Faithful: The Life of Josiah
Faithful Humility • Message 6
Perry Duggar
November 10, 2024
I. Introduction: We continue our series, Faithful, a survey of Josiah’s life.
(2 Kings 22:1-13; James 4:10)
A. Today’s message is entitled Faithful Humility. [Humility resulting from a relationship with God.]
We’ll discover how Josiah demonstrated this characteristic and learn how we can too.
Josiah became king of Judah at age 8; 2 Kings 22:2 (NLT)—He did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight and followed the example of his ancestor David. [400-year legacy, likely influenced by his mother] He did not turn away from doing what was right. [a model]
During repairs on the Temple, the high priest Hilkiah found the Book of the Law (likely Deuteronomy, at least chapters 28-30); Shaphan, the secretary, read it to Josiah
(2 Kings 22:8-10).
When Josiah [age 26] heard God was angry with His people for their disobedience, he tore his clothes, expressing his agonized mourning and heartfelt repentance (2 Kings 22:11).
Josiah sent the high priest and four of his officials to the temple to ask the Lord about His judgment against the people for disobedience (2Kings 2:12-13). [Does this apply to us?]
Josiah’s response to God’s Word was humble submission, without resistance or excuses.
He didn’t dismiss the message as irrelevant since it was given to Moses 800 years earlier about the idolatry of Judah’s ancestors; in humility he asked if it applied to Judah today.
Theme verse showing God’s expectation of us: James 4:10 (NLT)—Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.
Faithful humility means my belief in, trust for, reliance on, God results in compliant responsiveness to Him and His Word. [APP.: Do I relate to God that way? Do I obey?]
II. Faithful humility... (2 Kings 22:14-20)
A. 2 Kings 22:14 (NLT)—So Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Acbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah went to the New Quarter of Jerusalem to consult with the prophet Huldah. She was the wife of Shallum son of Tikvah, son of Harhas, the keeper of the Temple wardrobe. [official pos.]
Huldah is the only female prophet in the historical books of Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles; [At least 9 others: 4 Old Testament, 5 New Testament]
She may have been an official court prophet; she was consulted on matters of state.
Faithful humility...
B. #1 - Acknowledges results of disobedience. (2 Kings 22:15-17; C/R: 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; Hebrews 12:5-6; 1 John 5:3)
2 Kings 22:15–17 (NLT)—15 She said to them, “The Lord, the God of Israel, has spoken! Go back and tell the man who sent you [Josiah was a common man before the law of God, like all other people], 16 ‘This is what the Lord says: I am going to bring disaster on this city and its people. All the words written in the scroll that the king of Judah has read will come true. 17 For my people have abandoned me and offered sacrifices to pagan gods, and I am very angry with them for everything they have done. My anger will burn against this place, and it will not be quenched.’” [They broke their covenant with God.]
Huldah’s message confirmed the judgment declared by prophets during the reign of Josiah’s grandfather Manasseh at 2 Kings 21:10–15 applied to Josiah’s day also.
God would bring disaster on the Judean people who practiced idolatry under king Manasseh’s leadership and continued it under Josiah’s reign.
[Read Manasseh’s story at 2 Kings 21 and 2 Chronicles 33.]
Josiah accepted God’s right to judge all people for willful disobedience of His commands and for breaking their covenant promise to obey.
He didn’t challenge it or offer excuses or assert that God was uncaring, unfair or cruel.
He didn’t defend or comfort his subjects by saying, “This command and curse applies to people who lived eight centuries ago, it doesn’t apply to us,” because he knew it did!
Josiah knew God is the standard for what is right—and He doesn’t change His mind!
Josiah was humble and responsive toward God and led the people to be also.
We live in a day when people’s lives are centered on themselves—their opinions, preferences, ambitions—they claim a relationship with God, but reject the need to obey.
God may be consulted about some matter, but people decide what is right for them.
Many people consider God’s commands to be out-of-date, particularly on moral matters, so they are ignored and replaced by present cultural opinions. (Ex.: “God endorses every expression of love,” but Bible specifies sex as only for married people of opposite sexes.)
1 John 5:3 (NLT)— Loving God means keeping His commandments, and His commandments are not burdensome. [APP: Is the Bible burdensome to obey to you?]
The Bible says we can’t use our lives or our bodies however we want.
1 Corinthians 6:19–20 (NLT)—19 Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, 20 for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.
APP.: Do you agree that God has the right to direct (rule over) your life?
Faithful humility...
