Latest / The Bible Explained with Jenn Kokal / 2 Chronicles 34 - Josiah Searches for Truth and Finds It

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2 Chronicles 34 - Josiah Searches for Truth and Finds It · The Bible Explained with Jenn Kokal

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  Speaker 1: Life Audio. Hello and good morning, friends and faithful listeners.
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  Speaker 1: Thank you so much for tuning into the Bible Explain
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  Speaker 1: podcast on this lovely Wednesday morning. Well, I appreciate all
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  Speaker 1: of you guys giving me a couple days off to
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  Speaker 1: rest and recuperate. After Sunday, I was having a really
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  Speaker 1: hard time talking, and I still have a scratchy throat now,
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  Speaker 1: but it's not as bad as it was. Like, I
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  Speaker 1: felt quite sick on Sunday and Monday, so I wasn't
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  Speaker 1: able to get an episode done on Tuesday either, But
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  Speaker 1: now I feel almost back to normal, and I appreciate
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  Speaker 1: the time that I was able to have to relax
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  Speaker 1: after such a busy weekend. But faithful listeners, today we're
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  Speaker 1: going to be reading Second Chronicles thirty four, the entire thing. However,
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  Speaker 1: before we get into today's episode, here's our first sponsor
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  Speaker 1: for today. All right, let's go ahead and read Second
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  Speaker 1: Chronicles thirty five, the entire thing. We've got a long
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  Speaker 1: chapter to read from today, so let's jump right in.
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  Speaker 1: I'll be reading as I usually do, from the w
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  Speaker 1: EB or the World English Bible. Josiah was eight years
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  Speaker 1: old when he began to rain, and he reigned thirty
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  Speaker 1: one years in Jerusalem. He did that which was right
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  Speaker 1: in Yahweh's eyes, and walked in the ways of David
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  Speaker 1: his father, and didn't turn away to the right hand
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  Speaker 1: or to the left. For in the eighth year of
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  Speaker 1: his reign, while he was yet young, he began to
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  Speaker 1: seek after the God of David his father. And in
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  Speaker 1: the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem
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  Speaker 1: from the high places, the asherer poles, the engraved images,
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  Speaker 1: and the molten images. They broke down the altars of
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  Speaker 1: the bales in his presence, and he cut down the
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  Speaker 1: incense altars that were on high above them. He broke
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  Speaker 1: down the Ashera poles and the engraved images and the
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  Speaker 1: molten images in pieces, made dust of them, and scattered
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  Speaker 1: it on the graves of those who had sacrificed to them.
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  Speaker 1: He burned the bones of the priests on the altars
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  Speaker 1: and purged Judah and Jerusalem. He did this in the
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  Speaker 1: cities of Manassa, Ephriam, and Simeon, even to Neftali around
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  Speaker 1: their ruins. He broke down the altars, beat the asheropolls
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  Speaker 1: and the engraved images into powder, and cut down all
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  Speaker 1: the incense altars throughout all the land of Israel. Then
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  Speaker 1: returned to Jerusalem. Now in the eighteenth year of his reign,
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  Speaker 1: when he had purged the land and the house, he
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  Speaker 1: sent Chaffan, the son of Azaliah, Messiah the governor of
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  Speaker 1: the city, and Joah, the son of jehoas the recorder,
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  Speaker 1: to repair the house of Yahweh his God. They came
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  Speaker 1: to Hilkiah, the high priest, and delivered the money that
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  Speaker 1: was brought into God's house, which the Levites, the keepers
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  Speaker 1: of the Threshold, had gathered from the hands of Manassa Ephriam,
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  Speaker 1: and all the remnants of Israel, all of Judah and Benjamin,
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  Speaker 1: and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. They delivered it into the
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  Speaker 1: hands of the workmen who had oversight of Yahwai's house.
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  Speaker 1: And the workmen who labored in Yahwai's house gave it
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  Speaker 1: to mend and repair the house. They gave it to
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  Speaker 1: the carpenters and to the builders to buy cut stones
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  Speaker 1: and timber for couplings and to make beams for the
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  Speaker 1: houses which the kings of Judah had destroyed. The men
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  Speaker 1: did the work faithfully. Their overseers were Jahath and Obadiah
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  Speaker 1: of the Levites, the sons of Murari, and Zechariah and Meshelam,
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  Speaker 1: the sons of the Coethites, to give direction, and others
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  Speaker 1: of the Levites who were skillful with musical instruments. Also
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  Speaker 1: they were over the bearers of burdens and directed all
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  Speaker 1: who did work in every kind of service of the Levites.
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  Speaker 1: There were scribes, officials, and gatekeepers. When they brought out
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  Speaker 1: the money that was brought into Yawai's house, Hilkia the
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  Speaker 1: priest found the book of Yahwai's Law given by Moses.
