48. REPENTANCE CAN CHANGE FATEIs repentence still relevant in our modern age?
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One of the hardest things to do in life is to admit we are wrong. Perhaps it is only secondary to actually doing something about it. Either way, before we can admit we are wrong or try to rectify it we must rst acknowledge the truth that what we did wasn’t right. Interestingly there is a word that describes this whole process. It is called repentance. This single word sums up the whole experience of realizing a wrong, apologizing or paying restitution for it, and then trying not to commit the same offense. Repentance literally means “to change our thoughts and actions to correct a wrong and gain forgiveness from someone.” In the context of our studies,
repentance is acknowledging a sin, asking God’s forgiveness for it, and ceasing to commit it.
In this lesson, we will see that repentance is a direct result of realizing our sinfulness in relation to God’s holi- ness through the reading of His Holy Word.
There is an excellent example of this truth in the very first novel ever written in the English language. The book is read by almost every Turkish student at some point in their life. The book is called Robinson Crusoe and follows the life of a young man who was lost at sea. He had always dreamed of being a sailor, but his parents didn’t want him to go. They had warned him repeatedly that the job was dangerous and that he was risking a life of comfort and ease. But Robinson didn’t see the wisdom in their counsel and ran off.
On his very first voyage, the ship ran aground and sank. He was fortunate to survive that wreck and for a short time it quelled his thirst for adventure. But once again, the desire to leave was stronger than his desire to be safe. So Robinson sought passage on yet another ship. Just like the first voyage, the second one also ended in tragedy when pirates took Robinson prisoner.
After a period of time, Robinson escaped from his captors and made his way to Brazil. While there, he bought a plantation and acquired a small fortune. For most of us, the first two voyages would have been a lesson to not take unnecessary risks. But Robinson was a stubborn man and the thought of making even more money was too much to resist. The only problem was that the result of his decision would have a long lasting impact on his daily life.
As most of you know, Robinson’s ship ran aground and broke into pieces. He was stranded on a deserted island, alone and without any hope of rescue. Fortunately, Robinson had enough ingenuity and time to save many things from the broken ship. Although he did get guns, gunpowder, cloth, food, tools, and a couple of animals, the most important item was a box of books.
At first, Robinson wasn’t concerned with books. He needed to survive. So he began to build a house, nd food, and protect himself from wild animals. As time passed he became angry about his situation. He didn’t have anyone to talk to, so his mind became all mixed up. He even blamed God!
“Why would God do this to me? Why didn’t I listen to my parents? It would have been better to die with everyone else.”
But one day he opened up that box of books and found something that changed him forever. It was like nding a buried treasure. But instead of being lled with jewels, it was lled with knowledge and wisdom that changed his perspective on life. He had heard about it before, but never bothered to take even one look at it. He blew off the dust, opened the cover and began to read. It was the Holy Bible which includes the Torah, Psalms, and Gospel of Jesus.
Robinson soon realized that his outlook was completely wrong. In- stead of blaming God, he should be thanking Him. Robinson could have been dead like the other sailors. But for some unknown reason, God had spared his life, put him on an island suitable for survival, and even supplied him with modern comforts. It was impossible for Robinson to ignore God’s provision and compassion; especially in relation to his own sel shness and ungratefulness.
In the light of God’s love, Robinson’s heart melted and he asked for God’s forgiveness. He decided to no longer focus on the negative, but to embrace the new life that he had been given – a life that he later used to help others.
As we have learned from previous lessons, and just like Robinson ignoring his parents, the nation of Israel ignored God’s counsel on several occasions. One of their biggest mistakes was the desire to be like other nations and have a king. Although God warned them, they thought that the bene ts of having a king far outweighed the risks. But it wasn’t long before the people found themselves in a terrible situation. After King Solomon, the nation was split into two kingdoms: the northern one called Israel and the southern kingdom called Judah.
We will not cover all the details of what happened in the next 300 years after the split, but if you read through the books of Kings and Chronicles, a clear picture will emerge. The kings of Israel and Judah for the most part were not followers of the One, True God. They indulged in sin, worshipped false gods, killed rivals, and even per- secuted God’s prophets. As a result, many of the Israelites followed their example and were breaking God’s law through the worship of false gods. Suffice it to say, the situation was terrible! Not only had the Northern Kingdom of Israel been conquered by the Assyrians and most of the Israelites taken off as slaves, the Southern Kingdom of Judah was also being threatened.
