2 Chronicles 34
McGeeCHAPTERS 34 AND 35THEME: Revival during Josiah’s reignWe come now to the last great revival under Josiah. The hour is late. It is five minutes before 12:00 in the history of this nation, and yet God sends revival. This is the last revival to take place before the captivity. Judah has come to the end of the line, and it is amazing that a revival takes place. It follows after the reigns of Manasseh and Amon, two men who really plunged that nation into idolatry and sin. One would think there was no hope at all, but there is always hope. The Holy Spirit is still sovereign in this matter of revival. I do not know whether we will have a revival in our day or not. Humanly speaking, the nation of Judah could not have revival, but the Spirit of God is sovereign, and God can move in. He can move in today. There is nothing in the Word of God that would preclude that possibility. One man said to me, “The trouble with you men who believe in prophecy and emphasize the terrible days that are ahead is that you have no place for revival.” I disagree with that. My feeling is that he doesn’t have any place for revival. The reason I say that is because he and his group are trying to work it up themselves. My friend, you cannot work it up or pray it down. The Spirit of God is sovereign. Our prayer today should be, “Lord, put me in the will of God.” Our prime concern is to make sure that our own lives are right before God. We are not going to get God to do something when our lives are not right in His sight. We need to straighten out our own lives before God. We need to ask ourselves these questions: Am I honest? Am I truthful? Am I pure? There is no use talking about revival as long as we are not getting right in our hearts before God. When we are right with God, then we can look to the Spirit of God to move in a sovereign way, and then we can ask Him to move according to His will. Now we will look here at Josiah and see that God marvelously used him.
2 Chronicles 34:1
REFORMATION UNDER JOSIAHYou hear people today asking what is right and what is wrong. And you hear some strange answers given. Josiah did that which was right in the sight of the Lord. It is what God says is right that is right and what God says is wrong that is wrong. Remember that it was God who divided the light from the darkness. You and I cannot do that! We can go into a room and turn on the light switch, and the darkness disappears. We cannot divide it; we can’t run a line down the middle and say, “On this side I will put light and on this side I will put darkness.” God can do that, and God can say what is right and what is wrong.
2 Chronicles 34:3
In the eighth year of his reign Josiah was sixteen years old, and he began to seek God. The spiritual movement today, and the turning to the Word of God, is largely among young people. Although it is not confined to them, they certainly are the majority. I meet these young folks in my conference travels and all around the world. They are interested in the Word of God. Josiah was only sixteen when he began to seek after God. He was twenty when he began his reforms in Judah. You see, revival will lead to reformation. As I mentioned before, when your sins are forgiven, you will pick up your bed and walk. You will walk away from your sins if you are truly converted. If revival comes in our day, we will not have a divorce problem or a sex revolution. We will see a tremendous change take place. God can accomplish this, and He may do it. This section of the Word of God can be a great encouragement to us. Josiah was a fearless reformer. After he had cleaned up his southern kingdom of Judah, he went into the tribes of Israel in the north.
2 Chronicles 34:8
When Josiah was twenty-six years old, he began the repair of the temple. It had fallen into disrepair under the reign of Manasseh, his grandfather, and Amon, his father.
2 Chronicles 34:9
“Manasseh and Ephraim” are, of course, tribes of Israel. At this time the northern kingdom had been taken into Assyrian captivity; only a remnant was left in the land. These tribes, which we hear called “lost tribes,” certainly were not lost in this day, as they were sending in money for the repair of the temple. Now the temple was repaired, and they made an amazing discovery.
2 Chronicles 34:14
THE LAW OF MOSES IS FOUNDYou see, there weren’t many copies in that day. There may have been a few others, but the Word of God had been lost.
2 Chronicles 34:15
You may be saying, “I can see that this is going to be right down your alley!” It sure is, although it is not my alley, but God’s alleyHis Word is very important to Him. Notice what happens.
2 Chronicles 34:18
Renting (or tearing) his clothes indicated strong emotion. He was dismayed when he heard the Word of God for the first time, because he and his people had strayed so far from God’s commands.
2 Chronicles 34:20
A return to the Word of God brings revival. Nothing else will bring revival. What is wrong in our day? Why don’t we see revival? The reason is simple. The church has neglected the Word of God. Churches have tried every known gimmick and every kind of method. Nothing happens. Revival does not come that way. Revival comes when people return to the Word of God and find out what God has to say. Josiah is a shaken man, and he wants to know what God is going to do.
2 Chronicles 34:22
Now this is God’s message to Josiah:
2 Chronicles 34:24
God will send judgment just as He promised. However, He has a personal word for Josiah.
2 Chronicles 34:26
God intends to judge these people, but He will not do it until Josiah is gone.
2 Chronicles 34:29
My friend, let’s be very candid and very matter-of-fact and very direct. I believe we could have a revival today, but first there must be a return to the Word of God to find out what God wants us to do. Then I believe there will be and there must be a total commitment to God on the part of God’s people. There can be none of this halfhearted service which we see. There can be none of this business of trying to go with the world and trying to go with God. It is impossible to do both. There must be a clear-cut dedication of heart and life to God. When that takes place, the Spirit of God is free to move. In chapter 35 we have a record of the Passover that was kept. This was a new experience for his generation, and it is interesting to note that Josiah carefully followed the procedure which is written in the book of Moses.