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  Speaker 1: Hilkia answered Chiffon the Scribe, I have found the book
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  Speaker 1: of the law in Yahwai's house. So Hilkia delivered the
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  Speaker 1: book to Chaffan. Chaffon carried the book to the king,
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  Speaker 1: and moreover brought back word to the King, saying, all
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  Speaker 1: that was committed to your servants they are doing. They
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  Speaker 1: have emptied out the money that was found in Yahwai's
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  Speaker 1: house and have delivered it into the hand of the
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  Speaker 1: overseers and into the hand of the workmen. Chiffon the
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  Speaker 1: scribe told the King, saying, Hilkia, the priest has delivered
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  Speaker 1: me a book. Chiffon read it to the king. The
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  Speaker 1: king heard the words of the law, he tore his clothes.
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  Speaker 1: The King commanded Hilkia Ahikam, the son of Schaffon Abd,
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  Speaker 1: and the son of Micah Cheffon the scribe, and Asiah
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  Speaker 1: the King's servants, saying, go, inquire of Yahweh for me
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  Speaker 1: and for those who are left in Israel and in Judah,
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  Speaker 1: concerning the words of this book that is found. For
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  Speaker 1: great is Yahwai's wrath that is poured out on us,
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  Speaker 1: because our fathers have not kept Yahwai's word to do
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  Speaker 1: according to all that is written in this book. So
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  Speaker 1: Hilkia and those whom the king had commanded went to Haldah,
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  Speaker 1: the prophetess, the wife of Shalum, the son of Tokoth,
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  Speaker 1: the son of Hasra, keeper of the Wardrobe. Now she
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  Speaker 1: lived in Jerusalem in the second quarter, and they spoke
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  Speaker 1: to her to that effect. She said to them, Yahweh,
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  Speaker 1: the God of Israel, says, tell the man who sent
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  Speaker 1: you to me, Yahwai says, behold, I will bring evil
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  Speaker 1: on this place and on its inhabitants, even all the
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  Speaker 1: curses that are written in the book which they have
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  Speaker 1: read before the King of Judah. Because they have forsaken
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  Speaker 1: me and have burned incense to other gods, that they
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  Speaker 1: might provoke me to anger with all all the works
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  Speaker 1: of their hands. Therefore, my wrath is poured out on
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  Speaker 1: this place, and it will not be quenched. But to
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  Speaker 1: the King of Judah, who sent you to inquire of Yahweh,
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  Speaker 1: you shall tell him this. Yahweh, the God of Israel,
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  Speaker 1: says about the words which you have heard, because your
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  Speaker 1: heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before God when
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  Speaker 1: you heard his words against this place and against its inhabitants,
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  Speaker 1: and have humbled yourself before me, and have torn your
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  Speaker 1: clothes and wept before me. I also have heard you,
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  Speaker 1: says Yahweh. Behold, I will gather you to your fathers,
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  Speaker 1: and you will be gathered to your grave in peace.
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  Speaker 1: Your eyes won't see all the evil that I will
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  Speaker 1: bring on this place and on its inhabitants. They brought
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  Speaker 1: back this message to the king. Then the king sent
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  Speaker 1: and gathered together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem.
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  Speaker 1: The king went up to Yahwai's house with all the
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  Speaker 1: men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the priests,
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  Speaker 1: the Levites, and all the people, both great and small,
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  Speaker 1: and he read in their hearing all the words of
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  Speaker 1: the Book of the Covenant that was found in Yahwai's house.