Many of you are probably wondering,
“Well how did this happen? Didn’t God promise to make them a great nation? What about the covenant to bless the whole world?”
It is quite possible that there were Israelites thinking the very same thing. But unlike the Israelites, we won’t have to wait a long time to get answers. For now, let’s see what happened when a young king tried to get the southern Kingdom of Judah back on track. We can start reading the story in 2 Kings chapter 22 verses 1-7:
1 Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jedidah the daughter of Adaiah of Bozkath. 2 And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD and walked in all the way of David his father, and he did not turn aside to the right or to the left. 3 In the eighteenth year of King Josiah, the king sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, son of Meshullam, the secretary, to the house of the LORD, saying, 4 Go up to Hilkiah the high priest, that he may count the money that has been brought into the house of the LORD, which the keepers of the threshold have collected from the people. 5 And let it be given into the hand of the workmen who have the oversight of the house of the LORD, and let them give it to the workmen who are at the house of the LORD, repairing the house 6 (that is, to the carpenters, and to the builders, and to the masons), and let them use it for buying timber and quarried stone to repair the house. 7 But no accounting shall be asked from them for the money that is delivered into their hand, for they deal honestly.
As the text says, King Josiah, the 16th king since King Solomon, started ruling Judah when he was a child. But what set him apart from the previous kings is that he never betrayed God (i.e., like King David he never worshipped false gods). But that doesn’t mean he was innocent or even perfect. He was responsible for his people and his people were living in sin. We can deduce from the text that the people had not been taking care of the Temple. Otherwise it wouldn’t have needed a massive amount of repair. If they weren’t paying attention to God’s Temple, they probably weren’t paying at- tention to God. So, King Josiah decided that repairing God’s temple would put their focus back on God.
While they were cleaning and preparing the Temple for repair, Hilkiah the High Priest found an old scroll. He knew it was very impor- tant, so he gave it to Shaphan the king’s secretary. It is believed that this scroll was actually the book of Deuteronomy. Do you remem- ber reading about its importance in our study about King Solomon? This was the book that all the kings were supposed to copy and read every day. Apparently a previous king, Manasseh, had neglected the true worship of God to the point that the Book of the Law was lost! Devoid of it’s instruction, the people slipped further and further into idolatry. What do you think happened when King Josiah heard it? Let’s find out in 2 Kings chapter 22 verses 11-13:
11 When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his clothes. 12 And the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Achbor the son of Micaiah, and Shaphan the secretary, and Asaiah the king's servant, saying, 13 Go, inquire of the LORD for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that has been found. For great is the wrath of the LORD that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book, to do according to all that is written concerning us.
It was as if King Josiah’s heart was pierced with a spear. After hearing God’s laws, counsel, and punishment for disobedience, King Josiah knew that time was short. As he heard those inspired words, he realized that his peoples’ actions would bring forth God’s judg- ments. In fact, he was so distraught that he actually tore his robe.
After bowing and asking God for forgiveness, he immediately told Hilkiah and Shaphan to seek the counsel of a prophet. Let’s con- tinue with verse 14:
14 So Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam, and Achbor, and Shaphan, and Asaiah went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah, son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe (now she lived in Jerusalem in the Second Quarter), and they talked with her.
For those of us who thought that prophets could only be men, the verses we just read may have been shocking. But the Bible says it is so, therefore we need to accept it. Let’s see what she said in verses 15-20:
15 And she said to them, Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Tell the man who sent you to me, 16 Thus says the LORD, behold, I will bring disaster upon this place and upon its inhabitants, all the words of the book that the king of Judah has read. 17 Because they have forsaken me and have made offerings to other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the work of their hands, therefore my wrath will be kindled against this place, and it will not be quenched. 18 But to the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the LORD, thus shall you say to him, Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Regarding the words that you have heard, 19 because your heart was penitent, and you humbled yourself before the LORD, when you heard how I spoke against this place and against its inhabitants, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and you have torn your clothes and wept before me, I also have heard you, declares the LORD. 20 There- fore, behold, I will gather you to your fathers, and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace, and your eyes shall not see all the disaster that I will bring upon this place. And they brought back word to the king.