C. #2 - Accepts suffering with trust. (2 Kings 22:18-19; C/R: Romans 8:28; 2 Corinthians 7:10; Hebrews 12:5-9)
2 Kings 22:18–19 (NLT)—18 “But go to the king of Judah who sent you to seek the Lord and tell him [as ruler over Judah responsible for the people physically and spiritually, concerned about the nation]: ‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says concerning the message you have just heard: 19 You were sorry and humbled yourself [Heb. had a responsive heart, lit., “the softness of your heart”] before the Lord when you heard what I said against this city and its people—that this land would be cursed and become desolate. You tore your clothing in despair and wept before Me in repentance. And I have indeed heard you, says the Lord.’ ” [How would God respond?]
When Josiah heard the coming judgment of God (v.11), his reaction was repentance and mourning, not only for the suffering, but because the people rejected and disobeyed God.
He said: 2 Kings 22:13b (NLT)—"We have not been doing everything it says we must do.”
Josiah ripped his robes in agony and despair because he became aware that he and the people had ignored and violated God’s expectations. [spiritual, emotional, physical reaction]
Josiah submitted himself to God’s will for him as a man, and as king caring for His people.
Josiah didn’t say, “Why punish us for what people did when my grandfather was king?”
He knew the punishment was deserved, since Judah had continued to ignore and disobey God’s commands and engage in idolatry up to the present day.
Josiah remained in relationship with God though judgment was coming from His hand.
How do we react to suffering? Do we reject God when life becomes difficult, when our health declines and the cure doesn’t come? [Crash landing - some cursed, some prayed.]
Our reactions in pain reveal our relationship with God: Do we run toward Him or do we blame, resent, abandon Him? Do we suffer with God’s help, in His presence, trusting?
I have heard people with serious, life-threatening illnesses say, “Whatever happens to me is God’s will. I can trust Him.” [Trust = pistis = believe, rely, depend, rely, persuade.]
By faith, trusting God, we know everything that enters our lives, including our suffering, passes through God’s love and has a purpose—to bring us into closer intimacy with Him.
Romans 8:28 (NLT)—And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them.
Sometimes suffering is discipline from God, who brings pain into our lives to bring us to humble repentance, so we will abandon sin and deepen our devotion to Him. [2 Corinthians 7:10]
When God corrects our behavior, it provides encouraging proof that we belong to Him.
Hebrews 12:6 (NLT)—"For the Lord disciplines those He loves, and He punishes each one He accepts as His child.” [Proverbs 3:11-12] [ILL.: A loving parent disciplines.]
APP.: Do you trust or resent the disciplining hand of God?
Faithful humility...
D. #3 - Admits repentance doesn’t remove consequences. (2 Kings 22:20; C/R: John 11:25-26; James 1:12; Revelation 14:13)
2 Kings 22:20 (NLT)— “‘So I will not send the promised disaster until after you have died and been buried in peace. [lit., gathered to your ancestors] You will not see the disaster I am going to bring on this city.’” [Destroyed 586 BC, captivity in Babylon for 70 years.]
So they took her message back to the king.
God saw the sincerity of Josiah’s response, and it affected how He would deal with the king, but Josiah’s repentance did not remove God’s judgment on the Southern Kingdom.
God’s grace for Josiah was he died in battle at Megiddo against Egypt in 609 BC [2 Kings 23:29-30] before Jerusalem’s destruction prophesied at 2 Kings 21:12-14 and 22:15-17.
God’s wrath upon Judah due to the evil of King Manasseh (2 Kings 23:25) was delayed because of his grandson Josiah’s godly life and leadership (2 Kings 22:20).
We may think God was unfair; Josiah repented, so God should have relented.
Our humble sincere repentance admits our sin against God—and He forgives fully the eternal consequences of our actions [1 John 1:9]—but He doesn’t always, in fact, I think He rarely, removes all of the earthly consequences of our disobedience: broken relationships, hurt people, damaged lives, as well as spiritual and emotional harm.
Josiah’s response was not an effort to motivate God to change His mind; it was recognition of sin against God and a humble desire to restore the relationship with Him.
When the Holy Spirit reveals our sin to us, convicting us of rebellion against God, our reaction reveals our understanding of the seriousness of our offense against our loving Heavenly Father.
Repentance is not an attempt to escape punishment; it’s an effort to repair our relationship with God, but rarely does it remove all of the consequences of our evil words and actions.
Judah’s evil disobedience would be judged, but Josiah would be spared through death from experiencing the wrathful hand of God against the people he loved. [seems cruel]
ILL.: At family gatherings, “I’m glad he didn’t live to see what his son has become.”
Death for a Christian is not cruelty by God; it is a gracious blessing from Him.
APP.: Do we understand that repentance is to restore our relationship with God, not to remove negative consequences of our sins? [Is there something you need to say to God?]