Josiah - God Working in Revival Power — Erlo Stegen

Thirty-four. Verse twenty-seven. Because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before God when you heard His words against this place and against its inhabitants, and you humbled yourself before me, and you tore your clothes and wept before me, I also have heard you, says the Lord.

Then to verse thirty-one. Then the king stood in his place and made a covenant before the Lord to follow 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 the covenant that were written in this book.

And he made all who were present in Jerusalem and Benjamin take their stand for it, so the inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers. Verse thirty-two. He removed all the abominations from all the country that belonged to the children of Israel and made all who were present in Israel diligently serve the Lord their God.

All His days they did not depart from following the Lord, God of their fathers. We'll read thus far. This is a marvellous matter, an astonishing matter. It speaks about King Josiah. I say it again, this is an astonishing matter.

Josiah’s Tender Heart in a Dark Generation

He was a king during the time of the prophetess Huldah. This Josiah was appointed king when he was only eight years old.

Just think of it.

Just think of it. He was made to be king while he was ever so young. Hardly just weaned and he was king at ten years of age minus two. You know how old that is.

The students in the college should know. I don't know the first year students, but the second year students. Think, eight years old.

What was more astonishing about this boy king was that it was in the circumstance of his fathers being dreadful kings. It was his fathers own father being a hard hearted rebellious man. The bible says of his father that he set himself about to do evil.

He premeditated and planned his wicked things that he did. Josiah was of this stock, having a father who had set himself against God determined to utterly disobey him. His grandfather was the same. Josiah's father had simply followed in the footsteps of his father doing the same evil.

They were fond of imitating the kings around them. Those kings who did not know God. So just think of it, he was then born of this stock from fathers who were determined to disobey God and to copy what the surrounding kings who did not know God, what they were doing.

But his great grandfather was a man of God. But Josiah never got to know him. But he imitated him and he was more like him. It seems like they were of the same stock. So at 8 years of age he was coronated as king.

Despite his heritage of such a father and grandfather. The Bible specifically says of Josiah that the moment he was made king he feared the Lord God. And he sought to do good, good in the sight of God.

Like his father David. Now David wasn't his direct father. His own father. His own father and grandfather were wicked men. But he was after David, said that he was his father. Now at 8 years of age you can excuse a child and say well they're ignorant, they don't know what they're doing.

But the Bible says at that age he did good in the sight of God like his father David. Jesus scolded the scribes and the Pharisees and the Sadducees. For they had said if we had lived in the time and the era of our ancestors we would never have killed the prophets.

Jesus said you are lying, you are being hypocritical for you would have done exactly the same and killed the prophets. He said the reason being that those who are the murderers of the prophets you call your ancestors.

He challenged them by saying but why do you call yourself after the ancestors who killed the prophets rather call your ancestors the prophets. It shows that you have the same heart, you would have done the same, same murderous intent.

So God doesn't count Josiah's father or grandfather wicked men who belonged to hell. He says his father was David. So don't identify yourself with others dead or alive who refuse to walk with God. Seek rather the heroes of God, those who are true men of God and call them your forefathers.

Today it's commonplace to find young people even Christians who say well how can I be a real Christian. After all I'm surrounded by all this and they learn their lifestyle from the others around them instead of choosing men of God and the ironical thing is that even their parents will follow the wickedness which their children do.

So Josiah at the age of eight he grew up as a king who feared the Lord. He grew up like that, he continued in that way. When he was sixteen he sought God in a very deep way. At the age of twenty six he brought about a reformation.

One has to ask the question that this boy should be of this sort and grow up in this manner. Where did he obtain his strength and authority and his uprightness in the Lord? How did he get it? He listened to the word of God.

He would hear the word of the Lord, keep it and do it. Now I still will be looking at that in depth for these are just words of introduction. He issued a decree that the temple was to be cleansed for it had become dusty and old and unused and he sent for the prophets and the priests and they had to come and clean the temple.

Even the temple money had become decayed and wasn't used anymore. And as they were busy cleaning the temple they found under a pile of rubble the word of God. And he said read it. But let's rather continue with our text.

So this boy king though he didn't know his grandfather and he only knew his father and grandfather who were wicked. He didn't know his great grandfather but God said nevertheless this boy takes after his father David.

For these two were like flesh of the same flesh, bone of the same bone doing the same thing.

Both of them David and Josiah had communion with God.

Both of them David and Josiah had communion with God. They would speak to God, the Lord would speak to them, they would listen and that's where the Lord pronounced regarding them that these are men with whom I'm well pleased.

With both of them if they noticed something in the temple in the house of God which was wrong they would bring about changes immediately. Also they were zealously committed to these changes. If there was something which needed change they did it instantly with enthusiasm with the fire of the Lord.

Also they were immediate in their obedience to God. Even though other kings had walked along an evil path but these two said no this is the way we go. So this boy was exposed to God's dealing from an early age in the midst of an era of darkness and wickedness all around him.

He stood up and said no this is not the way to go. This young boy was used of the Lord. There's nobody too young. You might say I'm too young or I'm too old. I cannot be used by God. No whoever is available to God will be used by the Lord.

