2nd Chronicles Chapter 35. We are all human!
King Josiah has demonstrated himself as a king who follows the laws of the Lord. He has led his Nation in a very godly manner.
But for some reason, when the king of Egypt decides to go into a battle with another group of people, King Josiah decides to get involved. The king of Egypt says don't come into battle because God told me to fight this battle. If you interfere God will destroy you. For whatever reason, King Josiah doesn't listen to the king of Egypt and goes into battle and dies. Up to this point he's been a tremendous King. Why didn't he listen? Did King Josiah think that it was impossible for God to speak to Egypt? It doesn't seem like pride was ever an issue for King Josiah. But for some reason he went into battle when he shouldn't have, and he dies.
This is a reminder to me that we are all humans and we do all make mistakes. We make decisions that are not God lead nor inspired.
Sometimes I'll get a thought in my mind about something for a ministry and I'll think it's a good idea. In the back of my mind, or in my spirit, I feel I should share this with my wife or with the leadership team, but I don't. Why?
Perhaps deep down inside I'm afraid my idea will be shot down, so I move forward thinking it will be great and others will be pleased but instead it doesn't go well and I'm confronted with why did I do that?
For me, I need to listen to that quiet voice in my spirit and not move forward without seeking God or the counsel of others. I need to be a better communicator.
Communication is very important in a marriage and in ministry and in the workplace. Once we try and move forward on our own, things fall apart.
Sometimes there are things that happen in the Bible and in our lives that may not make sense to us. King Josiah’s death is one of those things for me. It seems to me that Josiah was following the Lord and doing what was right up until this time when he went out to meet King Neco. He was warned to not get involved, but he didn’t listen and ended up getting himself killed. His life was cut short. Why did this have to happen? That’s a question that we may find ourselves asking in various situations that we may face today. Last winter, there was a terrible car accident on I-80 and my community mourned the loss of the lives of the teenagers who did not survive the crash. In times like these, people often ask about how God could allow this to happen. Another example is how our entire world today has been threatened and affected in many ways by the coronavirus and the spread of it. People want to know what’s going on?
There are questions that we may not have all the answers for, but we can always trust our God who is still on the throne and we can share the hope, love, joy and peace that we have in Him.
While I may not understand completely what happened with Josiah deciding not to turn away, there’s a couple of things that I’m taking away from this chapter.
1. There are times that God wants us to take a stand by taking action and then there are also times that God may want us to mind our own business and not get involved in what is happening between other people that really doesn’t concern us.
2. There are times when we need to step out in faith and then there are also times when God may not want us to take unnecessary risks that could put ourselves and/or the lives of others in danger.
3. Our own thoughts may not always be so good, but we can seek God to give us wisdom to help us make the right decisions.
Here are a few verses that I’m sharing from reading and thinking about Josiah today.
Galatians 5:7
“You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth?”
Isaiah 55:9
“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.”
James 1:5
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.”