The Book of the Covenant had been unearthed in a crumbling, neglected Temple. The King of Judah, King Josiah, was shown the sacred scroll and had been read to from it. He realized he and most, if not all, the people of Judah were practicing very wrong and wicked ways of worship and daily living in constrast to what had just been discovered.
"He tore his robes" (2 Chronicles34:19 NIV).
He was very distressed and in anguish, realizing God's wrath hovered over them all and would imminently fall upon them. His saving grace at this realization was to seek God, to "inquire of the LORD" on behalf of,
"...the remnant in Israel and Judah" (2 Chronicles 34:21 NIV).
What would the LORD want him to do to make restitution? King Josiah sent trusted men to Huldah the prophetess (34:19-22 NIV) to find out.
The fact that up to the point of discovering the Book of the Covenant, King Josiah and many of his subjects, did not know what the LORD required of them; we could say this was a blindspot for them. Obviously, the words from this book hadn't been recited for eons; they were supposed to have been doing so every seven years, and also read often by the king, himself, from a book he himself had copied out with his own hand.
Blindspot, indeed. Ones own self cannot see them but others may well be able to see. In this case at hand, God could see; the ultimate "bird's eye view". The prophetess Huldah must also have been able to see it. Yet, only when King Josiah saw it for himself, he did something positive about it.
He humbled his heart. To know and to realize and then to admit blindspots, takes a humble spirit, for sure. Admitting and wanting to rectify, shows the further desirable action of repentance. This in turn shows the desire to make a complete change; stopping the former behavior, making a complete U-turn in one's life and then taking action in that new and good direction. This leads to confession.
King Josiah, in sending men to the prophetess to "inquire of the LORD" as to what could be done, was basically making 'confession'. I believe with the aim not to just do penance but to go the next miles, to keep that U-turn in place and to continue to walk in that God-honoring direction. He wanted to "take God's hand" and be led, faithfully along.
For one who professes faith in Jesus Christ and has become a believer, this is very much the same process. At first blinded to ones' own sin, then discovery and humbly admitting to them. Seeking God's will and way from one's repentance to "getting right with God" - accepting salvation through Jesus Christ by faith in Him. God then grants forgiveness of sins and eternal life in Him, and sets us the action of serving Him in the deeds He's ordained for us to do (Ephesians 2:8-10*; Acts 20:35; Titus 3:14; 1 Corinthians 7:17; Ephesians 4:11-12) and being holy as He is holy (Leviticus 19-20; 1 Peter 1:15-17). We will also want to worship Him in Spirit and Truth with the aid of His Holy Spirit (another gift); to indwell each believer in Jesus.
King Josiah didn't have to go and get baptised as we are instructed to do nowadays since Jesus' commission to His disciples (Matthew 28:16-20). He did have some cleansing work to do though and he rid the land of destestable idols (2 Chronicles 34:33 NIV).
Did you know that baptism symbolizes a clean break from a past way of living? It's like a "washing away" of uncleanness. DON'T get me wrong here though! Baptism does NOT, wash sins away. The key word is: "symbolizes".
During Old Testament times and according to that Book of the Covenant (or Law) that Moses wrote down for all the children of Israel from God, there are laws about cleansing. If a person had done something that caused him or her to become "unclean," then after a certain length of time he or she would need to wash themselves, their clothes and perhaps other articles depending on what caused the uncleanness. They washed with water. Can you see where this is going? Similarly, baptism for the newly born again believer in Jesus Christ. Often this too, requires a humbled heart. Almost like the first hurdle post-salvation experience. However, it seems a stickler for some for whatever reason.
In some ways it's a spiritual battle; Satan doesn't like to lose his "people". Yet, if the believer in Jesus Christ can accept this step, there will be another victory and honor for Christ. Such a step of faith plus obedience to Him that will not go unnoticed.
From the point of salvation and baptism, one joins the other family members of God in fellowship. The local gathering of believers in Jesus Christ -- meeting brothers and sisters to enjoy their company but also to encourage one another in their most precious faith.
Now one and all of these believers can partake of the broken bread and of the cup of wine -- more symbols -- together in joy and gladness. They can remember what Jesus Christ suffered and sacrificed for them on their behalf through His death on the cross and through His resurrection. His body broken and His blood spent; all for the remission of sins. Praise the Lord!
Intense and genuine joy can follow, not just this Lord's Day "breaking of bread" time, but all the days of following Jesus in obedience to His will and ways until Jesus comes or death parts us from this world.
Of note is that once King Josiah got things cleaned up, he could then celebrate. He celebrated the Passover to the LORD in Jerusalem: following the prescribed formula of so doing. He provided sacrifices for one and all, the service was arranged by the priests, the musicians strummed, gatekeepers were in their places and,
"all the people of Judah and Israel who were with the people of Jerusalem...celebrated" (2 Chronicles 35 NIV).
Isn't that marvelous?
Can you feel their joy and gladness?
They celebrated freedom from slavery in Egypt and God's merciful rescue and deliverance all because King Josiah humbled his heart. Let us joy in our Lord Jesus Christ too, for the deliverance He effected for us from the slavery of our sins, death and of Hell's damnation. All people of God, ransomed by the blood of Jesus Christ,
"Let us joy in our God and sing of His love..."
together; as one hymn by W. Yerbury (d.1863) encourages.
We do have much to be thankful for: from blindspot, to humbling our hearts before the Lord in repentance, to 'baptism' (literal upon salvation, but also symbolically each time we do wrong thereafter as provided for in 1 John 1:9). Then we can continue in fellowship, and breaking of bread in joy and gladness. Pass the broken bread and cup of wine one to another this Lord's Day, in remembrance of all He has done for us.
~ERC September 2021~
Based on 2 Chronicles 34 and 35 NIV.
Sing, We Joy in Our God and We Sing of His Love....
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