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October 11, Sunday
Reading B284 — 2 Kings 22 — Child King Josiah (A) Audio: 2 Kings 22 (ESV)
An audio recording of the following comments is available below:
Making Great Men — This is one of the most amazing chapters of the Bible for me, and it brings up many questions. Josiah became king of Judah when he was just a child of 8 years of age, after his father, Amon, had been murdered in his second year as king. Before that, Manasseh, Judah’s worst king, had reigned for 55 years. That totaled 57 years of being ruled by ungodly kings. How did this little boy, Josiah, become one of Judah’s greatest obedient kings? The spiritual atmosphere was so cloudy at that time that the high priest didn’t even know about “the Book of the Law” (v. 8). What were the priests doing during those 57 years?! About 300 years earlier, the high priest, Jehoiada, greatly influenced the good reign of the child-king, Joash (2 Chron. 23), but who influenced Josiah? Why was Josiah so sensitive to Yahweh after this long national spiritual neglect? God praised him this way: “your heart was penitent, and you humbled yourself before the LORD … and you have torn your clothes and wept before me” (v. 19). I wonder if Josiah was strongly influenced by his godly mother, Jedidah (v. 1). Although the priests had forgotten about the Word of God, there may have been many lay people who remained sincere believers in the one God, Yahweh, and taught their children to love and obey Him. Christian history is filled with such examples, like the mothers of theologian Augustine, hymn writer John Newton, evangelists John and Charles Wesley, preacher Charles Spurgeon, and missionary Hudson Taylor. Parents, your influence on your children can have massive and widespread results!
October 12, Monday
Reading B285 — 2 Chron. 34 — Child King Josiah (B) Audio: 2 Chron. 34 (ESV)
An audio recording of the following comments is available below:
Being Faithful Anyway — The influence of King Josiah in the northern area of Israel is emphasized even more in this account from 2 Chronicles: “in the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, and Simeon, and as far as Naphtali … he broke down the altars and beat the Asherim and the images into powder … throughout all the land of Israel” (v. 6-7). We also learn in this chapter that the money collected for repairing the temple also came “from Manasseh and Ephraim and from all the remnant of Israel” (v. 9). The strength of the Assyrian Empire had weakened by this time, so Josiah was able to regain control of much of the northern territory again, thus unifying all of Israel in the worship of Yahweh. It is important to note that even after the prophetess, Huldah, told Josiah God’s verdict that Judah would be punished for the sins of Manasseh, the king persisted in being faithful to lead all of Judah and Israel back to the Lord. He had resolved to be faithful no matter what, which is a good motto for us to adopt as well.
October 13, Tuesday
Reading B286 — 2 Kings 23 — The Best King Ever Audio: 2 Kings 23 (ESV)
An audio recording of the following comments is available below:
Wholehearted Living — King Josiah’s reform was enormous, not only in Judah but also in areas of the former northern kingdom of Israel. He involved many in joining him to bring worship back to Yahweh alone (vv. 1-3). He removed and defiled all the objects of false worship. Over 300 years earlier, God’s prophet stood by defiant Jeroboam’s altar in Bethel and predicted, “a son shall be born to the house of David, Josiah by name, and he shall sacrifice on you the priests of the high places who make offerings on you, and human bones shall be burned on you” (1 Kings 13:2). In today’s reading, King Josiah did exactly that: “the altar at Bethel, the high place erected by Jeroboam … that altar with the high place he pulled down and burned. … And he sacrificed all the priests of the high places who were there, on the altars, and burned human bones on them” (2 Kings 23:15, 20). He then led God’s people to keep the long-neglected Passover. Hezekiah had celebrated the Passover during his reform, but it was postponed for one month to get everything properly cleansed (2 Chron. 30:2). The final tribute to King Josiah was wonderful: “Before him there was no king like him, who turned to the LORD with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might, according to all the Law of Moses, nor did any like him arise after him” (2 Kings 23:25). Let us also resolve to always turn to the Lord with all our “heart … soul … and … might”!
October 14, Wednesday
Reading B287 — 2 Chron. 35 — Josiah’s Death Audio: 2 Chron. 35 (ESV)
An audio recording of the following comments is available below:
Generous and Stubborn — The great celebration of the Passover is also described in this chapter of 2 Chronicles, emphasizing the generosity of those who contributed the sheep, goats, and bulls for sacrifice and for the people to eat, even those from Israel (v. 17). Wealthy King Josiah contributed 30,000 sheep and goats, and 3,000 bulls (v. 7); his officials “contributed willingly … 2,600 Passover lambs and 300 bulls” (v. 8); and the Levite chiefs gave 5,000 lambs and 500 bulls (v. 9). It seems that all the people had caught the king’s enthusiasm for serving God wholeheartedly. This chapter also gives us details about the death of Josiah. The Egyptian King Neco was marching north to aid Assyria in their fight against Babylon, but Josiah chose to confront him militarily. Neco warned him “from the mouth of God” (v. 22), but Josiah did not turn away and was killed. There is no indication that Josiah had sought God’s will in this matter, but God had used a pagan king to warn him. It was a tragic end to an exemplary life.
