In 2 Chronicles 34, we read that King Josiah began his reign in Judah at a mere eight years old. He was a good king, as the Chronicler summarizes, “And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the ways of his father David; he did not turn aside to the right hand or to the left” (v. 2).
We are told that when he was still young, at the age of 16, he began to seek the Lord. And then when he turned 20 – an adult in Israel for at this age a man could serve in war and in the temple – he began his work of reform, purging the land of pagan high places, images, and altars. He tore them down, smashed them into pieces, and scattered them on the graves of the pagan priests.
Now one lesson that we can take from the life of King Josiah is this – that early piety is possible and acceptable to God. By this I mean that our children may seek after the God of their fathers, as the text says of Josiah, while they are still young (v. 3).
They do this at first in step with you, their parents. They learn by your instruction and by imitation. But as they grow up, you must be preparing them to seek the Lord on their own two feet, you must be readying them to serve the Lord as adults.
When Josiah became an adult and came into the fullness of his kingship, his immediate action of cleansing the land was the fruit of seeking after God in his childhood. It was the result of his growing and sincere devotion to the God of his fathers.
And so the exhortation this morning is for our children, especially our many young adults in their teen years here in this room. You are becoming your own person. You are now responsible for many things, and yet still look to your parents for many others. One thing that you must begin to take on as your own is your faith. You must begin to cultivate an earnest relationship with Christ that is not merely mediated through your parents.
This is so that, when you come of age and leave home, you are equipped and eager to follow Christ wherever He takes you in this world. And hopefully, like Josiah, you can smash some idols along the way.
Shawn Paterson – July 28, 2024