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  Speaker 1: The king stood in his and made a covenant before
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  Speaker 1: Yahweh to walk after Yahweh and to keep his commandments,
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  Speaker 1: his testimonies, and his statutes with all his heart and
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  Speaker 1: with all his soul, to perform the words of the
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  Speaker 1: Covenant that were written in this book. He caused all
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  Speaker 1: who were found in Jerusalem and Benjamin to stand. The
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  Speaker 1: inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the Covenant of God,
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  Speaker 1: the God of their fathers. Josiah took away all the
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  Speaker 1: abominations out of all the countries that belonged to the
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  Speaker 1: children of Israel, and made all who were found in
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  Speaker 1: Israel to serve, even to serve Yahweh, their God, all
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  Speaker 1: his days. They didn't depart from following Yahweh, the God
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  Speaker 1: of their fathers. So that very long reading was talking
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  Speaker 1: about the reign of Josiah, specifically the first twelve years
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  Speaker 1: of his reign. It says in verse one that Josiah
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  Speaker 1: was eight years old when he began to reign, and
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  Speaker 1: he reigned thirty one years. In Jerusalem, So he actually
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  Speaker 1: did not reign for that long of a time period
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  Speaker 1: because think about it, he was eight years old when
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  Speaker 1: he began to reign, which means he was only thirty
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  Speaker 1: nine years old when he died. So he didn't have
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  Speaker 1: that long of a reign honestly, but still his reign
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  Speaker 1: was very blessed by God. Nonetheless. Now, the reason Josiah
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  Speaker 1: was so young when he became the king was because
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  Speaker 1: in the last chapter we talked about how his father
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  Speaker 1: had been assassinated after only two years of being the king,
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  Speaker 1: and his father was very young actually when he became
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  Speaker 1: king also, he was only like twenty one I think, which,
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  Speaker 1: by the way, it was not uncommon for princes and
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  Speaker 1: kings to reproduce very early in life. So even though
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  Speaker 1: Josiah's father was quite young himself, he could have had
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  Speaker 1: Josiah when he was like twelve or thirteen years old,
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  Speaker 1: which is kind of gross, but that's how things were
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  Speaker 1: done back then. So Josiah was eight years old. It
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  Speaker 1: says that he did that which was right in Yahwah's eyes,
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  Speaker 1: and walked in the ways of David, his father, and
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  Speaker 1: didn't turn away to the right hand or to the
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  Speaker 1: left so as you guys know, if you've been listening
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  Speaker 1: to me for any length of time, David was the
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  Speaker 1: king to imitate. God told all of the kings, starting
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  Speaker 1: with Solomon, which was David's son, to follow in the
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  Speaker 1: footsteps of David. That was what God wanted these kings
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  Speaker 1: to do. And Josiah was one of the few kings
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  Speaker 1: that actually did this. I believe he was the fourth
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  Speaker 1: king in all of Juda's history to actually follow after
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  Speaker 1: the footsteps of David. And the reason, of course God
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  Speaker 1: wanted everybody to follow David was because David showed people
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  Speaker 1: how to worship Yahweh. David never followed any other gods,
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  Speaker 1: never even was tempted to do it that we know
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  Speaker 1: of at any point in his life. He truly and
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  Speaker 1: honestly believed in Yahweh, his God, and that was who
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  Speaker 1: he was going to follow. And even when David failed
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  Speaker 1: multiple times, he always came back to God and asked
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  Speaker 1: God to forgive him. And so God wanted the kings
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  Speaker 1: to follow that same playbook essentially, and Josiah was one
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  Speaker 1: of the few kings to actually achieve this. It says
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  Speaker 1: in verse three, for in the eighth year of his
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  Speaker 1: reign while he was yet young, which means he was
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  Speaker 1: about sixteen years old, he began to seek after the
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  Speaker 1: God of David, his father, and in the twelfth year
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  Speaker 1: he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem from the high places,
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  Speaker 1: the asherpoles, the engraved images, and the molten images. So
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  Speaker 1: Josiah at the very young age of sixteen started seeking
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  Speaker 1: the truth because think about Jerusalem in this point of
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  Speaker 1: Juda's history, there was a god on every street corner.
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  Speaker 1: You did not have to go far in order to
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  Speaker 1: find a god to worship, and that was because of
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  Speaker 1: the previous two kings before Josiah. They brought in all
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  Speaker 1: of that idolatry into Jerusalem and Judah in general. Josiah
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  Speaker 1: didn't have to go far, and he could have worshiped
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  Speaker 1: any number of gods, but he chose to seek after
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  Speaker 1: the truth, not what just feels good in the moment,
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  Speaker 1: because that is what idolatry comes down to. It's all
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  Speaker 1: about feeling good, what can I gain from myself? But
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  Speaker 1: it's not the truth. And Josiah wanted the truth. So
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  Speaker 1: sixteen years old he starts seeking the truth and he
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  Speaker 1: finds it, and by his twelfth year, which means he
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  Speaker 1: was twenty years old. He began to purge Judah and
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  Speaker 1: Jerusalem from the high places, the asheri poles, the engraved images,
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  Speaker 1: and the molten images. It says they broke down the
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  Speaker 1: altars of the bales in his presence and cut down
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  Speaker 1: the incense altars that were on high above them. He
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  Speaker 1: broke down the asher poles, the engraved images, and the
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  Speaker 1: molten images in pieces, made dust of them. He burned
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  Speaker 1: the bones of the priests on their altars and purged
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  Speaker 1: Judah and Jerusalem. He did this in the cities of Manassa, Ephriam,
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  Speaker 1: and Simeon, even to Naftali around in their ruins. He
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  Speaker 1: broke down the altars, beat the asherpoles and engraved images
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  Speaker 1: into powder, and cut down the incense altars throughout all
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  Speaker 1: the land of Israel. Then returned to Jerusalem. So this
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  Speaker 1: religious reform that Josiah did was huge because notice he
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  Speaker 1: even went up into Israel to do this. It was
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  Speaker 1: not just Judah and Jerusalem that he was targeting. He
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  Speaker 1: went into Israel and helped them get rid of all
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  Speaker 1: of their asher poles and bail images and whatever other
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  Speaker 1: engraved images that they had. This religious reform spread far
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  Speaker 1: and wide, and Josiah actually did it himself, a lot
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  Speaker 1: of it. It says that they broke down the altars
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  Speaker 1: of the bales in his presence, and he himself actually
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  Speaker 1: went up into Israel, kind of leading the charge of
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  Speaker 1: destroying all of these false idols that were causing so
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  Speaker 1: much trouble in Israel and in Judah. And the reason
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  Speaker 1: Josiah was able to get away with this, by the way,
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  Speaker 1: because Israel was under a Syrian control at this time.
