Tag: Josiah

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

The best party ever!

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Nik on Unsplash

A “through the bible” devotion from 2 Chronicles 35.

What would make you exclaim, “This was the best Christmas (or birthday or other celebration) ever”? It might be the presents you received. Or the people gathered with you. Maybe the food was outstanding. A live band, fireworks, or an open bar could make an occasion the best ever. How about the amount of debris left to clean up the next day?

“Josiah kept a Passover to the Lord in Jerusalem” (2 Chronicles 35:1). Boy did he ever! “No Passover like it had been kept in Israel since the day so Samuel the prophet” (35:18).

What made this Passover so memorable?

First, the numbers are amazing. 37,600 lambs and young goats were slaughtered and roasted, along with 3,800 bulls. It’s close to twice as big as the Passover King Hezekiah kept, which was best one since Solomon was on the throne (2 Chronicles 30:23-26).

Josiah kept this Passover “according to the word of the Lord by Moses” (35:4). Those repairing the temple discovered the Book of the Law of the Lord. A convicted but repentant King Josiah made sure they followed God’s instructions to the letter.

Finally, the king kept the best Passover ever during the decline of the southern kingdom of Judah. In just a few decades after Josiah’s reign, Babylonians would capture and burn Jerusalem, and take whoever was left into an exile that would last seventy years. Those whom God loved rejected him and every messenger he sent to warn them. He had no choice There was no remedy (36:16).

What’s the best worship event you’ve ever experienced? Anyone who’s been to church has a story about an amazing service. The more I think about it, the more I add to my list. Mine would have to be my call service at the seminary, my son’s ordination, baptizing my children and grandchildren, and my father’s funeral. They were all very different but powerful moments.

Posted in Advent devotions

Let ‘er rip!

Posted on by William Douthwaite

What’s your reaction when you hear scripture being read? You know, like when you’re in church and the pastor reads a passage before a sermon.

Or what about this: how do you respond when you read the bible? You know, in the early morning when you are doing your devotions?

Do you laugh? Cry? Get angry? Feel guilty?

None of the above?

Do you feel anything?

That’s a penetrating question. It’s a bit convicting. I read scripture a lot. Every day, first thing in the morning. I read through the entire bible once a year. I’ve read the bible cover to cover at least three dozen times. I hear scripture read every Sunday in worship services. I listen to the bible through an app on my phone. I hear verses read aloud on Christian radio.

You know what? Most of the time I don’t feel anything. Most of the time, it’s an intellectual encounter with God.

Okay, so let’s compare that with how King Josiah reacted to a scripture reading. When workmen repaired the temple and found the scrolls of God’s Word, the king’s secretary read it to him.

“When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his clothes” (2 Kings 22:11).

In Old Testament culture, that means he felt convicted. Josiah was distraught. Devastated. He was so upset that he tore his clothes, the ultimate expression of confession and repentance before God.

So maybe I should ask a different question when I encounter God’s Word. Instead of asking, “What does this mean?” or “How should I apply this?” or “What should I do (or stop doing)?” I could ask, “How does this make me feel?” Does these verses or chapter spark joy? Or do they make me want to throw my bible across the room? Should I be dancing? Or should my eyes tear up?

My dog’s tails betray their feelings. Depending on my tone of voice, their tails might be wagging with delight or be tucked under in submission.

Josiah gets a Jesse Tree ornament because he responded to God’s promises of a Savior. He knew he needed grace. I do too.

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Where’s my bible?

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

Josiah was a good king.

That’s saying a lot, since his grandfather Manasseh and father Amon were kings who did what was evil, worshiped idols, and brought on Judah the certainty of God’s judgment.

Josiah ascended to the throne at the age of eight. When he was twenty-five, he initiated repair of the temple.

Guess what they found?

Hilkiah the high priest said, “I have found the Book of the Law in the house of the Lord” (2 Kings 22:8).

I’ve always thought it amazing that they could lose their bible, which would have been the Pentetuech (the first five books of our bible). Clearly it hadn’t been read in a long, long time.

Imagine someone asking, “Where is your bible?” And you have to say, as you rummage through boxes of books, “I know it’s around here somewhere.”

In some churches I go to, most people have a bible with them. In others, hardly anyone does. I wonder why?

In some churches they project the bible passages on a screen. In others, they print out the readings in a handout. So I guess it’s not essential to have a bible with you at a worship service.

But it’s helpful. Here’s why:

You can easily read the context of a passage of scripture. Context is so important. The before and after of a verse makes a verse come to life!

  • You can underline, circle, highlight, and make a note in the margin to read later.
  • You can look at other notes, highlights, circles, or underlines you’ve made in the past.
  • You can quickly look at other verses that come to mind or are mentioned in a sermon or by a teacher. Yes, you can do this digitally, but I find it easier to do with paper pages and a thumb to keep my place.

I find it amusing to imagine a couple scrambling around, trying to find their bible so they can leave it out on the coffee table when the pastor comes to visit. Have to make a good impression, right?