Personal Responsibility for Spiritual Decline

So if you just sit there and say circumstances are beyond control it's because of you. That's why things are going rotten around you.

So if you just sit there and say circumstances are beyond control it's because of you. That's why things are going rotten around you.

You have a direct connection to what goes on around you. Things are bad. Sin is being eaten around you. There's wickedness that prevails. Then you are the cause. This choir if they are alive and full of spiritual power then all will live.

If you find yourself surrounded by evil even in the congregation if you become alive it will make the others around you to be alive. Even at the college if things go wrong those who are in leadership there, those who are meant to be alive are not alive.

Even if it's just a student it's because of you. You're not what you're supposed to be. Even at school. In your girls' dormitories.

If things go wrong about you it's because you're not alive spiritually. There will be thorough change. Everything is turned around if you are alive spiritually. The same as you boys at the school dormitory.

Things will be different if you become different.

It started with Josiah. Listen to what the Lord says.

Because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before God. When you heard his words against this place and against its inhabitants. And you humbled yourself before me and you tore your clothes and wept before me.

I also have heard you says the Lord. If the Lord had to speak today just about you could he say something similar to this?

If the Lord had to speak today just about you could he say something similar to this?

The Lord seeks one through whom he can work, through whom he can display his power. I think back of Gideon. Just recently there was a certain celebration quite far from here and I spoke about the meaning, the Hebrew meaning of Gideon.

Gideon’s Courage to Destroy Idolatry

Gideon meaning the tree feller, the one who cuts down large trees. Indicating one who is a mighty hero. And that's what I said, we need to be that. Heroes, mighty heroes of God. The Lord worked firstly in Gideon.

When the Lord had worked in Gideon's life he began to work in the lives of others. He said Gideon, your father has a large pole, an Asherah pole in worship of that female, that goddess. Things need, action needs to be taken.

One night he got his friends together and they destroyed that idol and burnt it. When the people got up that morning the goddess was gone and the people were furious. And fingers were pointed at the son of whoever is saying this is Gideon.

And so they determined that he should be killed. So Gideon too was in the midst of a crooked generation, a murderous generation. So they went to Gideon's father and they said bring him out, he is the one, Gideon is the one responsible for this crime.

He is the one who has taken down this goddess and burnt it, he is the one who has cut down Baal. The Lord had started working in Gideon's father's life, he didn't turn on his son and say how dare you do this the whole community is against us.

So he went to Gideon's father and he said you are the one responsible for this crime, you are the one responsible for this crime.

He answered with great wisdom saying well if these gods, the Asherah and Baal have been cut down and you want to attack Gideon for doing it, kill him for doing it, why not the gods themselves, if they be deities let them defend themselves.

Standing on God’s Side Without Fear

If you defend God, If you defend God, If you defend God,.

The Lord is well able to defend you, if you stand on his side he can defend you, don't fall into fear and be a coward and say I'm so scared, I'm afraid, let's they pay their revenge on me, they might try and shoot me.

Well the Lord can control even that, that the bullet kills them instead of you. The Lord used Gideon and just a handful of men, just 300 men to defeat a whole nation, the Lord doesn't need quantity he can do it with just 2 or 3.

The Lord said to Gideon, you've got too many warriors with you, I can't work with so many, let those who want to go home, go home.

The Lord said to Gideon, you've got too many warriors with you, I can't work with so many, let those who want to go home, go home. The Lord said to Gideon, you've got too many warriors with you, I can't work with so many, let those who want to go home, go home.

The Lord said to Gideon, you've got too many warriors with you, I can't work with so many, let those who want to go home, go home. The Lord said to Gideon, you've got too many warriors with you, I can't work with so many, let those who want to go home, go home.

The Lord said to Gideon, you've got too many warriors with you, I can't work with so many, let those who want to go home, go home.

The Lord said to Gideon, you've got too many warriors with you, I can't work with so many, let those who want to go home, go home.

The Lord said to Gideon, you've got too many warriors with you, I can't work with so many, let those who want to go home, go home.

Cleansing the Temple and the Home

If you want the Lord to work in those around you, to use you as an instrument to reach those around you, then be cleansed, let the Lord cleanse you, for you are a temple, cleanse you even in your body, what have your hands, your eyes, your thoughts been used for, let it be thoroughly cleansed.

Let me illustrate your home being like your temple. Have you been into your home and searched through your home, your books and things and checked out if something is not glorifying to God. Then it's a curse to your family, to your home, let it be taken out, let it be burnt.

Even if it's a school book, then tear out the wrong places, get rid of it.

The Lord said to Gideon, you've got too many warriors with you, I can't work with so many, let those who want to go home, go home.

Search your home, you go through things, if your wife is blunt you as a husband do it, should the husband be blunt, you wife deal with it, tear out, get rid of what is wrong. If your husband threatens you with divorce, let him do as he will, rather that he does that and you go to heaven.

And probably he won't divorce you, he'll repent.

So in your heart is it as I see it. So in your heart is it as I see it. So in your heart is it as I see it.

