DAY 261 -BIG PICTURE IN A YEAR - THE UNITED MONARCHY
Reading: Luke 16:19-31
We are looking at Josiah again today, because he served the LORD wholeheartedly and took radical action to obey God’s word. Working together with the priests Josiah lead the nation to make a covenant with the LORD and to be faithful to Him once again. It was simultaneously a revival of the ‘church’ and a reform of the nation of Judah, a purging of the country of wicked practises. What a pity it did not last longer than that generation.
King Josiah did everything he could to fulfil the word of the LORD and he is commended by the writer of 2 Kings and by the LORD Himself. Unfortunately, the spread of evil had gone on so long, had been so terrible and had been so far-reaching that the LORD was still determined to destroy Jerusalem and punish the nation with exile. The writer records these terrible words in verses 26-27: “Nevertheless the LORD did not turn from the fierceness of His great wrath, with which His anger was aroused against Judah, because of all the provocations with which Manasseh had provoked Him. And the LORD said, ‘I will also remove Judah from My sight, as I have removed Israel, and will cast off this city Jerusalem which I have chosen, and the house of which I said, My name shall be there’ ” (NKJV).
Prayer
Dear Father, we read of Josiah’s reforms with gladness, he did everything right. Your righteous anger and judgement are fearful. Help us to be like Josiah and thank You for punishing Jesus on our behalf, that we might not experience Your fierce anger.
For the family
Over the next two days, watch this video about
The boy king, Josiah
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJtH6QOJtdU&feature=youtu.be
Let the kids have fun making up rules for the country if they were king.