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  Speaker 1: Assyria was beginning to lose some power and they were
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  Speaker 1: having problems at home with the Babylonians. So Josiah took
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  Speaker 1: that opportunity to go into Israel and do some religious
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  Speaker 1: reform up there as well. So it's kind of like
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  Speaker 1: the perfect opportunity basically. But notice one thing here. It
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  Speaker 1: says in verse where is it verse four? Yeah, I
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  Speaker 1: think it's verse four. It says he broke down the asherpoles,
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  Speaker 1: made them into dust, and scattered it on the graves
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  Speaker 1: of those who had sacrificed to them. Verse five, he
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  Speaker 1: burned the bones of the priests on their altars and
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  Speaker 1: purged Judah and Jerusalem. Now this was actually prophesied about
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  Speaker 1: in first Kings, chapter thirteen. And this is way way back,
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  Speaker 1: right after Israel and Judah first split, so hundreds of
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  Speaker 1: years prior to this, Josiah was prophesied about. Here's what
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  Speaker 1: this says. First Kings, thirteen one through six. It says, behold,
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  Speaker 1: a man of God came out of Judah by Yahweh's
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  Speaker 1: word to Bethel, and Jereboam was standing by the altar
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  Speaker 1: to burn incense. I don't know if you guys remember Jeroboam,
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  Speaker 1: but he was the first king of Israel, and he
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  Speaker 1: was a really bad guy, okay, which was basically all
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  Speaker 1: the kings of Israel. It says the prophet cried against
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  Speaker 1: the altar by Yahwai's word and said alter altar. Yahways says, behold,
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  Speaker 1: a son will be born to David's house, Josiah by
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  Speaker 1: name on you. He will sacrifice the priests of the
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  Speaker 1: high places who burn incense on you, and they will
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  Speaker 1: burn men's bones on you. He gave a sign that
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  Speaker 1: same day, saying this is the sign which Yahweh has spoken. Behold,
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  Speaker 1: the altar will be split apart, and the ashes that
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  Speaker 1: are on it will be poured out. When the king
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  Speaker 1: heard the saying of the Man of God, which was
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  Speaker 1: cried against the altar in Bethel. Jereboam put out his
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  Speaker 1: hand from the altar, saying seize him. His hand which
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  Speaker 1: he put out against him dried up so that he
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  Speaker 1: could not drop back again to himself. The altar was
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  Speaker 1: also split apart, and the ashes poured out from the altar.
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  Speaker 1: According to the sign which the Man of God had
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  Speaker 1: given by Yahwai's word, the king answered, the Man of God,
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  Speaker 1: now intercede for the favor of Yahweh, your God, that
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  Speaker 1: my hate and may be restored to me again. The
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  Speaker 1: Man of God interceded with Yahweh, and the king's hand
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  Speaker 1: was restored to him again and became as it was before.
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  Speaker 1: So that is the story of Jereboam, the first king
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  Speaker 1: of Israel, sacrificing on this altar to foreign gods. And
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  Speaker 1: this prophet from the land of Judah comes up into
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  Speaker 1: Israel and he prophesies against the altar that Jeroboam is
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  Speaker 1: currently sacrificing on, and he says, on you, a king
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  Speaker 1: named Josiah is going to destroy you and also burn
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  Speaker 1: men's bones on you. And that is what Josiah actually
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  Speaker 1: ended up doing. Going back to Second Chronicles, thirty four,
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  Speaker 1: and it says he burned the bones of the priests
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  Speaker 1: on their altars and purged Judah and Jerusalem. And he
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  Speaker 1: did this in all the cities of Nassa, Ephriem and Simeon,
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  Speaker 1: even up to Aftali and around in their ruins, so
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  Speaker 1: that prophecy came true, obviously, as all words from God
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  Speaker 1: will come true. And Josiah says did this all the
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  Speaker 1: way up to the farthest reaches of Neftali, which is
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  Speaker 1: like the northernmost part of Israel. So Josiah took this
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  Speaker 1: reform very far. Interestingly enough, he was not afraid to
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  Speaker 1: do this. Now, before we move forward with the next part,
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  Speaker 1: I do want to say that I need to apologize
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  Speaker 1: to you guys, because I taught something incorrect in Second
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  Speaker 1: Kings twenty three back when we were talking about this
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  Speaker 1: same story in the King's account. I'm pretty sure I
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  Speaker 1: mentioned that Josiah didn't do any religious reform until after
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  Speaker 1: he found the Book of the Law. But that is incorrect.