Any defiled thing, anything that's wicked, let it be removed from your home. Maybe you're saying, Lord bless our home, but no blessing comes upon it, instead it's one mess after the other. It might be that you have some secret fetish that you keep there, some occult object, whatever it might be, let it be cleansed.

Pray and ask the Lord what to do. Maybe you say, but my husband is the obstacle, well pray, seek the Lord's wisdom, otherwise you are weakening yourself. So look in the cupboards, under the beds, there are many things hidden in homes.

Some men and even children keep pornographic things, unclean things. Children who have that spirit and instinct of a dog, they will keep things like that.

They will keep things like that.

If you are seeking for revival and you are allowing defiled things, you are playing around, out with those things. And secondly, also in yourself, in you, the temple of God, see if there are defiled things in you.

Don't stay with these things, even if you are a missionary here, out of it, outside the gate, outside the camp. We don't need you here. What do you seek here? You are in the wrong place. Go to the place where the Son of Peace is.

Go to the place where the Son of Peace is. This was the spirit of Josiah, who zealously commanded them to clean the temple. And eventually they discovered the words of the Lord, the scriptures. And it says, Josiah was shocked.

He was frightened. He humbled himself. He was cast down low because of the holiness of God. Immediately he assembled all the inhabitants and said, this is how things have to go. Why? Because the Lord said of him, his heart was tender.

Covenant Obedience and the Beginning of Revival

Is your heart tender or is it hard? And he sincerely humbled himself before the Lord. Don't just humble yourself before people, bowing and scraping before them, because then it can be hypocritical. You may weep and mourn because you are caught red-handed, not because you are truly sorrowful.

Josiah said, these things must be done. And he determined that it should be done in his day. He said, how can this happen while I am alive? If I am dead, it might happen, but not while I am here. So firstly, he directed things at himself.

Secondly, the temple. And thirdly, the inhabitants. The king tore his own clothes. The Bible says that God said he wept before him. God said, I have heard you.

God said, I have heard you. He said, I have heard you. God said, I have heard you.

Are you of like spirit? Are you going forward? And there is always more maturity, a proof of going forward. At eight years of age, we have seen him. At 16, at 26, always taking a new step forward. And the Lord spoke about what he felt regarding him.

What does God say about you? If you have a tender heart, you will repent. You will admit that you were being pharisaical. You will admit that you were being hypocritical before people. Can God say, you are a co-worker together with me?

With him? God is at work, and so are you, doing his work. Let's stop messing around. Let's make decisions. Time is over for messing around, taking it easy, and bluffing. You have got into a relationship with the devil.

You are his worker.

Listen to this. The Lord said,.

The king stood in his place and made a covenant before the Lord to follow the Lord and keep his commandments.

He made a covenant. He made a covenant.

He made an agreement with God, a covenant. He stood in that place saying, Lord, from now on, I make a covenant to obey you to the end. And to keep your testimonies, your commandments, and your statutes with all my heart and with all my soul.

To perform the words of the covenant that were written in this book, this is a hero. When he read the Bible and was convicted of sin, right there and then he made his decision. He said, Lord, right now, I make this covenant with you to obey you and all your commands right to the end.

Having made that covenant, he said, All those found in Jerusalem and of the tribe of Benjamin, let them do likewise. And so the inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers.

I often preach and there's a book written overseas with the title saying, Revival Begins With You. And that is displayed in this King Josiah. Revival began with him. Started with sin in himself. And continued to deal with the sins of others.

And then in verse 33, Thus Josiah removed all the abominations from all the country that belonged to the children of Israel. This Josiah removed the abominations for these detestable things, even if they are things that you do secretly, they are an abomination before God.

And made all who were present in Israel diligently serve the Lord their God. All these days they did not depart from following the Lord God of their fathers. In another translation it says that the people did not veer to the left or the right all the days of their lives.

Have you made a covenant with God? Week after week, you get preached to every Sunday, you hear from this book. Have you ever though made an agreement, a covenant with God that you will obey what he says?

The Call to Make a Covenant With God

Let's stand to our feet. I invite you who haven't made this covenant with God, come to the front here before the Lord. That covenant with the Lord, in other words, agree with him that all those things that are detestable before the Lord you will remove and deal with.

In you, in the temple, and around you in the world. If you haven't made that covenant, I may give you the opportunity to come forward, make that covenant before the Lord.

Lord, we've heard of this child who was appointed as king at only eight years of age.

Did not follow in the ways of his father and grandfather. Went out of that direction and chose specifically to serve the Lord of Lords.

The creator of heaven and earth.

Saying, I don't want to be like other children or other kings, I want to be like my heavenly father. Lord, here are your songs. Making that covenant to serve you, to turn away from what's evil, to obey your commandments, your statutes, right till the end.

Lord, write the name of each and everyone who bowed here before us in the front. Record them, Lord, as you recorded Josiah. I've made my covenant with God.

Till that day when they see you, when you read the books before heaven and earth.

For you've said, he who is unashamed of me, I will never be ashamed of him.

Their way will be long, because of the covenant with you.

Lord, record them, record this contract as they sign in humbling themselves before you. Write down, Lord, and sign to this day, this covenant with you.

Now we'll focus on it. But you'll be the witness to this.