Take a Stand

1 Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. 2 And he did what was right in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the ways of his father David; he did not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.
3 For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, he began to seek the God of his father David; and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, the wooden images, the carved images, and the molded images. 4 They broke down the altars of the Baals in his presence, and the incense altars which were above them he cut down; and the wooden images, the carved images, and the molded images he broke in pieces, and made dust of them and scattered it on the graves of those who had sacrificed to them. 5 He also burned the bones of the priests on their altars, and cleansed Judah and Jerusalem. 6 And so he did in the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, and Simeon, as far as Naphtali and all around, with axes.[a] 7 When he had broken down the altars and the wooden images, had beaten the carved images into powder, and cut down all the incense altars throughout all the land of Israel, he returned to Jerusalem.
2 Chronicles 34:1-7 NKJV

I love the first two verses in this section of scripture. It tells a lot about Josiah. He was only eight years old when he became King and he was king until he was 39 years old. Verse two is huge! He did what was right in the sight of the Lord...he did not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. Wow. When he was only sixteen he started seeking the God of his ancestor David when he was twenty he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of the high places of all of the idols and altars. Let's talk about that for a minute. He was twenty years old, a young man with power yet he didn't let it go to his head. He was serving God in the best way he knew how. He obviously wasn't concerned about man pleasing because at the age of twenty he did the unpopular thing and went and purged all of the high places of idol worship! Now this was not a small feat. It was not only unpopular (it was a money maker for the people too), it was a very spiritual event. Breaching enemy territory and tearing it down! I love it because he broke it up and then made dust out of them and scattered it on the graves of those who had sacrificed to them! He did not let man pleasing or fear stand in his way of serving God.

Josiah took the wealth and equipped the workers to restore the areas of worship that the past Kings had destroyed. When they found the book of the law that had been lost he had the scribe read it to him. He then realized how the past kings had not served the Lord and he fell on his face before God and mourned! He wanted to make things right in his kingdom. God honored Josiah's heart and desire to serve Him.

Josiah didn't stop there. He then took the Book of the Covenant and gathered everyone. He read it to them so they would know the Word of the Lord. But then he did something even greater...
31 Then the king stood in his place and made a covenant before the LORD, to follow the LORD, and to keep His commandments and His testimonies and His statutes with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant that were written in this book. 32 And he made all who were present in Jerusalem and Benjamin take a stand. So the inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers. 33 Thus Josiah removed all the abominations from all the country that belonged to the children of Israel, and made all who were present in Israel diligently serve the LORD their God. All his days they did not depart from following the LORD God of their fathers.
2 Chronicles 34:31-33


Josiah took a stand! He stood and had his people take a stand too! He made a covenant to follow the Lord and worship him with all of his heart, soul and to do what was written in the book! He didn't stop there he went and finished removing every abomination in the whole country! He took his kingdom and served the Lord...his WHOLE kingdom. Josiah was young yet he took a stand not only for himself but for his whole kingdom. I love the last verse in this chapter because it says that all his days they did not depart from following the Lord God of their fathers all because Josiah took a stand and served him with everything.

I know the youth of our church is taking a stand. Will you take a stand with us? Will you purge your whole life and household (your little kingdom) of every high place and idol or abomination and serve Him with your whole heart? Regardless of how unpopular it might be? We can make a difference if we start by taking a stand.

Standing!

Shanin

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