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  Speaker 1: He did do religious reform ahead of time. In fact,
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  Speaker 1: he did a lot of reform before he found the
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  Speaker 1: Book of the Law. He was serious about this, and
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  Speaker 1: Second Chronicles thirty four talks about that a little bit
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  Speaker 1: more in depth, whereas Second King's twenty three the same
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  Speaker 1: account here doesn't really give a timeline, just mentions everything
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  Speaker 1: that Josiah had done before and after finding the law.
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  Speaker 1: So I misunderstood that at the time, and I want
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  Speaker 1: to apologize for that. But moving on, in Second Chronicles
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  Speaker 1: thirty four, it says in verse eight, in the eighteenth
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  Speaker 1: year of his reign, when he had purged the land
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  Speaker 1: and the house, he sent Chiffon, the son of Azalia,
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  Speaker 1: Messiah the governor of the city, and Joah, the son
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  Speaker 1: of Jehoahs, the recorder, to repair the house of Yahweh
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  Speaker 1: his God. So basically, now that all of this reform
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  Speaker 1: is done, Josiah decides it's time to rebuild the temple
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  Speaker 1: to God, because I am sure that it was in
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  Speaker 1: a pretty sorry state at this point. Don't forget who
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  Speaker 1: Josiah's grandfather was. Josiah's granddad was the probably one of
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  Speaker 1: the worst kings in Judah's history because he brought in
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  Speaker 1: so much idolatry into Judah and into God's house and
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  Speaker 1: basically made it a bravel, which Josiah was still dealing
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  Speaker 1: with that to this very day, and because Yahwism wasn't
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  Speaker 1: really cared about during the days of Manassa, probably the
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  Speaker 1: temple to God fell into deep disrepair. So Josiah, who
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  Speaker 1: actually has a heart for Yahweh, wants to repair the
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  Speaker 1: temple and make it beautiful and functional once again. Verse nine,
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  Speaker 1: it says they came to Hilkia, the high priest, and
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  Speaker 1: delivered the money that was brought into God's House, which
• 17:22
  Speaker 1: the Levites, the keepers of the Threshold, had gathered from
• 17:25
  Speaker 1: the hands of Manassa Ephrium and all the remnants of Israel,
• 17:28
  Speaker 1: all of Judah and Benjamin, and of the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
• 17:32
  Speaker 1: So it sounds like part of the reform that Josiah
• 17:35
  Speaker 1: did included an offering where people could donate to repair
• 17:39
  Speaker 1: the House of God. Because notice that this money wasn't
• 17:43
  Speaker 1: just coming from Jerusalem and Judah, it was also coming
• 17:47
  Speaker 1: from Manassa, Ephrium and all the remnants of Israel as well,
• 17:51
  Speaker 1: so people were once again willing to donate to rebuild
• 17:55
  Speaker 1: God's house. It says they delivered the money into the
• 17:58
  Speaker 1: hands of the workmen who had the oversight of Yaway's house,
• 18:02
  Speaker 1: and the workmen who labored in Yaway's house gave it
• 18:04
  Speaker 1: to men and repair the house. They gave it to
• 18:07
  Speaker 1: the carpenters and to the builders to buy cut stones
• 18:10
  Speaker 1: and timber for couplings and make beams for the houses
• 18:13
  Speaker 1: which the kings of Judah had destroyed. So there are
• 18:17
  Speaker 1: certainly parts of the temple. It says that the kings
• 18:20
  Speaker 1: had destroyed before Josiah. So there you go. You can
• 18:23
  Speaker 1: see the sorry state that the temple was in. Part
• 18:27
  Speaker 1: of it had gotten destroyed, probably because the idolatrous kings
• 18:30
  Speaker 1: didn't like it, didn't want anything to do with it,
• 18:34
  Speaker 1: so they just destroyed parts of it, either from neglect
• 18:38
  Speaker 1: or purposeful destruction, I don't know. It says the men
• 18:42
  Speaker 1: did the work faithfully. Their overseers were Jahath and Obadiah
• 18:46
  Speaker 1: of the Levites, the sons of Maurari and Zechariah and
• 18:49
  Speaker 1: Meshelim the sons of the Koathites to give direction, and
• 18:53
  Speaker 1: others of the Levites who were skillful with musical instruments.
• 18:56
  Speaker 1: So there you go. The music and the artistry and
• 18:59
  Speaker 1: the beauty is coming back to Yahweh's temple. And this
• 19:03
  Speaker 1: is a personal opinion that I have about art and beauty.