Additional Comment: The meaning of the statement about the ark, “You need not carry it on your shoulders” (v. 3) is probably better shown in the NKJV translation (“It shall no longer be a burden on your shoulders”) or the NASB[95] (“…it will be a burden on your shoulders no longer”). The Levites’ earlier responsibility was to carry the ark of the covenant when the Israelites moved from one location to another, which was no longer needed.
October 15, Thursday
Reading B288 — Zephaniah 1 — The Day of the Lord Audio: Zephaniah 1 (ESV)
An audio recording of the following comments is available below:
Patient Judge — The prophet Zephaniah lived in the time of King Josiah, a time of great reform and turning to Yahweh. Zephaniah’s message, however, was one of judgment for sin. It was partly because of the sin that remained in Judah but also partly because of universal sin. It begins with prophesied judgment against sin in general, referring to the last days, called “the day of the LORD” (vv. 7, 14). It is a day that God said, “I will utterly sweep away everything from the face of the earth … man and beast … the birds … and the fish” (vv. 2-3). It is the time referred to by Peter, when “the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed” (2 Pet. 3:10). That is the ultimate judgment, but Zephaniah also referred to a more immediate judgment against Judah, especially relating to the rule of Manasseh and Amon when there was worship of Baal, idolatrous priests, and those who tried to worship false gods along with worshiping Yahweh (Zeph. 1:4-5). Like many people today, some people in Jerusalem were complacent in thinking that “The LORD will not do good, nor will he do ill” (v. 12). Sometimes God’s patience is interpreted as toleration. He does care about sin, however, and it will be punished.
October 16, Friday
Reading B289 — Zephaniah 2 — Nations Fall Audio: Zephaniah 2 (ESV)
An audio recording of the following comments is available below:
Surrounded by Judgment — Although this is primarily a chapter of judgment, it opens with an invitation providing a hope for Judah. God bids them: “Gather together … Seek the LORD” (vv. 1, 3). His plea was urgent, three times repeating the word, “before,” to emphasize that the time was running out (v. 2). The rest of the chapter is aimed at God’s judgment coming to Judah’s surrounding nations. The Philistines were Judah’s enemies to the west, who would eventually “become the possession of the remnant of the house of Judah” (v. 7). Next were the Moabites and Ammonites to the east (vv. 8-11), the enemy-cousins (Lot’s descendants) of God’s people, who would be judged because “they have taunted my people” (v. 8). Their land would become “a waste forever” (v. 9). Then, the Cushites, i.e., the Egyptians and Ethiopians to the south, “shall be slain by my sword” (v. 12). Finally, the powerful northern empire of Assyria would be judged because its capital of Nineveh had proudly declared, “I am, and there is no one else” (v. 15), a position only Yahweh can rightly claim. Nineveh would be left as “a desolation, a dry waste like the desert” (v. 13). Almost all would be destroyed, but a small remnant of godly, repentant people in Judah would be spared. A similar picture exists in modern times, where the Church of Jesus Christ is the small remnant that will be saved while the majority of selfish, rebellious, uncaring people will be judged.
October 17, Saturday
Reading B290 — Zephaniah 3 — Looking Ahead Audio: Zephaniah 3 (ESV)
An audio recording of the following comments is available below:
On That Day — This final chapter of Zephaniah begins with the historical spiritual condition of God’s people in Jerusalem: “Woe to her who is rebellious and defiled” (v. 1). Restoration begins with a recognition of one’s sinful condition—the need for a Savior. The prophecy then looks far ahead to the End Times, using seven expressions like, “for the day” (v. 8), “at that time” (v. 9), and, “On that day” (v. 11; cf. vv. 16, 19, 20). It will be a time of judgment for nations (v. 8), a time of unified speech (v. 9), a time for humble people finding refuge (v. 12), a time of singing and rejoicing (v. 14), and a time of grateful gathering of all God’s people (v. 20). One day, all the frustrations, disappointments, grief, and failures of this life will be over. Those who know God and are faithful in this life will spend eternity in a place and with conditions too wonderful even to imagine today. Our Divine Parent, who has patiently trained and corrected us through this life, will no longer be the mystery He seems to be during our earthbound existence. Then, we will see Him as He is (1 John 3:2).
