• Josiah was the king of Judah from 640 to 609 BC.
  • son of King Amon and grandson of Manasseh–– both very wicked
  • But Josiah was a godly king and known as one of the world’s youngest kings.
  • became king at the age 8, after his father was assassinated.

2 Kings 22:2 (ESV)

“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.”

• King Josiah called for a time of national repentance.
  • At the age of 25-26, He transformed the nation of Judah.
  • He changed the trajectory of His generation.
  • He restored the temple by cleaning it out from all of the pagan worship and idolatry.

• He discovered the greatest treasure, the most valuable and most powerful treasure ever discovered.

Matthew 13:44 (ESV)

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

• There is no treasure more valuable than the treasure Josiah found.
• Before you try to find any other earthly treasure… YOU NEED THIS HEAVENLY TREASURE. You must treasure it above anything else.

Five things Josiah did that impacted his life & the lives of an entire generation:

#1) DISCOVER THE WORD

2 Kings 22:1-10

• Josiah commands the high priest Hilkiah to repair the Temple. Hilkiah finds the Book!

2 Kings 22:10 (ESV)

10 Then Shaphan the secretary told the king, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.” And Shaphan read it before the king.

What you need –– what we all need–– is the Book! That’s it!!

Regardless of your background… your life will be forever changed when you seek the Word.

#2) RESPOND TO THE WORD

2 Kings 22:11-13

2 Kings 22:11-13 (ESV)

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.”

• Josiah immediately responded to the Word with repentance and sincerity.

Respond to His Word by allowing the Word to read you.

#3) COMMIT TO THE WORD

2 Kings 23:1-3

2 Kings 23:1-3 (ESV)

1 Then the king sent, and all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem were gathered to him. 2 And the king went up to the house of the LORD, and with him all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem and the priests and the prophets, all the people, both small and great. And he read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant that had been found in the house of the LORD. 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.

• This collective movement of faith leads to cultural shifts.

#4) PURIFY WITH THE WORD

2 Kings 23:4-14

2 Kings 23:4-8 (ESV)

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 fields 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 defiled 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 governor of the city, which were on one’s left at the gate of the city.

• Josiah removed idolatry and restored proper worship, reflecting Christ’s call to purity and holiness.
• Not sure you noticed… Every idol –– everything he removed –– are things that are currently affecting this generation. (Baal, Asherah, & more.)
• What can we learn from Josiah? Some of us need to clean our temple from idols and distractions.

#5) LEAD WITH THE WORD

2 Kings 23:21-25

2 Kings 23:25 (ESV)

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.

• Because of Josiah, the wrath of God was postponed. The generation of Josiah was saved from God’s wrath.

2 Kings 22:18-20 (ESV)

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 Therefore, 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.

CONCLUSION

• Why do I bring this message of the importance of the Word?
  • This generation is in the condition that they are in because you are living in the Josiah generation that doesn’t know the Book.

• The Word of God is our true treasure.

Psalm 119:105 (ESV)

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

Psalm 119:11

Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You.

Luke 21:33

Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.

Proverbs 2:1-9 (ESV)

1 My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, 2 making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; 3 yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, 4 if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, 5 then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God. 6 For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding; 7 he stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to those who walk in integrity, 8 guarding the paths of justice and watching over the way of his saints. 9 Then you will understand righteousness and justice and equity, every good path;

• We believe in this generation. We believe you can initiate a spiritual reformation just as King Josiah did. But the key that unlocks this revival is treasuring His Word.
• All you need is the Book!