The message of Huldah was two fold. First, the inhabitants of Judah (also known as Jews) had gone too far. There was no way to avert the punishment that was about to be poured out. Second, God heard King Josiah’s prayers and promised that he would not share in their punishment. In spite of the inevitableness of punishment, King Josiah wasn’t about to sit back and do nothing. He decided to not only make known to his people God’s decree, but to plead for them to also repent and cease from sinning against God.
King Josiah called all the elders, priests, and people of Jerusalem to the Temple. The people must have been wondering what was happening and why the King had called them with such urgency. The crowd was immense, but when King Josiah announced that the Book of the Law was going to be read they became silent and listened intently.
When he was nished reading, King Josiah addressed the people. Let’s pick up the story again in 2 Kings chapter 23 verse 3:
3 And the king stood by the pillar and made a covenant before the LORD, to walk after 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 this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people joined in the covenant.
King Josiah, as the leader of his people, made it clear that he would uphold God’s law. After hearing the seriousness in his voice and the impassioned plea to join with him, the people of Judah also prom- ised to follow God. They realized their sin and repented. Now it was time for them to act!
As we read the following verses, pay close attention to their sins. Rather than being isolated incidents, their sins had spread through- out the whole kingdom. It seems like there wasn’t a place left that hadn’t been affected by idolatry and lasciviousness. Let’s read
verses 4-20:
4 And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest and the priests of the second order and the keepers of the threshold to bring out of the temple of the LORD all the vessels made for Baal, for Asherah, and for all the host of heaven. He burned them outside Jerusalem in the elds of the Kidron and carried their ashes to Bethel. 5 And he deposed the priests whom the kings of Judah had ordained to make offerings in the high places at the cities of Judah and around Jerusalem; those also who burned incense to Baal, to the sun and the moon and the constellations and all the host of the heavens. 6 And he brought out the Asherah from the house of the LORD, outside Jerusalem, to the brook Kidron, and burned it at the brook Kidron and beat it to dust and cast the dust of it upon the graves of the common people. 7 And he broke down the houses of the male cult prostitutes who were in the house of the LORD, where the women wove hangings for the Asherah. 8 And he brought all the priests out of the cities of Judah, and de- led the high places where the priests had made offerings, from Geba to Beersheba. And he broke down the high places of the gates that were at the entrance of the gate of Joshua the gover- nor of the city, which were on one's left at the gate of the city. 9 However, the priests of the high places did not come up to the altar of the LORD in Jerusalem, but they ate unleavened bread among their brothers. 10 And he de led Topheth, which is in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, that no one might burn his son or his daughter as an offering to Molech. 11 And he removed the horses that the kings of Judah had dedicated to the sun, at the en- trance to the house of the LORD, by the chamber of Nathan-me- lech the chamberlain, which was in the precincts. And he burned the chariots of the sun with re. 12 And the altars on the roof of the upper chamber of Ahaz, which the kings of Judah had made, and the altars that Manasseh had made in the two courts of the house of the LORD, he pulled down and broke in pieces and cast the dust of them into the brook Kidron. 13 And the king de led the high places that were east of Jerusalem, to the south of the mount of corruption, which Solomon the king of Israel had built for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Sidonians, and for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, and for Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. 14 And he broke in pieces the pillars and cut down the Asherim and lled their places with the bones of men. 15 Moreover, the altar at Bethel, the high place erected by Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, that altar with the high place he pulled down and burned, reducing it to dust. He also burned the Asherah. 16 And as Josiah turned, he saw the tombs there on the mount. And he sent and took the bones out of the tombs and burned them on the altar and de led it, according to the word of the LORD that the man of God proclaimed, who had predicted these things. 17 Then he said, What is that monument that I see? And the men of the city told him, It is the tomb of the man of God who came from Judah and predicted these things that you have done against the altar at Bethel. 18 And he said, Let him be; let no man move his bones. So they let his bones alone, with the bones of the prophet who came out of Samaria. 19 And Josiah removed all the shrines also of the high places that were in the cities of Samaria, which kings of Israel had made, provok- ing the LORD to anger. He did to them according to all that he had done at Bethel. 20 And he sacri ced all the priests of the high places who were there, on the altars, and burned human bones on them. Then he returned to Jerusalem.