• 19:07
  Speaker 1: I truly do believe that beauty and worship of God
• 19:10
  Speaker 1: go hand in hand because God himself is beautiful, and
• 19:15
  Speaker 1: so when we're presenting things to God, they should be beautiful.
• 19:20
  Speaker 1: They should be to the best of our ability. I
• 19:23
  Speaker 1: get really frustrated when people say that worship services shouldn't
• 19:26
  Speaker 1: be entertaining, because I think that a lot of people
• 19:30
  Speaker 1: misunderstand what the word entertaining means. Entertainment in its basic form,
• 19:36
  Speaker 1: just means to keep your attention. Being entertained is not
• 19:42
  Speaker 1: necessarily a bad thing. And you can look at what
• 19:46
  Speaker 1: the people in the Old Testament brought forward to God.
• 19:49
  Speaker 1: It was very entertaining. I mean, look at how David
• 19:52
  Speaker 1: would put on the most beautiful worship services, and God
• 19:55
  Speaker 1: is telling the other kings to emulate what David did,
• 20:00
  Speaker 1: not to mention, back in the Old Testament, when God
• 20:02
  Speaker 1: first gave the plans of the temple to Moses, he
• 20:06
  Speaker 1: included so much beauty and so much artistry into the
• 20:11
  Speaker 1: tabernacle tent. There's absolutely nothing wrong with being entertained when
• 20:17
  Speaker 1: you go to church. The problem comes in is when
• 20:20
  Speaker 1: that's the only focus, when like big megachurches are only
• 20:23
  Speaker 1: trying to get people through the door so that they
• 20:25
  Speaker 1: can get more money. So there's a fine line there, obviously,
• 20:28
  Speaker 1: where you don't want to go too much in the
• 20:30
  Speaker 1: opposite direction and make it only about the show and
• 20:32
  Speaker 1: make it only about yourself. But church services absolutely should
• 20:37
  Speaker 1: be entertaining. They should keep your attention so that you
• 20:40
  Speaker 1: can worship God. And I personally believe that worship services
• 20:43
  Speaker 1: should be beautiful and be done to the best of
• 20:45
  Speaker 1: our ability. But regardless, Josiah kinda has the same idea here,
• 20:49
  Speaker 1: and he brings back the musicians, he brings back the artistry,
• 20:53
  Speaker 1: the beauty, and in verses fourteen and fifteen, it says,
• 20:56
  Speaker 1: when they brought out the money that was brought into
• 20:58
  Speaker 1: Yawai's house, Hilkia the priest found the book of Yahway's
• 21:02
  Speaker 1: Law given by Moses. Hilkia answered Chaffon, the scribe, I
• 21:07
  Speaker 1: have found the book of the Law in Yawai's house.
• 21:11
  Speaker 1: So Hilkia delivered the book to Chaffan. So Chaffon was
• 21:14
  Speaker 1: the scribe, he'd have been the guy that was able
• 21:17
  Speaker 1: to read and write very proficiently, very well, actually more
• 21:20
  Speaker 1: than proficient. He was like a master at it. And
• 21:22
  Speaker 1: Hilkia the high priest, it says, found the book of
• 21:26
  Speaker 1: Yahway's law, meaning it was kind of just like thrown
• 21:30
  Speaker 1: in a side room somewhere, and they didn't find it
• 21:33
  Speaker 1: until they started going through everything, really cleaning out the
• 21:38
  Speaker 1: temple and making it beautiful once again. And Hilkia, the
• 21:41
  Speaker 1: high priest, who may have never seen the law before,
• 21:44
  Speaker 1: actually finds it. And so Chaffon, it says, carried the
• 21:48
  Speaker 1: book to the king, and moreover, brought back word to
• 21:51
  Speaker 1: the king, saying, all that was committed to your servants
• 21:53
  Speaker 1: they are doing. They have emptied out the money that
• 21:55
  Speaker 1: was found in Yahway's house and have delivered it into
• 21:57
  Speaker 1: the hands of the overseers and into the hands of
• 21:59
  Speaker 1: the workmen. So Chaffan the scribe told the king, Hilkia,
• 22:03
  Speaker 1: the priest has delivered to me a book. What's funny
• 22:06
  Speaker 1: is Chaffon doesn't even act like this book as anything,
• 22:08
  Speaker 1: you know, special. He's just like, here, King, we found
• 22:10
  Speaker 1: a book for you. And then he reads the book
• 22:14
  Speaker 1: to the king. It says when the king had heard
• 22:17
  Speaker 1: the words of the law, he tore his clothes. Now
• 22:21
  Speaker 1: that was a way of mourning back in these days,
• 22:24
  Speaker 1: like being really upset over something. And then the king
• 22:28
  Speaker 1: commands all these people to inquire of Yahweh for him,
• 22:33
  Speaker 1: meaning to go to a prophet, find a prophet in
• 22:36
  Speaker 1: the city and ask about this book of the law
• 22:39
  Speaker 1: and ask to see what God wants us to do. Essentially,
• 22:42
  Speaker 1: And the reason Josiah was so distressed is probably because
• 22:47
  Speaker 1: he realized that nobody was actually following the Old Testament
