Scripture to Read: 2 Kings 22:3-7
Josiah walked in the ways of his father David. King David was not Josiah’s biological father, but the phrase “David his father” is a common biblical expression meaning “his ancestor.” We find this recorded about Josiah in 2 Chronicles 34:3, “For in the eighth year of his reign while he was still a youth, 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 Asherim, the carved images and the molten images.” King Josiah, at the age of sixteen, chose to follow David’s example by seeking God, worshiping at His temple, following God’s commands, and observing the religious duties God had given to the nation of Israel through Moses. King Josiah sought to reform the nation’s religious life by removing idolatry and restoring proper worship. King Josiah relied on God rather than foreign alliances or pagan practices. So, in 2 Kings 22:3–7, we find King Josiah sending Shaphan the scribe to gather the funds needed to repair the temple of God. King Josiah would have been twenty-six years old when this occurred. Because of Josiah’s hunger to walk with God, he wanted God’s temple to be restored. Josiah wanted God to be honored and worshipped by the people of Judah, and he knew the temple must be repaired. God no longer dwells in man-made temples, but His temple is us (1 Corinthians 3:16, 1 Corinthians 6:19–20). We must be filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18) so that we honor God through all areas of our lives.
Challenge & Application
What did Josiah do to lead the people to worship God alone?
How do you live, knowing that you are God’s temple, to ensure you honor Him in all areas of your life?
Don’t forget to pray using the A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) method!