The verses we just read are lled with some of the most abominable sins. It is almost unfathomable to think that the Israelites would worship false gods in the Temple of God. But their actions didn’t end there. They burned incense in honor of the sun, moon, and stars. They allowed male prostitutes to perform lewd acts for the false goddess Asherah. They were burning children as sacrifices for the false god Molech. The kings had even dedicated horses to the sun. No wonder Josiah tore his robe when he read the Book of the Law. The Israelites had been blatantly disobeying God for years and the consequence would be severe. Moreover, these sins were not only taking place in Jerusalem!
If you look at a map, you will notice that many of King Josiah’s re- forms took place outside of Judah. These sins stretched from north to south, east to west. The disregard for God’s law was a widespread pandemic. When he and the people made the covenant before God, they were speaking on behalf of the entire nation because the entire nation needed cleansing. But King Josiah didn’t just put an end to false worship. He also reinstituted the Passover. Let’s read about it in verses 21-23:
21 And the king commanded all the people, Keep the Passover to the LORD your God, as it is written in this Book of the Cov- enant. 22 For no such Passover had been kept since the days of the judges who judged Israel, or during all the days of the kings of Israel or of the kings of Judah. 23 But in the eighteenth year of King Josiah this Passover was kept to the LORD in Jerusalem.
If you remember from a previous lesson, the Israelites were to keep the Passover on an annual basis as a remembrance of their delivery from Egypt.6 It was a celebration that they hadn’t kept as a nation in over 300 years. This was just another way that they had slipped further and further away from God. King Josiah knew that the Passover was a major symbol of the Israelites freedom and dedication to God. So, he made sure that it would be celebrated from this day forward.
We get a perfect picture of repentance in the life of King Josiah. When he encountered God’s Holy Word, just like Robinson Crusoe, he realized the seriousness of sin and its effect on people. With an open heart, he asked for God’s forgiveness and led his country to ee from what was causing their destruction. Although this story isn’t well known, it is nonetheless very important because in it we can see the proper response of a sinner who sees his (and his people’s) sins for what they really are.
A young boy had a crush on a young girl in his class. He was immature and unsure of how to deal with his feelings, so he started to tease the girl. He made fun of the way she spoke, pulled her hair, and laughed when she made mistakes. At rst the girl just ignored what he said. But after a while, his taunts and inconsiderate behavior started to annoy her. She asked him to stop, but he just continued to do the same thing. Eventually, she couldn't take it anymore.
One day after class when all the kids left the room, she sat at her desk and cried. Her best friend came back from the break and tried to console her. But it was too late. The girl's heart was broken. She couldn't take it anymore and didn't want to come back to school.
About that time, the young boy came back to class. He saw that the girl was crying and asked what was wrong.
"You are what's wrong! You always tease me, pull my hair, and make fun of me. I am sick of it! Leave me alone!" she screamed.
The boy didn't know what to say. He just stood there dumbfounded. He didn't realize that what was fun to him, was hurtful to the girl.
"I am sorry. I shouldn't have done those things. I promise to al- ways be nice to you. Do you forgive me?" he asked.
"Yes." she sniffied.
Repentance starts with recognizing that you did something wrong. After recognizing your sin, you stop doing it and ask for forgiveness. Although quite basic, this story illustrates how de- structive our actions can be to ourselves, others, and from a spiritual standpoint to our relationship with God. King Josiah recognized this and in 2 Kings chapter 23 verse 25 we can read these words about King Josiah:
25 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.
We live in a world that isn’t much different than ancient Judah. We are surrounded by sin and we struggle with it every day. There were many reasons why the Israelites had lost sight of God. But there was only one solution, repentance. It doesn’t matter if you are a man, woman, or child; rich, middle class, or poor; if you are a human you are a sinner and every sinner needs to repent. As John the Baptist said, “Repent, for the kingdom of God is near!”
Discussion Questions
1. Would it have been possible for Robinson Crusoe to sin on an island with no people? How?
2. Have you ever thought about your sin in relation to God’s holiness? How does it make you feel?
3. We may not be worshipping idols or killing children, but we do sin. Do you think God favorably looks upon any sin and says, “It
wasn’t that bad.”?
4. Do you have any sins that you want to repent of right now? If so, let’s pray.
repentance is acknowledging a sin, asking God’s forgiveness for it, and ceasing to commit it.
In this lesson, we will see that repentance is a direct result of realizing our sinfulness in relation to God’s holi- ness through the reading of His Holy Word.
There is an excellent example of this truth in the very first novel ever written in the English language. The book is read by almost every Turkish student at some point in their life. The book is called Robinson Crusoe and follows the life of a young man who was lost at sea. He had always dreamed of being a sailor, but his parents didn’t want him to go. They had warned him repeatedly that the job was dangerous and that he was risking a life of comfort and ease. But Robinson didn’t see the wisdom in their counsel and ran off.
On his very first voyage, the ship ran aground and sank. He was fortunate to survive that wreck and for a short time it quelled his thirst for adventure. But once again, the desire to leave was stronger than his desire to be safe. So Robinson sought passage on yet another ship. Just like the first voyage, the second one also ended in tragedy when pirates took Robinson prisoner.
After a period of time, Robinson escaped from his captors and made his way to Brazil. While there, he bought a plantation and acquired a small fortune. For most of us, the first two voyages would have been a lesson to not take unnecessary risks. But Robinson was a stubborn man and the thought of making even more money was too much to resist. The only problem was that the result of his decision would have a long lasting impact on his daily life.
As most of you know, Robinson’s ship ran aground and broke into pieces. He was stranded on a deserted island, alone and without any hope of rescue. Fortunately, Robinson had enough ingenuity and time to save many things from the broken ship. Although he did get guns, gunpowder, cloth, food, tools, and a couple of animals, the most important item was a box of books.
At first, Robinson wasn’t concerned with books. He needed to survive. So he began to build a house, nd food, and protect himself from wild animals. As time passed he became angry about his situation. He didn’t have anyone to talk to, so his mind became all mixed up. He even blamed God!
“Why would God do this to me? Why didn’t I listen to my parents? It would have been better to die with everyone else.”
But one day he opened up that box of books and found something that changed him forever. It was like nding a buried treasure. But instead of being lled with jewels, it was lled with knowledge and wisdom that changed his perspective on life. He had heard about it before, but never bothered to take even one look at it. He blew off the dust, opened the cover and began to read. It was the Holy Bible which includes the Torah, Psalms, and Gospel of Jesus.
Robinson soon realized that his outlook was completely wrong. In- stead of blaming God, he should be thanking Him. Robinson could have been dead like the other sailors. But for some unknown reason, God had spared his life, put him on an island suitable for survival, and even supplied him with modern comforts. It was impossible for Robinson to ignore God’s provision and compassion; especially in relation to his own sel shness and ungratefulness.
In the light of God’s love, Robinson’s heart melted and he asked for God’s forgiveness. He decided to no longer focus on the negative, but to embrace the new life that he had been given – a life that he later used to help others.
As we have learned from previous lessons, and just like Robinson ignoring his parents, the nation of Israel ignored God’s counsel on several occasions. One of their biggest mistakes was the desire to be like other nations and have a king. Although God warned them, they thought that the bene ts of having a king far outweighed the risks. But it wasn’t long before the people found themselves in a terrible situation. After King Solomon, the nation was split into two kingdoms: the northern one called Israel and the southern kingdom called Judah.
We will not cover all the details of what happened in the next 300 years after the split, but if you read through the books of Kings and Chronicles, a clear picture will emerge. The kings of Israel and Judah for the most part were not followers of the One, True God. They indulged in sin, worshipped false gods, killed rivals, and even per- secuted God’s prophets. As a result, many of the Israelites followed their example and were breaking God’s law through the worship of false gods. Suffice it to say, the situation was terrible! Not only had the Northern Kingdom of Israel been conquered by the Assyrians and most of the Israelites taken off as slaves, the Southern Kingdom of Judah was also being threatened.
Many of you are probably wondering,
“Well how did this happen? Didn’t God promise to make them a great nation? What about the covenant to bless the whole world?”
It is quite possible that there were Israelites thinking the very same thing. But unlike the Israelites, we won’t have to wait a long time to get answers. For now, let’s see what happened when a young king tried to get the southern Kingdom of Judah back on track. We can start reading the story in 2 Kings chapter 22 verses 1-7:
1 Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jedidah the daughter of Adaiah of Bozkath. 2 And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD and walked in all the way of David his father, and he did not turn aside to the right or to the left. 3 In the eighteenth year of King Josiah, the king sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, son of Meshullam, the secretary, to the house of the LORD, saying, 4 Go up to Hilkiah the high priest, that he may count the money that has been brought into the house of the LORD, which the keepers of the threshold have collected from the people. 5 And let it be given into the hand of the workmen who have the oversight of the house of the LORD, and let them give it to the workmen who are at the house of the LORD, repairing the house 6 (that is, to the carpenters, and to the builders, and to the masons), and let them use it for buying timber and quarried stone to repair the house. 7 But no accounting shall be asked from them for the money that is delivered into their hand, for they deal honestly.
As the text says, King Josiah, the 16th king since King Solomon, started ruling Judah when he was a child. But what set him apart from the previous kings is that he never betrayed God (i.e., like King David he never worshipped false gods). But that doesn’t mean he was innocent or even perfect. He was responsible for his people and his people were living in sin. We can deduce from the text that the people had not been taking care of the Temple. Otherwise it wouldn’t have needed a massive amount of repair. If they weren’t paying attention to God’s Temple, they probably weren’t paying at- tention to God. So, King Josiah decided that repairing God’s temple would put their focus back on God.
While they were cleaning and preparing the Temple for repair, Hilkiah the High Priest found an old scroll. He knew it was very impor- tant, so he gave it to Shaphan the king’s secretary. It is believed that this scroll was actually the book of Deuteronomy. Do you remem- ber reading about its importance in our study about King Solomon? This was the book that all the kings were supposed to copy and read every day. Apparently a previous king, Manasseh, had neglected the true worship of God to the point that the Book of the Law was lost! Devoid of it’s instruction, the people slipped further and further into idolatry. What do you think happened when King Josiah heard it? Let’s find out in 2 Kings chapter 22 verses 11-13:
11 When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his clothes. 12 And the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Achbor the son of Micaiah, and Shaphan the secretary, and Asaiah the king's servant, saying, 13 Go, inquire of the LORD for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that has been found. For great is the wrath of the LORD that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book, to do according to all that is written concerning us.
It was as if King Josiah’s heart was pierced with a spear. After hearing God’s laws, counsel, and punishment for disobedience, King Josiah knew that time was short. As he heard those inspired words, he realized that his peoples’ actions would bring forth God’s judg- ments. In fact, he was so distraught that he actually tore his robe.
After bowing and asking God for forgiveness, he immediately told Hilkiah and Shaphan to seek the counsel of a prophet. Let’s con- tinue with verse 14:
14 So Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam, and Achbor, and Shaphan, and Asaiah went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah, son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe (now she lived in Jerusalem in the Second Quarter), and they talked with her.
For those of us who thought that prophets could only be men, the verses we just read may have been shocking. But the Bible says it is so, therefore we need to accept it. Let’s see what she said in verses 15-20:
15 And she said to them, Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Tell the man who sent you to me, 16 Thus says the LORD, behold, I will bring disaster upon this place and upon its inhabitants, all the words of the book that the king of Judah has read. 17 Because they have forsaken me and have made offerings to other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the work of their hands, therefore my wrath will be kindled against this place, and it will not be quenched. 18 But to the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the LORD, thus shall you say to him, Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Regarding the words that you have heard, 19 because your heart was penitent, and you humbled yourself before the LORD, when you heard how I spoke against this place and against its inhabitants, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and you have torn your clothes and wept before me, I also have heard you, declares the LORD. 20 There- fore, behold, I will gather you to your fathers, and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace, and your eyes shall not see all the disaster that I will bring upon this place. And they brought back word to the king.
The message of Huldah was two fold. First, the inhabitants of Judah (also known as Jews) had gone too far. There was no way to avert the punishment that was about to be poured out. Second, God heard King Josiah’s prayers and promised that he would not share in their punishment. In spite of the inevitableness of punishment, King Josiah wasn’t about to sit back and do nothing. He decided to not only make known to his people God’s decree, but to plead for them to also repent and cease from sinning against God.
King Josiah called all the elders, priests, and people of Jerusalem to the Temple. The people must have been wondering what was happening and why the King had called them with such urgency. The crowd was immense, but when King Josiah announced that the Book of the Law was going to be read they became silent and listened intently.
When he was nished reading, King Josiah addressed the people. Let’s pick up the story again in 2 Kings chapter 23 verse 3:
3 And the king stood by the pillar and made a covenant before the LORD, to walk after 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 this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people joined in the covenant.
King Josiah, as the leader of his people, made it clear that he would uphold God’s law. After hearing the seriousness in his voice and the impassioned plea to join with him, the people of Judah also prom- ised to follow God. They realized their sin and repented. Now it was time for them to act!
As we read the following verses, pay close attention to their sins. Rather than being isolated incidents, their sins had spread through- out the whole kingdom. It seems like there wasn’t a place left that hadn’t been affected by idolatry and lasciviousness. Let’s read
verses 4-20:
4 And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest and the priests of the second order and the keepers of the threshold to bring out of the temple of the LORD all the vessels made for Baal, for Asherah, and for all the host of heaven. He burned them outside Jerusalem in the elds of the Kidron and carried their ashes to Bethel. 5 And he deposed the priests whom the kings of Judah had ordained to make offerings in the high places at the cities of Judah and around Jerusalem; those also who burned incense to Baal, to the sun and the moon and the constellations and all the host of the heavens. 6 And he brought out the Asherah from the house of the LORD, outside Jerusalem, to the brook Kidron, and burned it at the brook Kidron and beat it to dust and cast the dust of it upon the graves of the common people. 7 And he broke down the houses of the male cult prostitutes who were in the house of the LORD, where the women wove hangings for the Asherah. 8 And he brought all the priests out of the cities of Judah, and de- led the high places where the priests had made offerings, from Geba to Beersheba. And he broke down the high places of the gates that were at the entrance of the gate of Joshua the gover- nor of the city, which were on one's left at the gate of the city. 9 However, the priests of the high places did not come up to the altar of the LORD in Jerusalem, but they ate unleavened bread among their brothers. 10 And he de led Topheth, which is in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, that no one might burn his son or his daughter as an offering to Molech. 11 And he removed the horses that the kings of Judah had dedicated to the sun, at the en- trance to the house of the LORD, by the chamber of Nathan-me- lech the chamberlain, which was in the precincts. And he burned the chariots of the sun with re. 12 And the altars on the roof of the upper chamber of Ahaz, which the kings of Judah had made, and the altars that Manasseh had made in the two courts of the house of the LORD, he pulled down and broke in pieces and cast the dust of them into the brook Kidron. 13 And the king de led the high places that were east of Jerusalem, to the south of the mount of corruption, which Solomon the king of Israel had built for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Sidonians, and for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, and for Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. 14 And he broke in pieces the pillars and cut down the Asherim and lled their places with the bones of men. 15 Moreover, the altar at Bethel, the high place erected by Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, that altar with the high place he pulled down and burned, reducing it to dust. He also burned the Asherah. 16 And as Josiah turned, he saw the tombs there on the mount. And he sent and took the bones out of the tombs and burned them on the altar and de led it, according to the word of the LORD that the man of God proclaimed, who had predicted these things. 17 Then he said, What is that monument that I see? And the men of the city told him, It is the tomb of the man of God who came from Judah and predicted these things that you have done against the altar at Bethel. 18 And he said, Let him be; let no man move his bones. So they let his bones alone, with the bones of the prophet who came out of Samaria. 19 And Josiah removed all the shrines also of the high places that were in the cities of Samaria, which kings of Israel had made, provok- ing the LORD to anger. He did to them according to all that he had done at Bethel. 20 And he sacri ced all the priests of the high places who were there, on the altars, and burned human bones on them. Then he returned to Jerusalem.