• 22:50
  Speaker 1: laws that God had given them. And that's why he
• 22:53
  Speaker 1: tore his clothes, because he knew that Judah was in
• 22:56
  Speaker 1: trouble if they were not following everything that was mentioned
• 23:00
  Speaker 1: in this law. So they go to this prophetess named Holda,
• 23:05
  Speaker 1: and the reason they found her was probably because she
• 23:07
  Speaker 1: was connected to the king. I believe her husband, it says,
• 23:10
  Speaker 1: was the keeper of the wardrobe of the king. And
• 23:14
  Speaker 1: so they go to her, and it says they spoke
• 23:16
  Speaker 1: to her asking about the law. So here's what she
• 23:19
  Speaker 1: says to them, Verse twenty three. He always says, behold,
• 23:22
  Speaker 1: I will bring evil on this place and on its inhabitants,
• 23:25
  Speaker 1: even all the curses that are written in the book
• 23:27
  Speaker 1: which you have read before the King of Judah. Now,
• 23:31
  Speaker 1: whenever it says that God brings evil, a lot of
• 23:33
  Speaker 1: people believe that evil is always associated with sin. It
• 23:38
  Speaker 1: is not evil does not necessarily mean sin. It just
• 23:42
  Speaker 1: means something bad. God is going to bring bad things,
• 23:47
  Speaker 1: essentially on the place and on its inhabitants, even all
• 23:51
  Speaker 1: the curses that are written in the book which they
• 23:53
  Speaker 1: have read before the King of Judah. Now those curses
• 23:57
  Speaker 1: are laid out at the very end of Deuteronomy, and
• 24:00
  Speaker 1: it's a very very long chapter which I've gone over
• 24:03
  Speaker 1: multiple times on the podcast before. But because Judah was
• 24:06
  Speaker 1: not following the law, these curses were going to come
• 24:09
  Speaker 1: to fruition, it says in verse twenty five, because they
• 24:12
  Speaker 1: have forsaken me and have burned incense to other gods,
• 24:15
  Speaker 1: that they might provoke me to anger with all the
• 24:17
  Speaker 1: works of their hands. Therefore, my wrath is poured out
• 24:20
  Speaker 1: on this place, and it will not be quenched. But
• 24:23
  Speaker 1: to the King of Judah, who sent you to inquire
• 24:25
  Speaker 1: of Yahweh, you shall tell him this. Yeahweh, the God
• 24:28
  Speaker 1: of Israel, says about the words which you have heard,
• 24:30
  Speaker 1: because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before
• 24:33
  Speaker 1: God when you heard his words against this place and
• 24:36
  Speaker 1: against its inhabitants, and have humbled yourself before me, and
• 24:39
  Speaker 1: have torn your clothes and wept before me. I also
• 24:42
  Speaker 1: have heard you, says Yahweh. Behold, I will gather you
• 24:45
  Speaker 1: to your fathers, and you will be gathered to your
• 24:47
  Speaker 1: grave in peace. Your eyes won't see all the evil
• 24:50
  Speaker 1: that I will bring on this place and on its inhabitants.
• 24:53
  Speaker 1: So they brought back this message to the king. So basically,
• 24:57
  Speaker 1: what God says through halled of the prophetes is that
• 25:01
  Speaker 1: God is going to go through with the punishment of Judah,
• 25:05
  Speaker 1: but he is not going to punish Josiah because Josiah,
• 25:08
  Speaker 1: unlike all the inhabitants of Judah, actually had a tender
• 25:13
  Speaker 1: and humble heart toward God. And interestingly enough, that's something
• 25:17
  Speaker 1: that God repeatedly said in the Book of Jeremiah. He
• 25:21
  Speaker 1: said that the people never really turned toward Him, even
• 25:24
  Speaker 1: when they had good kings, they never truly turned their
• 25:29
  Speaker 1: heart toward Him. But Josiah, on the other hand, actually
• 25:34
  Speaker 1: did so. After the king hears these words from the
• 25:37
  Speaker 1: prophetesce it says, the king sent and gathered together all
• 25:40
  Speaker 1: the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. The King went up
• 25:43
  Speaker 1: to Yahwai's house with all the men of Judah and Jerusalem,
• 25:46
  Speaker 1: the priests, the levites, and all the people, both great
• 25:49
  Speaker 1: and small, and he read in their hearing all the
• 25:52
  Speaker 1: words of the Book of the Covenant that was found
• 25:54
  Speaker 1: in Yahway's house. And this is probably the first time
• 25:56
  Speaker 1: these people are ever hearing any of this. The king
• 26:00
  Speaker 1: stood in his place, and he made a covenant before
• 26:02
  Speaker 1: Yahweh to walk after Yahweh and to keep his commandments,
• 26:06
  Speaker 1: his testimonies, and his statutes with all his heart and
• 26:09
  Speaker 1: with all his soul, to perform the words of the
• 26:11
  Speaker 1: Covenant that were written in the book. He caused all
• 26:14
  Speaker 1: those that were found in Jerusalem and Benjamin to stand.
