II Chronicles 35:20-27
October 10, 01
Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign as king in Judea. He was known for his piety and zeal for the Lord as his father and grandfather were known for the complete opposite. The book of Moses was accidentally discovered among the debris in the Temple at the beginning of his reign. He repaired the temple and purged Jerusalem of idols. He held the largest PPASSOVER feast since the days of Samuel. He was the godliest king since David, and he was Judah’s last godly king.
However, Josiah’s life terminated in weakness, failure and death. The last king of Judah who began well concluded his life in weakness.
Necho, king of Egypt, was a bold and enterprising king, who entered with all his heart into the struggle which the two great powers of Egypt and Assyria had long carried on for the political supremacy. Each, jealous of the aggressive movements of its rival, was desirous to maintain Palestine as a frontier barrier. Necho, king of Egypt raised an army and marched to the river Euphrates, in order to fight with Assyria. Josiah brought an army to hinder Necho in his expedition. Before the two armies met, Necho dispatched an delegation to Josiah, requesting him to desist from offering opposition. He informs Josiah that he is acting in accordance with a Divine commission. If he opposes him Josiah will be guilty of resisting God. “Forbear them form meddling with God, who is with me , that he should destory thee.”
Josiah refuses to heed the words of the king of Egypt not to meddle. The words “God commanded” meant nothing to Josiah from the mouth of so strange a vessel. Josiah would not turn his face from him, but disguised himself, that he might fight with him, and hearkened not unto the words of Necho from the mouth of God, and came to fight in the valley of Megiddo
Josiah was warned and told not to meddle with God, but hearkened not. Whether the Egyptian soldier penetrated through Josiah’s disguise or not, God did. If Necho’s archers’s archers shot at random, the almighty and omniscient Archer did not. Every shaft that flies from His hand hits the mark. Josiah believed he was only fighting against Necho; Necho told him he was fighting against God. In this unequal contest Josiah was defeated
Josiah was a very good prince, yet he was much to be blamed for his rashness and presumption in going out to war against the king of Egypt without cause or call. It was bad enough that he meddled with strife which belonged not to him. But here it looks worse; for the king of Egypt sent ambassadors to him, to warn him against this enterprise.
Josiah meddled where he needed not. Proverbs 20:3 states that “every fool will be meddling.” There are some areas that relate to God that we are foolish to meddle with.
I. It is foolish to meddle with God’s MAN
Necho was God’s man. We must suppose that either by a dream, or by a strong impulse upon his spirit from God, or by Jeremiah or some other prophet, he had ordered him to make war upon the king of Assyria. Necho was acting under the direction of God.
See I Samuel 24:6
I Samuel 26:9-11
However unworthily Saul was acting, he had been appointed to his high office by God himself, and he could only be removed by the authority which placed him on the throne. Even David, who knew he was appointed to reign in his stead, and whose life Saul had often sought to destroy, did not conceive that he had any right to take away his life; and he grounds the reasons of his forbearance on this _ He is the Lord's anointed, and therefore sacred as to his person in the Lord's sight.
See Hebrews 13
Remember them (7)
Obey them (17)
Greet them (24)
II. It is foolish to meddle with God’s MESSAGE
Necho delivered God’s message to Josiah. It was settled. God had spoken. God was the author of the message!
II Timothy 3:16,17
II Peter 1:21
The Message is:
A. Inspired
God-breathed
“When ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that beleive” (I Thessalonians 2:13).
B. Infallible
Sure, certain, reliable
C. Inerrant
Without any error at all
D. Inexhaustible
E. Indestructible
“Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away,” (Matthew 24:35).
F. Inescapable
The Word of God will be there to judge you in the last day.
There needs to be today a new reassertion of the necessity of the Word of God.
There needs to be today a new recognition of the nature of the Word of God.
There needs to be today a new realization of the nourishment of the Word of God.
III. It is foolish to meddled with God’s METHOD
Necho had come to share in the downfall of Assyria, and God was arranging His sovereign rule among the nations so that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon should become the next world empire. Josiah was not to interfere with God was doing.
Acts 16: 25-32
A. God’s method involves the praying of the children of God (25)
1. Praying readies the speaker for God
No man is ready to speak for God until he has spoken to God.
2. Praying ripens souls for God
3. Praying receives strength from God
B. God’s method involves the praising of the saints of God (25)
The fact of praying of Paul and Silas is no cause for surprise. There is nothing miraculous about that. BUT SINGING? And then lustily: the whole prison heard them. Hymns and songs of praise was a strange sound in a prison. Two men were giving thanks to God in the darkest hour of the night. Anybody can sing in the day. It is easy to sing when we read the notes by the daylight; but the skillful singer is the one who can sing then there is not a ray of light to read by.
Any religion that makes a man look sick certainly will not cure the world.
Prayer and praise are powerful weapons!
C. God’s method involves the proclaiming of the Word of God (31,32)
The Bible dos not say, “How shall hear without a brass band?” However, it does say, “How shall they hear without a preacher?” If preaching of the gospel will not do God’s work, nothing else will!
I Corinthians 1:21 states that “it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.” As long as God has His true witnesses on earth, and His church is still in the world, preaching will not be abolished, for preaching is God’s prescribed method of communication.
Conclusion:
Josiah tampered, meddled, interfered, intruded where he ought not and the result was it brought about his death. Let us be careful about meddling with God’s man, God’s message, and God’s method.
Yours because HIS
Bro. Jimmy Chapman