah

Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jedidah the daughter of Adaiah of Bozkath.   And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and walked in all the way of David his father, and he did not turn aside to the right or to the left.

 

Were you ready to lead a nation of wicked people when you were eight years old, me neither, I was playing up in the Mesquite tree acting like I was fighting off the Indians and yes I won every time or down the street at the big park playing baseball or football with my friends.

This young lad had been groomed to be a king and we know his model was not his evil dad or granddad, can you think of a higher honor that could be said about anyone than what is recorded in that second sentence about him.

Josiah Repairs the Temple

In the eighteenth year of King Josiah, the king sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, son of Meshullam, the secretary, to the house of the Lord, saying,   “Go up to Hilkiah the high priest, that he may count the money that has been brought into the house of the Lord, which the keepers of the threshold have collected from the people.   And let it be given into the hand of the workmen who have the oversight of the house of the Lord, and let them give it to the workmen who are at the house of the Lord, repairing the house  (that is, to the carpenters, and to the builders, and to the masons), and let them use it for buying timber and quarried stone to repair the house.   But no accounting shall be asked from them for the money that is delivered into their hand, for they deal honestly.”

 

No accounting shall be asked from them for the money that is delivered into their hand, for they are honest men, now that trust and the kings must have had a relationship or knowledge of these men to place such trust in them.  In today's world, you have few people you would trust, and that is a real shame, but it is a reality.  President Reagan once said as he entered into a treaty; trust but verified.  That is not trusting, but it is required in today's world where few people's words are of any value.  I have family members that I would trust with anything I have control over, and I have friends that are men and women of integrity that also I would trust with all this worldly stuff.   I’m sure there are many people I do not have that relationship with that are trustworthy, but for the most, I would use President Reagan's approach. 

 

I wrote a paper on my friend Kevin Carrol who showed up at Spring Baptist with long unkempt hair, painter overalls, and no shoes, and our pastor Harlon Caton after a few weeks of Kevin coming to church, ask him to stay at their house and watch it while they were on vacation.  Kevin told me that was the first time any man had trusted him and it had an amazing effect on his life.  Harlon must have seen something in this young man that gave him the peace to trust him with what Kevin said, they had nice stuff.  I believe you and I need to listen to our Father and like King Josiah, we will know whom we can trust with our stuff.

 

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice