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THE CHARACTER OF JOSIAH
THIS is the character given of King Josiah. A similar eulogium had been passed on his progenitor, Hezekiah; of whom it is said, “He trusted in the Lord God of Israel; so that after him was none like him of all the kings of Judah, nor any that were before him [Note: 2Ki_18:5.].” But there is nothing contrary in the two accounts: each of these persons had his peculiar excellencies, in which he surpassed all others: Hezekiah was distinguished (as the words cited intimate,) for his confidence in God; and Josiah, as our text informs us, for his zeal and piety. No person, merely human, was ever perfect, since the introduction of sin into the world. There have indeed been bright characters, who have reflected with great lustre and fidelity some rays of “the Sun of righteousness;” but of Christ alone can it be said, that “He is light, and in him is no darkness at all.”
The character here given of Josiah is as exalted as any that was ever ascribed to fallen man: and for the purpose of illustrating it, we propose to mark some of the chief features of which it was composed.
I. He began to serve God at a very early period of life—
[At eight years old he began to reign: and no sooner did he arrive at years of discretion, than he began seriously and devoutly to serve the Lord [Note: 2. Chron. 34:3.]. At sixteen years of age, when it might have been expected that he should be studious only of pleasure, he turned from earthly vanities to seek his happiness in God: and at twenty years of age, when it is probable he began to exercise without control his regal office, he set himself to reform the whole nation. Not fearing the face of man, he stemmed the torrent of iniquity which had overwhelmed the land; and devoted to the service of his God all the powers with which he was invested.
This was doubtless most pleasing to God, who required by the law that the first-fruits of man and beast should be his, and who has given a peculiar promise to those who seek him in early life; “They that seek me early shall find me.” Happy would it be if all of us began at the early age of sixteen to serve the Lord; and if from that period every talent committed to our care were improved for God! How much better this, than to be wasting our youthful days in sin and vanity! True, we have not all the same authority as he; but all in our respective spheres should exert ourselves to the utmost of our ability; remembering, that if youth labours under some disadvantages in point of influence, it has a tendency to put to shame the indolence of more advanced years, and to impress more forcibly the minds of those who are yet young and tender. Whilst then we say to all, “Remember your Creator in the days of your youth,” we would exhort all, from the first moment that they feel the value of their own souls, to exert themselves with all diligence to benefit the souls of others — — —]
II. He proceeded in his career with extraordinary zeal and diligence—
[It seems almost incredible that this young monarch should effect so much as he did in so short a time. He first began to root out idolatry from those tribes which were under his own dominion; and then set himself (by the connivance or permission of the Assyrian monarch) to effect the same changes among the remnant of the ten tribes. Not choosing to devolve these labours on others, he proceeded himself “throughout all the land of Israel,” that he might see his orders carried into execution. The means he used to produce a reformation were of the most extraordinary kind; breaking in pieces all the images that he could find, strewing the dust of them on the graves of those who had sacrificed unto them; and burning on the altars the bones of the priests who had placed their offerings upon them [Note: See 2Ch_34:3-7.].
Here we see how justly he deserved the character given him in our text: he entered into his work “with all his heart, and all his soul, and all his might.” And this is the spirit which we also should manifest in all our services for God. We should not indulge a lukewarm spirit, but “be zealously affected always in a good cause.” “Whatever our hand findeth to do, we should do with all our might” — — —]
III. He was as zealous in promoting piety as in suppressing vice—
[When he had put down the reigning abominations, he endeavoured to establish the worship of the true God: he repaired the temple, which had fallen into decay; he convened all his subjects, “the priests and Levites, and all the people both small and great,” and himself read to them the word of God, and made a covenant with the Lord both for himself and them to serve the Lord God with their whole hearts; and “he caused all the people to stand to the covenant.” After this he kept a passover, such as had not been kept even from the time of Samuel to that hour: and toward the expenses of it he himself very largely contributed.
Now here was real piety: here was a manifest regard for the honour of God and the good of men. This it is that most exalts a character. Many there are who will be extremely zealous against open profaneness, who yet have no real concern, for God’s honour and glory. But we must combine “godliness with honesty.” We must labour, each in his sphere, to promote the Knowledge and the worship of God: and having given up ourselves to him in a perpetual covenant, we must endeavour to engage others also to a like surrender of themselves to him. In a peculiar manner we should ourselves respect, and to the utmost of our power cause others also to regard, the wonders of redeeming love. Since “Christ our passover is sacrificed for us, we should keep the feast” — — — Here is scope for the best energies of our souls. In reference to these things it is not possible to be too earnest, provided we are alike attentive to every duty, and careful “that God in all things may be glorified through Christ Jesus” — — —]
IV. In all he did he adhered strictly to the word of God—
[From the first moment that the Scriptures were found and read to him, he determined to make them the one rule of his conduct. He “humbled himself deeply before God” for the utter disregard of them which had obtained throughout the whole kingdom: and he himself read them in the ears of his people, and required a conformity to them in every particular. In celebrating the passover, he was especially mindful of every direction given by Moses relative to that divine ordinance; and indeed in the whole of his conduct he laboured to secure a perfect compliance with God’s revealed will. This is the thing noticed, both in the text and in many other places; and it forms a very essential part of that goodness, for which he is applauded in the sacred records [Note: 2Ch_35:26.].
It often, happens, that men are zealous for their own party and their own opinions; and men in such a state will sometimes “compass sea and land to make one proselyte:” but unless we build according to “the model given us in the mount,” we lose all our labour. To please our God, we must have a strict regard to his revealed will: and for this end we must study the Holy Scriptures, and “turn from them neither to the right hand nor the left.”]
Address—
[Here we may rejoice, that we all have the Scriptures in our hands. They are not hid, as in the days of Josiah; but are so freely and universally dispersed, that every man in the kingdom who desires to study them, may obtain them. How signally blessed are we in this respect! Nay, we not only have access to the Scriptures, but have them read and expounded to us from Sabbath to Sabbath. Let us then learn to tremble at the word. Let us remember that every jot and tittle of it will be fulfilled in its season. Let us bear in mind, that our wilful deviations from it will be visited with the divine displeasure: and that, if we study to fulfil it “with all our heart, and soul, and might,” God, who knoweth our hearts, will bear testimony to us in the day of judgment, as here he has done to King Josiah; and will say to us before the assembled universe, “Well done, good and faithful servants, enter ye into the joy of your Lord.”]
END OF VOL. III.