• 26:17
  Speaker 1: The inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God,
• 26:21
  Speaker 1: the God of their fathers. So Josiah took away all
• 26:25
  Speaker 1: the abominations out of the countries that belonged to the
• 26:28
  Speaker 1: children of Israel, and made all who were found in
• 26:30
  Speaker 1: Israel to serve, even serve Yahweh, their God, and all
• 26:34
  Speaker 1: his days. They didn't depart from following Yahweh, the God
• 26:37
  Speaker 1: of their fathers. So that's the thing, you know. The people,
• 26:41
  Speaker 1: they would kind of follow the king whatever the king
• 26:44
  Speaker 1: was doing. If the king was following Yahweh, they would
• 26:48
  Speaker 1: follow Yahweh. But the second the king stopped following Yahweh
• 26:51
  Speaker 1: and start worshiping these other gods. The people would basically
• 26:55
  Speaker 1: do the exact same thing, So the people didn't really
• 26:58
  Speaker 1: have a heart of their own accord toward Yahweh. They
• 27:02
  Speaker 1: only just fell in line, that's it. So God was
• 27:06
  Speaker 1: going to go through with his punishment of Israel, and
• 27:09
  Speaker 1: to Josiah's credit, after he heard the words of the prophetess,
• 27:14
  Speaker 1: he could have just given up and been like, oh, great,
• 27:17
  Speaker 1: God is not going to hurt me, so there's nothing
• 27:19
  Speaker 1: I need to do. But he didn't do that. He
• 27:23
  Speaker 1: did the opposite of that. Actually, he was even more
• 27:26
  Speaker 1: fervent to get rid of all the idols out of
• 27:30
  Speaker 1: Judah and Jerusalem and Israel. Entirely, he did the opposite
• 27:34
  Speaker 1: of it because he knew that God is good, that
• 27:38
  Speaker 1: God will change his mind if people truly humble their hearts.
• 27:43
  Speaker 1: So Josiah tried to get the people to humble their
• 27:46
  Speaker 1: hearts so these terrible curses wouldn't happen to Judah. But
• 27:51
  Speaker 1: unfortunately Josiah's efforts didn't go very far because the people
• 27:54
  Speaker 1: never really changed their own hearts. And that's really what
• 27:57
  Speaker 1: it comes down to. Well, faithful listeners I hope you
• 28:02
  Speaker 1: enjoyed today's episode and I am excited to be back
• 28:05
  Speaker 1: on the podcast with all of you guys. Thank you
• 28:08
  Speaker 1: for giving me a couple of days off to rest
• 28:10
  Speaker 1: and relax. Now before I say goodbye, here's a quick
• 28:14
  Speaker 1: word from a sponsor. Now, with all that being said,
• 28:19
  Speaker 1: we are going to talk more about Josiah and the
• 28:21
  Speaker 1: religious reform he does on Monday. So I hope you
• 28:25
  Speaker 1: guys tune in then because we're going to talk about
• 28:27
  Speaker 1: just the absolute craziness that the previous kings did. It
• 28:32
  Speaker 1: gets really gross. We're going to talk about that, and
• 28:34
  Speaker 1: also how Josiah once again tried to bring the Passover
• 28:40
  Speaker 1: back into Judah. King Hezekiah did the same thing, but
• 28:45
  Speaker 1: the reign of Manassa and also of Amen kind of
• 28:50
  Speaker 1: stopped that tradition, which Josiah brings the Passover back. So
• 28:53
  Speaker 1: we're going to talk about all of that on Monday.
• 28:56
  Speaker 1: Now tomorrow, don't forget. We are in the New Testament
• 28:58
  Speaker 1: in the Book of Hebrew. So I hope to see
• 29:01
  Speaker 1: all of you guys then six am or whenever you
• 29:03
  Speaker 1: choose to wake up and listen until tomorrow. Happy listening,
• 29:08
  Speaker 1: and God bless I just want to take a second
• 29:15
  Speaker 1: to thank the team at Life Audio for their partnership
• 29:17
  Speaker 1: with me on the Bible Explain podcast. In fact, if
• 29:20
  Speaker 1: you go to lifeaudio dot com you will find dozens
• 29:22
  Speaker 1: of other faith centered podcasts in their network. They've got
• 29:25
  Speaker 1: shows about prayer, Bible study, parenting, and more.