Josiah showed his remorse before the Lord for all of the sins of the people of Judah. Did he consider the ancient city of Nineveh as he began his renewed conquest of the Promised Land? Did he recall the story of Jonah’s preaching to those rebellious pagan people and make a connection to the people of Jerusalem? Did Josiah consider that just as God showed mercy to Nineveh for over a century that an equal display of repentance among the people of Judah would hold back God’s hand of judgment against his covenant people? We aren’t given that insight into the heart of this faithful king. But we do know that for well over a decade he sought to rid the soil of Judah of the despicable idolatry that had polluted God’s people. But he was not nearly as successful in purifying the hearts of the people. After his death the kingdom returned to idolatry. Whether they were led there by the new kings or by the will of the stiff-necked people doesn’t matter. Judah’s decline into the pit of rebellion that Manassah had initiated was not changed through Josiah’s revival. The church today must continually examine her direction; do we follow Manassah or Josiah?
Stuart
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