The verses we just read are lled with some of the most abominable sins. It is almost unfathomable to think that the Israelites would worship false gods in the Temple of God. But their actions didn’t end there. They burned incense in honor of the sun, moon, and stars. They allowed male prostitutes to perform lewd acts for the false goddess Asherah. They were burning children as sacrifices for the false god Molech. The kings had even dedicated horses to the sun. No wonder Josiah tore his robe when he read the Book of the Law. The Israelites had been blatantly disobeying God for years and the consequence would be severe. Moreover, these sins were not only taking place in Jerusalem!
If you look at a map, you will notice that many of King Josiah’s re- forms took place outside of Judah. These sins stretched from north to south, east to west. The disregard for God’s law was a widespread pandemic. When he and the people made the covenant before God, they were speaking on behalf of the entire nation because the entire nation needed cleansing. But King Josiah didn’t just put an end to false worship. He also reinstituted the Passover. Let’s read about it in verses 21-23:
21 And the king commanded all the people, Keep the Passover to the LORD your God, as it is written in this Book of the Cov- enant. 22 For no such Passover had been kept since the days of the judges who judged Israel, or during all the days of the kings of Israel or of the kings of Judah. 23 But in the eighteenth year of King Josiah this Passover was kept to the LORD in Jerusalem.
If you remember from a previous lesson, the Israelites were to keep the Passover on an annual basis as a remembrance of their delivery from Egypt.6 It was a celebration that they hadn’t kept as a nation in over 300 years. This was just another way that they had slipped further and further away from God. King Josiah knew that the Passover was a major symbol of the Israelites freedom and dedication to God. So, he made sure that it would be celebrated from this day forward.
We get a perfect picture of repentance in the life of King Josiah. When he encountered God’s Holy Word, just like Robinson Crusoe, he realized the seriousness of sin and its effect on people. With an open heart, he asked for God’s forgiveness and led his country to ee from what was causing their destruction. Although this story isn’t well known, it is nonetheless very important because in it we can see the proper response of a sinner who sees his (and his people’s) sins for what they really are.
A young boy had a crush on a young girl in his class. He was immature and unsure of how to deal with his feelings, so he started to tease the girl. He made fun of the way she spoke, pulled her hair, and laughed when she made mistakes. At rst the girl just ignored what he said. But after a while, his taunts and inconsiderate behavior started to annoy her. She asked him to stop, but he just continued to do the same thing. Eventually, she couldn't take it anymore.
One day after class when all the kids left the room, she sat at her desk and cried. Her best friend came back from the break and tried to console her. But it was too late. The girl's heart was broken. She couldn't take it anymore and didn't want to come back to school.
About that time, the young boy came back to class. He saw that the girl was crying and asked what was wrong.
"You are what's wrong! You always tease me, pull my hair, and make fun of me. I am sick of it! Leave me alone!" she screamed.
The boy didn't know what to say. He just stood there dumbfounded. He didn't realize that what was fun to him, was hurtful to the girl.
"I am sorry. I shouldn't have done those things. I promise to al- ways be nice to you. Do you forgive me?" he asked.
"Yes." she sniffied.
Repentance starts with recognizing that you did something wrong. After recognizing your sin, you stop doing it and ask for forgiveness. Although quite basic, this story illustrates how de- structive our actions can be to ourselves, others, and from a spiritual standpoint to our relationship with God. King Josiah recognized this and in 2 Kings chapter 23 verse 25 we can read these words about King Josiah:
25 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.
We live in a world that isn’t much different than ancient Judah. We are surrounded by sin and we struggle with it every day. There were many reasons why the Israelites had lost sight of God. But there was only one solution, repentance. It doesn’t matter if you are a man, woman, or child; rich, middle class, or poor; if you are a human you are a sinner and every sinner needs to repent. As John the Baptist said, “Repent, for the kingdom of God is near!”
Discussion Questions
1. Would it have been possible for Robinson Crusoe to sin on an island with no people? How?
2. Have you ever thought about your sin in relation to God’s holiness? How does it make you feel?
3. We may not be worshipping idols or killing children, but we do sin. Do you think God favorably looks upon any sin and says, “It
wasn’t that bad.”?
4. Do you have any sins that you want to repent of right now? If so, let’s pray.