God called and called to his unresponsive people. Either they had forgotten who he was or they didn’t believe what he said, so God addressed the problem with them.

“‘Hear this you foolish and senseless people, who have eyes but do not see, who have ears but do not hear: Should you not fear me?’ declares the Lord. ‘Should you not tremble in my presence? I made the sand a boundary for the sea, an everlasting barrier it cannot cross. The waves may roll, but they cannot prevail; they may roar, but they cannot cross it. But these people have stubborn and rebellious hearts; they have turned aside and gone away. They do not say to themselves, ‘Let us fear the Lord our God.’” Jeremiah 5:22-24

Instead the Israelites preferred prophets who told them what they wanted to hear.

“A horrible and shocking thing has happened in the land: The prophets prophesy lies, the priests rule by their own authority, and my people love it this way. But what will you do in the end?” Jeremiah 5:30-31

Final Warning

Disaster was headed toward Jerusalem from the north. An army was coming to build siege ramps against the city and this time God was not planning to rescue it.

“Take warning, Jerusalem, or I will turn away from you and make your land desolate so no one can live in it.” Jeremiah 6:8

Jeremiah was alarmed because no one was listening to God’s warnings.

“To whom can I speak and give warning? Who will listen to me? Their ears are closed so they cannot hear. The word of the Lord is offensive to them; they find no pleasure in it. But I am full of the wrath of the Lord, and I cannot hold it in.” Jeremiah 6:10-11

The prophet admonished the people to turn their attention back to the Word of the Lord.

“Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. But you said, ‘We will not walk in it.’” Jeremiah 6:16

Since the Israelites rejected the Lord and his prophet, all that remained was for God’s prophecies to be fulfilled.

“Look, an army is coming from the land of the north; a great nation is being stirred up from the ends of the earth. They are armed with bow and spear; they are cruel and show no mercy. They sound like the roaring sea as they ride on their horses; they come like men in battle formation to attack you, Daughter of Zion.” Jeremiah 6:22-23

The only thing that could prevent the pending disaster was for someone to listen to God and pay attention to what he said.

King Josiah Pays Attention

Josiah became king in Judah when he was only eight years old. Like young King Joash a couple of hundred years earlier (2 Chronicles 24), Josiah had great mentors who taught him to love the Lord the way his ancestor King David had done. And like Joash, King Josiah ordered that money be collected to clean up and restore the temple.

During the cleaning and organizing Hilkiah the high priest came across the Book of the Law and gave it to Josiah’s secretary to take to the king.

“Then Shaphan the secretary went to the king and reported to him: ‘Your officials have paid out the money that was in the temple of the Lord and have entrusted it to the workers and supervisors at the temple.’ Then Shaphan the secretary informed the king, ‘Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.’ And Shaphan read from it in the presence of the king.” 2 Kings 22:9-10

The Word of the Lord finally reached a man with ears to hear it.

“When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his robes. He gave these orders to [his officials]: ‘Go and inquire of the Lord for me and for the people and for all Judah about what is written in this book that has been found. Great is the Lord’s anger that burns against us because those who have gone before us have not obeyed the words of this book; they have not acted in accordance with all that is written there concerning us.’” 2 Kings 22:11-13

Hilkiah Consults Huldah

Hilkiah the priest and the rest of King Josiah’s officials went to consult with Huldah, a prophetess of God. The Lord gave her confirmation that he was indeed going to bring disaster on Jerusalem.

“This is what the Lord says: ‘I am going to bring disaster on this place and its people, according to everything written in the book the king of Judah has read. Because they have forsaken me and burned incense to other gods and aroused my anger by all the idols their hands have made, my anger will burn against this place and will not be quenched.’” 2 Kings 22:16-17

Jeremiah had told the Israelites to remember the ancient paths and inquire where the good way was – and the Book of the Law was in the temple the whole time –  but the people didn’t want to hear it. They told Jeremiah, “We will not walk in it.” Jeremiah 6:16

Now, however, King Josiah embraced the Word of the Lord and took it extremely seriously. So God sent him a personal message.

“‘Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before the Lord when you heard what I have spoken against this place and its people – that they would become a curse and be laid to waste – and because you tore your robes and wept in my presence, I also have heard you,’ declares the Lord. ‘Therefore I will gather you to your ancestors, and you will be buried in peace. Your eyes will not see the disaster I am going to bring on this place.’” 2 Kings 22:19-20

Good King Josiah

Did Josiah feel like he dodged a bullet when he heard that God was going to spare him from the disaster to come? He was only twenty-six years old and had just begun to rebuild the temple and reform Judah’s religious practices.  His grandfather King Hezekiah got a message like this from God, and he relaxed and decided to just enjoy the rest of his life.

What was Josiah going to do during the rest of his reign?

He was in a race against time because God already had Judah’s powerful enemy lined up, ready to crush them. Josiah had no idea how long God intended to let him live; he only knew that God would keep disaster at bay until after he died. Was there anything he could do to turn the tide of events that lay before Judah?

Tomorrow we will find out what Josiah did once he fully understood the Word of the Lord.