aka Grace, Part 2 (for Grace, part 1 see here)
What would you like your epitaph to be? I would like mine to be one word: Faithful. Can that be said? After all the times I have been unfaithful? Yes. That is what you call grace.
King Josiah has been popular in my house recently (recently being several weeks ago when Mom & sisters were studying his time in history). He was the best king Judah ever had. When he heard the Law, he exhibited deep repentance over his sins and the sins of his forefathers. He and all Israel "took a stand" for renewing the covenant with God under his leadership. He defiled the high places (centers of pagan worship) and cleansed the temple from the ritual prostitutes and idols that had invaded even there. He was more thorough in his purge than any who came before or after. He held a Passover like which there had been none in Israel since the time of the judges - probably several hundred years! 2 Chronicles 34:33 says "Thus Josiah removed all the abominations from all the country that belonged to the children of Israel, and made all who were present in Israel diligently serve the LORD their God. All his days they did not depart from following the LORD God of their fathers." He was even so zealous that he went into Samaria and cleansed parts of it from foreign gods.
Yet at the critical moment he did not heed the voice of God, and he died (2 Chr. 35:22).
More than likely, that was symptomatic of a common struggle for him, only recorded once for us for brevity's sake. Even if that is not true, I'm sure he had his failings.
Yet... in the end, these were his epitaphs:
"And he did what was right in the sight of the LORD, and walked in all the ways of his father David; he did not turn aside to the right hand or to the left." 2 Kings 22:2
"Now before him there was no king like him, who turned to the LORD with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the Law of Moses; nor after him did any arise like him." 2 Kings 23:25
That too is what I call grace.
Praise God for His grace!
Note: If you haven't studied King Josiah before/recently, it's well worth your time... start at 2 Kings 22 and 2 Chronicles 33.
5 comments:
Interestingly enough, I think that parents sometimes desire certain epitaphs for their children. For example, in the choosing of the child's name. I know that Mom and Dad chose those two men--Josiah and Stephen--for my two names particularly because of what those two men were known for; that is what they wanted me to known for as well.
For repentance and trust in God, for faith and living out God's commandments, for turning to the Lord with all my heart, with all my soul, and with all my might, for being filled with the Holy Spirit, for strength, leadership, etc....these were some of the character attributes that were in those two men that my parents saw and I think desired my "epitaph" to be like.
But I guess the question was "what would you like your epitaph to be?" "The one who follows the Lord with all of his heart, soul, mind and strength"...amusingly enough, this can also be said in the one word "faithful". But that is not a bad thing--as Christians, do we not look with great anticipation to hear "Well done, good and faithful servant." ?
In fact, the greatest good we can ever accomplish in this life is being faithful to God. (at least that is the greatest good I can think of at the moment....) So to have one's epitaph be "faithful" is probably one of the grandest things one could have. ^_^
Praise God indeed for His grace! For I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, but I can do nothing outside His power. Eternal debtor to grace, mercy and love--yet to be bound as slave to Christ is exceedingly greater than to be king of an empire of sin. So praise Him indeed!
--Josiah C.
I have read the story of Josiah several times and have never heard of him cleansing part of Samaria. When/what verse did he do that?
Thanks
Jesse: 2 Kings 22:19. Here is the passage(and a bit before):
15 Even the altar at Bethel, the high place made by Jeroboam son of Nebat, who had caused Israel to sin—even that altar and high place he demolished. He burned the high place and ground it to powder, and burned the Asherah pole also. 16 Then Josiah looked around, and when he saw the tombs that were there on the hillside, he had the bones removed from them and burned on the altar to defile it, in accordance with the word of the LORD proclaimed by the man of God who foretold these things.
17 The king asked, “What is that tombstone I see?”
The people of the city said, “It marks the tomb of the man of God who came from Judah and pronounced against the altar of Bethel the very things you have done to it.”
18 “Leave it alone,” he said. “Don’t let anyone disturb his bones.” So they spared his bones and those of the prophet who had come from Samaria.
19 Just as he had done at Bethel, Josiah removed all the shrines at the high places that the kings of Israel had built in the towns of Samaria and that had aroused the LORD’s anger. 20 Josiah slaughtered all the priests of those high places on the altars and burned human bones on them. Then he went back to Jerusalem.
Hope that helps.
--Josiah C.
Cara, what did your parents name you for? Just curious, because parents often give a desired attribute with a name(e.i. Grace(for something more obvious) or Hannah(for a woman of faith), etc.).
--Josiah C.
They named me for the meaning of my name (and they thought it went together nicely; I tend to agree :-))
Cara Michelle = friend who is like the Lord
Any other readers care to share the meaning and/or purpose behind your names?
Josiah, I think it is neat that your name is not only the name of a great Israeli king, but it means "the Lord saves" and is a variation on our Savior's name (as I thought I remembered hearing somewhere, then looked it up to confirm)
Post a Comment