Stacy Carstensen
4.15.2020
2 Kings 22-25
Summarize what you read in one paragraph:
Chapter 22 begins with Josiah’s reign at 8 years old. When he was around 26 years old, while the temple was being repaired, the high priest finds the Book of the Law and gives it to Josiah’s secretary. The secretary tells Josiah about it and then reads it to him. After Josiah heard the words of the Lord in this way, he tore his clothes because he knew of all the evil the people had been doing. He inquired of the Lord and it was confirmed that disaster was coming because of the people’s actions. Josiah called the people together to form a covenant to follow the Lord and gets rid of all of the idols and false worship. Josiah dies in battle and all of the kings after him do evil in the sight of the Lord. Jerusalem is captured and the temple that Solomon built is broken apart. Judah is taken by Babylon into exile.
What is one key verse?
2 Kings 22:2 “And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and walked in all the way of David his father, and he did not turn aside to the right or to the left.”
How does what you read change your vision of God?
God is always willing to accept us, no questions asked, when we discover what is right in his eyes and we change how we think and act to make it line up with his word. No matter what Josiah had been doing before the word of the Lord was read to him, God accepted his repentance and promised that he would not see the ruin of the people but would rest with his fathers peacefully. No matter how we have been living, when we hear the teaching of God, we need to respond and make our lives align with his.
How does what you read change your vision of yourself or others?
We don’t need to feel guilty of our past sins or worry about what other people think of us, we just need ot make sure we are obeying God. God doesn’t care about our image or what we didn’t know, only that we change our heart to align with his when he calls us to, no matter the cost or time it takes to straighten things out. Think about how long it must have taken Josiah to destroy all of the idolatry! He kept at it until things were made right.
How will you Go With God because of this reading? (What is an action step?)
I will listen to God more carefully and intimately. I won’t worry about what others will think or how it will affect them. When I know a change God is telling me to make, I will just obey.
Where did you see Jesus in these chapters? (What made you think about Jesus?)
So many kings did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. Josiah is the only one that followed God wholeheartedly in these chapters. What is said about Josiah not turning to the right or to the left, but following God all the way reminded me of Jesus as he followed God, never losing focus and never sinning in any way.
2020 Bible Vision 
I am so impressed by how methodically Josiah goes throughout the land to destroy all of the idols! As you said, Stacy, he doesn’t stop going until every trace of idolatry is gone. I want to have this kind of response to seeing sin in my life. I want my guilt to motivate me to change, and continuing changing until my life lines up with God’s Word.
LikeLike
The fact that Josiah had brought about the first passover in hundreds of years really filled me with gladness. It was amazing! It seemed like a moment of praise for the whole city. It may have been short lived, but it was definitely a victory.
LikeLike